The Grad viewpoint

Whenever I travel to a new place, I am always very excited when I see that the city itself has some viewpoints that allow you to see its beauties from above. But not only cities, also small villages happen to have viewpoints. Even my hometown has a few of them. There are three in total, and the one that I am about to describe in this entry, is definitely the nicest one of them all. It is called the Grad viewpoint, which would in English mean 'the castle'.

A bit of history…

We all know that history can sometimes be really boring. But at this point, it is necessary to explain some historical events to you so you can better understand the name of this viewpoint and the meaning of its strategic location.

So, let's start with the time when the first inhabitants arrived to Drežnica. This happened in about 1500 a.d. and the ones who first arrived here, were the shepherds from the valley, looking for new pastures for accommodating their sheeps or cows better.

Soon after they settled, because they liked the place, other people started to arrive, because they wanted the land for themselves. And so a small 'war' between them started. The original inhabitants started to run up the hill, nowadays known as the viewpoint 'Grad' to defend their land. They have even built a small fort at the top, which they called grad (the castle), and whose ruins you can still see today.

They have won this small war, and the so – called conquistadors from the valley went back where they came from.

How to get there?

The way there can be a bit difficult if you do not eactly know where to go, so it might be a good idea to go there, accompanied by a local person, if this is your first time there.

The best point to start is the main square of Drežnica. From there, you have to walk in the direction of Koseč. The easiest way to orientate in which direction to go, is to look for a steep hill upwards that almost seems too steep for a car to safely arrive to the top. This is where you have to go.

When you reach the top of the hill, you have to turn rightand pass three houses. After them, you will see a narrow green path, covered by grass in summer. This is the right way, although it might seem that no one has walked there for a long time.

From there, the view already looks very promising. And trust me, it gets even better at the top.

The path will go left and right, and left and right, and it will take you to a small forest (that is really just a few trees), through which you have to walk to arrive to the viewpoint. The way there is narrow, there are a lot of tree roots and slippery stones, so be careful when you walk. You do not want to end up in the hospital.

You will reach the top at the fortress, and the best views are at the other side.

In summer, there are a lot of bushes and different trees, which have a lot of leaves in summer, and make your way to the top harder, but it is well worth the effort. A few years ago, it was also possible to climb up there from the other side, and it was a nice, easy climb, but nowadays, it has become impossible. The trees have grown a lot and nobody is maintaining the area, so not only it is dangerous to try to climb there, the last part is also totally inaccessible.

Also, the views are not as nice as they were a few years ago, and from the same reason – the trees. There is a few of them that cover a major part of Drežnica, so if you would like to see the real view, you can climb up the fortress remainings to see better. Do not worry,it is not forbidden.

What can you see and do at the top?

The main reason you would like to get to the top, is of course the view. If you are standing at the top, looking towards the Krn mountain, the village Koseč will be on your right.

Looking in this direction gives you the most promising views, because there are almost no trees that would cover the view. Looking towards the Krn mountain will show you the newer part of Drežnica and the playground.

And finally, looking to your left side, will show you the old part of Drežnica, with the church included. It is amazing to see, how close to each other the houses actually are. From up there, it almost seems there are no streets between them.

When you had enough of the nice views, you can have a picnic at the top. Believe it or not, there are two benches and a picnic table there, but there is no shadow, so you will have to sit in the sun.

The first of May is a national holiday here in Slovenia, and if you are in Drežnica on this time, you will see a majestic bonfire that they light up at the top every year. This is a tradition in most of the slovenian villages, but none of them is as beautiful as the one at the top of the Grad viewpoint.

If you are adventurous and you are not afreid of the dark, you can go to the top at night for some spectacular star watching. This really is a perfect spot for doing so, and always when I go there at night, I am surprised that there is nobody there. When walking there (and back) make sure you have a strong flashlight with you. The flash from your phone is definitely not enough!

There was a big cross at the top until autumn 2014. There was a strong wind which made the cross fall down and nobody showed any desire to repair it, so you can still see its rotten remainings at the top.

And just a little warning - there are a lot of crushed wine bottles at the top, and the pieces can be so sharp that it can harm your foot through your shoes. So you should also be careful when you are choosing a place to sit. Maybe the bench is, after all, the best option.

For the end…

This is definitely a nice place for a short and relaxing walk when you are in Drežnica. The walk to the top does not take much more than fifteen minutes, and since not many people go there, you will have the place completely to yourself, so why not take a chance and enjoy it.