Božidar Jakac Art Museum

Kostanjevica na Krki is a tiny town on an island in the Krka river in Dolenjska, in southeastern Slovenia, often described as the country's smallest town, and it has an outsize cultural reputation. The Božidar Jakac Art Museum is the reason. It occupies part of the former Cistercian monastery, a medieval complex founded in the thirteenth century that stands a little way from the centre, and the combination of old monastic architecture and modern art is the museum's main appeal. The building has cloisters, vaults and a church, and the galleries are set in these atmospheric spaces.

The museum is named after Božidar Jakac, a leading Slovenian painter and graphic artist of the twentieth century, and it presents a strong collection of Slovenian art of that era, with an emphasis on expressionism and modernism. Alongside Jakac you will find works by other leading figures, among them the Kralj brothers, and the museum shows paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture. Temporary exhibitions broaden the programme, and educational activities and events are held throughout the year, so it is worth checking what is on when you visit.

A distinctive feature is the outdoor collection. Kostanjevica is the home of Forma Viva, an international sculpture symposium that began in the early 1960s, in which sculptors from many countries came to work in oak wood for a period each summer, leaving their works behind. The resulting open-air gallery of monumental wooden sculptures is scattered across the monastery grounds and the surrounding area, and walking among them is a very different experience from looking at pictures in a hall. Because the works are made of wood and stand outside, they weather, and their condition varies, which is part of the character of the display.

The wider area has more to offer. Cerkev Sv. Jakoba, the church of St James, and the Cistercian monastery are part of the heritage trail, the Cvelbar Oak is a venerable tree, Kostanjevica Cave is a small cave nearby, and the Krakovo Forest is a lowland oak forest popular for walks. The Romarska pilgrim route passes through the area. The Dolenjska region is famous for Cviček, the light red wine, and vineyards on the surrounding hills give an opportunity for tastings.

The museum suits art lovers, families and cyclists, and it is easy to reach from Novo Mesto and Krško. Check opening times and admission arrangements before visiting, as they vary with the season. Allow a couple of hours for the museum and the sculpture park. Inside, the contrast between medieval stone and modern art is the point. One visit can take in the International Sculpture Symposium works and the Middle Ages architecture, and few European towns of this size offer so much, and Slovenia’s art scene is well represented.