August 2023
Green Gourmet & Wellness Experience in Novo mesto
My partner Igor and I were given the opportunity to explore one of Slovenia’s underrated areas, the Southeastern Dolenjska region. We were particularly excited as this area was less on the usual tourist circuits. It was a bit new even for Igor, who works in Slovenia as a professional tour guide. There is always something to learn about Slovenia despite its small size.
The main sights of this were based around Novo Mesto, Otec, and Trška gora wine hill. We found the city of Novo Mesto cute; it reminded me of a Moravian village that you would find in the Czech Republic, where I lived for some years before residing in Slovenia. The waiter at our restaurant on the river was excellent with all his recommendations. I have to say my favorite things food-wise from this restaurant were the wine and the soup. There is something special about Slovenian soup. It’s simple yet done in a way where it can’t be beaten. Also, it’s not riddled with meat like other Central European counterparts.
We were treated to a beautiful kayaking trip with Green Adventures. This might have been my favorite part of the trip because I am no stranger to floating down rivers. I like their approach to tourism as well. I’m passionate about ethical and sustainable tourism and supporting local economies while having a great time. It’s challenging to strike the right balance, but I have confidence that Green Adventures is doing just that.
We spent the rest of the evening in Otočec, and we were treated again to a lovely meal at the Otočec castle; it was once again very accommodating to my vegetarian diet. All the courses were great, but once again, the soup was probably the best. There is just something about Slovenian soup. While the main courses were tasty, I have to say the appetizers were really outstanding.
The next day we got to check out the golf course, I was a bit nervous as I didn’t know the first thing about golf, but we had a lot of fun with it. The golf cart ride was a blast. Speeding around this stunning course was what was needed on a hot day. We followed up by visiting the winery. We were welcomed with a bottle of dry sparkling time, which is my favorite kind of wine. We found the hospitality received on Trška gora hill to be really friendly . They were very welcoming to receive us and it was the perfect end to these two fantastic days.
We were really thrilled to experience this unique part of Slovenia and hope to continue to explore more underrated pockets of this beautiful country.
Heidi Koelle & Igor Puh
Photos by: Heidi and Igor
