When we Slovenians think of islands, our thoughts first wander to Croatia, and those true patriots think of Bled Island. But practically no one thinks of the island we visited this time with the new Tesla Model Y.
This time we set off to the forgotten Slovenian island in the Long Range version of the refurbished Tesla Model Y. Just a few years ago, a trip in an electric car would have been a real mission impossible, as electric cars at the time were only useful for short city trips due to their poor range, slow charging, and practically non-existent infrastructure. This time, however, we left home with a clear conscience with only a 50% charged battery.
We drove to Kostanjevica na Krki on the A4/E59 motorway in the direction of Zagreb and left it at the last exit in Slovenia, namely for Rogatec, where our first stop was. Our Tesla performs excellently on the motorway – the comfortable and spacious interior and the excellent soundproof cabin ensure a really calm ride, and consumption does not rise above 17 kWh per hundred kilometers, so the range will not drop drastically. Autopilot, which has been one of Tesla's most famous functions for a good decade, works only averagely today in the world of advanced radar systems. In the bends through Žetale, Tesla got the opportunity to show its more dynamic side. It is true that the Model Y is not a sports car and does not even try to be, but it still allows the driver to drive relatively confidently on the winding roads of Haloze, although the feeling on the steering wheel is a bit too synthetic for the drive to be truly enjoyable. We would also like a slightly better balanced chassis.
After countless twists and turns through Haloze and numerous imperfections in the road, we arrived at our first stop – Strmol Castle in Rogatec. This should not be confused with Strmol Castle in Cerklje na Gorenjskem. Strmol Castle, first mentioned in records in 1436, initially served as a defensive tower, which the Counts of Celje granted to Jakob Strmolski. In the 16th century, another wing was added to the tower and the entire complex was surrounded by walls and turrets, but they were demolished in the 17th century and replaced with a low brick fence. After the renovation, which was completed in 2003, the castle still has its pulse with various concerts and theater scenes, but in a more modern guise. If you are more of a calmer type, you can enjoy a coffee in the Castle Café.
Since we still had a long day ahead of us with plenty of destinations, kilometers, and maybe even refueling, we skipped coffee this time and headed to our next destination – Podčetrtek. Although in the August heat we would have liked to jump into the water in the local thermal baths, which are why Podčetrtek is teeming with tourists at this time of year, we preferred a slightly less healthy option and jumped on a quick visit to the local chocolate shop, which is just a few meters away from the Olimje Monastery, which we will visit later. The Olimje Chocolate Shop is a family business that has revived the tradition of its great-grandfathers, who were already operating in Vienna before the First World War. Today, they offer a wide selection of handmade pralines, figures, chocolate bars, chocolate boxes, and we could list more. In fact, anyone with at least a hint of a sweet tooth will find something for themselves.
After consuming a few hundred kilocalories of chocolate, it was necessary to continue on a slightly healthier note. Fortunately, the chocolate shop has just the right neighbor for this – we are talking about the aforementioned Olimje Monastery, of course. If you walk from the chocolate shop to the monastery, the path takes you past a botanical garden with over 200 different types of herbs. The botanical garden is part of an old pharmacy, which is the oldest in Slovenia and among the oldest in Europe. In the pharmacy in Olimje, they began to systematically study medicinal herbs as early as 1663, when the Pauline monks settled in the monastery. Medicinal flowers and herbs were grown, collected and used to prepare medicines until 1782, when Emperor Joseph II dissolved the Pauline order and expelled the monks from Olimje. The herbal tradition in this monastery was doomed to decline, but the Minorite monks brought it back on its feet with the arrival of the monks in 1990. Even today, the old pharmacy sells a wide variety of medicinal herbs.
The pharmacy is actually part of a monastery, which was originally a castle that belonged to the Pilštejn Counts in the 11th century. Over the years, it – like most castles in our country – changed owners several times, but the biggest mark on the castle itself was left in 1550 by Mr. Tattenbach, who decorated the building in the Renaissance style. A good hundred years later, the building was purchased by Zagreb's protonotary Ivan Zakmardy, who donated it to the Croatian Pauline Order in 1663. As we mentioned earlier, the cultivation of medicinal herbs also began in Olimje that year, and during their 120-year stay at the castle, the Pauline Order actually turned it into the monastery we know today. In recent years, Olimje has progressed from an unknown hamlet to one of the most visited places in Slovenia, mainly thanks to the Olimje Thermal Spa.
Before we get to know the last destination, it is worth saying a few words about the car that took us on the trip. It is a renewed Tesla Model Y, which we tested this time in the Long Range version in combination with rear-wheel drive, which is a combination that offers the greatest range of all current Model Ys. The rear axle is therefore equipped with an electric motor that produces 250 kW of power, and it draws electrons from a battery with a net capacity of 75 kWh. Similar to what was the case before the renovation, the Tesla Model Y is not an athlete, which is actually commendable, since the comfort of the car is at a high level despite the predominantly solid chassis. The comfortable experience is further complemented by an extremely minimalist and digitalized interior that impresses with selected materials, quality of workmanship and comfortable seats. The Model Y therefore does not invite dynamics, nor will the driver feel the emotions that we car enthusiasts so long for while driving, but it will bring the driver and passengers from point A to point B in a comfortable, calm and even economical way. Which is exactly what counts for most drivers.
We have come to the end of our trip, where we visited a Slovenian island that many people don't even know about. We are talking about Kostanjevica na Krki, which is not only the smallest town in Slovenia, but also the only one whose center is on an island. The dictionary of the Slovenian literary language says that an island is defined as "a part of the land world, surrounded by water", which means that the center of Kostanjevica na Krki is indeed an island, as it is surrounded by the Krka River from all directions. The island is not natural, but was artificially created for the purpose of protection. Kostanjevica na Krki, or Landstrass in German, has been the only town in Slovenia throughout history that was not surrounded by walls, and had to rely solely on its location on an island for its defense. During our visit, the town itself was very peaceful and quiet, but during the carnival season, the town is taken over by representatives of the Ethnological Society Prforcenhaus, who turn the town into a traditional, multi-day carnival celebration – Šelmarija, which is a holiday for all Kostanjevica residents. During our visit, we took advantage of the peace to take photos of our test Tesla and to walk around the medieval town, but those of you who are more of the adrenaline-seeking variety can circumnavigate the island in a traditional wooden boat, a more modern SUP, or even swim around it.
As we mentioned at the very beginning of the article, we set off with a 50% full battery. After a good 150 km journey, we only had 20% energy left in the battery in Kostanjevica na Krki, which is just the right level of charge to check the charging speed at the nearby Tesla Supercharger in Krško. The battery was properly conditioned by the time we arrived at the charging station, and the charging station was empty, which means that the Model Y can show that it can really be charged from 20 to 80% in 18 minutes, as Tesla states. Well, at least in theory. However, practice showed slightly different numbers. Despite the ideal conditions, we did not achieve the promised 18 minutes, but the total charging time from 20 to 80% was exactly half an hour, which is of course not a bad result, but is still significantly more than Tesla states.
The Tesla is full, the pot has burst and the fairy tale is over, we would say. A long but extremely eventful day, full of interesting things, was behind us. Although the "breast" of our little hen is often overlooked among other destinations offered by Gorenjska or Primorje, we enjoyed our trip immensely and recommend it to anyone who wants a relaxed and educational one-day trip around Slovenia. The Tesla - as well as the other days of our test period - once again proved to be an extremely useful and comfortable travel companion, with which you can set off on a trip with a battery that is only half charged.
