House of Minerals
Velenje Museum has several museum units in the area of the Šalek Valley. One of them is the House of Minerals in Old Velenje, which has been managed by the museum since 2011. Visitors to the House of Minerals can see the rich collection of minerals from Slovenia and around the world, assembled by private collector Jože Rihtar. The peculiarity of the collection is surely the unique piece of amber that was found in the Velenje Coal Mine in 2008.
The House of Minerals is a geological collection of the world’s minerals and an extensive collection of Slovenian minerals. Today, the House of Minerals displays more than 12,000 different minerals from the private collection of collector and expert Jože Rihtar. The collection is constantly being added to – it has grown from the original 2,000 pieces on display. The owner of the collection, Jože Rihtar, has extensive knowledge and experience of mining, having spent his career as a miner at the Velenje coal mine. He often goes on excursions to various quarries and abandoned mines, attends trade fairs and actively cooperates with other collectors at home and abroad. As a result of his hobby, a unique collection of minerals from all over the world has grown over the last 40 years.
In addition to the rich collection of minerals, the exhibition also features a geological collection of precious, semi-precious and ornamental stones, which seduce the visitor into a very special world of colours, shapes and energies.
The building itself, which houses the House of Minerals, is also remarkable. The building, which has a rich facade in the Neo-Historic style and a staircase with a beautifully decorated cast-iron balustrade inside, is a listed building. It dates from the second half of the 19th century, and it is said that in the 16th century there was a chaplain’s house on the site where the first school in Velenje was founded in 1574. Since the second half of the 19th century, the building has served as a residential and commercial building, housing families, municipal offices, the gendarmerie and finally the police. Today, in addition to the House of Minerals, the building at Stari trg 19 is the seat of the Staro Velenje Municipality.
Working hours
Summer working hours (1 April–31 October):
Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM. In August open from Monday to Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM.
Closed on Mondays.
Winter working hours (1 November–31 March):
Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM.
Closed on Mondays.
Summer working hours (1 April–31 October):
Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 AM to 5 PM.
Closed on Mondays.
Winter working hours (1 November–31 March):
Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM.
Closed on Mondays.
In summer from 1 July to 31 August:
Sundays from 10 AM to 5 PM.
Open also by arrangement for pre-announced groups.
In summer from 1 June to 31 August:
Saturdays from 10 AM to 5 PM.
Open also by arrangement for pre-announced groups.
Summer working hours (1 April–31 October):
Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM. In August open from Monday to Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM.
Closed on Mondays.
Winter working hours (1 November–31 March):
Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM.
Closed on Mondays.
Monday from 19.00 to 21.00
Tuesday 19.00-21.00
Wednesday 9.00-11.00
Thursday 19.00-21.00
Friday 19.00-21.00
Saturday 9:00-11:00
The gallery is closed on Sundays and public holidays.
The gallery is also open to visitors by appointment.
Open by arrangement for pre-announced groups.
The memorial room is arranged in such a way that it can be visited 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
The key to the memorial room is available at:
Štumpfel Homestead
Plešivec 62
Telephone: 041-983-424 (Branka Štumpfel) or arrange a visit via
e-mail: natalija.stumpfel@gmail.com.
You may also arrange a visit with Velenje Museum by calling: 03-898-26-30 or by e-mail: info@muzej-velenje.si.
Memorial park and memorial room “The fourteenth” division”
It is not a coincidence that Graška gora became the symbol of patriotism and fight for freedom and a place for remembrance.
Memorial Centre 1991 and Statehood park
Memorial Centre 1991 presents the Šalek and the Upper Savinja Valley during the liberation processes of the Republic of Slovenia with its permanent exhibition, events and teaching programmes.
Memorial room “Topolšica on 9th may 1945”
In the building of the thermal park in Topolšica, there is a memorial room which presents partial German capitulation of the army Group E and German forces for the South-Eastern Europe. It was signed by Alexander Löhr.
Gril homestead
Gril homestead holds the status of a cultural monument. The house was presumably built in the middle of the 19th century as a small winemaking house on a winegrowing slope of Lipje and Vinska Gora.
Kavčnik homestead
Kavčnik Homestead is an incredible outdoor museum of folk architecture. The central room in one of the oldest wood buildings in Slovenia is a 400-year-old smoke room with an open fireplace, which served for cooking and heating.
House of minerals
Visitors to the House of Minerals can see the rich collection of minerals from Slovenia and around the world, assembled by private collector Jože Rihtar.
F-Bunker
F – bunker connects audiences with local and visiting artists who base their creativity on looking through the lens of a lens.
Museum of the leather industry in Slovenia
The Leather Industry in Šoštanj collection presents the development of the craft of tanning into a major industry and an important economic branch.
Velenje castle
The headquarters of Velenje Museum are in Velenje Castle, which is famous for being one of the best-preserved Slovenian castles. In historical sources, Velenje Castle was first mentioned in 1270.
