Last summer, after a few years, I visited again the Park of Military History in Pivka, a museum located in the south-western part of Slovenia. During the summer months, this military museum is very well visited, as it is located on the main road that takes tourists across Slovenia to the sea to neighboring Croatia.
Today, the Park of Military History, is the largest museum complex and one of the most visited museums in Slovenia. With its variety of exhibits and rich collections, it offers visitors a unique insight into both Slovenian and world history. The collection is distinguished by its very large exhibits, such as various military vehicles, especially tanks and other armored vehicles, aircraft, a submarine and, last but not least, a military locomotive from the Second World War.
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The park is located in the area of former military barracks and is spread over several pavilions, with part of the collection outdoors. Right from this barracks the first tanks of the Yugoslav Army rolled out in June 1991, beginning the ten-day war on the newly independent Slovenia.
In Pavilion A, you can see the path of Slovenia’s independence, with a focus on the 1991 War of Independence.
Upon entering the pavilion, we are first met with a quick introduction to the former Yugoslavia, its former republics and the statue of Josip Broz Tito, former President of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
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Then we walk through a set of photographs showing moments in the life of soldiers in the Yugoslav Army.
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I was amazed by the model of the secret military airfield in Zeljavo, called Object 505, which was the most expensive facility built in Yugoslavia, costing more than 40 USD billions. Between 1950 and 1960, it was the largest underground military base in Europe, located on the border between Croatia and Bosnia, near Plitvice Lakes.
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When I entered the next room, I felt at home 😊. There was a living room with typical furniture from the 1990s in Yugoslavia. It was almost the same living room my grandmother had. I was overwhelmed with nice memories, since I’ve spent a lot of time with my grandmother, when I was a child.
The central part of the pavilions is dedicated to the military vehicles and vessels that took part in the war for Slovenian independence. Here you can see the Thunderjet, MiG-21 and Sabre military aircraft. The MiG-21 is, or was, one of the most widely used military aircraft, with some estimates suggesting that more than 15,000 were produced. It first flew in 1955.
In the park, visitors can try out this MiG-21 aircraft in a flight simulator, subject to prior reservation. Sit in a real cockpit, put on virtual reality goggles and fly over beautiful Slovenia.
T-55 and M-84 tanks and other armored vehicles are on display. Here are some shots of the T-55 tank.
This is a modernised version of the T-55 used by the Slovenian Armed Forces.
And the more recent M-84 tank.
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And some other heavy military vehicles that I don't know.
There is also a so-called tank simulator, which shows how a tank is put together and gives an insight into the interior of the tank and the crew's working area.
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There is also a Gazelle helicopter 🚁
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When I thought I had arrived at the end of the pavilion, surprise surprise, I came across a real submarine, which I was able to enter. It was a submarine called P-913 ZETA.
This fully electric 19-metre, 76-tonne submarine, the P-913 Zeta, is one of the so-called diversionary submarines. The submarine could reach a speed of 8km/h, had a crew of four and could carry up to six submarine divers. When it went out on a mission, soldiers could spend up to 3 weeks in it in one piece at 30 degrees Celsius.
As the submarine had no sanitary facilities, they were also strictly rationed in the amount of food and drink they consumed! In return, these were the highest paid jobs in the army at the time. In my opinion, they more than earned their pay!
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Pavilion A is behind us, we are entering Pavilion B. This is dedicated to equipment from the Second World War. Here the museum has some of the most precious exhibits, which are hard to see anywhere else in the world. Or so they say. There are M4A3 Sherman tanks, M36 Jackson self-propelled guns, M8 Greyhound and Scout car armoured cars. I hope I spelled all those heavy names right 😊
There is also a post-war M47 Patton tank, the heaviest tank in the collection, which, according to the guide, consumed 700 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres. Yes, I wrote that right, 700 litres. I could drive around for months on that fuel!
There is also a Spitfire, one of the most famous aircraft of all time. We can also see the engine of one of these planes, which was shot down in 1944 in the vicinity of our capital Ljubljana.
Pavilion C is dedicated to artillery. The collection comprises artillery weapons, in other words, a variety of cannons. From self-propelled howitzers, multi-barrelled rocket launchers, tank hunters to anti-aircraft guns.
Here you can also see a collection of different uniforms, gas masks and, of course, some additional weapons.
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The outer part of the museum includes some of the largest exhibits the museum has to offer. There is a boat, officially named P-111. This was the first boat used by the police in the Slovenian seas. This Italian-made boat is almost 20 metres long, weighs 44 tonnes and can reach speeds of up to 70 km/h. By placing the boat in a museum collection, it was saved from being scrapped.
For train enthusiasts, here's a real treat. The German Class 52 locomotive was developed during the Second World War to meet the needs of the German conquest of Europe. It's a powerful and very simple locomotive, stripped of everything that wasn't strictly necessary for operation. The first such locomotive was built in 1942, and more than 6200 locomotives were built in total. During the Second World War, they operated all over Europe, including on the eastern, Russian battlefield. After the war, they continued to be used for civilian purposes.
The MIL Mi-8 helicopter was designed in the Soviet Union in the 1960s and is still in service today. It could reach speeds of up to 250 km/h, fly over 600 kilometres and carry a payload of five tonnes.
You can also see the Roland anti-aircraft weapon, a mobile surface-to-air missile system that was once used by the Slovenian army.
If you've ever wondered how tanks cross a river when they're bridging, the photo below may give you the answer. It shows a pontoon bridge carried by a tank. The tank is unloading and assembling the bridge so that everyone else can cross the river.
There is also the supersonic aircraft SOKO J-22 OREL – “orel” means eagle. I believe it was a very fast and dangerous, but above all effective weapon.
After the tour, it's worth stopping at the Kantina restaurant, where they cook you a real “army dish” called “pasulj” with sausage (a kind of bean stew), which I think is one of the best I've ever had. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to take a picture, I ate it to fast 😊
What can I say in conclusion? A visit to this museum always offers a surprise, as the collection is constantly being expanded with new exhibits and we always see something new and learn something new. Therefore, if you are heading this way for a well-deserved summer holiday, I highly recommend a visit to this wonderful and informative museum.
Thanks for reading,
feel free to leave a comment, I will be glad to reply to.
Best regards, @miljo76
