Hunting Collection and Dormouse Museum

Lož is a small town in the Loška dolina, a long karst valley in Inner Carniola, in south-central Slovenia, surrounded by the great forests of the Snežnik massif. The forests are among the largest in the country, home to bears, wolves and lynx as well as deer and smaller animals, and for centuries the people of the valley have lived from them, as foresters, hunters and gatherers. The Hunting Collection and Dormouse Museum is a small museum linked with Snežnik Castle, a large country house in the forest that belonged to a noble family and was used as a hunting residence, and it presents two aspects of this woodland culture: the hunting of big game and the more unusual tradition of hunting the edible dormouse.

The hunting collection shows trophies and mounted animals from the Slovene forests, including the large carnivores that live in the Dinaric mountains, and it is a window onto the way the nobility used the surrounding woods for sport. Antlers, horns and skins fill the rooms, giving an idea of the diversity of wildlife in the area, and information panels explain the animals' habits and the changes in hunting practice over time. Modern hunting in Slovenia is regulated, with seasons and quotas, and the collection also touches on the role of hunters in managing wildlife populations.

The second theme is the dormouse, the edible dormouse, a small, tree-dwelling rodent with a bushy tail that lives in the beech forests of Inner Carniola. In earlier centuries, local people trapped dormice in autumn, when the animals were fat from feeding on beechnuts and acorns, and used them for meat, which was cooked in stews and roasted, and for fur, which was made into caps and other items. The tradition of dormouse hunting in this region is old, and it continues in a regulated form, with a hunting season in autumn. The museum shows the traps and tools, the fur caps known as polhovka and information about the animal's biology, and it explains how the tradition became part of the local culture, with its own customs and songs.

The museum is a good stop for families with curious children and for visitors interested in rural ways of life. The castle, with its historic rooms and surrounding park, gives the visit a setting, and the forest around is good for walks. Križna Jama Cave, with its underground lakes, lies in the Lož valley close to the town and can be visited on guided tours, so the two attractions make a good combination for a day. Opening times vary with season, so it is wise to check before travelling.