This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel.
Close to the Croatian border, the town of Brezice makes a good base for exploring the Lower Sava Valley, which is dominated by castles and wine growing. It’s a small but lively town dominated by its sixteenth-century castle and a more modern water tower that has a fairy tale look to it. This is good country for cycling and walking, but many visitors come for the canoeing and there’s a slalom course close to the confluence of the rivers Sava and Krka.
A brand new youth centre provides modern hostel accommodation as well as a state-of-the-art performance venue and a friendly bar. The facilities in town are not extensive, but there are enough places to eat over a stay of a couple of days. Your Brezice hostel is likely to double as a local tourist information office and visitors can pick up information for self-guided town walks and other local attractions. A larger, staffed information center can be found in the nearby village of Catez, home to Terme Catez, the famous spa complex where many Slovenians holiday. There are various grades of accommodation at Terme Catez from luxury hotel rooms to modest cabins and camping areas.
The castle is undoubtedly the town’s main attraction; it houses the Posavje Museum with its displays of archaeological finds, Slovenian art, ceramics, and furniture, and a comprehensive exhibition on traditional rural life in the region with a focus on viticulture. The Knights' Hall with its Baroque murals is unmissable.
Brezice Castle is overshadowed by the one at nearby Bizeljsko. Sadly, it’s not all open to the public because it has been leased to the Klakocars, a wine-growing family who are responsible for its upkeep. Visitors can, however, attend wine-tasting events there.
Although several different types of wine are produced here, the most celebrated locally is the cvicek, a light red wine famously favoured by Slovenia’s famous endurance swimmer Martin Strel, who is reputed to consume as much as two bottles a day when in training. Tourists can visit wine cellars called repnice, which are built into the hillsides and sample and buy locally made wines.
Written by local expertz for Brežice
Fiona Thompson