These are the ruins of the castle of Kalec (also Steinberg, Štemberk), near Zagorje in Upper Pivka valley, Slovenia. Built by the Stemberg family in 1622, it had two wings and a central round tower – the only thing that still stands. Castle Kalec – ‘Steinperg’, Štemberg – in all its former glory. A litograph … Read more

In the late 19th century a physician dr. Karel Bleiweis argued for a specialized psychiatric hospital in Ljubljana, Slovenia. A ‘Narrenhaus‘, a ‘lunatic asylum’. As the general attitude to the ‘crazies’ and ‘lunatics’ improved, and with emerging push for the more humane and institutionalized psychiatric care, the efforts of dr. Bleiweis payed off: an ex … Read more

New Fužine district in Ljubljana were constructed from 1977 to 1988 and remain the largest housing project in Slovenia, sprawling on 61 hectares, a home for almost 20.000 people. New Fužine are the most densely populated area in Slovenia, with over 38.500 inhabitants per square kilometre. View across the apartment blocks towards the Ljubljana centre. … Read more

The Praia do amado – Lovers beach – south of Lisbon and west of Faro, Portugal, is a surfers paradise. The long sandy beach faces due west, into the Atlatic winds. While the beach is family friendly, there are some strange surfers rituals going on. Kite aerial photos, shot with Nikon 1 J1 on a … Read more

Island of Pag, Croatia, has the longest coast of all the islands in the Adriatic. Belonging to the Northern Dalmatia archipelago, it lies just across the Velebit channel, its eastern coast facing the furious Bora wind that comes crashing down the mountain. Winds on Pag are steady, perfect for flying kites – and for generating … Read more

This is the Trnovo parish church in Crna vas, Ljubljana Marshes landscape park, Slovenia, dedicated to Saint Michael – known as the Church of St. Michael in the Marsh: It was designed and built by the famous Slovene architect Jože Plecnik in the late thirties and consecrated in 1940. This little architectural gem is unique … Read more

The precursor of Ljubljana, the roman Emona – Colonia Iulia Emona – was founded by Augustus in the first decades of the first century AD, on the left bank of river Ljubljanica. Ljubljanica runs through Ljubljana Marshes. Shot from a kite. The previous inhabitants of these lands were Taurisci, a Celtic tribe that were wiped … Read more

Intermittent Lake Cerknica, that “miracle of nature” as Valvasor called it, never ceases to amaze. Now the lake is in the process of disappearing; its waters are retreating, lush meadows are emerging again and streams are returning to their meandering channels. (Lake Cerknica from the west. In the foreground the meanders of Zerovniscica stream are … Read more

River Sava is moody and powerful – and there were many attempts to tame it and to harness its power. We’ve shown you how Austria-Hungary tried to restrain Sava north and east of Ljubljana – and how she destroyed or ignored almost everything done. But upstream the power of Sava was put to some use … Read more

River Ižica is one of the few rivers in Ljubljana Marshes that retained its natural course. Almost all the others were ‘meliorated’, deepened and straightened to reduce flooding. The ancient pile-dwellers made their homes in the area 6.500 years ago – when Ljubljana Marshes were covered by a shallow lake. These were taken with Canon … Read more