Bled Collectors Days and the Jesenice Meteorite, Bojo, Premiering in Bled

On March 14 and 15, the Bled Congress Centre will host the first-ever Bled Collectors Days. This two-day international event will bring together over 60 exhibitors from 9 countries, captivating enthusiasts of philately, cartophily, numismatics, minerals and fossils, and antiques.

As part of the event, visitors will also have the opportunity to see the Jesenice meteorite, Bojo, which fell in the Mežakla area in 2009, as well as posters featuring the award-winning design for the commemorative coin to be issued in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Miki Muster.

Where History meets the passion of collectors in Bled

For the first time, passionate collectors will gather in Bled, a town with a thousand-year-old history and significant archaeological sites, including Bled Island, Pristava, Žale, and Osojnica. Among Bled’s most remarkable finds are the oldest gold artifacts discovered on Slovenian territory—the Golden Appliqués, dating back to the 13th or 12th century BCE. These invaluable Bronze Age relics were discovered in Osojnica, where they were deposited alongside carefully selected bronze weapons, tools, and jewelry as an offering to the gods.

The Golden Appliqués are now part of the permanent exhibition "Stories from the Crossroads of the World" at the National Museum of Slovenia. Meanwhile, the Bled Collectors Days will showcase a variety of collectible treasures sure to delight enthusiasts.

At Bled Collectors Days, more than 60 exhibitors from Slovenia and abroad will be presenting their collections. Among the participating countries are Italy, Switzerland, Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Poland, Austria, North Macedonia, and Hungary.

© Turizem Bled

Among the exhibitors will be internationally renowned dealers, including Moro & Kunst, a company specializing in trading gold and other precious metals. The field of numismatics will be represented by Slovakian dealers Tri Kamen & Stalmach and Austrian firm Via Numismatic Wien, while Antikvariat Glavan will showcase antiquarian books and collectibles.

During this two-day event, a wide range of artifacts will be on display and available for purchase, including old banknotes, coins, securities, shares, philatelic materials, and stamps. More than just a marketplace, the event will be a unique opportunity to explore history, experience the charm of the past, network with fellow collectors, exchange knowledge, and discover rare and unique collections.

Visitors will also have the chance to evaluate the value of their collections with certified appraisers from the Numismatic Society of Slovenia, the Philatelic Association of Slovenia, and the Society of Friends of Minerals and Fossils. These experts will provide on-the-spot objective assessments of individual items, and visitors will also have the opportunity to sell their collectibles to interested exhibitors.

© Turizem Bled

The Jesenice Meteorite (BOJO) to be publicly presented for the first time

On April 9, 2009, at 3 a.m., a thunderous rumbling startled many residents of the Upper Sava Valley and Carinthia, Austria. Witnesses reported seeing a bright streak in the sky, and all-sky cameras captured the extraordinary event—a meteor fall. While most meteors—commonly known as shooting stars—burn up in the atmosphere, Jožef Pretnar from Spodnje Gorje discovered the first fragment of the fallen meteorite on May 17 of the same year at Planski Vrh.

As it traveled through Earth’s atmosphere, the Jesenice meteorite fragmented into several pieces. Three fragments have been discovered so far, with the largest one, named BOJO, breaking into multiple smaller fragments upon impact with the rocky surface.

The Jesenice meteorite is particularly remarkable, as it is only the 11th meteorite in the world for which astronomers have determined its orbit—the exact path it followed around the Sun. It originates from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and belongs to chondritic stony meteorites, ranking it among the most significant specimens of world heritage. Following established tradition, the meteorite was named Jesenice after the nearest major town.

This precious find is preserved in the Natural History Museum of Slovenia, but during the Bled Collectors Days, the public will have the unique opportunity to see, for the first time, the second-largest fragment of the first discovered piece of the Jesenice meteorite (BOJO), weighing 239.1 grams.

© Miha Jeršek

Presentation of the selected design for the Miki Muster commemorative coin

In 2025, the Bank of Slovenia will issue a commemorative coin to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Miki Muster. To select the design, a public anonymous competition was held in 2024. The winning design has now been chosen, and as part of the event, two posters (28 x 42 cm) featuring the portrait of Miki Muster—the same image that will appear on the commemorative coin in April or May—will be exhibited.

© Srečo Vernig

Calling all passionate collectors and curious visitors

The Bled Collectors Days will take place on Friday, March 14, and Saturday, March 15, 2025, from 9 AM to 6 PM.

Children and teenagers up to 15 years old can experience these historic moments for free, while other visitors can purchase tickets for €5.00. Tickets are already available for purchase at all Eventim sales points.

The event is organized by the Institute for Culture Bled, the Public Institute for Tourism Bled, and the Bled Museum Society.