Radeče

Radeče is settlement and municipality in Posavje, located in the central landscape of the Posavje Hills (Posavsko hribovje), at the confluence of the Sopota stream and the Sava River in Slovenia.

History

Archaeological finds in the area, including such items as bone tools, the bones of the cave bear, altars of the water gods, and an altar to the goddess Adsaluta and god Savus indicate that it has a long history of human occupation. Radeče was first mentioned in 1297; the town was granted its market charter in 1338, and in 1925 Radeče formally became a town and in 1995 a municipality.

The community's development is closely connected to the Sava River, as it used to be an important traffic route for water transport. The confluence of the Sava and Savinja in the nearby Zidani Most gave Radeče a role of the central rafting port. This tradition is preserved by modern Radeče rafters who nurture memories of the customs of their ancestors at the annual event Rafting Days on the Sava (Dnevi splavarjenja na Savi).

Radeče has been renewed by the paper industry, and has modern foundations for development in its rich cultural heritage and untouched nature.