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The region of Bela Krajina begins on the southern slopes of the Gorjanci mountain range, the last of the Alpine foothills that descend down into the flat divide between the Alps and the Dinaric Mountains of the Balkans. In Bela krajina is located the southernmost point in Slovenia, the village of Kot, near Vinica. If looking down upon the region from higher altitudes, the landscape appears rather monotonous, with some isolated hills in the distance. However, on a drive through Bela krajina one can observe its geological diversity, and the visitor is swept away by the views of karstic flatland, surrounded by the higher karstic formations of Gorjanci, Kocevski Rog and Poljanska gora. Bela krajina is a climatically mixed area, and experiences both Mediterranean and Pannonian influences. Spring comes very early, summers are very hot but may be interrupted by spells of rain and cooler weather, and winters tend to be harsh with lots of snow and severe cold. Fern is typical in Bela krajina; they can be found in forested areas, alongside white birch and juniper. The most beautiful fern areas are found in Vinomer near Metlika and in the vicinity of Marindol, a village south of AdleSici. In fact the white birch trees gave the region its name, Bela krajina (the white region). At the edge of the karstic flatland and east of the village of Bozakovo, are two magnificent karstic caves, Zdenc and Vidovec. Bozakovo stretches along the river bank, where the Kolpa River carved its way deep into the Magdalenska rock. In the village is the beautiful Baroque church of St. Magdalena, which is well worth a visit. The Zdenc cave, which contains a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, is one of the most extraordinary karstic spring caves in Bela krajina, revealing the past importance of kartic springs for towns' water supplies. The spring flowing out of the cave under the village was dammed by the villagers, and the 78-metre-long spring cave stretches behind the fenced entrance. The Vidovec cave (270 m) is the longest water cave in Bela krajina, and the entire walk takes an hour. Another attractive part of the region is the vineyards. The flatlands of Bela Krajina are quite similar to those of the Kras area, but most of the area's viticultural sites are on the southern or south-western slopes of rounded hills. Vineyards are mostly vertical, and the space between the rows of vines is only rarely weeded. On lower slopes the karst characteristics of the soil are more in evidence - the soil contains limestone fragments and frequently even large rocks which must be removed; in some cases, vineyards are simply planted around them. In the past metal processing, wood processing, and the food and textile industries were of great importance to the region. Nowadays, Bela krajina places great importance on developing its tourism potential. The Wine Tradition of Bela Krajina Bela Krajina has a long tradition of winegrowing and vineyards have been an important source of income for centuries. Today, Bela Krajina produces some of the best Blue Pinot in Slovenia, but the region is best known for its wine blends. The most famous is MetliSka Crnina, a blend of four types of red grapes which give the wine a rich, velvety flavour. In the past, red grapes were predominant in the area, but in the last few decades white grapes have been taking over the vineyards. Judging by the awards won by local winegrowers, they have been quite successful with White Pinot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Yellow Muscat and Renski (Rhein) Risling. Some connoisseurs prefer these white wines to their more prestigious equivalents from the Podravje region because of their more moderate acidity. White Belokranjcan, a dry blend of Kraljevina and LaSki Rizling, is the most well-known white blend. Bela Krajina has two wine cellars: the wine cellar in Metlika archives MetliSka crnina, whereas the Crnomelj wine cellar offers the best wines of the region, served with cheese and the pogaca cake. Visitors can also buy wines from the extensive wine list. Guided tours of wineries by experienced local wine experts can be organised. With or without a guide, you can experience the wine shops, tourist farms and apiaries of the Bela krajina wine tourist road by bus, car or even in an environmentally-friendly horse-drawn carriage. Those who love to exercise can take a bike or simply walk between the vineyards and vineyard cottages. The area of DraSici yearly offers a full-day tour to eight vineyard cottages. The vineyard cottage "SoseSka zidanica" is based in the cellar of an old house in the centre of DraSici, next to the church of St. Peter. It has been welcoming guests for over 250 years under the same name. The cottage's special feature is wine tasting from 65 winegrowers - in a single glass of wine. If you survive that, test your drinking stamina with a rovaS, a piece of short split wood, which the owners of the cottage mark to detail the wine consumption (or drinking debt) of an individual.