Planinski dom pri Gospodični na Gorjancih

Planinski dom pri Gospodični na Gorjancih is a mountain lodge situated near the Gospodična spring on the north-western slopes of the Gorjanci range in Slovenia. It is operated by Planinsko društvo Novo mesto (the Novo mesto Mountaineering Society), a local branch of the Slovenian Alpine Association. The lodge serves hikers, mountaineers, and visitors to the Gorjanci hills, offering food, drink, and accommodation in a traditional mountain setting. The site has a history dating back to 1930, when the Novomeška podružnica SPD (the Novo mesto branch of the Slovenian Mountaineering Society) built a shelter with 20 beds near the Gospodična spring. That original shelter was burned down in 1942. After World War II, PD Novo mesto erected a new mountain lodge on the same spot and officially opened it on 18 September 1949. As visitor numbers grew and the building became inadequate, a new lodge was constructed in 1973–1974 with support from the textile factory Novoteks, and it opened on 21 June 1975. The lodge is commonly called simply "Gospodična," after the spring beneath it, which features in a local legend recorded by the writer Janez Trdina about a castle lady who regained her youth by bathing in its waters. The official name of the lodge is "PLANINSKI DOM PRI GOSPODIČNI NA GORJANCIH." The building includes two dining areas: the first with 30 seats and a serving counter, and a newer second room with 60 seats. This second room also serves as a mountaineering education centre for the Dolenjska and Bela Krajina regions, hosting seminars and courses for nature conservation wardens, mountaineering schools, and guide training. Outside, a terrace with tables can seat 150 people. Accommodation consists of four rooms with 17 beds and two communal dormitories with 20 beds each. Facilities include toilets, a washroom with hot and cold water, central heating, running water, electricity, and a telephone. Members of the mountaineering society receive a 50% discount on overnight stays in the communal dormitories. The lodge is accessible by car via forest roads: one branching from the main Novo mesto–Metlika road at the Vahta pass (615 m), about 11 km, and another from Gaberje past Krvavi kamen, about 9 km. On foot, it can be reached from Novo mesto via Šentjošt and along the Klamfer stream (3h30), from Otočec via Tolsti vrh and Suhadol (3h30), from Šentjernej past the Pleterje monastery, over Javorovica, Špilarjeva špica and Kota 1002, and past Krvavi kamen (5h), and from Kostanjevica via Polom and Pirčev vrh. The lodge is a well-known destination for day trips and longer hikes in the Gorjanci range.

The history of Planinski dom pri Gospodični na Gorjancih begins in 1930, when the Novomeška podružnica SPD (the Novo mesto branch of the Slovenian Mountaineering Society) built a shelter with 20 beds near the Gospodična spring on the north-western slopes of the Gorjanci range. This original shelter was destroyed by fire in 1942, during World War II. After the war, Planinsko društvo Novo mesto (PD Novo mesto) constructed a new mountain lodge on the same site and officially opened it on 18 September 1949. This lodge served visitors for over two decades. As hiking and mountaineering grew in popularity, the building became inadequate for the number of visitors. In 1973 and 1974, with financial and material assistance from the textile factory Novoteks, a new, larger lodge was built. It was opened on 21 June 1975 and remains in use. The lodge takes its common name, Gospodična, from the spring that flows beneath it. The spring is associated with a local legend recorded by the Slovenian writer Janez Trdina, which tells of a castle lady who regained her youth after bathing in the spring. The official name of the lodge is "PLANINSKI DOM PRI GOSPODIČNI NA GORJANCIH." Over the years, the lodge has also become a mountaineering education centre for the Dolenjska and Bela Krajina regions. Its newer dining room hosts seminars and courses for nature conservation wardens, mountaineering schools, and guide training. The lodge continues to be operated by PD Novo mesto and serves as a base for hikers exploring the Gorjanci range, with several marked trails and forest roads leading to it from Novo mesto, Otočec, Šentjernej, Kostanjevica, and other nearby towns.

• 1975

  The new lodge opens on 21 June.

• 1973

  Construction of a new, larger lodge begins with support from the Novoteks textile factory.

• 1949

  PD Novo mesto opens a new mountain lodge on the same site on 18 September.

• 1942

  The original shelter is burned down.

• 1930

  Novomeška podružnica SPD builds a shelter with 20 beds near the Gospodična spring.

A traditional, society-run mountain lodge and education centre in the Gorjanci range, offering affordable hospitality to hikers and mountaineers.

• Overnight accommodation (4 rooms with 17 beds, 2 dormitories with 20 beds each)

• Dining areas (30-seat room with counter, 60-seat room)

• Terrace seating for 150 people

• Mountaineering education centre for Dolenjska and Bela Krajina

1. 1PD Krka Novo mesto - Planinski Dom pri Gospodičniplaninsko-drustvo-nm.si
2. 2Wikidata: Planinski dom pri Gospodični na Gorjancihwikidata.org