Municipality of Žalec, Municipality in the Lower Savinja Valley, Slovenia

Sachsenfeld, known in Slovene as Žalec, is the seat of a municipality of 39 settlements in the Lower Savinja Valley, bordering the City Municipality of Celje on the west. The municipality covers 117.1 km² and had 21,243 inhabitants in 2018. Its sights include the Roman necropolis at Šempeter, the Pekel cave, Lake Vrbje and the Novo Celje manor.

Žalec was first mentioned in 1182 and received market rights in 1256. Its German name, Sachsenfeld, was used alongside the Slovene form. In 1998 the former large municipality was divided, and Žalec took its present shape with 39 settlements in ten local communities.

The municipality's name appears in German as Sachsenfeld, while the Slovene form Žalec is standard. The area is known for its hop-growing tradition, and the local hops museum in Žalec documents this agricultural heritage. The municipality comprises 39 settlements, including Šempeter v Savinjski dolini, home to a Roman necropolis.

Žalec lies along the western edge of the Celje urban municipality, in the Lower Savinja Valley, and is made up of 39 settlements in ten local communities. The municipal area covers 117.1 km², so distances between the villages are short by road. The seat itself is a small town, and the sights are scattered across the surrounding villages rather than concentrated in one spot.

Žalec is home to a beer fountain, the first of its kind in Slovenia, opened in 2016 in the town centre. It is fed by local breweries and is a stop on the town's hop-growing and brewing trail.