Zgornja Orlica combines a hilly, predominantly forested landscape with distinctive natural and cultural heritage. The settlement of Orlica consists of scattered, isolated farmsteads. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can think of the area in terms of two interests: the landscape and the chapels’ distinctive architecture and stories.
Forest Landscape and the Sgerm Spruce
The scattered farmsteads and predominantly forested landscape shape the character of the hilly countryside. These are two useful points of reference when considering whether you are primarily interested in rural settlement patterns or natural features during your stay. One specific example of the latter is the Sgerm spruce on the Sgerm farm in Zgornja Orlica.
At 61.8 metres tall, the Sgerm spruce is considered the tallest spruce in Slovenia and all of Central Europe. Its exact location connects this natural feature with a particular farmstead; its height and the distinction attributed to it also give it significance beyond the immediate area. Those interested in the landscape will therefore find a named tree here with a clear regional and broader classification.
Chapels with Distinctive Architectural Styles
The chapels can also be distinguished by their architecture. The Ušman Chapel has a square floor plan and an arched end dating from the second half of the 19th century. Inside is a statue of Mary with Jesus. It lies south of the Ušman farm and east of the road between Zgornja Orlica and Vuhred.
The Miklavc Chapel, by contrast, has a rectangular floor plan and a gabled roof covered with sheet metal. It stands above the residential building on the Miklavc farm, at the address Zgornja Orlica 28. This address and its position above the residential building help distinguish it from the also rectangular Breznikova Chapel.
The Breznikova Chapel is built of masonry and is of the enclosed type; it also has a rectangular floor plan. It stands on the Breznik farm at the address Zgornja Orlica 25, beside the local road towards JanĹľevski Vrh. After being destroyed in a collision with a lorry, it was rebuilt in 1984 to match its original design.
The three chapels therefore offer different architectural points of reference: the square floor plan and arched end at Ušman, the sheet-metal gabled roof at Miklavc, and the enclosed-type masonry construction at Breznik. The dates also have different meanings. For Ušman, the second half of the 19th century is given for the arched end; for Breznik, 1984 marks the rebuilding after its destruction. This makes it possible to distinguish the architectural styles from the later building history.
The points of reference for finding each chapel also differ: for Ušman, they are the farm and the road between Zgornja Orlica and Vuhred; for Miklavc, the residential building and address 28; and for Breznik, the farm, address 25 and the road towards Janževski Vrh. When planning your stay, these specific location and architectural details can help you consider the chapels as attractions in their own right, alongside the forested hilly landscape.
Discover more destinations: Ribnica Na Pohorju, Vas, Muta, Vuzenica, Radlje Ob Dravi.
Back to the main travel overview: Radlje Ob Dravi.
