Wine Route Gallery

Culture at every turn of Ruše

Wine Route Gallery

Ruška Vinska pot takes you to the slopes of the edge of the forest, where you meet a water source (1), and on the right the entrance to the real underground (3). Rumour has it that this very entrance was used by RUSKOMALH. It is said to be a dwarf that brings luck, health and the will to work if you touch it. It has big eyes and a coat that it uses to fly. It only appears at dusk, then hides again in its underworld. Just look carefully at what's guarding the entrance. The good fairies, the two-headed snake, and the dragon drive away the evil people. And if you're brave enough, peek through the keyhole.

The path invites you to a celebration in honour of grapes and vines (2 and 4) and our beloved Slovenia (5). The Museum Tomorrow we are going to read (6) takes you back to the times without technology. Like wine goblets by the roadside, you meet cups of immortality. The names of all the famous people from Ruše are written on them, thanks to which Ruše is enriched today. In his honour.

Look behind the statue of Bagh and Satyr (7) all the way to the Museum of Viticulture Tools (9), caught in the sun. Has anything changed? Winegrowers put a lot of effort, work and heart into their wine. The museum leads to the gallery - the cellar of the famous Mirko Vovšek. During the walk, observe nature, and the colours of the trees and leaves. Find a chestnut for yourself. Veselje ob Sodu (11) and Sladkosneda (12) depict a smile with ripe grapes.

Lesni Črv (13) and the Rulik association are the most deserving of all the (wooden) statues of this form living along the Wine Route. At the bend, you will find the Sign of the Cross (14) and another source of water (15), which interweave nature with the human spirit, beauty, and fairy tales. We learn that ghosts can also be good on the way forward. Fear is unnecessary because RUSKOMALH sprinkles every hiker who passes by with happiness. Stop for a moment and enjoy the view. Then just take the bends, boldly down. As a fellow traveller with nature, Drozg (21) reminds us how nature rewards us if we are kind to it.

The path winds its way for 2.5 km along a circular path next to the vineyards among works of art from the hands of local artists under and next to the treetops of Pohorje. Every year, since 1983, a traditional martini celebration has been held on the Wine Route in Ruše. The Golden Jug is awarded to the winegrower as selected by tasters and compatriots.

Along the wine route, there are six chapels in honour of the vine, fertility and the importance of the cultural heritage of Ruše viticulture.

The route was also named "Vovškova's Outdoor Gallery" as a tribute to the culturist, director and winegrower.

"I remember how one autumn evening, pleasantly tired from the work I love to do, I sat and daydreamed a little next to my beloved Blue Frankie's tail. With a slight breeze, the leaves caressed the velvety blue, heavy, packed bunches, still illuminated by the last rays of the setting sun behind the Pohorje massif. A glimpse of eternally beautiful nature, happy and grateful to nature that you can enjoy it." Mirko Vovšek (1926-2020) from the book Ruška Vinska pot, 2016.