As part of the nationwide European Heritage Days (DEKD), TIC Novo Mesto and the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, Novo Mesto Regional Office, are organising a guided tour entitled “The Park around Grm Castle – Past, Present and Future”. The tour will take place on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, at 4 pm at Grm Castle. It will be led by Mitja Simič, a landscape architect and conservation adviser at the Novo Mesto Regional Office of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia.
The grounds of Grm Castle are home to the only preserved castle park in the area of Novo Mesto. The guided tour will offer an opportunity to discover its historical development, surviving features and the changes the area has undergone over time.
The first elements of a formal garden around Grm Castle date back to the Baroque period, at the end of the 17th century, while more ambitious garden and park designs emerged around the castle in the 19th century. A formal rectangular garden was laid out on a levelled terrace to the west of the castle, following Renaissance-Baroque design principles. On the northern side of the castle, park areas with a more informal layout were created on either side of the entrance. The chestnut avenue, dating from the late 19th century, also survives; it once led from the castle to the former main entrance road into the city, now Trdinova Street.
Over the decades, the appearance of the area changed considerably as a result of residential development, changes in the use of the castle and, above all, the expansion of industry. Participants will learn about the development of the area and the significance of the park in the past and present. The tour will also explore its surviving features, the challenges of protecting cultural heritage and issues surrounding the future development of the area.
Particular attention will be given to possibilities for revitalising the area and current initiatives for the development of the park grounds around Grm Castle. The tour will also address the challenge of balancing different interests when planning interventions in historic parks, as well as the role such spaces can play in quality of life, recreation and the sustainable development of the city.
The tour starts at the entrance to Grm Castle. The tour is free of charge, but advance registration is required for organisational purposes. Registration is available through TIC Novo Mesto at tic@novomesto.si or +386 (0)41 202 080.
Event details via the link.
European Heritage Days and Heritage Week
The “The Park around Grm Castle – Past, Present and Future” guided tour is part of the European Heritage Days (DEKD) and Heritage Week (TKD), which bring together numerous institutions, associations, individuals and other organisations across Slovenia each year. Through a wide range of events, they introduce the public to different aspects of cultural heritage. The European Heritage Days are a joint initiative involving numerous European countries under the auspices of the Council of Europe and the European Commission. Slovenia has been involved in the initiative since 1991, when it was among the first countries to join.
In Slovenia, the European Heritage Days are coordinated by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia in cooperation with numerous partners and participating organisations. The initiative forms part of the wider European Heritage Days tradition, which has for decades promoted access to cultural heritage and encouraged the public to discover, understand and help safeguard it.
In 2026, the European Heritage Days and Heritage Week take place from 26 September to 10 October. This year’s programme, featuring more than 350 events across Slovenia and Slovenian communities in neighbouring countries, focuses on the theme “Heritage in the Whirlwind of Change – Opportunities and Challenges”. It explores how cultural heritage is responding to rapid social, technological and environmental changes, and how it can be preserved while remaining part of contemporary life.
Heritage Week is a strand of the European Heritage Days that places particular emphasis on incorporating cultural heritage into educational processes. Together, the European Heritage Days and Heritage Week create opportunities to discover, explore and experience heritage, while also encouraging discussion about its role in the present and the future.
More information about the European Heritage Days and Heritage Week
Grm Castle – home to the Novo Mesto Regional Office of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia
Grm Castle is one of the important historic buildings in Novo Mesto. The present castle building was constructed in the 16th century, while the castle grounds have undergone numerous changes over the centuries. Today, Grm Castle is also an important centre for the protection of cultural heritage in the region, as it is home to the Novo Mesto Regional Office of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia.
The experts at the Novo Mesto Regional Office work to protect and preserve cultural heritage in the Dolenjska, Bela krajina and Posavje regions. Their work includes research and documentation, conservation planning and providing guidance on interventions affecting cultural heritage. Grm Castle is therefore not only a place where heritage is presented, but also a place where it is actively studied, managed and protected on a daily basis.
You are warmly invited to join the guided tour and discover, through the story of the park around Grm Castle, how the past, present and future come together in the protection and development of cultural heritage.