The Park of Military History will be open in November from Monday to Friday between 11:00 and 14:00, and on Saturdays and Sundays between 10:00 and 16:00.

RESERVATION IS REQUIRED for a tour of the interior of the submarine and to try out the MiG-21 flight simulator. You can reserve your time slot by calling +386 31 775 002 or by sending an e-mail at: [email protected].

The Park of Military History also offers a motorhome stopover with eight parking spaces and complete infrastructure with acess to water and electricity. Additionally, two people can visit the museum collections and exhibitions free of charge with an overnight stay.

Between the 29th of September and the 4th of October, the annual professional conference of the ICOMAM association took place in London. The International Committee of Museums and Collections of Arms and Military History (ICOMAM) operates within the framework of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), which includes the majority of museums worldwide in this field. ICOMAM connects military history museums and arms collections from across the globe, aiming to network museum professionals in the field of military history, exchange knowledge and experience, and raise heritage conservation standards. The association of museum professionals is led by an international executive committee. In 2022, during ICOMAM’s autumn general assembly, the director of the Park of Military History, Janko Boštjančič was elected as the representative of Central Europe to the committee for a three-year term.

This year’s conference was organised by the British National Army Museum, based in the Chelsea district of London, and the Royal Armouries, which operate across three locations: the Tower of London, Leeds, and Fort Nelson in Portsmouth. The hosts highlighted the fact that although the event was organised by two related institutions, they differ significantly in terms of their age. The National Army Museum, founded in 1960, is one of the youngest national museums, whereas the Royal Armouries is one of Britain’s oldest museums, with its origins dating back to the 15th century.

This year’s international conference was attended by over 80 experts from around the world. It began with a formal reception at the Tower of London. During the first two days, participants presented professional papers on topics such as the conservation of exhibits, the development of military equipment and weaponry, the use of the latest technologies in museums, and much more.

The organisers made exceptional efforts in arranging a study tour, which included a visit to the storage facility of the National Army Museum in Stevenage. There, alongside the use of the most modern conservation approaches for preserving museum artefacts, they also adopt a highly pragmatic approach in both collection policy and the protection of the collections.

The study tour continued with a visit to the Royal Armouries in Leeds. This purpose-built museum, completed in 1996, cost £42.5 million to construct. A significant portion of the collection was relocated from the Tower of London to this new museum facility. The site in Leeds was chosen with the intention of decentralising and distributing the national museums from the concentration in London, while also aiming to revitalise the then-derelict area around the Leeds Docks. Nearly 30 years later, it is clear that the investment in the new museum was justified, as it attracts over 250,000 visitors annually, and the entire area has been revitalised with new development prospects.

In the final part of the study tour, the conference participants visited the remains of Kenilworth Castle and the museum complex at Bletchley Park, where a crucial part of Operation Ultra took place during the Second World War. This operation involved breaking the Enigma code, significantly contributing to the course and outcome of the war. The study tour was concluded at Windsor Castle, which is one of the royal residences and serves as a “working” castle still used by members of the British royal family, despite the crowds of tourists.

The meeting was significant for establishing new connections with partner institutions and individuals, and it certainly strengthened existing relationships while also creating new valuable links with foreign partners. We would like to express our gratitude to ICOMAM and all the conference organisers, particularly to Mr Mark Murray-Flutter from the Royal Armouries, who became a viral sensation on social media just days before the conference, bringing the museum and its collection closer to Generation Z.

The conference in the United Kingdom was attended by the director of the Park of Military History, Janko Boštjančič, and Boštjan Kurent.

The Park of Military History recently received an important donation – the company C-Astral has donated a Belin unmanned aerial vehicle to the Park. The UAV was handed over to the museum by the company’s director, Goran Gačnik.

The Belin unmanned aerial vehicle, a product of C-Astral from Ajdovščina, was selected through an international tender by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia and was introduced into operational use by the Slovenian Armed Forces in 2015. The Belin UAVs are intended to support military units, primarily the motorised battalion battle group, by providing reconnaissance data. The Belin UAV is designed for reconnaissance, observation, and aerial surveillance missions. It allows for the acquisition of visual data using an integrated video camera or a photo camera, and this data provides intelligence support to commanders at the tactical level.

With this capability, the Slovenian Armed Forces gained an extremely reliable system for monitoring hazardous areas, as well as equipment that can assist Civil Protection in the event of natural disasters.

C-Astral is a provider of aviation solutions based in Ajdovščina, which from its founding in 2007 develops advanced UAV systems. The company is a leading player in the global market, with an established reputation in the production of small UAV`s with fixed wings.

One of C-Astral’s key achievements is the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with the distinctive “blended wing body” (BWB) design. This refers to a merged wing configuration, which lacks the traditional fuselage structure of an aircraft, instead resembling a flying wing with only two control surfaces. This unique design offers enhanced aerodynamic efficiency and endurance, which earned the team the prestigious Red Dot – Best of the Best award this year, often referred to as the “Oscar” of design.

C-Astral’s UAVs operate on all continents, including in some of the most demanding and extreme conditions, such as high altitudes, deserts, mountain ranges, as well as in the Arctic and Antarctic. This level of adaptability and robustness demonstrates the exceptional quality and performance of their UAVs, which are used across a wide range of applications, not only in military contexts but also for surveying, mapping, and environmental monitoring.

The Park of Military History expressed great satisfaction for acquiring such an important museum exhibit. This is a pioneering product of the Slovenian defence industry, the result of a high level of expertise and the innovation of the C-Astral team, which has been and continues to be a step ahead of the competition both in Slovenia and globally. The Park has committed to displaying the aircraft to its visitors as soon as possible, as it represents a significant piece in the mosaic of Slovenian national military history.

BELIN – Basic Information

• Engine: Electric motor
• Maximum speed: 30 m/s
• Range: 40 km
• Flight altitude: 5,000 m
• Length: 960 mm
• Wingspan: 2,300 mm
• Crew: /
• Maximum allowed weight: 4.5 kg
• Payload: day/IR video camera

The Park of Military History will be open every day from 26th October to 3rd November, during the autumn school holidays, from 9 AM to 5 PM.

ADVANCE BOOKING IS MANDATORY for tours inside the submarine and the MiG-21 flight simulator experience. You can reserve your slot by calling +386 31 775 002 or emailing our web address [email protected].

The Tourist Association of Slovenia annually evaluates the hospitality and tourist offerings of various locations as part of the “MY COUNTRY” initiative.

According to the assessment of the expert committee, the Park of Military History has earned a place among the top 5 in the category of TOURIST ATTRACTIONS.

The location that receives the most votes in the online poll will be awarded the Hospitality Mark, as chosen by the public.

You can cast your vote for the Park of Military History once a day from 3rd to 20th October 2024.

Link to the poll: https://turisticna-zveza.si/spletno-glasovanje/moja-dezela-2024/132

We kindly invite you to vote!

At the Park of Military History, despite the less-than-ideal weather, the programme of the traditional History Weekend was bursting with lively events. The Park’s team, in collaboration with its partners, organised a multi-day museum event aimed at an in-depth exploration and experience of history.

As an introduction to History Weekend, the traditional “Vestirnga 2024” took place on Friday within the museum complex. The Postojna Defence Administration conducted an orientation for the 2006 generation of military conscripts, who, in line with tradition, arrived on richly decorated conscription carts. The Slovenian Armed Forces also showcased some of their equipment and vehicles at the event.

Saturday’s events were largely marked by the Open Day at the Stanislav Požar Barracks in Pivka, which attracts a large number of visitors from near and far every year, particularly due to the tank rides. The Park itself was also bustling with activity, starting with a guided morning hike to the underground fortification at Primož. Throughout the day, the museum hosted guided tours of the exhibitions and children’s workshops.

The highlight of Saturday’s events was the opening of a new exhibition titled “Slovenia Under a Hail of Bombs – Allied Bombing 1944–1945,” curated by historian Sašo Radovanovič. This exhibition commemorated the 80th anniversary of Allied bombing campaign and revived the historical memory of those events. The author presented the Park of Military History with an extensive collection of materials gathered during years of research on the subject comprising of electronic copies of 130,000 documents with data and photographs of the bombings in Slovenia, as well as other parts of Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe. The valuable materials, mainly from the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA), will enable the Park to establish a comprehensive database of events during the Second World War. At the exhibition opening, Slovenian writer Tone Partljič shared his childhood memories of the bombing of his hometown Maribor and officially opened the exhibition.

In the afternoon, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland and the Centre of Jewish Cultural Heritage Synagogue Maribor, the Park organised a screening of the new documentary Punčuh: The Righteous Among the Nations in Warsaw, followed by a lecture by Boris Hajdinjak, the director of the Synagogue in Maribor. He presented the life and work of France Punčuh, born in 1902 in Logatec. During the Second World War, Punčuh heroically aided the Jews in Warsaw and was killed during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. Posthumously, he was awarded the honorary title of Righteous Among the Nations for his selfless assistance and heroic actions.

The Sunday activities of this year’s History Weekend began early with a hike to Primož, followed by a professional guided tour of the interior of the Alpine Wall fortification, organised by the Rapallo Border Historical Society.

One of the highlights of Sunday’s events was undoubtedly the ceremony marking the completion of the first phase of the restoration of the police vessel P-111. During the ceremony, the Minister of the Interior, Mag. Boštjan Poklukar, officially unveiled the renovated vessel and its interior for the visitors. The attendees were also addressed by the Director General of the Police, Mag. Senad Jušić.

As part of the central programme, the Slovenian Armed Forces and the Police showcased their equipment and abilities to the visitors. The participating units, in addition to a static display of equipment, also prepared a dynamic demonstration of operational activities in the field. The Police presented the work of bomb disposal technicians from the Special Police Unit and numerous other units, highlighting the various aspects of police work from different perspectives. Firefighters from the Volunteer Firefighting Society Postojna demonstrated rescue operations in the event of a traffic accident. The Special Operations Unit and the 15th Brigade of Military Aviation and Air Defence captivated visitors with a demonstration of rescuing a downed pilot. Enthusiasts of military technical heritage were particularly drawn to dynamic presentations on the training ground, featuring demonstration drives of armoured vehicles from the operational collection of the Slovenian Armed Forces Museum and the Park of Military History

In addition to numerous dynamic demonstrations, visitors at the main venue had the opportunity to observe the operations and equipment of units from the Slovenian Armed Forces, Police, Civil Protection, and the Administration for Protection and Rescue. Furthermore, visitors could admire vintage vehicles from the Historic Association of Slovenian Police Officers, as well as military antiques owned by private collectors from Slovenia and Croatia. A particular highlight was the vintage firefighting vehicles from the Volunteer Firefighting Society Studeno.

The festival was enhanced by a rich accompanying programme, including guided tours of the collections and exhibitions as well as the venues of History Weekend, a mini book fair featuring military history literature, a militaria fair, and workshops for children organised by the Park of Military History, the Inner Carniola Museum Postojna, the Ajdovščina Garage, and the Volunteer Firefighting Society Postojna. Dušica Kunaver, a collector of folk heritage, presented her new book The Army in Slovenian Folklore. Animal lovers also had a chance to enjoy demonstrations from the Postojna Search and Rescue Dog Club and the Napolitano Rehabilitation and Training Centre for Horses.

In Building D, which houses the Depots of the National Museums, visitors had the opportunity to tour the new exhibition Wheels of Fate with a guided tour. They also took advantage of other opportunities to explore the displayed items from the Museum of Contemporary History, the Technical Museum of Slovenia, and the National Museum of Slovenia.

As part of History Weekend, the photographic exhibition of the Slovenian Armed Forces Museum titled Slovenian Army – In the Service of the Homeland was also renovated. This weekend marked the beginning of the exhibition from the Centre for the Management of the Living Mercury Heritage in Idrija, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of Antonij’s Tunnel in the Park.

As part of the museum programme supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, this year the Park placed special emphasis on adapting the museum exhibitions and collections for vulnerable groups. For individuals with mobility impairments, we provided a virtual tour of the interior of a submarine, a police vessel, and the fortification at Primož. Additionally, by the end of the year, we will offer virtual tours of the interiors of two armoured vehicles. For the blind and visually impaired, we created miniature models of our larger “carrying” exhibits, which visitors can handle to explore the details of the displayed vehicles through touch. Most miniatures are at a scale of 1:14. We also enhanced the lighting for the exhibition on the Enigma and the exhibition The Road to Independence for the visually impaired.

This year, we placed particular emphasis on deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors. With the assistance of Mr. Samo Dolanc, we adapted the guided tours of the museum collections and translated them into Slovenian sign language (SZJ). This allows visitors to scan QR codes with their mobile phones at eight locations in the Park of Military History, leading them to video guides in sign language. We also recorded a video guide in international sign language, which will be available to foreign visitors in the same manner until the end of the year.

The History Weekend, which has taken on a new form following the former Military History Festival, attracted more than 5,000 visitors to Pivka this weekend. Visitors returned home enriched by a wealth of new museum experiences.