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FINALIST#1: By bike from fort to fort – an expedition into the past in the Karst

FINALIST#1: By bike from fort to fort – an expedition into the past in the Karst

HIDDEN GEMS – finalists – 2022 EN

On a two-day cycling trip, we move the time machine for almost two thousand years back and explore the homes built by the inhabitants of the area at the time. Vulnerable and inextricably linked to nature, they sought security above all else, so they looked for hills in the hilly karst landscape, from where they could observe what was happening around them. They further protected themselves from the intrusion of unwanted or hostile visitors by erecting walls from the material available to them in the immediate vicinity and fortified settlements were formed. In the Karst, these are called hill forts and a little further south in Istria and Dalmatia, Croatia, they are called casteliers or gradinas.

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SCOUTS: Jordi and Andreja

2021 FINALIST - Idrija

September 2021

The magic world of Idrijske Krnice

Hello we are Jordi from Barcelona and Andreja from Slovenia.
We had a long way from Prekmurje to Idrija…. that it felt more like discovering wonderland 😉

Before we were invited to participate in this program the only idea that I had about Idrija was that it was an isolated town that to reach you had to drive for a long time… I think I heard also that was quite an industrial place. Then I received from Radio SI the program for the 2 days where we would explore Idrija and its surroundings.

In the program I found out that Idrija is well known for its mining industry of mercury in the past… and that at present it is the world capital for lacing (čipka) with a school that teaches many children and adults. I found out also that Idrija has a marvellous nature alleluia!!!!!! I thought…. Idrija is a World heritage protected by the UNESCO as a GLOBAL GEOPARK.

On arrival of course we parked in the wrong place….although we were warned but finally we met Valeria our first host from the Tourist office of Idrija. She received us with a so much needed coffee after almost 3 hours’ drive. She introduced the program to us and then took us to TIC where we could see and experience the interactive exhibition »Written in the rocks«. With an app in your telephone you can listen and move through the exhibition discovering all of the geological particularities of Idrija and its surroundings by the hand of Scopoli, the first mining doctor that came to Idrija in the 18th century to heal the miners. Scopoli spent a lot of his time discovering the fabulous nature that Idrija had to offer and I guess was one of the first doctors to realize the healing power of nature. 

Then we visited the Lace school of Idrija that is oldest in the world. Inside we saw with our guide many creations of many talented adults and children in the shape of »Čipka« that left us breathless and very hungry 😉 ready to be introduced to the gastronomic specialities of Idrija in the restaurant Pri Škafarju.

In the “gostilna”, we tried the delicious traditional žlikrofi with Jurčki and tasted the local beer. After lunch we had a bit of time to rest till we met Tomaž to view the exhibition Hg Smelting Plant. Tomaž had a very entertaining and cheeky way to present us the history of the Smelting Plant in Idrija and to present the tragic and serious with sense of humour. We had a good laugh and went through the history of mining in Idrija with a smile.  

In addition, he directed us towards the Raufnk (Chimney) where we walked for 45 minutes and from where you have a beautiful view over Idrija. The Raufnk is a chimney of the smelting plant that was built so high so that the pollution provoked by it would not fall directly onto the town.

By then we were already quite exhausted from a very exciting long day.

Slowly we move towards Idrijske Krnice where Katarina, our next host was waiting for us. After a very uphill and curvy road, we arrived to The House on the Hill. What an oasis of peace that is……….at almost 1000m above sea level, near a farm but isolated , the House on the hill offers you the warmth of a cottage with all the modern commodities combined with a unique design (most of the furniture is made by a local carpenter, and the floor is made from antic bricks) . The combination of a modern house with natural materials results in a very warm and peaceful feeling accentuated by the amazing beautiful surroundings of unspoiled nature.

In the wooden terrace we really enjoyed the sky night and the moon setting in the horizon, embraced by an unusual but much needed SILENCE.

We slept very well this night to wake up the next day to the same SILENCE again… only broken by the neighbour farmer from time to time.

We had a lazy breakfast and waited for Katarina. Meeting Katarina helped us to understand where the warmth of the house was coming from ;-). We drove again through country roads contouring the mountains till we reached a farm. From there we walked to the highest peak at Lokvarski vrh viewpoint from where we were to see from Italy to Triglav a majestic view of a chain of mountains that unfortunately clouds prevented us to see but it did not take much effort to imagine…we felt in heaven and felt the grandiosity of all. With Katarina we made a toast with snaps of geruš to all the beauty of nature surrounding us.

Back from “heaven” we visited one of the local cheese farmers that helped us to ground ourselves back to “earth”. Kmetija pr Kendu were very friendly and showed us all the facilities and offered us a generous taste of their very tasteful cheeses. On our way back we still had time to visit the church of Sv. Florijan. Known for the mosaic created by Father Marko Ivan Rupnik, a beautiful small church funded by the local people. We felt blessed for the whole experience.

With this we finished our visit to Idrija and region leaving us with the sense that we just had a small taste of what Idrija has to offer…Now we know we need to come back for a bit more of what we discover and for all the places we did not manage in such a short time. We feel very grateful to Ksenija from Radio SI , Valeria from TIC Idrija, Katarina from House on the Hill and all the hosts who we had and who helped us to have this unforgettable days in the magic world of Idrijske Krnice and Idrija. Come and discover it by yourself, you won’t be disappointed.

Jordi and Andreja (Spain, Slovenia)

 Photos by: Jordi & Andreja

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FINALIST#10: The magic world of Idrijske Krnice

FINALIST#10: The magic world of Idrijske Krnice

HIDDEN GEMS – finalists – 2021 EN

Idrija, the UNESCO heritage pearl is best known for the second largest mercury mine in the world, beautiful Idrija lace and traditional Idrija žlikrofi, and a little less for its beautiful and unspoiled countryside, which offers hikers and cyclists countless opportunities to discover natural sights and taste traditional delicacies. The entire area of ​​Idrija belongs to the UNESCO global geopark Idrija. Idrija is surrounded by a picturesque landscape with high hills and vast plateaus.

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SCOUTS: Andreas and Mira

2021 FINALIST - Jezersko

September 2021

Tufa springs in Jezersko

On 3rd of September 2021, we had the great pleasure to enjoy a nice walk around Jezersko joined by a local guide. This trip was a complete surprise for us since the opportunity to jump in for a short-term cancellation reached us only an evening before. Nevertheless or maybe even because of this we were naive of what to expect, the trip to Jezersko was one of the major highlights of our vacation.

We arrived in the late morning hours and when we got out of the car we already realized that we were in a really special place. The massive mountains in front of us charmed us immediately.

We started our trip by walking a short path uphill to the old church of Jezersko. Lucija – our guide – used this spot to introduce us to the history of Jezersko. We learned that the original village was located up here in the hill because a lake covered the entire valley of Jezersko in former times. That’s where the name of the village comes from: jezero means lake in Slovene, so Jezersko is the village around the lake. When the lake disappeared as a result of an earthquake the farmers slowly started to move down to the valley.

We continued our walk through the woods on the former “road” that connected the different farms of Jezersko. It is an easy and biological-diverse way, which is easy to walk even for small children. We passed many excellent photo spots. The view of the mountains is stunning!

On our turning point, we took a short break at a natural spring, where the “stone grows”. It is a quiet, almost mystical place where water spills out of the rocks everywhere and grows around the moss that covers most of the place. Any organic pieces are washed out and by that, the stone gets its characteristic sponge-like shape.

On our way back we stopped at the eco farm Spodnji Virnik where we enjoyed an amazing snack. From the bread to the ham and cheese selection…everything was self-made and from their animals. The food was delicious and really special! It was easy to taste the difference between the mass-productions one can buy in the supermarket and these excellent high-quality products. Our little one was drawing more attention to the kittens than to the food so we had a lot to eat!

After lunch, we returned to our starting point. Our son was very ambitious in walking back the whole way so it took us a while to get there. But since he enjoyed the walk so much we struggled with interrupting his engagement.

We can highly recommend this trip for anyone, who loves being in nature and looks for an easy, kid-friendly track!

Andreas, Mira and Jorin (Germany)

 Photos by: Andreas & Mira

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SCOUTS: Kasia and Uroš

2021 FINALIST - Radgona

September 2021

Wine stories of Radgonske gorice

That sunny Saturday proved to be a perfect date to visit Gornja Radgona and its surroundings!

We arrived at Dom Penine at 10 am. Our host – Radgonske gorice – invited us to test their brand-new e-bikes on a picturesque biking trail. After some introductory words, information about the trail and a short formality necessary for renting the e-bikes, we hopped on the wheels and followed the “Sun-kissed trail”. The route takes you on a 25 km panoramic journey through neighbouring villages and local attractions. All points of interest are clearly marked on the provided leaflet as well as on the website (more on www.winebiking.com).

From Dom penine, the trail quickly turns from the main road towards vineyards. Radgonske gorice cultivate more than 500 ha of vine, which we expected to see a lot of on the way. Climbing the steep slopes of wine-growing hills was not a problem at all thanks to the turbo-speed function of the e-bikes. We were very excited at the opportunity to ride through the vineyards on paths that can usually be reached only on foot or with a tractor.

Apart from vast stretches of vineyards, we were eager to admire all the greenery along the way. Charming patches of forest and well-kept lawns were plentiful. We knew beforehand that this region is known for farming, yet we did not expect to see so many fields of corn and pumpkins and fruit orchards. Riding through the farming villages, we felt energised by all the nature around us and made a couple of stops and short detours to viewing points to observe the landscape even better.

To add to the amazing nature, we were excited to see other attractions marked on the trail. We visited the Negova castle and then rode to the lake, which was a few kilometers away. We passed a few villas on the way, some of them marked on the route as landmarks. The highlight awaited us towards the end of the trail – a lunch at Mencinger Inn 😊 As we were already a bit tired and hungry after 3 hours of cycling, we practically devoured the locally-made specialties. The waitress was extremely friendly and did not let us leave before we tried the local best: tunka meat, pumpkin gnocchi, fried lamb meat with bread dumplings and cabbage. When we couldn’t decide on the dessert, we were served a sampling tray of all the sweet treats they had to offer! Luckily for us, we had to cycle only for 3 km after the lunch – the turbo-speed came very handy at this point.

After the great cycling tour, we continued exploring Gornja Radgona with a visit to Špital museum. The guide was very knowledgeable and charismatic and soon we learned a lot about the town’s history, including the story of its centerpiece – the bridge connecting the Slovenian and Austrian part.

One cannot leave Gornja Radgona without a visit to Radgonske gorice! Last but not least, our host invited us on a tour of Dom penine and Radgonske gorice cellars. Not only did we listen to a fascinating history of the company and its sparkling wine production, but we had a chance to taste their product on the spot! Sipping sparkling wine under a small waterfall that runs in the middle of the cellar was quite an experience. After the sightseeing, we headed towards their product store, where we supplied ourselves with their great sparkling wines and other beverages, including the just-launched alcohol-free špricer.

The whole day was very exciting and pleasurable, with two highlights that made us decide to come back and repeat the experience in the future. The first was the opportunity to ride up and down the vineyards – no better way than to do it with e-bikes. The second were the people we met that day – extremely friendly, good-humored and capable. We enjoyed their company so much that we finished the day back at Negova castle on a cultural evening they attended, where we had a chance to try some more local sparkling wines and chat with our great hosts in a relaxed environment. We are very grateful for the experience and would strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoys nature, beautiful landscapes and wine.

Kasia and Uroš

 Photos by: Kasia & Uroš

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FINALIST#8: Wine stories of Radgonske gorice

FINALIST#8: Wine stories of Radgonske gorice

HIDDEN GEMS – finalists – 2021 EN

For almost 170 years, like the waves of the Mura River through Gornja Radgona, small secrets and abundant knowledge have been flowing through Radgonske gorice. How to skilfully pamper the vine to flourish in all its nobility. How to spend time caressing the grapes. How to fall in love with wine and its uniqueness. How to imbue it with sparkle, a source of countless bubbles that never dries up…

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SCOUTS: Maz and Terry Rayner

2021 FINALIST - Velika Polana

August 2021

Discover the Land with Good People

We had the privilege of being invited to the region of Prekmurje to test an offer dubbed ‘’Discover the land with good people’’.

On the drive there we witnessed some storks in their nests which was so beautiful to see, then when we entered the village of Velika Polana the first thing we noticed was how beautiful and well maintained the village itself was, with flowers hanging from every lamppost. We arrived at the municipality building where we were met by Nina. She told us a little about our plans and told us about the municipality and the three villages it covered, the work they did etc. We were then given a goodie bag with lots of gifts for us and we were able to sample some local liquers, a cherry flavour and a walnut which were both very nice. 

We then took a walk around the Stork Park and learnt some interesting facts about the storks that come there every year to have their babies and then hibernate to Africa for the winter. We discovered that they have partnered with other countries that also have storks and each year they take it in turns to visit one of the countries.

We then visited the homestead of Miško Kranjec and had a private guide around his once home that’s now been turned into a museum showcasing his life. Inside there was original furniture from his home, his actual typewriter that he would have used, books he read and many of his photos. There was also a collection of the books he wrote and many of his achievements. What blew us away the most was to discover he was not only a great writer but also an incredible artist with some of his paintings on display there too.

Behind his old house they have converted the old barn into a small apartment with a traditional feel inside including straw mattresses on the beds. This is where we would spend the night.

We then walked back to the municipality building where we were taken to St Martin’s wine cellar where we very pleased to be offered a wine tasting from 5 different wines. All made my the municipality from the former vineyard of Miško Kranjec in Lendava. We were even given a couple of bottles of the wine to take home as another gift.

We then had the evening to ourselves and decided rather than head out to a restaurant we would enjoy the accommodation and we got some local meat cheese and bread from the local store and enjoyed them with some wine while playing some cards in the converted barn. It was really nice to enjoy the surroundings and imagine what life would have been like. 

In the morning after a surprisingly good night sleep on the straw mattresses we had breakfast delivered to the doorstep with local delicacies and even fresh eggs from chickens the municipality keep at the Farm at Copek’s Mill, one of our morning stops. 

After breakfast we headed over the road to the municipality building to meet Nina again and we drove to the neighbouring village of Mala Polana and to the Sabol’s homestead and cooperative Pomelaj. Here they make many products from corn leaves and they also bake things from local produce. We were able to try some samples and couldn’t resist buying some things also. We watched the workers in action and were amazed at their skills. The biggest amazement to us though was when we were told that all the employees working there have a disability of some kind and cannot get work elsewhere. It was really heartwarming to hear this.

We then ended our visit with a trip to the farm at Copek’s Mill where they are currently setting lots of things up for the public to be able to enjoy. They have crops growing there that are used at the cooperative and also many kinds of animals like goats, sheep and deer. They also have a Stork hospital on site where people can bring injured storks they may find. We visited the river school they’ve set up to help teach young children and bring them back to nature and had a lovely walk through the forest trail.

We feel so lucky to have been given the opportunity to have discovered all these things and will definitely be doing back again some time.

Maz and Terry Rayner

 Photos by: Maz & Terry

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SCOUTS: Samuel and Eva

2021 FINALIST - Kostel

July 2021

The Story of Mikul in Kostel

We started our car ride from Ljubljana at 8.30 in the morning and reached the Petrina tourist office just before 10 o’clock. We had traveled this road several times before on our way to the Croatian coast and Petrina was connected with a border crossing more than a tourist destination in our mind but we had always enjoyed the beauty of the mountain roads so we looked forward to exploring the area in more detail.

Our guide Gregor greeted us at the tourist office and showed us the big interactive screen with information and activities for the area. We were able to scan QR codes to save cycling and walking tracks on our phones. We discussed the weather conditions which did not look to our advantage for the two-day adventure but we remained optimistic and talked about some backup plans.

We drove up to the Kostel castle and enjoyed the magnificent views from both the lower and upper castles. The castle staff was very helpful and kind. We watched a short documentary film about the castle history in the knight’s hall and afterward we did the castle escape challenge which is an escape room type of game spread out in different areas of the castle. The challenges were at a good level for a family where both our daughter and us parents had to think hard at times and also solve some physical tasks. 

When we completed the challenge we rewarded ourselves with an amazing picnic basket prepared by the castle staff with delicacies from the local farmers. Ice tea, wild pig salami, cheese, and cornbread were in the basket and we gladly filled our bellies.

In the afternoon we took a short track up to see the Nežica waterfall and drank pure water straight from the river. When we arrived to the tourist farm Rugole we were served a delicious dinner with fresh fish from the local fish farm, cooked potatoes and a salad. The Rugole family showed great cooking skills so we looked forward to the breakfast the next day and they did not disappoint.

The next day we had to change to original plans to fit the weather and drove to viewpoints where we could see the Kolpa river which had now grown because of the rain. We also visited the St. Anna chapel, Peter Klepec and the Fara hills. To finish this adventure we went back to the Rugole farm for a traditional Slovene lunch with goveja juha soup, potatoes, vegetable, rice, pečenka meat and apfel strudel.

Samuel, Eva and Julia Gustavsson

 Photos by: Samuel, Eva, Julia

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FINALIST#6: The Story of Mikul in Kostel

FINALIST#6: The Story of Mikul in Kostel

HIDDEN GEMS – finalists – 2021 EN

Kostel is a geographically small but varied forested landscape along the southern border Kolpa river. With less than 700 inhabitants, it is one of the smaller Slovenian municipalities, but with its cultural and natural heritage it easily surpasses even the largest. The biodiversity of flora and fauna is a magnet for a genuine holiday for modern urban man, as Kostel is free of any industry and environmental pollution.

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SCOUTS: Simone and Roy

2021 FINALIST – Tolmin

July 2021

We were invited for a great tour around Tolmin in a traditional Willies Jeep, driven by Marko who is not only a perfect guide, but also good company during this exciting day!

Our tour started in Tolmin and we decided to go there the evening before and stay in a local hotel, so we would appear fresh and fit at the start of our tour. I didn’t know what to expect, but my partner Roy who was in the Dutch army for over 40 years was over the moon about being able to sit in this specific jeep again. The instructions before the start were clear, caps, long sleeves and trousers and firm shoes. Not the things I normally wear on a trip, so that made me a bit worried about what to expect…

After a warm welcome in Marko’s family house we were invited to sit in the jeep. I must say, a lot more comfortable than I expected. Of course I had to sit in the back, the guys we obviously in charge and found each other immediately. The good part about this trip is that Marko takes you immediately from the beaten track. We gave him a free hand where to go, although he offered several possibilities. We were not sorry! The combination was just perfect. We went on a narrow road and after an exciting trip ended up next to a small river with super clear drinkable water. Beautiful! Roy and Marko pulled themselves also over the river in a cable car that was made by his wife’s father. And these connections came by all day, which made the tour personal and even more interesting.

After filling the water bottles, we went on to a local cheese maker where we were just in time to see the cheeses in stock, before they were transported to the valley. What a view! And how nice that we could taste the cheeses on the spot, accompanied by homemade juice.

Beside the food part (mine), we also visited several cultural sides from WWI. An impressive bunker, a church with so many names of fallen soldiers that it made me sad, but with a guide who knew a lot and was very good in telling us about it. Of course it wasn’t the first time that we visited this region, Roy with his military background has been interested in the Soča front from the day he came to Slovenia and read about every book about it, but being in the Jeep, visiting less known locations made it a whole new experience.

A picnic with homemade sausages on the border with Italy with a stunning view with so many stories, followed by a delicious ice coffee at the local milk factory and a trip to the favourite swimming location in the river, Marko made us all the time curious about the next destination. What we liked most? The variety of things we did. Of course we were in the jeep the whole day, but the diversity of the places we visited, the fact that we were there often alone, the stories he told. This was by far the best way we visited this region!

Simone and Roy from the Netherlands

 Photos by: Simone & Roy

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FINALIST#5: Incredible Willys Jeep Adventure

FINALIST#5: Incredible Willys Jeep Adventure

HIDDEN GEMS – finalists – 2021 EN

A fascinating experience with breath-taking views

Feel the excitement and enjoy an amazing experience, while discovering one of the most beautiful corners of the Alps with our legendary WWII Willys Jeep. We are sure that you’ll like the roar of the engine, the chirping of birds, breath-taking views, high mountain pastures, old military forts and defensive trenches, wild streams of untamed rivers, narrow and hanging bridges, a view of steep walls and alpine peaks as well as delicious local cuisine. With this icon of the automobile world, we will show you the beauties of the Soča River valley and its greatest natural and cultural sights. Best of all, this day is dedicated exclusively to you and to your wishes.

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SCOUTS: Stephanie and Patrick

2021 FINALIST - Brkini

June 2021

Discovering Brkini with e-bikes’

Are you interested in learning to cut your own paper-thin prosciutto, or tasting fennel flowers with locally made cheeses? How about exploring the restorative effects of various herbs and spices and the curative power of a potato? Or maybe you’d rather chase down ogres and witches living in forests teeming with local legends, and then share a glass of the finest plum brandy with an actual living legend? Fortunately, in Brkini you don’t have to choose—you can do it all in a day!

After a short drive from Ljubljana, we started our morning at Belajevi herbal and ethnological farm in Kačiče. We were greeted by Andrejka and Tony, and given a tour of the lovely, naturally farmed herbal gardens surrounding the property, where lucky tourists can “glamp” at certain times of year. When Patrick got too friendly with one of the plentiful bees, Andrejka ran to get a cut potato to help soothe the sting, an old family secret. Patrick’s skepticism turned to surprise when the pain and swelling quickly abated! We returned to the centuries-old farmhouse, and were treated to a mid-morning feast of hand-cut prosciutto, fresh bread and local cheeses, beautifully paired with herbs and spices straight from the garden.

Sad to go, we knew we had more excitement waiting for us, so we hopped on the provided e-bikes and cruised off to meet Valerija at the Mythic Park visitor centre in Rodik. There we took a tour of an exhibition explaining the mythological past of the area, before again hopping on our e-bikes – this time on an adventure! We followed the winding, hilly ‘Baba route’ by bike, in search of the ‘ogre’ and ‘baba’, who dwell in the hidden caves and forests of this stunning karst landscape. Seeing the landscape through the lens of local tradition and folklore gave a fresh perspective to the sunny hills and shady woods.

After a sun drenched hour or so, we set our e-bikes to ‘turbo’ and made our way to File’s tourist farm in Slope. The owner of File’s is Franc Jelušič, also known as the Ambassador of Brkini, due to his proud representation of the region around Slovenia and abroad. Franc regaled us with tales of his family’s impressive exploits, and treated us to his award-winning and geographically protected brkinski slivovec (plum brandy). We also tried his excellent cognac-style brandy and famous kraški brinjevec (juniper brandy), the latter made exclusively from crushed juniper berries, giving it an altogether different taste compared to its more widely known relative, gin.

Mildly merry, and hungry from the day’s adventures, we then made the short trip to the Linč homestead in Rodik, where we were served a beautiful late lunch of local delicacies: karst pršut, goats cheese caprese, jota (both a vegetarian version and the more traditional local specialty, made with turnip and meat), and hand made pasta with young asparagus. Stuffed, we were still tempted by the delicious apple strudel (zavitek) and štruklji. All of this was served with a refreshing local malvazija white wine, typical for this region.

Savouring the slow pace of this region and not quite ready to head home, we took a slow bike cruise back to our starting point, basking in the final rays of sunshine for the day. After such a gorgeous day enjoying this delightful region, we would have been heartbroken if we hadn’t assured ourselves that we would be back very soon!

Stephanie & Patrick 

 Photos by: Stephanie & Patrick

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FINALIST#4: Discovering Brkini with e-bikes

FINALIST#4: Discovering Brkini with e-bikes

HIDDEN GEMS – finalists – 2021 EN

Visit the Karst and Brkini and fall in love with the beauties of this dynamic coexistence on the edge of the Mediterranean. Primary nature offers endless opportunities for wandering and exploring. Unique sights are easily imprinted in people’s memory. With us you can be active and very curious, but you can also just rest. Whatever you do, genuine hospitality will accompany you everywhere. With a glass of homemade wine or brandy and while tasting excellent local dishes you will feel the soul of our world. Seize the many opportunities for unique experiences. Get to know our true colors.

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SCOUTS: Dijana and Joao Pita da Costa

2021 FINALIST - Dobrovnik

June 2021

The untouched nature and beneficial energy of Dobrovnik

Prekmurje is full of great surprises, and although known to be remote is really not that far
from the great time you can get when you are there. And this time might just have been one
of our best. Our two- day testing weekend in Dobrovnik started on a Saturday early morning.
We were all looking forward to some relaxation in nature. After a 2h drive we reached
our first destination, the Lake Bukovnik and …oh boy, what a nice, heart-warming welcome
was waiting for us there!

Ms. Elizabeta and her colleagues from the Tourist information office welcomed us with a
traditional bread and a welcome drink, and home-made elderflower (bezeg) syrup for our
kids. They provided us with a map of the lake and suggested us what to see and do there.
We walked through the forest to find the wooden statues of magical creatures strategically
placed around the lake, a great joy to our children. The award was promised to them if we
would find all 4 of them. While searching for them we passed the energetic points (if you
stand on each for ca 15min and max on 3 points/day it should do you a lot of good)
towards a water source that is believed to have healing powers. The water was cold and
tasted good, fresh. And we were lucky enough to meet there another visitor that new how
to measure those energies and showed us how it works. We continued our hike, during
which the kids were picking up wild berries. We found the wooden statues of fairies and
dwarfs living by the lake, and the kids played on the playground near the lake shore. Later
on, we had a delicious lunch in the Brunarica prekmurskih dobrot near the Information office.
We ate the savoury meat dish from the area, Bograč, accompanied with dodole, ajdova kaša
with mushrooms and gibanica for dessert. We were surprised with the size of the portions,
as even a half portion would be enough for 2 adults.

Happy and satisfied we said our goodbyes. Our next destination point, the Island of Love
was just a few minutes’ drive from the lake in the village of Ižakovci. Soon after we got to
the Island, it started to rain. We waited a bit under the trees and observed the fast currents
of the river Mura, but as it didn’t seem the rain would stop soon, we ran quickly to reach the mill and Büjraški museum that were 100 m up the river. There was a museum guide waiting
for us and he told us a bit about the Island of Love and its name. It was popular among
couples in love to arrange to meet here or come to swim here. And the mill is actually the
only floating mill in Slovenia. It floats on a platform made from the two boats and is tied
to the mainland with iron ropes. Even though it was raining cats and dogs, and the river was
pretty wild, the mill was holding still and didn’t move, not even for a tiny bit. In the Museum
of Büjraštvo we have seen the video explaining büjraštvo, which means the process of
building dams on river Mura and afterwards we went out to make ourselves the typical
büjraška snack on the fire – bread with zaseka and garlic. We enjoyed very much the
experience of roasting the bread on a stick over an open fire. As we almost burned our bread,
the guide shared with us a few tricks on how to roast your bread to be nicely crunchy.
The busy afternoon was coming to an end and we headed towards our accommodation. Ideally, we would have stayed in Dobrovnik, but coincidentally this weekend everything was booked, so we agreed to stay in the next village, in Filovci. The holiday house Gönc was located right at the top of the hill and in between vineyards. The hosts awaited us with a huge smile. This was already very good  Minutes later they showed us to the first floor, which has an entrance from the upper terrace, and we were blown away with the view, with the huge terrace that was all at our disposal and with the comfort of the accommodation. The hosts have in fact just recently finished the renovation works and we were the first ones to stay there after the renovation.

After a few hours of rest, it was time to have dinner at the restaurant Pri Lüjzi. As we were not that hungry, we had a simple meal in a lovely courtyard overlooking a beautiful garden. The restaurant has actually become well-known recently thanks to its wine fountain. At any given time one can taste and choose among five different wines. After the dinner, while the kids were playing in the garden, the manager introduced us to his wines and wine production. We have also bought some wines to bring back home.
The night was calm and after a full day in the outdoors we were all tired and we all slept like
babies ☺ Our youngest is up early, so we woke up early on a Sunday morning. This gave us plenty of time to play outside on the lawn before continuing with the Sunday program. Around 9.30 we delivered the keys to our host and drove to see the Ocean Orchids and its tropical garden. Ocean Orchids grow orchids and sell them all over Europe. We all enjoyed the tropical garden and took lots of Instagram worthy photos. In front of the Ocean Orchids there is a great kids’ playground and a coffee garden where we recovered our energies with the locally made ice-cream by Passero.

Our last stop was the House of Crafts in Dobrovnik. This was a 4-minute drive from the Ocean
Orchids. The guide showed us first the Ethnographic museum and its collections. We particularly liked to see how the rooms looked like back in the past: the bedroom, kitchen etc and we enjoyed comparing the furniture from the past with today’s furniture. However what kids loved the most was the workshop that followed. From the corn leaves and with the help of the pedagogue we created beautiful flowers. As it turns out this type of workshops are one of the main activities of the House of Crafts, that attracts school kids and other visitors.
We truly enjoyed our stay in Dobrovnik and were pleasantly surprised to see how much
Dobrovnik has to offer. One could easily stay here a week and would not be bored at all. It offers a perfect combination of nature, sports, culture, and cuisine. We will for sure come back soon.

Dijana & Joao Pita da Costa

 Photos by: Dijana &Joao

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FINALIST#3: The untouched nature and beneficial energy of Dobrovnik

FINALIST#3: The untouched nature and beneficial energy of Dobrovnik

HIDDEN GEMS – finalists – 2021 EN

The municipality of Dobrovnik is a municipality in development, whose citizens are deeply connected to their home soil. They are persistent and resilient like a vine that is nurtured with special care. The surrounding nature invites you to get to know it during all seasons, to enjoy the fresh air, to stop by the vineyards, visit an excursion point or try Prekmurje cuisine as offered by our providers.

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SCOUTS: Tamara and Jovana

2021 FINALIST - Polhov Gradec

June 2021

Experience Count Blagaj’s Land

On Friday afternoon we headed towards Polhov Gradec for a much-needed city break. Only 40 minutes later, we reached our destination, Črni Vrh, a village consisting out of several hills with a few houses on each of the hill. It was green all around, the air was different and the city noise was replaced by the sounds of domestic animals. The kind hosts were already waiting for us. After a short tour around the house, which has a warm and domestic atmosphere, hosts showed us around their property.

Just in front of the house, a pair of alpacas were chilling on the grass. Quite an unusual sight in Slovenia but there they were. They were looking at us with the same dose of curiosity as we were looking at them. In the stable, there were also rabbits, sheep, chicken and a miniature pig. They all seemed like good friends and were obviously used to being excessively photographed and petted.

After a quick recovery in the house, we were ready for the first workshop of the day, making woollen ornaments. A kind host explained to us the whole procedure, from cutting the wool of the sheep to washing it and making it into the material more appropriate for modelling. Then it was time for us to try it. We were playing with a wide choice of colourful wools using a specified needle to make different shapes on a wooden ball. It was a very relaxing activity that woke up our creativity and made us forget about our busy day just a few hours ago.

When our creativity was at the peak we continued with the second workshop that included making a bowl out of a piece of wood. The host’s son skillfully set up the piece on the rotating machine and explained how to use a woodpecker. We dared to try and we were very surprised that it was easier than it looked. As the wood sawdust was flying around the room the wooden block was slowly adopting the shape of a bowl. After a fine finish and applying a layer of eatable oil our bowl was done and it was beautiful. Both of us were extremely proud of what we made with our hands. With a smile on our face but extremely exhausted we fell asleep early that night.

The next day we were fully recharged for our next adventure. The night was so peaceful, nothing could be heard from the outside. We rushed down to the kitchen to prepare the breakfast, domestic quail eggs with homemade bread and jam we got from our host. It was delicious.

We said goodbye to our hosts and continued to the next workshop. It was a bread making workshop in a traditional Slovenian way. A lovely lady Marija welcomed us and offered us liqueur for a good start. Each of us got an apron and it was time to roll up our sleeves. Marija effortlessly took a bag of 10 kilos of flour and placed it into a huge wooden bowl. She added salt, water and activated yeast and it was fun time! It was quite challenging to face 10 kilos of dough but it was so satisfying at the same time. We mixed it every few minutes, but in the meantime we were enjoying a pleasant talk with our host. When the time for baking finally came, Marija showed us how to prepare each loaf of bread and put it into the huge oven encouraging us to try it ourselves. It was fun but quite laborious. An hour later the room filled up with the smell of freshly baked bread and it was time to take them out of the oven. Each weighed around one kilo and looked amazing. Marija neatly packed one loaf for each of us to take home and we said goodbye to her with our hair full of flour but with warm hearts. It was a unique experience we will remember always and recommend it to everyone.

 

Tamara & Jovana (Croatia&Serbia)

 Photos by: Tamara & Jovana

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FINALIST#2: Experience Count Blagaj’s Land

FINALIST#2: Experience Count Blagaj’s Land

2021 FINALIST - Polhov Gradec, HIDDEN GEMS – finalists – 2021 EN

Nowhere is the terrain of the Polhov Gradec hills within such close reach as it is around Črni Vrh – a picturesque small village that is home to St. Lenart’s church, which stands on an 861 metre-high slope above the Velika Božna gorge. The heart of the village, which is reputed to have been named after its dark pine trees, consists of closely packed houses beneath the church and solitary farms scattered on the steep green slopes. Visit Črni Vrh andset on a journeyof discovering the local way of living in this green haven.

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