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SCOUTS: Kevin and Sono

2020 FINALIST - Lisjak vintage gourmet

June 2020

The lisjak vintage Gourmet tour was completely a different experience. The tour included ride on vintage mini van, tasting of olive oils, scenic views and so on.
The first and the best impression of the tour was seeing and experiencing the vintage van in the city and throughout. The sound of the van takes back you to the 70’s. The Ride along the olive plantation was another mesmerizing experience and it ends up in having a great view from the cliff.
The view consists of the ports of piran,Koper, Izola and the best part is sometimes if its not that
foggy we could even see Venice. In addition the mezzalana sparkling wine is also top a wine to drink too. After all these things, the olive oil tasting and having a great lunch will fill the tummys for sure.
Sona

My experience of the vintage tour and LISJAK’s olives oil farm was awesome. Getting picked up in one of those 1970’s fiats mini mans felt like going back in time, on top of that the views that we got to see while the tour were amazing. Including the coastal view of strujan “cool fact about it on a clear day you get to see Venice” one we finished the ride in the minivan we went to the olive oil plant and got to taste different types of oil’s. My favourite was garlic and the chilli one was in a close second place. In addition to that we got to enjoy a great meal accompanied with a home made champagne. The overall experience was great and definitely recommend it!

Kevin Rodriguez

Photos: Kevin and Sona

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SCOUTS: Tim and Ana

2020 FINALIST - Isonzo front

May 2020

Kobarid is a hidden gem in its whole – it is located in the Soča valley between the mountains and hills. People in Slovenia like to say that you can get everywhere in Slovenia, like the Alps or the Adriatic Sea, in a one-hour drive from Ljubljana.  However, you need a bit more to get to the Soča valley, but it is totally worth it!  Even more, the drive itself is already a part of the magical experience, passing by the beautiful and picturesque landscape.

If someone would ask us to describe our day in Kobarid in one sentence, we would say: it was a perfect combination of history and nature. If you like one of them, then this is definitely the right programme for you!

First, we visited the Kobarid museum where we learnt a lot about the history of Kobarid and especially the 1st World War. Our guide Jaka told us many interesting details and explained us the course of the Kobarid battle. The museum has a true to scale model of the area where the battle of Kobarid was displayed interactively. Jaka mentioned that the museum is mostly visited by Slovenes and Italians, but we find its exhibitions very interesting also for others, Tim, who is from Germany, definitely liked it a lot.

Afterwards we drove to Kolovrat where an open-air museum is. There you can see restored tranches and all the hills where the battle was happening. While walking through the reconstruction of tranches, we were listening to the soldier’s diary from WWI. This helped us understand how the life of the soldiers had been. On a sunny day you can see the Adriatic Sea from there but unfortunately it was a bit cloudy on that day. So, this is just another reason that we will come back to have that look.

The final stop of the programme was the Museum of Planika where you can learn about how they make cheese in a traditional way. They get the milk from the local farms whose cows spend summers in the surrounding mountains.

At the end of the day we agreed that next time we will come back to Kobarid for more than just a day. There is so much to do and see so we will come back for sure to spend a few days here together with our families.

Thank you, Radio SI for the opportunity to test the tourist package.

Tim and Aan from ____

Photos: Tim & Ana

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SCOUTS: Simone Michielen

Finalist Škofja Loka - EN

July 2019

I am Simone Michielen and on this warm and sunny day I went with my Dutch friend Wilma to Škofja Loka. An early start, but it was a joy to begin with a coffee at Homan, in the heart of the old town.

Škofja Loka is small but impressive! After our wake-up coffees we were welcomed at the DUO arts & Crafts centre by Petra, who still does a traditional craft, making moulds for honey bread cookies. Not the right word, but that is how we called it…

We were allowed to use these perfectly cut moulds and make beautiful shaped cookies. They didn’t only look good, they also tasted delicious. Petra showed us how to cut the moulds and by trying ourselves we found out that you need a lot of practice to become as good as she is!

Mirjam, our local guide with a lot of knowledge about history and local stories walked with us around medieval Škofja Loka and took us back in time. The upper terrace where the rich and famous lived, the lower terrace for the “normal” people and the devil’s footbridge where a severe accident took place in history, it all came to live by Mirjam’s stories. Lesson learned: Don’t think you’re more than anybody else in Škofja Loka, you might fall of the bridge…

We were very happy to follow the red thread in our story and went to the local homestead and bee keepers where we walked the path of bee keeping and honey making. The guide and passionate bee keeper explained us about the process and showed how bee keeping evolved over the years. The signs on the path were very clear and made it possible to walk this trail also by yourself, but we enjoyed the company and the extra details a lot. For me food is important –what’s new? and luckily we also had a chance to taste the different kinds of honey. I learned that certain honeys are only available after plants blossom. Yes, I am blond.

On our way further on to the countryside, we were so happy to visit my future home, Tavčar Manor in Visoko. They even gave me the key! What a beautiful manor, in a beautiful park. Still renovating, but we could already see the pearl that will come out of this shell. Worth a visit, but take your loved one, a blanket, picnic basket and a bottle of rose with you. It is the perfect place for an old fashioned romantic picnic on the grass.

Lunchtime! We were invited for lunch in Stara Loka, to enjoy some traditional food at gostilna Starman. The day got warmer, but on the terrace with the roof it was perfect to enjoy both food and company. We chose some traditional dishes from the menu and of course, big portions in Slovenia! Almost too much for a hot summer day.

After our late lunch we were taken to Želizniki, an old town known for iron and nails. What a warm welcome! We were tired, but Katja adjusted the walk a bit  and she got our interest with her enthusiastic story about the history of the town and the families who lived there. And what a beautiful town it is! We loved how peaceful it was, and how well it was preserved. We sat at a traditional melting oven opposite of the museum for a while to hear some more stories and went to meet Matej, a blacksmith who introduced us to the world of shaping iron. Which looks so simple, but is in fact quite hard. Even a simple nail took us ages, as in the old days people had to make (when they were really good) 1000 per day. A hard life in a beautiful town and surrounded by a stunning landscape, absolutely worth a visit!

We were impressed! By the beauty of everything we saw and visited, but maybe even more by the friendliness of our hosts and people. It is wonderful to feel this welcome as a tourist. Even my little dog had a great time and we stayed a lot longer in Želizniki than planned, enjoying some drinks and food with our hosts!

Text and photos: Simone Michielen

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Finalist#18: Getaway to the red planet

Finalist#18: Getaway to the red planet

HIDDEN GEMS - finalists - 2018 EN

No, it’s not an escape to Mars, it’s an escape to the Karst! Red soil is inseparably connected to the Karst region – terra rossa is the soil that makes the refošk vine produce the world-famous terran wine. The Terran with its deep violet colour and its strong tannic aroma, remains the great son of the Karst soil.

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SCOUTS: David Heredero and Monika Kralj

Finalist Sežana - EN

September 2018

We spent two days in the region of Karst, more exactly in the area of Pliskovica, in the municipality of Sežana. It was the first time for us in this part of Slovenia, so we were excited to get to know it.

Our accommodation was at the Youth Hostel Pliskovica, in a beautiful, interesting and very old building. After our arrival we had time to walk through the village of Pliskovica and soak in the atmosphere, full of vineyards and relaxing sunny warm weather. Personally I loved the villages in this area, they reminded me of home, with houses tight together and a sense of community that it is maybe missing in other parts of Slovenia.

On the first day, we had dinner in Gostilna Tomaj in Tomaj and it was just a pure joy. They prepared a menu for us including different traditional food from Karst region, including of course prosciutto and different herbal cheeses, traditional stew jota and traditional dish ombolo, with meat, ham, sauerkraut and Refosco sauce, which I didn’t know and it was such a discovery. For sure we also had the opportunity to drink wonderful Teran wine.

The day after, we started with a visit to Bartolato stonemasonery in Pliskovica and it was maybe the most special activity during the trip, since it is something we would never do on our own. A brief history of the craft was presented to us and we had the opportunity to try our skills at it. We could even design our own magnets in stone and take them home, which will always remind us of the time spent there.

For the end of the trip we headed to Dutovlje, where we tried local lamb at Gostilna Ukmar and visited Peppa’s Garden, where we were introduced to typical Karst houses and gardens (including too many herbs and plants to count) and we could taste again Teran wine and also juice, a nice variety for non-alcoholic drinkers. So it was a lovely two day trip and we would recommend the area to anyone who loves sun, nature and gastronomy.

David Heredero Zorzo and Monika Kralj

Photos: David and Monika

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SCOUTS: Mariano and Žiga

Finalist Vipava - EN

September 2018

Forces restored, bellies full, we were ready for what was probably the
best and most authentic part of our trip: “bandima”, the grape harvest. We joined Jure, of the Žorž vineyard, and his joyful troupe of around 10 people in gathering Pinela grapes while sharing thoughts, jokes, and ‘bevanda’, or watered-down wine, to keep hydrated. We were saddened when we had to leave an hour and a half later, but Anja was waiting for the degustation in the wine cellar. There we learned more secrets of the art of making wines, and tested the local wines like Zelen, and the Pinela we were picking earlier, accompanied by prosciutto and cheese. We even got to test their awesome Konjak (yes, with K, because we are not in France).

We left in a hurry (mental note: don’t fill the agenda next time) to Zemono mansion for lunch, up on a hill overseeing the Vipava valley, in an impressive former hunting house of the Lanthieris. Tomaž prepared for us, using typical local ingredients, some incredible not-so-typical dishes that were a feast both for the palate and the eyes. I thought I would never enjoy eating a dish based on turnip-rooted celery so much!! Another incredible experience was eating lemon ice cream with drops of gin-tonic gelatine, while being bathed in dry ice pouring from a juniper-filled recipient.  All while looking down to the hills and the valley.

After the 3-hour long lunch, we took off to our final destination Cultus, in Podraga, the oldest wine cellar of the valley: almost 400 years old !! The place itself is amazing, and even though they are still restoring it, the sensations that emanate from stone walls, the 300 years old tree, and the stream right next, are hard to describe. In a very intimate discussion, Matej shared with us not only their wines, but also his vision about producing wine, and his future plans. We are looking forward to stay at such an incredible place once they finish restoring the living quarters, and try again those wonderful wines.

It was not without a heavy heart that we said goodbye to Matej and his family, and to Vipava in general, but as the sun was suggesting, it was time to get back on the road to Ljubljana, taking with us some wine, a couple extra kilos, and really, really wide smiles.

Mariano Cecowski in Žiga Puternel

Photos: Mariano & Žiga

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SCOUTS: Deyana and Roman

Finalist Kolpa - EN

August 2018

Fantastic experience by the Kolpa River

 Wanna spend some great time by a calm warm river in the heart of Bela krajina forests?

We already did it and loved it! We know you would love it, too!

 Me and my boyfriend spent an amazing weekend at the Eco village Rinčica in Canoe Camp Radenci.

We were accommodated in one of the super cool glamping houses there perfectly suitable for two people. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast at the camp and rode bikes along the picturesque Kolpa river, both on the Slovenian and Croatian side. The peaceful boat trip on the river appealed to us greatly.

Our host Tine provided us with the best guidance ever and showed us around the Bela krajina region. I highly recommend the wine tasting at the Pečarič wine cellar which gave us an insight of all typical regional wines.

Thank you once again.

Deyana and Roman

Photos: Deyana & Roman

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Finalist#7: Delights of Count Blagaj’s land

Finalist#7: Delights of Count Blagaj’s land

HIDDEN GEMS - finalists - 2018 EN

Not far from Ljubljana is a lovely town with an odd name that translates as Dormouse Manor, for reasons the locals can’t seem to agree on. But it boasts a handsome manor house, a spectacular church (far grander than you’d guess in such modest town), and a rich history. You can join Count Blagaj himself (well, a good impersonator) for herbal tea and tastings of local goat cheese, honey and specialty foods.

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Idrija Adventure – FINALIST#13

Idrija Adventure – FINALIST#13

HIDDEN GEMS - predlogi 2018 - EN

In Idrija, the oldest mining centre in Slovenia, the pounding of hammers and mining machinery echoed day after day for more than 500 years. The second largest mercury mine in the world helped Idrija to blossom in every aspect, from technology to science, and from trade to culture. Today the entire old town centre is on the UNESCO’s world heritage list.

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