As if the location, ambiance, architecture, history, shoppes, scenery and views were not enough, Radovljica also has the world's only known (to me) apicultural museum. Much as I personally dislike bees and their stinging ways, I readily concede their nearly paramount importance in helping propagate much of life as we know it on this planet. Beekeeping is the principal cottage industry in Croatia, Boznia-Hertzegovina, and Slovenia, as we've seen in previous posts, and it has a long history. So we have been building up to this. Plus the beehive front boards--a whole room of them--are a hoot. And I like honey and especially the honey brandy I bought in Ljubljana. Thus, for all these and many more reasons, we had to see the Apiary Museum in Radovljica. Also, personal hero Sir Ed from New Zealand was also a bee keeper.
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The adjoining city museum also had an exhibit on local boy and Englightenment figure Anton Linhart |
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There were many rooms depicting the history of bee keeping, the evolution of various implements, etc. |
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Bee hive "guards" (against what? I ask) |
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The painted front boards are the main draw for most people; from the later 18th onward, bee keepers did these painted boards on the assumption they would help the bees more easily find their way home; who knows? Producing replicas for the souvenir shoppes of Ljubljana is certainly a secondary industry |
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Many are on religious themes |
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Some maybe multicultural themes |
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Flood? |
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Some satirical if repugnant |
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A winter scene...BORING! Let's get back to the funny stuff |
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One of the more elaborate bee hives |
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"Stop, thief!" |
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Little Big Horn? |
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Benefits of not drinking? |
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De-heading battle scene |
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Funeral procession for a hunter |
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Apparently the bees really like violent scenes |
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Another religious scene |
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Other implements |
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Actual working beehive in the museum |
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Bee tunnel to the hive |
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Useful information you probably already know but which is here to show the museum's excellent interpretive signage, and in English too |
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Further rooms, further interesting displays, although not as interesting at the front boards |
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Ceiling of one of the rooms |
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