Mežica is a town in northern Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Mežica. It lies on the Meža River in the traditional Slovenian province of Carinthia) near the Austrian border. The town developed close to a lead and zinc mine under Mount Peca. Mining began in 1665 and ended in 1994. Today the mine is only open for tourist visits.
The town once had a small ski area on Mount Peca, but this closed soon after the mining operations ceased to operate.
The parish church in the settlement is dedicated to Saint James. It is a single-nave building built in 1840 to replace an earlier smaller building.
| Country |  Slovenia |
|---|---|
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Dušan Krebel |
| Area | |
| • Total | 26.4 km (10.2 sq mi) |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 3,573 |
| • Density | 140/km (350/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02 (CEST) |
Sights
The idyllic town of Mežica is the principal, Alpine and mining tourist centre of the Mežica Valley. The Romans were the first to mine here under Mount Peca and today its underground houses a tourist mine and a museum. The forest roads and mountain trails lead to the surrounding hills. They also lead to the cabin at Mala Peca, where King Matjaž sleeps in a nearby cave. Above Mežica you will find the interesting Church of St. Lenart with the miracle-working chain, Podkraj with its typical granaries, and Lom with beautiful views over the neighbouring Podjuna. The area also holds a bee-making collection and several interesting interpretation points connected by a geological and hiking educational trail. The central Mežica sight is the Podzemlje Pece (Peca Underground) – a tourist mine and a museum which also holds the informational centre of the cross-border UNESCO Global Karavanke Geopark.
Contacts
Uprava
Tajništvo občine 02 82 79 350, info@mezica.si
02 82 79 359 Andreja Potočnik Urad župana 02 82 79 350andreja.potocnik@mezica.si
Blaž ŠalovenDirektor občinske uprave 02 82 79 351blaz.saloven@mezica.si
Olga VršičSlužba za družbene dejavnosti 02 82 79 356olga.vrsic@mezica.si
Milan KrivogradMedobčinska uprava občin Mežiške doline / Služba za gospodarstvo 02 82 79 358milan.krivograd@mezica.si Andreja
Atelšek Medobčinska uprava občin Mežiške doline / Služba za gospodarstvo 02 82 79 354. andreja.breznik@mezica.si
Mateja Mešnjak – Medobčinska uprava občin Mežiške doline / Služba za gospodarstvo 02 82 79 357.Đ, mateja.mesnjak@mezica.si
Jana Horvat Tomaž – Medobčinska uprava občin Mežiške doline / Služba za gospodarstvo, 02 82 79 363, jana.horvat.tomaz@mezica.si
Petra Oserban – Služba za računovodstvo, 02 82 79 352 petra.oserban@mezica.si
Jasna Jezernik – Služba za računovodstvo, 02 82 79 353, jasna.jezernik@mezica.si
