In 1919 a memorial plaque with the inscription: ‘On 26 January 1797 Matija Čop, a giant of science, was born here’, was commissioned for Čop’s birth house. In 1988 the house was bought for museum purposes and renovation work was completed in 1994. Funds for the purchase and renovation were contributed by Slovenian schoolchildren, local residents, the municipality of Jesenice, the Ministry of Culture, and others. During the development phase the house was reconstructed as a 19th-century building, i.e. as it would have been during Čop’s lifetime. Čop’s birth house now serves as a museum, an event venue and as a seat for the Žirovnica Institute for Tourism and Culture.

Museum Content:

• guided tour of the exhibition on life and work of Matija Čop – the first Slovenian literary historian, linguist, librarian and one of the greatest European scholars of his time,
• an insight into the manuscripts, which represent Čop’s life path and contacts with France Prešeren, with whom they were great friends, 
• tour of  Ajdna Museum Room, representing one of the most mysterious archaeological sites of Late Antiquity in the Slovenian territory,
• presentation of the light-hearted documentary film titled  ‘There is No Fairer Place’, in which storises from out cultural heritage come alive,
• one of the attractions along the Žirovnica Path of Cultural Heritage.

‘There is No Fairer Place’ is a title of new light-hearted film that takes viewers along the Žirovnica Path of Cultural Heritage to all four birth houses of the famous men from Žirovnica, to Janša’s Memorial Apiary, to mysterious Ajdna and to the green Završnica valley. The film includes interesting information about the lives of the renowned Žirovnica men France Prešeren, Fran Saleški Finžgar, Janez Jalen, Matija Čop and Anton Janša who come ‘alive’ in the film played by local amateur actors. The film is 25 minutes long and is intended primarily for school groups but can also be of great interest to tourists as a presentational film about Žirovnica and its attractions. Click HERE to watch an expert from the film.

Click here to read more about Matija Čop