6. 2. 2018

Otočec Castle, gem on the green Krka River, now also featured in Krka’s book collection

4 min. read

On a Tuesday evening to commemorate the Slovenian cultural holiday we presented a new book from Krka’s book collection titled Grad Otočec – biser na zeleni Krki(Castle Otočec – Gem on the Green Krka River). The book was written by a renowned art historian and expert on castles dr. Ivan Stopar. In his book dr. Stopar presents historical facts and architectural features of the castle, and also discusses the lives of the people that once lived there. The foreword was written by an art historian dr. Milček Komelj. In addition to Slovene, the book is also available in English and Russian versions.

Otočec Castle, gem on the green Krka River, now also featured in Krka's book collection

The fact that culture holds a very special place at Krka is shown not only in the company’s support for various cultural activities in the local environment and wider region, but also by the fact that Krka has its own book collection, which now consists of six books.

To commemorate the Slovene cultural holiday, Krka complemented its book collection with the work of a renowned art historian and researcher of Slovene castles dr. Ivan Stopar titled Grad Otočec – biser na zeleni Krki (Otočec Castle – Gem on the Green Krka River).

Relying on extensive research, dr. Stopar presents the Otočec Castle from different perspectives, focusing primarily on the historical facts and architectural features of the castle over time. The book is enriched with a presentation of noble people who lived in this unique Slovene water castle, lending the castle its medieval image and reflecting the pace of society of that time. This gave the Otočec Castle its priceless romantic touch, which in modern times has come to life as a cultural monument of national importance and a venue for diplomatic meetings, not to mention that it is one of the most attractive hotels in Slovenia. The author holds the Otočec Castle especially dear, because it was the first castle he met in his youth when attending high school in Novo mesto.

Given that the conservation of Slovenian cultural heritage, in particular the concern for the local environment, is an important part of Krka’s sustainable development, several experts from the local environment were invited to participate in the creation of this book. The foreword was written by an art historian dr. Milček Komelj, whose roots are closely connected to Novo mesto and who is also an excellent connoisseur of the scientific work of dr. Stopar and the Otočec Castle. Editorial work was entrusted to an art historian Iztok Hotko. Renowned photographer Borut Peterlin, who masterfully captured the image of the castle in his photographic lens, and designer Jurij Kocuvan infused the book with a touch of modernity. At the book presentation, a long-time journalist of Dolenjski list Andrej Bartelj, himself an ardent admirer and connoisseur of the Otočec Castle, discussed the new book with dr. Milček Komelj and Iztok Hotko.

The book is intended primarily for business partners as well as for the guests of the Otočec Castle, available in Slovene, English and Russian versions. Its publication and presentation at the time of a Slovene cultural holiday is another indication that the company is aware of the importance of culture as one of the main pillars of social development.