Mežica (pronounced [mɛˈʒiːtsa] ; German: Mießdorf) 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.[2]
Mežica | |
|---|---|
Town | |
     From top, left to right: Old postcard of Mežica, National Hall, Primary School, St. James' Church, Francis turbine | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Mežica Location in Slovenia | |
| Coordinates: 46°31′14″N 14°51′13″E / 46.52056°N 14.85361°E | |
| Country |  Slovenia |
| Traditional region | Carinthia |
| Statistical region | Carinthia |
| Municipality | Mežica |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.75 km2 (0.68 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 480.7 m (1,577.1 ft) |
| Population (2019)[1] | |
• Total | 3,158 |
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.[3]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 1,661 | — |
| 1953 | 2,078 | 25.1% |
| 1961 | 2,781 | 33.8% |
| 1971 | 3,495 | 25.7% |
| 1981 | 3,764 | 7.7% |
| 1991 | 3,840 | 2.0% |
| 2002 | 3,487 | −9.2% |
| 2011 | 3,254 | −6.7% |
| 2021 | 3,164 | −2.8% |
| Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions. | ||
References
edit- ^ a b "Naselje Mežica". Statistični urad Republike Slovenije. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ Mežica municipal site
- ^ Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number 3174
External links
edit- Mežica on Geopedia
- Peca Underground, tourist mine and museum (in Slovene, English and German)
- Mežica na spletu Local information portal
 | This article about the Municipality of Mežica in Slovenia is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |