Vrhnika

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Občina Vrhnika
Location of Vrhnika in Slovenia
Area: 126.3 km²
Population 17,729
 - males 8,671
 - females 9,058
Mayor: Marjan Rihar, SDS
Average age: 41.56 years
Residential areas: 29.93 m²/person
 - households: 5,812
 - families: 5,009
Working active: 8,799
 - unemployed: 772
Average monthly salary (August 2003):
 - gross: 200,220 SIT
 - net: 130,057 SIT
College/university students: 737
Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, census of 2002.

Vrhnika is a town and a municipality in Slovenia. It is situated on the Ljubljanica River, 21 km from Ljubljana.

[edit] History

In Roman times , Vrhnika was known as Nauportus when it was considerd as important communication point.[1]

Vrhnika developed in the High Middle Ages. It other historical names were German name Ober Laibach or Ober Laybach.

Vrhnika became a market town and was considered to be among the wealthiest towns in Carniola[2], up to the early 18th century, when it started to lose importance. Nevertheless, it remained one of main transportation junctions in Inner Austria, because of its strategic location on the croassroads between the Trieste-Vienna and Rijeka-Klagenfurt trade routes. The development of the town was however strongly damaged by the construction of the Austrian Southern Railway in the 1840s, which bypassed the town. From then on, it started losing importance, becoming a satellite town of Ljubljana, which has remained up to this day.

Vrhnika is the birthplace of one of the most important Slovene writers, Ivan Cankar.

[edit] References

  1. ^ In the footsteps of Roman soldiers in Slovenia, 1993, (COBISS)
  2. ^ Janez Vajkard Valvasor, The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola, published 1689, reprint 1984 by Mladinska knjiga, f.240,241,

[edit] External links