Sustainable Gifts: Green experiences in Slovenia

We all know that most people, at least those from the ‘developed part of the planet’, have too many things. But when it comes time to gifting, as if under a spell, we (again) gift our loved ones with – things. This time, we offer you some ideas on how to delight your relatives, friends, or business partners in a different way.

We present to you a selection of experiences in Slovenia, carefully chosen and matching each of the four seasons. Each experience is designed with sustainability and green living in mind and are Slovenia Green certified. Escape the daily hustle and bustle and give your loved ones time spent in nature or discovering the cultural gems of Slovenia. All experiences and a link to reservations can be found on our website.

WINTER EXPERIENCES

A Day at a Karst Farm

At the Kamnarjevih Farm in Volčji Grad near Komna, you will be welcomed as a family member – and you will have to act accordingly. You will help bake bread in a wood-fired oven, feed Krškopolje pigs and Istrian sheep, take chickens out to pasture, and earn yourself a hearty Karst lunch from ingredients organically grown on the farm. Bon appétit, you’ve earned it.

Green Experiences of Lord Marenberg on Drava River

If you enjoyed the adventures of Zvitorepec, Trdonja, and Lakotnik traveling back in time with a time machine, you will certainly enjoy Radlje ob Dravi. Using informative signs with QR codes, a map, and a printed booklet, you will travel back to the times of knights and counts, solve puzzles, orienteer in nature, and collect points and stamps. The experience, with trails of varying lengths and difficulties, is also interesting for children.

Velenje Underground

You’ve likely never dined so deep beneath the earth’s surface. In the Velenje mine, one of the richest lignite deposits in the world, you will be served a meal 160 meters underground. And not just a miner’s snack of sausage and bread, but a four-course ‘Štajgerjevo južno’ prepared by the chefs of Vila Herberstein. Bon appétit and good luck!

Visit the SOS Proteus Info Center

The SOS Proteus Info Center is not just another cave where you admire the olm among crowds of tourists. In the tunnels under Kranj, they have a different mission – to communicate the importance of preserving clean (drinking) groundwater; for animals and ourselves. The olms on display in the tunnels are animals swept out of the underground by floods, so rest assured that they were not taken from their natural habitat. All collected funds are used for further research and protection of the olm – proteus.

SPRING EXPERIENCES

Explore the Debeli rtič Landscape Park

While the snow will still be melting in the northern mountains, a beautiful spring day on the Slovenian coast will be ideal for exploring Debeli rtič. There are two circular thematic paths available, the sea and panoramic paths, both easy and suitable for explorers of all ages. You will discover a well-preserved flysch cliff, natural bays, wetlands, and vineyards and olive groves. Brave ones can take a dip in the sea at one of the beaches – the sea will refresh your body and wash away all worries.

Hike the Žirovnica Cultural Heritage Trail

You might have admired, while driving on the Gorenjska highway, the beautiful land where France Prešeren, Fran Saleški Finžgar, Janez Jalen, Anton Janša, and Matija Čop lived. When you walk the ten-kilometer circular trail, taste local delicacies and quench your thirst with spring water, you will understand the inspiration for all these brilliant minds. The villages under Stol await you to discover them slowly, at your own pace.

Cycling Among Hop Fields

The journey is more important than the destination. This holds true for a guided 30-kilometer bike tour past the attractions of the Lower Savinja Valley, such as Pekel Cave, the Roman Necropolis, the Hops and Brewing Ecomuseum, and Vrbje Pond. In this case, the reward at the destination is also noteworthy – the tour ends at the Žalec beer fountain. Cheers!

A Culinary Cycling Tour Along the Sava River

Not in the best cycling shape? No worries, electric bikes will be waiting for you at the train station in Loka pri Zidanem Mostu, so you can be sustainable even in terms of travel to the start of the experience. You will visit the church of Saint Helena from 1208 and refresh yourself with a fish snack at Dolinšek’s ethnological hayrack and a noble snack at Sevnica Castle. If you are not tempted by the autochthonous Cviček wine, you can continue cycling to viewpoints in the hinterland of the castle or wave to the Sava River at the train station in Sevnica.

The Mustache Tour

Ljubljana is not just the Triple Bridge and Ljubljana Castle. On a tour with a somewhat unusual name, you will meet three mustached gentlemen who marked Ljubljana – Rihard Jakopič, Ivan Cankar, and Jože Plečnik. The three-and-a-half-hour tour is sustainably designed, as it takes place by bike and on foot, visiting lesser-known (and less visited) corners of the city along the Ljubljanica River, helping to better distribute visitors.

Green Experience in the City of Counts

Don’t fancy old walls and dark dungeons with torture chambers? Then next time you’re in Celje, instead of the castle, visit the Celje City Forest and let a yoga instructor introduce you to relaxation techniques under the canopy of trees. After the exercise, enjoy a healthy snack … and a promise to do something like this more often.

SUMMER EXPERIENCES

HoneyBrew Laško Tour

In this four-hour bittersweet experience, discover how the stories of beekeepers and brewers intertwine, along the way experiencing drinking thermal water, pizza with cheese and cracklings, Laško Brewery, snacks from top chef Marko Pavčnik, a honey fairy tale, and finally beer cocktails at the beerhouse.

In the Footsteps of Shepherds

Time spent on the idyllic Velika Planina is always a good investment. They offer a good two-hour walk past 11 information boards describing the life, customs, and architecture of the shepherds. Starting points are at the lower and early cable car station, on the way to Sveti Primož nad Kamnikom, and in Podvolovjek. Almost mandatory conclusion is to try žganci with sour milk.

Stories of Šentjošt with a Local Guide

Less than half an hour from Ljubljana (even by city bus) and you find yourself in a world completely different from the capital. The forest tranquility and stories of the locals embrace you, as a local guide welcomes you into their well-maintained homesteads, while children will enjoy the Polhov Doživljajski Park.

Finding Zen at a Herbal Farm

If Pehta, probably the most famous herbalist in Slovenia, lived in Karst, she would probably work here. At this Herbal Farm, you can learn about the healing effects of lavender, sage, rosemary, bay leaf, thyme, and other herbs and how to make homemade oils, creams, or tinctures from natural ingredients. And also something tastier – liqueurs, spreads, and frittatas.

AUTUMN EXPERIENCES

Become a Winemaker for a Day

It sounds simple – and when you are with a master of winemaking from the Vipava Valley, it is. But you must also understand that wine does not happen in a few hours. Therefore, the experience can be extended over a longer period; you can plant your own vine and return for stories about wine for years, eventually sealing your very own wine. Cheers!

Hiking, Flying, and Wine

The best of the Vipava Valley, combined into an unforgettable day. A hike with a local guide to the edge of the Trnovska Plateau, then a tandem paragliding flight straight to a hall where local delicacies await you in solid and liquid form. Sounds heavenly.

Bike Slovenia Green: From the Alps to the Adriatic

Slovenians are used to visiting the sea in a good hour’s drive. But if you choose a bike instead of a car and the Vršič Pass, Soča Valley, Goriška Brda, and Karst instead of the highway, traveling through the western part of Slovenia turns into a wonderful eight-day cycling adventure.

Maribor Green Experience

In three hours, you can get to know Slovenia’s second-largest city in a slightly different way: as beekeepers. You will learn about the life of bees (and of course the beekeeper) and instead of a souvenir, put together your own package of your favorite types of honey.

Pedal to Unwind

If you have ever driven through Idrija, then you know that you are in for a beautiful, but strenuous day on the bike. Those physically less prepared should therefore consider the help of an electric bike, as instead of the well-known mine you will cycle up to 1,000 meters above sea level, discover gardens with medicinal and ornamental plants, and end the day with a glass of geruš, a traditional miner’s drink.