Guide: Carinthia

Carinthia

Slovenian Carinthia is composed of three valleys – Mežiška, Dravska, and Mislinjska – and three mountain ranges – Pohorje, Karavanke and Savnja Alps – and is considered as one of the smallest Slovenian regions.

Carinthia is considered a cradle of Slovenian identity as in the vicinity of Gospa Sveta (Maria Saal) our forefathers were enthroning the dukes of Carinthia, successors of the Slovenian principality of Karantania, in Slovenian language. After a plebiscite in 1920 a larger part of Carinthia was allotted to Austria.

The largest cultural and economic center of present-day Slovenian Carinthia is Slovenj Gradec. In previous centuries mining activities developed here, which actually had their beginning already in the Roman period.

In Carinthia we find the highest Slovenian farms (Bukovnik 1327 m), the mountain Olševa, known for its cave of Potočka zijalka, in which in 1928 remnants of Old Stone-Age settlement were found and the highest mountain of eastern Karavanke, Peca, that is feeding the imagination of Carinthians for centuries.

The greatest number of stories is connected to King Mathias (Matjaž), who is sleeping in the mountain cave. According to the tradition King Mathias was a good king who helped everyone who asked for help and the time of his rule was the golden age of Carinthia.

But other jealous kings joined against him in war. With his surviving warriors he retreated to the cave under the Peca Mountain, which opened to him by itself and hid him. In the cave King Mathias fell asleep behind the table and when his beard is to circle the stone table for nine times he will wake up.

Then good times are supposed to return to Carinthia. King Mathias with his soldiers will defeat all his enemies, restore the justice and rule again.