Velenje

Velenje (pronounced [ʋɛˈlɛ̀ːnjɛ] ; German: Wöllan) is the sixth-largest city of Slovenia, and the seat of the Municipality of Velenje. Velenje was owned by the Habsburgs for several centuries, which is reflected in the exceptionally rich legacy of castles and manors. The city is located in the traditional Slovenian region of Styria, among the rolling green hills of the Šalek Valley, with the Kamnik–Savinja Alps to the west and the Pohorje Mountains to the east. The city of Velenje was officially opened on September 20, 1959, according to a unified construction plan. Velenje is marked by mining with the Velenje Coal Mine, popular due to its longwall mining method, opened in 1875 and still operating, where over 260 million tons of coal have been mined. The old part of the coal mine is home to the Slovenian Coal Mining Museum.