FR IENDLY COUN T R YSID E

Th e coastal area and the Karst are covered
with olive trees and vines, but
beneath the surface are countless karst
caves, one of the most beautiful facets
of our planet. Between the mountains
of the Gorenjska region are deep gorges
with crystal-clear water, and the
characteristics of the landscape mean
HOT FACTS:
• 630 farms welcoming tourists
• 170 traditional and characteristic
dishes
• 2,067 farms involved in organic
farming
• 140,000 bee colonies
• 80–90 million litres of wine
produced
• 8,936 hectares of orchards
• 400 tonnes of olive oil produced in
1,600 hectares of olive groves
• 7,000 kilometres of marked
mountain paths
• 24% of Slovenia is a protected
area – NATURA 2000
Feel the variety of traditional
fl avours
No rural festivity – or ordinary day for that
matter – is complete without locally produced,
home-made food and drink. Some
of the dishes you will encounter most frequently
on Slovenia’s farms include traditional
cabbage, bean and potato dishes. Spoil
yourself with a variety of sweet and savoury
strudels and sample various types of homemade
bread. In the Karst you can also try the
local Karst ham. And every farm will off er
its own version of potica, a cake fi lled with
walnuts, poppy seeds, raisins, cream cheese,
herbs or even crackling. Th is wealth of enticing
aromas and fl avours is complemented
by the white wines of the Štajerska region,
Cviček from Dolenjska or Teran from the
Karst. And to fi nish with, a drop of homemade
fruit brandy or delicious mead. Feel the
value of nature’s gifts and enjoy the genuine
fl avours of home-made food and drink.
that the traditions of mountaineering
and Alpine dairy farming are alive and
well here. Dolenjska is the land of Cviček
wine, thermal springs and extensive
forests and the region is also famous
for its traditional woodenware. Štajerska
is best known for its wide range of
fi ne wines and as a region that off ers
Feel the life of the countryside
Wake up to the sound of cowbells and birdsong
and the smell of freshly-baked bread.
Start the day actively at daybreak and try
your hand at mowing grass, milking cows
and other chores in the cowshed or barn,
or join the locals at work in the fi elds. Th en
take a well-earned rest in the pleasant shade
of a nearby hayrack. You can vary your days
in the country with horse riding or cycling
along forest trails, and in the evening you
can gather round the stove in the farmhouse
and join in with traditional rural games. On
special occasions you can get a taste of rural
festivities. Join the friendly locals at grape
harvest or at the time of the pig slaughter
and learn old folk dances.
Prepare yourself for a variety of experiences
of the countryside, from the stone courtyards
of the dry Karst, to the wooden buildings
of the Alpine dairy farms in Gorenjska,
vineyard cottages in Dolenjska or the mudplastered,
straw-thatched little houses of
Prekmurje and Štajerska.
endless opportunities for recreation.
Koroška, the cradle of the Slovene nation,
also off ers a wealth of opportunities
for mountaineering and hiking. Th e
river Mura, with its tradition of fl oating
mills and lumber rafts, is a central
element of the Prekmurje region.
Upper Savinja valley – a view over Raduha
Goričko
Potice
5
HOT LINKS:
www.slovenia.info
www.farmtourism.si
www.slovenia.info/grenzenlosgeniessen
www.slovenia.info/touristfarms
www.eurogites.org