Category Archives: Festival čokolade Radovjlica

The Sweetest Weekend of the Year!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Beekeeping Education Centre of Gorenjska, Festival čokolade Radovjlica, ifeelsLOVEnia, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Radovljica Chocolate Festival, Slovenia blog, Slovenian chocolate, Visit Radol'ca, Čebelarski center Lesce by

If you’ve ever needed an excuse to eat your body weight in chocolate (purely for cultural and/or investigative reasons, obviously), this is it.

Every April, my little corner of Slovenia quietly turns into something rather magical. The cobbled streets of Radovljica fill with the smell of melted chocolate, Linhart Square buzzes with people munching on chocolates, and suddenly it becomes the sweetest town in the country.

The chocolate weekend that everyone waits for

The Radovljica Chocolate Festival is back again on 18–19 April 2026, and it’s not exaggerating to call it the chocolate event in Slovenia. In fact, it’s widely considered the biggest and most complete chocolate festival in Slovenia, attracting chocolatiers from across Slovenia and beyond.

May be an image of grass

And it’s not just a few stalls and a polite nibble. We’re talking:

  • Dozens of chocolatiers (from artisan to well-known names)

The Radovljica Chocolate Festival

  • Tastings  – this year a new festival card system has been introduced for tastingsTastings - Radovljica Chocolate Festival
  • Live cookery shows and workshops

  • Street performers, music and buzzing festival energyMay be an image of crowd
  • And not forgetting, plenty to keep kids entertained (and adults pretending they’re there for the kids).

The festival spreads across the old town – Linhart Square, the park, Radovljica Manor – so one can wander through history while eating chocolate. Not a bad combo.

Why Radovljica, though?

People often ask why this festival happens here of all places. Once you know the backstory, it makes perfect sense.

Chocolate has been part of life in this area since 1922, when what would become the famous Gorenjka brand started production nearby. Over the years, that tradition has evolved into a cluster of small, passionate chocolatiers. Hence, the festival isn’t just a tourist event, it’s rooted in something real.

Čokolada z lešniki, Gorenjka, 450 g

It’s not just a one-weekend wonder

For those unable to visit the festival, don’t worry, as Radovljica is quietly sweet all year round. You can still piece together your own sweet experience, featuring chocolate, honey and more. You can find more about culinary activities and experiences in Radol’ca here.

Chocolate stops

You can visit boutique chocolatiers such as the Radolska čokolada chocolatier, located at the entrance to the old town centre, where everything is handcrafted and there is a focus on using local flavours.

There’s also the award winning Molinet House of Chocolate, located in the Lipnica Valley, which has at proper artisan feel. This place isn’t open to the public, however, visits can be arranged by contacting the Radovljica Tourist Information Centre.

Honey

This is Slovenia, after all, a land known for its bees and honey.

Radovljica is also home to beekeeping traditions, and you can taste local honey, visit beekeeping-related exhibits, or just pick up some delicious sweet treats at local shops, including the Radovljica Tourist Information Centre and the Babka Beekeeping Shop at the Beekeeping Education Centre of Gorenjska in Lesce.

Slow, sweet wandering

One of my favourite things to recommend, particulary for first time visitors, is simply:

  • coffee and cake (or ice-cream) in the old town
  • a wander through the old town centre (pop into the Tourist Information Centre for a map and information about the notable buildings)
  • a lazy stroll with views of the Karavanke and Julian Alps

May be an image of gelato and strawberry

A few practical tips for visiting the Chocolate Festival

  • Come early if you want to avoid the biggest crowds (it tends to get very busy at peak hours on both days)
  • Pace yourself—there is such a thing as too much chocolate (apparently!)
  • Stay overnight if you can—the atmosphere in the evening is lovely
  • Come with friends and family so you can ‘share’ the experience

Final thoughts

If you can’t make it to the festival, it’s not the end of the world. Whenever you visit the Radovljica area, there’s plenty to see and do, whether you are looking for an active, relaxing, gourmet … holiday, or even all of the aforementioned!

© Adele in Slovenia

Life in Lesce

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Camping in Slovenia, Camping Šobec, Festival čokolade Radovjlica, golf in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Julian Alps, Karavanke mountains, Radovljica, Radovljica Chocolate Festival, Slovenia blog, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

As regular readers of my blog will know, I moved to Radovljica back in 2007, and have called it home ever since – well, almost. Last November, we made the (not exactly dramatic) move from Radovljica to Lesce. The towns are essentially neighbours – practically one and the same place if you ask me (although I’m fairly sure some locals would strongly disagree!) – and both fall under of the Municipality of Radovljica.

So, why the move? Quite simply, we needed a little more space. My previous flat had served us well, but it was starting to feel like it was bursting at the seams. I must admit that I was initially adamant about wanting to remain in Radovljica. But after a long, complicated – and at times rather stressful –  house hunt, with a few hiccups along the way, reality set in. There just wasn’t much on the market and what there was came with eye-watering price tags. In the end, we widened our search ever so slightly, and, fortunately, didn’t have to go far to find what we were looking for.

Lesce sits conveniently between Radovljica and Bled, and is very well served by public transport. The Lesce/Bled railway and bus stations are centrally located, with each access to the Gorenjska motorway. It’s also an ideal base for lovers of the great outdoors – whether gentle strolls, longer walks, cycling, running and heading a little further afield for hikes in the Karavanke mountains and the Julian Alps.

Lesce

That said, I do miss Radovljica’s picturesque old town. Thankfully, it’s only a stone’s throw away – and since I still work there, I can easily get my regular ‘fix’.

Lately, one of my favourite afternoon walks has been along the edge of the Royal Bled Golf Course. The trail starts within a few minutes from the Lesce/Bled railway station, which makes it ideal for those reliant on public transport. Within minutes, you leave the town behind and find yourself surrounded by greenery with magnificent views of the surrounding mountains. Straight ahead rises Mt. Golica, to the left stretches the Jelovica Plateau, and to the right stands Mt. Stol – the highest peak in the Karavanke range.

If you’re after a shorter walk, you can simply follow the trail as far as the golf course fence, then turn left to create a pleasant circular route.

For something longer, or if you fancy turning it into more of a day out, you can continue along the path as it climbs gently before levelling out again.

At the next junction, you have the option to head towards Vrba. A quick note here: the signpost is misleading (it points across the railway line), but the correct route continues straight on, parallel to the tracks, with no need to risk your life crossing the railway line.

At this point, an alternative would be to turn left and follow the road through the golf course, sticking strictly to the road so as not to veer off onto the golf course itself. However, this option means either returning the same way or a rather long walk down a road, which, although not busy, joins the busy main Lesce–Bled road, from where you follow the cycle path back to Lesce.

Vrba may be small, but it’s culturally significant as the birthplace of France Prešeren, Slovenia’s greatest poet. His birth house has been preserved as a museum and is well worth a visit.

For a short stretch, the path runs alongside the motorway – which does mean a bit of noise – but it soon veers away again as you approach Vrba.

By this point, you will have covered a fair distance, so rather than turning back, you could continue to Žirovnica, which has numerous cultural and natural attractions. From there, it’s easy to catch a train or bus back to Lesce/Bled.

Another popular walk in the area is around the award-winning Camp Šobec, which I wrote about previously here https://adeleinslovenia.com/category/sobec-camp/: 

Before I end, I can’t but mention the forthcoming Radovljica Chocolate Festival, which will take place this year for the 12th time. It is by far the biggest chocolate festival of its kind in Slovenia and attracts visitors in their tens of thousands every year. More about this year’s festival coming soon!

© Adele in Slovenia