From a farm home to a place of culture
The Mrak Homestead was once a lively centre of rural life. The residential house and farm building still reflect the close connection between home, work, and nature. In 2008, the homestead was designated a cultural monument of local importance, and in 2014 it was purchased by the Municipality of Bled. Today, it offers visitors a glimpse into the past while also serving a new cultural purpose. The residential part preserves the memory of traditional ways of living, while the former farm building has become the Slavko Oblak Gallery.
In this way, the historic homestead brings together the cultural heritage of Rečica and the contemporary cultural life of Bled.
17TH CENTURY
The beginning of the story
Research shows that the oldest known part of the Mrak Homestead dates back to the second half of the 17th century. Originally, the house consisted of a single ground floor.
18TH CENTURY
The house takes on its present form
In the 18th century, the house was extended upwards and remodelled. Several of its distinctive architectural features date from this period, including the stone window and door frames and the vaulted ceiling in the entrance hall.
19TH CENTURY
A changing home
During the 19th century, the house continued to be adapted to changing needs. The traditional smoke kitchen was converted into a so-called “white kitchen” with a masonry stove, which could also be used to prepare feed for pigs.
20TH CENTURY
More modern living
Electricity was installed on the ground floor, and the house was later equipped with running water, a toilet, and electrical wiring on the upper floor. By the early 20th century, it already had most of the basic amenities associated with modern living.
2008
Cultural monument
Due to its architectural, ethnological, and historical significance, the Mrak Homestead was designated a cultural monument of local importance.
2014
The Municipality of Bled acquires the Homestead
The Municipality of Bled purchased the homestead with the aim of preserving and gradually restoring it. Conservation research began in 2015, revealing several centuries of architectural development.
2016–2025
From research to restoration
Conservation research on the homestead began in 2015, followed by restoration work in the years that followed.
2026
Slavko Oblak Gallery
With the restoration of the former farm building, the homestead gained a new cultural purpose. It now houses the Slavko Oblak Gallery, bringing the artist’s body of work back to the setting of his family roots.
Where heritage comes to life again
Today, the former farmstead is being given a new lease of life. Its preserved historic architecture is brought together with the Slavko Oblak Gallery, the garden, and its sculptures, allowing visitors to discover both the heritage of old Bled and a more contemporary artistic story in one place.