A hostel with 30 beds and a lakeside camping site was opened this summer in the Kočevje region. Both investments cost around one million and two hundred thousand euros. The hostel is pleased with its initial occupancy rates.

An underground military base K-35 was also opened for tourists this summer in Škrilje, in the area of Kočevska Reka. The base was built in the time of Yugoslavia to be used by the republic’s leadership in the case of an attack by the Soviet Union.

Many guests visit the Kočevje region because of its unspoiled nature, nicely arranged cycling and walking paths. The region expects even more visits as the Krokar primeval beech forest was recently included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. It will be possible to upgrade a lot of the tourist infrastructure with funds from the Life Kočevsko program – funds obtained from the European Union. Officials plan to use the funds to establish a regional park, and to set up the possibility of lodging for travelers in the building used by the Slovenian Forest Service in Kočevska Reka.

Barbara Renčof, TV Slovenija; translated by K. J.