Situlae Festival – Festival of Iron Age Life and Culinary Arts
The Dolenjska Museum invites you to the traditional Situlae Festival – a celebration of Iron Age life and cuisine, taking place on Saturday, 13 June 2026, from 17:00 to 23:00 at Glavni trg, Novo mesto.
PROGRAMME
- From 17:00 onwards: prehistoric market, culinary offerings, workshops
- 18:00: opening of the 11th Situlae Festival
- 19:30: performance at the princely court
- 20:00: competitions for children and adults
- 21:10: spiritual life presentation
- 21:30: fire show
- 22:00: guided tour of situla art at the Dolenjska Museum
OTHER ACTIVITIES
- Demonstrations of ancient crafts and products: pottery, glassmaking, fur processing, traditional honey-bread making, wool dyeing and felting, blacksmithing.
- Workshops for children: bread baking, archery, mock combat with clubs, spear fighting, axe fighting, making leather bracelets, creating miniature situlas, designing glass necklaces, making glass pendants, and a social game.
- Competitions for adults: spear throwing.
- Competitions for children in three sporting disciplines: obstacle race, long jump, and ball target throwing.
- A diverse culinary offer for every taste: fish, vegetable delicacies, beer, honey, dairy products, game dishes, and natural juices.
The Situlae Festival is dedicated to situlas – stunning bronze artefacts that tell the story of the lives of the Hallstatt inhabitants of Novo mesto. These remarkable objects provide undeniable evidence of the wealth and sophistication of these ancient civilisations, equal to the great cultures of continental and Mediterranean Europe.
The Situla Festival is an event deeply rooted in the cultural and natural heritage of the Dolenjska region, enriched with a fresh urban perspective. Visitors can stroll through the prehistoric marketplace, sample cuisine inspired by the era, and enjoy demonstrations of ancient crafts as well as performances depicting life at the princely court.
In the event of rain, the festival will be cancelled.
