House of Living Heritage
The House of Living Heritage stands on the site of the old primary school in Bela Cerkev. The house houses an intergenerational heritage interpretation center with the slogan “From Nature and the Past for the Future.” with which they wish To emphasize the importance of the natural and cultural heritage of the area and to convey it to future generations in the most innovative way, while also presenting the rich heritage of Šmarješke Toplice.
The central figure or image of the House is the orant – the prayer figure – a pendant from the Celtic period, depicting a human figure stepping out of a circle. This symbolizes the need to step outside of our constraints, to liberate ourselves, open up to the world, create new content and projects, while simultaneously giving meaning to the rich heritage.
Upon arrival at the House of Living Heritage, you can first watch a presentation film about the municipality of Šmarješke Toplice in the Zwittro Hall, named after the historian Fran Zwittro, who was born in Bela Cerkev.
As the local winemakers are aware of the importance of producing good grapes and making quality wine, a modernly equipped enological laboratory is available to them at the House of Living Heritage, for conducting measurements as well as wine tastings.
You can get acquainted with the cuisine of the area in the Room of Living Heritage, where various workshops will also be held, such as bread baking, preparation of potica, and more.
In the Creativity Room, you can participate in creative ethnological workshops, view restored exhibits from the old school, or visit a temporary exhibition.
The room Land of Archaeology takes you back to the distant past. Here, you can walk through the prehistoric period, antiquity, the migration of nations, and, through exhibited replicas found in the wider area of Vinji vrh, learn about the way of life of the local inhabitants from the 8th century BC.
In the Room of Our Ancestors, you can learn about the work of important figures who were born or worked in these areas (Fran Zwitter, Jože Karlovšek, Janez Zalokar, etc.). The room is intended for seminars, education, workshops, exhibitions, music school practices, and activities of local associations.
Here is also a space for the youngest, the Gnome’s Room, where children can learn about the legend of the Bela Cerkev gnome Vini and other tales from the surrounding areas.
