"King Matjaz's kingdom" a Podpeca Travel Page by Enzyme_X

King Matjaz was a good king. He was a Slovene king, chosen by the people from Gosposvetsko field and in old Krn castle he had his throne. Time of his rule was a golden age. He was rich and generous. The gates were always open and King Matjaz granted help to anyone who asked.
But other kings were jelous of him. One day, from the lands where sun sets, a large army came to attack King Matjaz. In a fierce battle the enemy killed all but King Matjaz and last 100 of his men. When trying to escape, they were almost captured. But then, a rock in Rechice opened and hid King Matjaz and his men from persecutor.
King Matjaz is now resting, sitting behind his table in his underworld shelter under Peca mountain. The legend goes that when his beard grows so long that it will wind around the table 9 times, he'll wake up and the mountain will give him back and he will happily rule to slovenian people, with his beloved Alenchitsa.

The legend basis on a true king, Matthias Corvinus (Matthew The Crow), a hungarian king (1443-1490, king from 1458). He was a son of a regent of Hungary. After his fathers death, the struggle between Habsburgs and hungaryan nobilty. Corvinus was elected king by the people and lower aristocrats althoug he was just 15 at the time. During his rule he spread the boundries of Hungary. He even concuered Vienna and made it to his throne. During his rule lots of towns flourished, specially in hungary. After his death, his kingdom fell apart.
While Corvinus seems a positive person, that's not totaly true. He lived a lavish life, made possible with high taxes. He also showed a lot of cruelty (catapulting one of the czech towns with heads of captured defenders). But mostly he remaind as a hero in peoples mind, mostly due tu succesful fighting against the invading Ottomans. And he still lives in many legend in the countries which he once ruled.

KING MATJAZ'S CASTLES
Each year, last weekend in january, under Peca mountain a competition in snow-catle building takes place. The goal of building this fantasy town of snow castles is to bring King Matjaz from his cave.
It started in 1993 with only 8 teams competing. This year there were already 109 teams, giving their best and hoping King Matjaz will choose their creation wor his new home.

This year it was my first visit to Podpeca (= Bellow Peca). We (me + Katja, Marjeta, Petra & Marko) had a great time. Specially if you consider that it was raining in Ljubljana whole day, but we had such a lovely sunshine. I think I'll come here more often from now on :-).