Press release

The Municipality of Črnomelj was successful with the project “Renovation of the Oton Župančič Memorial House: Župančič’s World” in the public call for the selection of operations “Sustainable renovation and revitalisation of municipality-owned cultural monuments and the integration of cultural experiences into Slovenian tourism – cohesion region of Eastern Slovenia”, published by the Ministry of Culture under the European Cohesion Policy Programme 2021–2027.

The total value of the project is EUR 1,215,347.45, of which EUR 999,918.04 will be co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (85%) and the budget of the Republic of Slovenia – Ministry of Culture (15%). The Municipality of Črnomelj will provide its own contribution of EUR 215,429.41.

The project is scheduled to run from 2025 to 2028. Its purpose is the comprehensive renovation and content upgrade of the Oton Župančič Memorial House in Vinica. In this way, the municipality aims to preserve and revitalise an important cultural monument while contributing to the development of cultural tourism in Bela krajina.

The project will create two attractive tourism products, modernise the interior of the house and landscape the outdoor garden with an events platform. The emphasis will be on incorporating modern technologies for an effective interpretation of Župančič’s heritage and on improving the physical and digital accessibility of the building.

The project will strengthen cooperation with local providers, contribute to creating added value in tourism and encourage the sustainable development of the area. The completion of the project in 2028 coincides with an important anniversary – the 150th anniversary of Oton Župančič’s birth. On this occasion, the Municipality of Črnomelj submitted an initiative to the Ministry of Culture to declare a Župančič Year at the national level, and on 17 July 2025 it succeeded, when the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted a decision declaring 2028 the Župančič Year.

The Bela krajina Development and Information Centre (RIC Bela krajina) also took part in preparing the project, the application and the initiative.