"A Hidden Place..." Obcina Ilirska Bistrica by coceng

Obcina Ilirska Bistrica Travel Guide: 22 reviews and 22 photos

PIRAN<<<<<ILIRSKA BISTRICA>>>>>PREDJAMA

SLOVENIAThursday 19th June 2003...Arriving in Ilirska Bistrica with Ivan on the evening, from Strunjan. Had a good swim there with Ivan...
First we had this nice dinner at a nice restaurant on top of the hill, in the next table there were some bear-type guys who was in their heavy discussion about taking on the world...
Ivan took me back to his place...it was dark & I started to have this eerie feeling about the place....
I don't know why I had this feeling that there was a cemetery-ground behind the house & that gave me the creep right away !...It was only a garage as I discovered this in the following morning.....
Ivan prepared me a place to sleep....& showed me the toilet which was on the second floor....by torchlight !...Oh Dear !...
I was just being honest to Ivan when I said to him that I felt scared & Ivan didn't manage to convince me that everything was okay...I started to have a weird feeling about my super friend, like he could be a serial killer or something....Sorry Ivan...
Anyway, on that night..I put myself to sleep in my sleeping bag, maybe I felt safe that way..& I knew that Ivan would take care of me like his own brother...
I slept well on that night....& woke up early in the morning....Thank God the night was over, I said to myself...
Ivan prepared a light breakfast..& went out to do his chores...
I walked up to the old church behind his house....
His house, it was bigger than a house...it looked like a mansion, an old mansion....Ivan had shown me the 2nd floor which had some antique furnitures, maybe from the last 2 centuries;...Surely, his house has some nice stories within the last 2 centuries...
The furnitures were for sale, Ivan told me...
Is he going somewhere ?...Where to ?..Malaysia..?..
Anyway..., the sceneries from the top of the hill were really amazing !...Green forests surrounded Ilirska Bistrica....the rolling hills from the disrance were telling stories about Slovenia...
Going down from the hill & had a walk to Ilirska town..It was just a small town...People were looking at me, wondering from where I am from; kids looking at me wondering whether I would stay in their town....; Came back to Ivan's house & 2 painters were painting the house maybe wondered to themself whether I would stay there....
...The house.....;
There was something about the house....
Ivan came from behind me & asking about my opinions on his town....but I wanted to talk about his house...
Packed my stuffs & Ivan drove me, first to see Predjama Castle....then, dropped me off in Postojna....from where I took a bus to Ljubljana...
We would meet again in Rejika, Croatia....
Ilirska Bistrica is a nice small town in the south of Slovenia...where it's a good base to explore the Slovenian western coast...& it also a good base in Slovenia to explore the southern part of Croatia....It is only a few hours to Rijeka...

Ilirska Bistrica, the administrative and traffic center situated by the river Reka’s upper stream, is a town consisting of two old settlements, Bistrica (denoting a clear brook) and Trnovo (two interpretations: 1) thorn-bush or 2) derived from VL /vulgar Latin/ torres nova – new tower.

The area was settled at least from the early Neolithic. In written documents the settlements are mentioned by present names in the 13th century. Trnovo was the seat of one of the oldest parishes of the Bishopric of Trieste, most probably established before the 13th century. It was nevertheless mostly an agricultural village until the 20th century, while Bistrica was oriented more to industry and trade. Along the 1 km long brook up to 45 water wheels, most of them sawmills, operated in the 17th century sawing 3000 horse carts of log a year. An abundant Karst water spring, not drying up even during the most severe droughts and the vicinity of one of the largest EU forested area, was the basis for the development for this industry.

At the beginning of the 20th century the place was one of the most developed in terms of industry and infrastructure. After the WW I with the disintegration of Austria, to which it had belonged since the middle of the 14th century, Ilirska Bistrica came under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Italy, whereupon – after WW II - to communist Yugoslavia. In 1991 with the breakup of Yugoslavia it found itself in the newly established Republic of Slovenia.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Beautiful, Green, Rural Slovenian Small Town
Cons:My Friend Ivan Lives Here ! Ha! Ha! Ha !
In a nutshell:Only 40 Minutes From Rijeka, Croatia ! Have A Visit

Last visit to Obcina Ilirska Bistrica: Jun 2003
Intro Updated Mar 20, 2004
Add to Trip Planner (?)
Report Abuse

Reviews (22)

Me & Ivan... Hotels (2)

This photo has me & Ivan at the back of his house, a garden but no flowers ! Ivan too lazy to grow them, he had... more travel advice

The large pedestrian walkway in Rijeka... - Obcina Ilirska Bistrica

Rijeka In Croatia... Off The Beaten Path (4)

You can also go to Rijeka which is a transport hub for Croatia & the neighbouring countries as well. It's only about 40... more travel advice

Human fish in Postojna Cave... - Obcina Ilirska Bistrica

Human Fish... Off The Beaten Path (4)

To see the human fish, you have to arrive in Postojna, which is about 7 km from Predjama Castle. This is a... more travel advice

Predjama Castle... - Obcina Ilirska Bistrica

Predjama Castle... Off The Beaten Path (4)

About 1 hour drive... See, if you have your own transport, you will be easily reaching the places around Ilirska... more travel advice

Transportation (2)
See All Buses Are Scarce...
Local Customs (1)
The Location...
Been to Obcina Ilirska Bistrica?
Share your travels with the world!

Travelogues (2)

1 - 2 of 2

Comments (1)

olja1234 Mar 5, 2004 at 8:34 AM Report Abuse

I've never really stopped in Ilirska Bistrica. I have to do it. As always an interesting reading. Thanks Arnaud.