The Slovenia Times

Brilliant Idea for the Afternoon Trip

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Dol, the centre of small prosperous community at the eastern part of Ljubljanska Kotlina basin, is easily accessible by car. One can also take a bus or train, but we suggest a bicycle as the most appropriate means of transport. This has several advantages: it's a recreational activity and a good way to find a nice place on the bank of the Sava River where you can enjoy the endless flow of water and skip stones; it's also an opportunity to move to the villages where you can still hear the peeping of sparrows, the grunting of pigs in the stables, the remote sound of the tractors...


Ecological production of food and drinks

At the beginning of the article we mentioned bags ... Dol and its surroundings is becoming more and more known for its well-developed ecological production of various foods and drinks. You can buy potatoes, different kind of vegetables and fruits, mushrooms, eggs, meat, wheat, milk, brandy, apple juice, vinegar, honey, flowers, and medicinal herbs directly at the farms that you pass by; they are well marked with signs. You can simply stop at the farms, buying their best produce often sold at the Ljubljana marketplace, although prearrangements by telephone are desired. These farms unobtrusively present their production at two annual fairs held in June and September.


Some important personalities

Dol also offers a chance to get more acquainted with Jurij Vega, the most important Slovenian mathematician, whom that the whole community is proud of; his portrait is included in the Dol Municipality coat-of-arms and the municipality promotes itself as the Land of Jurij Vega. He was born in Zagorica, a small village situated on the slopes above the village of Dolsko. Nowadays, a small memorial room is held there where a model of Vega's improved mortar is also presented. You can also pick up a brochure with a map of the trails Vega is said to have walked as a young boy.

He is not the only famous and important person from the area. Janko Moder (1914-2006), the most important Slovenian translator was born in Dol. His productivity was unique and almost unbelievable: he translated about 400 fiction books and several dramas, articles and other written works from almost all major European languages. Petra Majdič, by far the most successful Slovenian cross-country skier was born in Brinje, a small village near Dol. Petra, vice-champion at world championship in Osaka 2007, won six world-cup races and was awarded the title of Slovenian Sportswoman of the Year twice - in 2006 and 2007. In village of Senožeti, beside the main road from Ljubljana to Litija, Slovenian writer Miško Kranjec (1908-1983) spent the last decade of his life. In the middle of September, a memorial room will be opened in his memory.


Huchen - the king of Slovenian fresh waters

If fishing is one of the ways you enjoy your spare time, you'll find some wonderful places for this activity around Dol.

Here three tributary rivers - Kamniška Bistrica, Ljubljanica and Besnica - flow into the Sava River, making this area a rich fishing terrain. The local fishermen are especially proud of the huchen (Latin Hucho Hucho, sulec in Slovenian), treated as the king of Slovenian fresh waters. This big fish may grow up to 135 centimetres in length and weigh more than 30 kilos. In the collection of scientific papers published under the title Iz dežele Jurija Vege (From the land of Jurij Vega), various unique species of the region are presented in detail. A chapter is dedicated to the huchen but one can also find other interesting things, including a paper about 16 species of bumblebees living in this area.

Fishermen looking for the opportunity to cast their hooks into the waters can buy fishing permits in the village of Dolsko. You can also enjoy the river and the fish from a different, less active angle - protected from the mosquitoes by whichever means one finds most appropriate; it is possible to find a good spot on the bank of the river and observe the fishermen at work. With enough knowledge of Slovenian or enough luck to find a fisherman with some knowledge of English, gain an acquaintance very fond of telling famous fishermen's stories - usually related to the fights with huchen - sometimes verging on fiction. If you want to see a live one, you have to come here during the autumn or winter, because fishing huncen between February 15th and September 30th is prohibited.


Several events

The municipality of Dol also hosts several cultural, sport and other events. In the renovated pavilions that used to be a part of the Dol castle, which is unfortunately more or less ruined, there are regular art exhibitions. The exhibitions are also hosted by the old-fashioned inn Pr' Krač situated in the village of Dolsko. The Korant sport centre offers different sport activities (football, basketball, volleyball...) and is also a nice private picnic place that you can rent for a group of more than 30 people. The entire calendar of the events in the municipality of Dol is available on their web pages.


Useful information

Jurij Vega's memorial room: Zagorice 12, +386 (0)1 564 72 76; group visit by prearrangement; entry fee: EUR 0,50

Fishing permits: Pr' Žerjavici Inn, Dolsko 16, +386 (0)1 564 70 84, +386 (0)41 820 802

Ecological farms, beekeepers, horticulture, tourist farms (information and contacts): http://www.nadezeli.si/

Pr' Krač Inn and gallery: Dolsko 19, +386 (0)1 563 82 60

Various information on the Municipality of Dol: Dol pri Ljubljani 1, http://www.dol.si/


Jurij Vega (1754-1802)

Vega, mostly know as an important mathematician, was born to a poor rural family in Zagorica. He attended high school in Ljubljana, studying languages, religion, history, geography, mathematics, and science. Thereafter, he worked in Ljubljana as a navigational engineer at the Ljubljanica River; river navigation was very important at the time. He entered military service as Professor of Mathematics at the Artillery School in Vienna in 1780 and participated in several wars. He commanded mortar batteries in 1788 in a campaign against the Turks in Belgrade, and contributed considerably to the fall of the Belgrade fortress. He later improved existing mortars with a firing range up to almost 3,000 metres (compared to the old ones with a range of only 1,800 m).

His most important contribution to science was publishing a series of books of logarithmic tables; the first one being published in 1783. His Handbook, originally published in 1793, was translated into several languages. His major work was Treasury of all Logarithms (Thesaurus Logarithmorum Completus) first published in 1794 in Leipzig. Johann Gauss, a renowned German mathematician and scientist, used his work frequently. It remained widely used for the next two centuries until modern electronic calculators were invented. Vega, who was a member of several academic and scientific societies, died in suspicious circumstances in Neusdorf on the Danube near Vienna, where he spent his last years.

For his contribution to the world science, a crater on the Moon carries his name; the National Bank of Slovenia issued a 50 tolar banknote in his honour and Slovenia Post also issued a stamp.

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