Things to do
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Kostanjevica Charterhouse
Arcaded cloisters of a former Carthusian monastery now hold the Božidar Jakac Gallery, a large collection of Slovenian painting and sculpture. Outside, the park carries dozens of monumental wooden sculptures from the Forma Viva symposium. It sits beside Kostanjevica na Krki, a tiny island town on the river, about half an hour east of Novo Mesto, and gallery and park together fill a morning.
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Krka
Slow water, low travertine steps and overhanging willows make the Krka one of the gentlest rivers in Slovenia for canoeing and kayaking. Rental outfitters in and around Novo Mesto and Žužemberk run half-day and full-day trips with transfers. Summer water is warm enough for swimming, and the paddling season runs from late spring into September.
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Novo Mesto Cathedral
Tintoretto's painting of St Nicholas hangs above the high altar of this Gothic chapter church on the ridge above the old town. The crypt beneath the presbytery follows the slope of the hill, an unusual layout. It stands a few minutes' climb from the main square, and a half-hour visit ends in the churchyard, with the Krka loop spread out below.
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Otočec Castle
Two wooden bridges lead onto a small island in the Krka, where a Renaissance water castle with corner towers now runs as a small hotel. Rooms sit inside the old walls, and breakfast is served in the courtyard or on the river side. Staying overnight is the point: the island goes quiet after dinner. It lies about ten minutes east of Novo Mesto.
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Pleterje Charterhouse
Carthusian monks still live behind the walls of this monastery in a quiet valley east of Novo Mesto, so only the Gothic church and a small shop are open to visitors. The shop sells the monks' fruit brandies and wine. A short walk away, an open-air museum of thatched farm buildings shows rural Dolenjska life, and both fit into about an hour.
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Žužemberk Castle
Seven towers and bastions rise straight out of a cliff above the Krka at Žužemberk, about half an hour's drive upstream from Novo Mesto. The castle was badly damaged in the Second World War and partly rebuilt, and its courtyard now hosts summer medieval events. The best view is from the river bank below, looking up at the walls.