Triglav represents a symbol of Slovenianism and was threatened throughout its entire ethnic history until Slovenia's independence in 1991. It was this fact that led the Dovje mayor, Jakob Alja¸ to buy the Triglav and Kredarica peaks. Thus no one could prevent him from setting up a tower containing essential equipment in 1895 thus »maintaining the Slovenian soul of the Slovene mountains.« Dovje is a village with a thousand year history and agricultural tradition. Squeezed under the steep side of the Karavanke Mountains, industrious villagers formed terraced fields in its foothills through the centuries. The village has maintained numerous Alpine architectural characteristics.

The semi-circular entrance doors of farm houses are particularly interesting from which hospitality exudes. A number of alpinists, victims of Triglav and its surrounding mountain regions are buried at the cemetery alongside the parish of St. Michael.

Jakob Alja¸ (1845 – 1927) served as mayor of Dovje for 38 years building cabins on Vrata and Kredarica, the tower on Triglav and routes into the Julian Alps. He was also a composer, poet and national initiator. A memorial room is dedicated to him at the vicarage, while his monument can be seen by the main road between the two villages.