Category Archives: Radovljica

Super Saturday in Radovljica!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, gluten free food in Slovenia, hiking in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Jelovica, kamna gorica, Kamp Sobec, Lipnica Valley, Mosnje, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

Last Saturday, 4th February 2023, was Super Saturday in Radovljica for numerous reasons – for me and for many others too!

Our day started with an early morning hike to the Suharna viewpoint on the Jelovica plateau. We set off on foot from Radovljica, and before reaching the start of the trail in Kolnica in the Lipnica valley, we were lucky enough to see a rare rainbow cloud formation. Having enlightened myself (well, Googled it), I discovered this occurs due to cloud iridescence. If you want to know more, Google is your friend, or you can just admire the photo!

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At this time of year a pair of lightweight crampons certainly comes in handy, as the trails are very icy in parts at lower altitudes, whilst up higher (higher than the Jelovica plateau) there is still A LOT of snow.

From Suharna, we first took the path towards the Vodiška planina mountain pasture, but soon turned off that path and took the one down to Kamna Gorica. On reaching the village we then headed up to the Zijavka viewpoint, from where there are lovely views over the village and church.

It was a really sunny day and not too cold, though abnormally windy; Radovljica is usually fairly well sheltered in terms of wind, but last Saturday was an exception, so we were glad of our flask of tea to warm us up. We then headed back to Radovljica via the Fux footbridge over the Sava river and back to Linhart Square, i.e. the heart of the action!

The Radol’ca market takes place on the first Saturday of each month in front of St. Peter’s church in Linhart Square. Since moving from its former location at Vila Podvin in Mošnje it has become increasingly popular. This month I persuaded the organisers (Tourism Radol’ca) to let me arrange a gluten-free corner at the market and, fortunately, they agreed! There were a total of 23 stalls, four of which featured gluten-free goodies – doughnuts, cake pops, bread, rolls, pastry, profiteroles, biscuits galore and more! I advertised the event via the Facebook group that I set up for coeliacs (Celiakaši v Sloveniji), as did each of the four stallholders, but, wow, I/we, weren’t expecting it to be such a hit! They pretty much sold out in less than an hour, and there was me asking the organisers for a one-hour extension to 1pm instead of the 12noon!

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In addition to the gluten-free corner, the market features local producers and suppliers of various fruit, vegetables, cheese and other dairy products, dried meat products, honey, herbs, teas and more – something for everyone!

Some of us – stallholders and fellow coeliacs – then went for to Kavarna Vidic in Linhart Square for a cuppa and a chinwag, during which we planned future such events, of which there will be many!

We then headed home for some lunch before heading out again, well it was such a lovely day (except the wind!) for a walk to the Šobec camp, which is lovely in winter too, before returning alongside the Sava river back to Radovljica.

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It’s amazing how much you can pack into a day in Radovljica; hiking, fab views, good (gluten-free) food, socialising, walking and more!

© Adele in Slovenia

Be Cool and Keep Cool in Radol’ca!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Begunje, cycling in Slovenia, hiking in Slovenia, hiking trails, ifeelsLOVEnia, Karavanke mountains, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Sobec camp, swimming in Slovenia, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

With the current heatwave here and in much of Europe, no doubt many people’s thoughts are turning to how and where to keep cool. Well, in Slovenia it’s not that difficult really, since the country has so many forests and water sources.

Did you know that Slovenia has more than 60 rivers and streams, 300 artificial and natural lakes and 7,500 freshwater springs?

The confluence of the country’s longest river – the Sava – is in Radol’ca, more specifically in Lancovo, and in the country as a whole, you are never far away from a source of free, clean drinking water.

Photo: SDZV

In the Radol’ca area there are fountains with drinking water in various places, so all you need is a water bottle and you can fill up (free of charge!) along the way, whether on foot or by bike.

There are also several new rest areas, which are situated at road intersections and are the ideal for cyclists to stop for a drink, rest…

…and even a bit of (additional) exercise!

Perhaps you are wondering where to hike in this heat? Well, again, it’s not a problem, you just need to choose the right trails, i.e. ones that lead through the shade of the forest, and also make sure you set out early and have plenty of water with you.

My favourite ‘cool’ hike at this time of year, in fact I went there this morning, is the Shepherds’ Trail, which leads from the Draga valley up to the Preval mountain hut.

You can either return the same way on continue via the ‘čez Roza‘ trail towards the Roblekov dom mountain hut.

Photo: J Gantar

If you want a shorter, easier walk, then the Sava River Trail runs partly through the cool of the forest, as do the Grabnarca Waterside Trail in the Lipnica valley, and the Lamberg Trail in Begunje na Gorenjskem.

If you’d prefer to be in, or on, the water in this heat, then there are plenty of opportunities to do that, too, in the Radol’ca area.

Although currently undergoing a complete renovation, work at the Radovljica swimming pool has temporarily stopped over the summer and the pool is open to visitors, and guests of the Šobec Camp have free access to the natural outdoor pool.

If you’d rather be on the water rather than in it, then rafting, canyoning, kayaking and other river-based activities are available on the Sava river and other nearby watercourses.

I, for one, am not moaning about the heat. Enjoy the heat while you can, I say, since winter is never far around the corner here in Gorenjska!

© Adele in Slovenia

 

The Radovljica Chocolate Festival is Back!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Museum of Apiculture Radovljica, Okusi Radol'ce, Radovljica, Radovljica Chocolate Festival, Slovenia blog, Slovenian chocolate, Taste Radol'ca, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

After a 2-year COVID-enforced hiatus, next weekend Radovljica will again rightly live up to its destination slogan – Honestly Sweet – with the return of the hugely popular Radovjlica Chocolate Festival!

While Radovljica itself hasn’t changed much in the past couple of years – in a positive way, I mean – there are some changes to the forthcoming festival, so I went along to the press preview this Wednesday to find out all the juicy, or rather chocolatey, details!

The opening event of the festival – the gourmet Three Chefs’ Dinner – takes place on Friday 22nd April at Hiša Linhart in Linhart Square. This year the stars of the show will be three young chefs, mentored by three masterchefs.

The festival itself then kicks off on Saturday 23rd April from 9am to 8pm and continues on Sunday 24th April from 9am to 6pm.

The ‘chocolate’ part of the festival will take place this year in Radovljica’s town park, which is just minutes from the main bus station, so ideal if you plan to visit by public transport (unfortunately, maintenance work will be taking place on the railway line, so this year it won’t be possible to come by train).

Chocolatiers from Slovenia, Croatia and Italy will feature at the festival. Among the chocolates available to try (through the purchase of tasting coupons) and buy will be the winning chocolates from the annual festival ‘Best Praline’ competition, which this year was judged by the owners of the prestigious Zotter chocolate factory in Austria.

And Radovljica has even more reason to be proud, since first place was awarded to the chocolate and buckwheat praline made by the new Radol’ca Chocolate chocolatier!

The new Radovljica chocolate hearts made by the Molinet chocolatier in Kropa will also make their debut at the festival.

Meanwhile, in Linhart Square – the heart of the medieval old town – there will be a jam-packed entertainment programme with something for all the family.

The main highlights of this year’s entertainment programme include cookery workshops (chocolate, of course!), live music and dance performances, a chocolate roulette wheel, a 100kg ‘bar’ of Gorenjka chocolate to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Gorenjska chocolate, stand-up comedy, face-painting, discount entry to the Museum of Apiculture, non-chocolate food from Taste Radol’ca (Hiša Linhart and Gostišče Draga) and more.

Click here to find the full programme for both days.

Hope to see you here in ‘Honestly Sweet’ Radovljica!

© Adele in Slovenia

Autumn Colours and Tastes of Radol’ca

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Gostilna Kunstelj, ifeelsLOVEnia, Okusi Radol'ce, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Slovenian food, Taste Radol'ca, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

Radol’ca, like much of the rest of Slovenia, is awash with stunning autumn colours at the moment, so if you get the chance, now is the time to visit and take a drive through the Gorenjska countryside.

This week and next will be the peak of the autumnal colours, as the leaves are dropping at a rate of knots now, so don’t miss out on this short-lived annual spectacular. Autumn is a time of mixed emotions for me; I love it because of the colours and still (usually!) relatively warm weather, but at the same time know that it means winter is on the way!

In addition to stunning colours, autumn is a time of seasonal tastes, and the annual Taste Radol’ca month of local menus, which takes place every November, is another good reason to visit. This Friday 29th October the opening event of this year’s Taste Radol’ca takes place at Vila Podvin in Mošnje, near Radovljica. It begins in the afternoon with a farmers’ market featuring local suppliers and tastings, whilst in the evening the opening dinner will be prepared by Taste Radol’ca chefs and served by waiting staff from all the nine participating restaurants.

The farmers’ market, which will run from 5pm to 7pm, is open to everyone – the more the merrier (though note that you must meet, and be able to prove, that you meet one of the RVT conditions (recovered, vaccinated, tested) – while the five-course opening dinner is a ticket-only event. Contact the Radovljica Tourist Information Centre to enquire about purchasing tickets and to find out more information about what to see and do in autumn in the Radol’ca area.

After the opening event, and right up until the end of November, you will be able to try one (or more!) of the specially prepared menus featuring local ingredients prepared by the talented Taste Radol’ca chefs at: Vila Podvin, Draga Inn, Lectar Inn, Kunstelj Inn, Gostišče Tulipan, Gostilna Avguštin, Gostilna Pr’ Tavčar, Restavracija Center and Restavracija Tabor.

On a side note, albeit still on the same theme, if you haven’t yet got round to visiting Vila Podvin – awarded a Michelin Star in both 2020 and 2021 – you might want to hot foot it there before the end of November (again, don’t forget RVT), when its eight-year chapter of exceptional success draws to a close.

But all is not lost, as one book closes and opens, as the entire Vila Podvin team will be moving to Hotel and Restaurant Linhart in Linhart Square, the heart of the old town of Radovljica, which Uroš and his business partner, Marcela, bought at the start of 2020 as a result of their offer being rejected to purchase the building in which Vila Podvin operated. The hotel, like many other places in Radovljica (Linhart Hall, Linhart Square…) is named after the well-known 18-century Slovenian playwright Anton Tomaž Linhart who lived in the neighbouring house.

So, now is the time to visit AND taste Radol’ca! Hope to see you there, or rather here, soon!

© Adele in Slovenia

Taste Taste Radol’ca…at Home!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, COVID-19 Slovenia, Food, gluten free food in Slovenia, gluten-free food in Slovenia, Gostilna Kunstelj, ifeelsLOVEnia, Okusi Radol'ce, Radovljica, Restaurants, Slovenia, Slovenia blog, Slovenian food, Taste Radol'ca, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

A follower of my blog in Canada recently wrote to me asking if I could write a post about Slovenian recipes, so how could I refuse to comply! So, Mary in Canada, this one is for you!

Since all the restaurants, bars, cafes etc. are (still) closed – it’s been like this here since the end of October last year – we (both the owners of such establishments and the public at large) have had to get used to cooking more at home whilst also taking advantage of the take-away food on offer at selected places. Many of the Taste Radol’ca restaurants have been offering take-away food and, in fact, it has actually been to my advantage in some respect that chefs have had more time to ‘play’ in their kitchens, and Aleš Tavčar, head chef and owner of Gostišče Draga in the Draga valley in Begunje na Gorenjskem, finally found time to make me a glut of gluten-free štruklji to go in my freezer.

And since štruklji really are something unbeknown to most of the world, they were the first thing that sprung to mind when deciding which Slovenian recipe to first write about.

Štruklji at Gostišče Draga

The recipe and photos shown below are for gluten-free štruklji, which, due to gluten being what provides the ‘elastic’ in dough mixes, are slightly different to ‘regular’ štruklji. Therefore, I should stress that ‘normal’ flour will provide you with a better result and your štruklji will look and taste somewhat better too, so unless you have to avoid gluten (coeliac disease in my case, though others have an intolerance and/or choose not to eat it for other reasons) you can use the same quantity of regular flour. These days I’m just happy to be able to eat them, even if they aren’t exactly as I remember them in my pre-coeliac days.

The full recipe with quantities is at the end of this post.

First gather the ingredients for the dough – flour, salt, egg, vinegar, water, oil.

Combine them well but don’t overwork the dough.

Shape the dough into a round loaf shape.

Next, make the filling using curd cheese, eggs, sour cream and salt.

Mash (or mince) the curd cheese well, add the eggs and sour cream then season with salt.

Roll out the dough – after watching the ‘pro’, I was allowed to help with this part!

Spread a generous amount of the filling mix over the dough.

Next its time to roll the štruklji then lift them gently onto lightly oiled foil or a non-stick cloth before steaming or cooking into salted simmering water.

This is the basic, traditional way of cooking and serving štruklji, but these days, in terms of how you choose to eat them and what kind of fillings/flavours you add, the sky’s the limit. You can eat them as a main course, a side dish or even chocolate štruklji for dessert. I’ve yet to find a flavour I don’t like!

At Gostišče Draga you can try a savoury version with a mushroom sauce…

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…or, my preferred option, topped with cranberry sauce for a savoury/sweet taste.

Until the restaurant is able to reopen – and in fact also thereafter too as they have proved to be such a success – you can buy some of Gostišče Draga’s dishes and home produce from the family farm in jars. The range include goulash, jota, bograč and various pickled vegetables. Aleš and Tina have certainly not been resting on their laurels during this long lockdown – all credit to them. The jars can be bought direct at the restaurant (at weekends), at the Lesce farmers market (Friday afternoons/Saturday mornings), from the vending machine outside Gostilna Kunstelj, and at various local shops as well as further afield.

No photo description available.

Recipe

Dough:

370g flour (gluten-free or regular)

pinch of salt

One egg

10g vinegar

300g water

90g oil

Filling:

1kg curd cheese

6 eggs

200g sour cream

Salt

Method:

Make the dough by mixing together the flour, eggs, water, vinegar and oil then shape into a round loaf.

Make the filling by mashing/mincing the curd cheese then add the eggs and sour cream and season with salt.

Roll out the dough – it should be very thin – ???? then spread over the filling. Roll the štruklji into a Swiss roll shape then lift gently onto lightly oiled foil or a non-stick cloth and roll to fully encase the štruklji. Steam for 45 minutes or cook into salted simmering water for 30 minutes.

And that’s it – simple when you know how!

Let me know how you get on!

© Adele in Slovenia

A (New) Hike and an (Old) Walk in the Lipnica Valley!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, hiking in Slovenia, hiking trails, ifeelsLOVEnia, Jelovica, Lipnica Valley, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia, Slovenia blog, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

Despite the title, the hike to Suharna isn’t actually ‘new’ per se, it is, however, newly marked and thus easier to find and follow – so that makes it new(ish) in my book!

The path begins in the Kolnica area of Spodnja Lipnica in the Lipnica valley. If coming by car from Radovljica then you should turn right opposite the Krona bar on the road marked towards Talež and other points of the Jelovica plateau.

You could, of course – like me – get to the start by bike (the car in the photo isn’t mine!), I got there purely by pedal power!

The first few hundred metres can be a bit muddy following rain, but the path then leads up into the forest on a good track.

The rewards come early on this hike, as after just a short while you glimpse the first view back across the Lipnica valley and across the Radovljica plains.

After around 20 minutes you reach počivav – a shrine with a bench where you can take a breather.

The path is well marked throughout.

A further cca. 10 minutes brings you to an intersection of two paths – continue left for Suharna or upwards towards Razpok. For the best views choose Suharna; the path to Razpok, which I also decided to check out, leads to a small pasture with a few weekend homes, but the views are somewhat restricted.

After a mere hour you reach the Suharna viewpoint at 952 metres above sea-level, where you can linger and marvel at the stunning views earnt for such little effort!

So, now to the ‘old’ walk mentioned in the title! I have blogged about the Grabnarca Waterside Nature Trail in the past, but since it begins from the same start point as the hike to Suharna, I thought it deserves another mention.

The trail follows the Grabnarca and Lipnica streams, which in the past powered mills and sawmills in the valley, and also leads to the spring of the Lipnica stream. You can read more in my previous blog post here.

You could even make a day of it, pack a picnic, and do both walks in one!

© Adele in Slovenia

52 Shades of Radovljica – The Sequel!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

Well, it’s not exactly ‘a sequel’, more ‘part two’, but it has more of a ring to it!

But first, since some of you have been asking, here’s an update of what is happening in Slovenia in terms of the COVID-19 situation. On Friday 15th May the government officially declared an end to the COVID-19 virus in Slovenia – making it the first country in Europe to do so. It isn’t, however, an end to some of the measures in place, i.e. masks still have to be worn in public places, only hotels with up to 30 rooms are open, distancing measures are in place on public transport, etc., and younger children returned to school/nursery as of 18th May. The borders with neighbouring countries have also reopened, however, at the moment only for citizens/permanent residents and those with written proof of their reason for coming into the country – but the situation is changing rapidly, so do check before making any plans!

So, back to Radol’ca, and carrying on from part one of ‘52 Shades of Radovljica‘, below you can find out more about the remaining 26 towns, villages and hamlets in the municipality of Radovljica.

Peračica – home to the Peračica waterfalls, which you can see on a walk along the Brezje Path of Peace.

Podnart – a village beside the Sava river with a railway station on the main line between Ljubljana and Jesenice. It is also home to the restaurant Joštov hram, which is particularly known for its excellent grilled meat.

Poljče – a small settlement of houses and farmhouses lining the road between Begunje na Gorenjskem and Rodine.

Poljšica pri Podnartu – a small settlement beside the Sava river near Ovsiše.

Posavec – a settlement next to the Sava river near Podnart.

Praproše – a handful of houses near Ljubno.

Prezrenje – a small settlement tucked away up a hill between Podnart one one side and the Lipnica valley on the other.

Radovljica – the main town and administrative centre of the municipality. The beautifully preserved old town centre is the star attraction.

Photo: http://www.radolca.si

Ravnica – A few scattered houses near the Fux footbridge.

Photo: Adele in Slovenia

Rovte – a small settlement in a sunny location above the Lipnica valley.

Slatna – a small hamlet beneath Mt. Dobrča and one of the starting points for the hike to the Koča na Dobrči mountain hut (1,478m) and onward to its peak.

Spodnja Dobrava – three settlements – Spodnja (Lower) Srednja (Middle), Zgornja (Upper) – that lie 500 metres above sea-level on a sunny plateau above the Lipnica valley.

Spodnja Lipnica – together with Zgornja Lipica, these two hamlets occupy an idyllic position in the lush Lipnica valley. From here you can easily reach the ruins of Lipnica Castle and the Grabnarca Waterside Nature Trail on foot.

Lipnica Castle above the Lipnica valley

Photo: http://www.radolca.si

Spodnji Otok – Spodnji (Lower) and Zgornji (Upper) Otok mainly comprise traditional Slovenian alpine farmhouses. The former is set back slightly from the road, whilst the houses of the latter line the main road towards Begunje na Gorenjskem. Spodjni Otok is particularly known for its church – Church of St. John the Baptist – which chimes noon at 11am! An interesting legend has it that when Turkish invaders were approaching the village, their horses were attacked by hornets and they fled. Since this happened at exactly 11am, the church still today chimes noon an hour early.

Srednja Dobrava – see Spodnja Dobrava. The village is also home to the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Srednja vas – A small hamlet of houses lining the road beneath Mount Dobrča.

Studenčice – a small hamlet near Lesce, home to a garden centre and St. Florian’s church, which features one of the earliest wall paintings in Slovenia dating from the early 14th century.

Vošče – a small settlement above Lancovo that features on a walk along the Grabnarca Waterside Nature Trail.

Vrbnje – home to the Dolenc farm and farm shop, a favourite among locals for its milk and home-produced cheese and yoghurt.

Photo: http://www.radolca.si

Zadnja vas – the final hamlet – as the name suggests – translation: last village – beneath Mt. Dobrča before reaching the municipality of Tržič. It is home to St. Lucy’s church, which in the past people with eye problems flocked to, since its patron saint is the patron saint of vision.

St. Lucy's Church in Zadnja vas

Photo: http://www.radolca.si

Zaloše – a hamlet near Podnart with houses lining the road beside the Sava river.

Zapuže – a small settlement between Radovljica and Begunje na Gorenjskem.

Zgornja Dobrava – see Spodnja Dobrava.

Zgornja Lipnica – see Spodnja Lipica.

Zgornji Otok – see Spodnji Otok.

Zgoša – home to the family-run Resman bakery. Prior to being diagnosed with coeliac disease, I used to love their homemade bread. Highly recommend for those of you luckily enough to still be able to eat it!

So, that concludes ’52 Shades of Radovljica’. I hope it has been as enlightening for you as it has for me!

© Adele in Slovenia

The Magnificent Radovljica Manor – (even) More Than Meets the Eye!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Beekeeping in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, museums in Slovenia, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Radovljica Chocolate Festival, Slovenia blog, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

The magnificent and imposing Radovljica Manor dominates Linhart Square – the heart of Radovljica’s historic old town.

The building houses numerous attractions and institutions, among them the Radovljica Music School, the Museum of Apiculture, the Municipal Museum, two small gallery areas, and the wonderful Baroque Hall.

Photo: Tourism Radol’ca

The Orthenburgs built a small castle in the 13th century on the site on today’s manor. The structure was rebuilt following an earthquake in 1511 by the building’s then-tenant Count Dietrichstein, and in the following century it was further expanded by the Counts of Thurn-Valsassina.

Immediately on entering the manor through the impressive, not to mention heavy, door you spot the beautiful grand central staircase, made out of green tuff, which hints at the grandeur of the building.

Before reaching the staircase you will notice a photographic exhibition on the right-side of the entrance hall. The exhibition changes every month so it’s always worth popping in for a look when passing!

Much of the space on the ground floor is today given over to the Radovljica Music School. But if you have a nose around, you will discover other hidden features, such as this sundial, which I discovered for the first time today, despite having lived here for almost 13 years!

Photo: Adele in Slovenia

Head up the magnificent stairs to visit the Museum of Apiculture and the adjoining Municipal Museum, while numerous concerts take place throughout the year in the Baroque Hall with its amazing acoustics.

The Museum of Apiculture is a hive of activity for beekeepers and bee enthusiasts! It houses a wide collection of bee hives and figural hives, beekeeping equipment and tools.

The museum’s extensive collection of painted beehive frontal panels, including the oldest known in the world, is a particular highlight. Each one tells its own unique folk tale.

The manor also plays host to some of Radovljica’s larger annual events, among them the Radovljica Chocolate Festival, which takes place both indoors and outdoors at various venues throughout the town, as well as the Radovljica Festival – a festival of early music.

A chocolate-themed fashion show in the Radovljica Manor!

Photo: Miha Horvat, 2014

The Radovljica Manor also makes a special venue for weddings and other ceremonies/celebrations.

Photo: Tourism Radol’ca

Photo: Tourism Radol’ca

Outside, to the right of the manor, there is a statue of the art historian and honorary citizen of Radovljica Cene Avguštin, and also a small exhibition titled ‘Radovljica, Our Old Town Through the Centuries’.

So, when visiting Radovljica, be sure to take time to discover the manor – both inside and out. And to end, one useful tip…there are toilets on the ground floor. Not an attraction in themselves but always good to know, wouldn’t you agree?!

© Adele in Slovenia

Autumn Hiking at the ‘Top’ of Radol’ca – Mount Begunščica!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Begunje, hiking in Slovenia, hiking trails, Karavanke, Karavanke mountains, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Taste Radol'ca, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

At a height of 2,060 metres, Begunščica is the highest point of the Radol’ca area. It rises above the village of Begunje na Gorenjskem and can be reached from several directions; from Radovljica the Draga valley is the most convenient start point. From the parking area at the head of the valley, there is a choice of two trails to reach Veliki vrh (literally ‘big peak’) – the highest point of Begunščica.

The slightly longer but easier of the two routes leads first on the forest road then through the forest road to the Roblekov dom mountain hut and from there onwards to the peak. Nowhere is it overly steep.

The other trail, and the one I will describe below, is my preferred choice – especially since it makes the perfect circular route – but in places is most definitely steep! It leads first along the Shepherds’ Trail to the Preval mountain hut and mountain pasture, and from there onwards and upwards towards the top, followed by the less steep trail down to the Roblekov dom hut and back to the Draga valley – and all without a single retraced step!

I have already previously blogged about the Shepherds’ Trail, so won’t go into too much detail here, other than to say that, should you decide to follow it as per the details in my previous blog, you should only do so up until the point where you reach the Preval mountain hut and pasture; from there on the trail to Begunščica leads off in a different direction.

From the mountain pasture take the path that leads directly upwards across a steep grassy slope before entering the forest.

It can seem like a bit of a slog at times, but once you gain some height and in places emerge from the forest, you can forget the more ‘sloggy’ parts and begin enjoying the views!

Once you emerge from the forest there are a couple of metres of scrambling here and there but nothing too demanding.

Once the ground begins to level out you turn left and start heading towards the highest point of Begunščica, but it’s still around half-an-hour to get there yet, even though the sign says 20 minutes!

Then a short section of the walk leads along a ridge – don’t look down if you have a fear of heights!

The views, however, divert your attention and make it all worthwhile!

Until the end of the grazing season you will be ‘greeted’ near the top by a flock of sheep. And even when they have been transported back down to the valley, you will certainly know they have been there!

At the top there is an orientation table and a visitors’ book and you can rest for a while before beginning the descent.

To make an entirely circular route, descend from Veliki vrh towards the west. It takes around an hour to reach the ever-popular Roblekov dom mountain hut, where you can get some sustenance and enjoy more of the stunning views before returning back to the Draga valley – a further cca. 1.5 hours.

Since October is a great month for hiking and enjoying the fruits of the forest, Tourism Radol’ca has launched a prize game entitled ‘The Wealth of the Forest with Taste Radol’ca‘. To enter all you have to do is head off into the forest and share your experience to be in with the chance to win a Taste Radol’ca meal for 2!

More about hiking in Radol’ca can be found here.

© Adele in Slovenia

Kunstelj Inn – A True and Tasty Tale of Tradition!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Food, Gostilna Kunstelj, Julian Alps, Karavanke mountains, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Radovljica Chocolate Festival, Slovenia blog, Slovenian food, Taste Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

Kunstelj Inn in Radovljica is a family-run restaurant with rooms that has a long tradition and a great reputation. It is also one of the participating Taste Radol’ca restaurants, takes part in other culinary events such as Slovenian Restaurant Week and is featured in the Gault&Millau restaurant guide.

Five year’s ago, Maja Buden (nee Štiherle), daughter of Toni and granddaughter of Tone and the fourth generation to head up the family business, took over as manager of the inn. To mark this anniversary, as well as a certain ‘big’ birthday with a zero at the end, she threw a celebratory gathering last Friday! Happy Birthday and congratulations Maja!

And, of course, a Slovenian celebration wouldn’t be complete without accordion music and traditional entertainment!

Having recently translated a special edition newsletter to mark this special anniversary, I was keen to be able to share with readers of my blog some of the highlights and photographs of the inn’s long and fascinating history, and, fortunately, Maja gave me the nod to do so!

Kunstelj Inn was opened by Franc Kunstelj in 1873 and some years later handed it over to his son Rudolf. Rudolf was very ambitious and had a vision and belief that the small family inn could become the heart and soul of social life in Radovljica.

The Rudolf Kunstelj Inn in 1906. Photo: 110 years of the Radovljica Tourist Association

He set to work building a large lounge with a stage for celebrations, a wine cellar, a freezer and a veranda with views of the Julian Alps. The renovations placed Kunstelj Inn on the map of the most popular local restaurants in Slovenia.

Grandmother Jerica later took over the running of the inn. She had a reputation as a fearless woman who always knew exactly what she wanted and was not afraid to tell people to their face what was on her mind! She survived two wars, became a widow at a very young age, raised two sons, and took over and managed Kunstelj Inn all by herself.

Many of the dishes Jerica introduced onto the inn’s menu can still be found today, albeit with a modern ‘Maja twist’, as well as other traditional Slovenian food, including blood sausages, Carniolan sausage with sauerkraut or turnip, buckwheat polenta, homemade štruklji and more.

Meanwhile, grandmother Maria left home at the age of 14 to work at the Roblek dom mountain hut. Tone and the now legendary Slavko Avsenik – the founder of Slovenian folk music – used to visit the hut as rumour had it that there were a lot of pretty girls there! And it turned out to be true, since Tone and Maria met and later married, and Slavko Avsenik even played at their wedding!

Grandmother Maria (second from left) doing washing at the Roblek dom mountain hut

A particularly amusing tale is that of Grandad Tone and his golf ‘caddy’ Grol. Tone didn’t start to play golf until he was 62, when, due to his weak heart he gave up hunting as well as skiing and golf became a form of relaxation and enjoyment.

As the doctors had instilled in him that he must strictly avoid all forms of exertion, for some time Tone thought about how he could lighten the load of carrying his heavy golf clubs from one hole to the next and he hit on the idea that his faithful companion Grol could help!

Uncle Ivan made Grol a special trolley for transporting Tone’s golf clubs, and Grol adapted really well to his role as ‘caddy’.

Maja’s father Toni regularly went on exchange to Switzerland to “learn from the best”. It was there that he learnt skills from one of the most well known Swiss patisserie chefs, Hans van den Klinkenberg, in Hotel Eden in Lugano. Toni brought all the tricks and secrets he learnt from the patisserie chef to Kunstelj Inn’s kitchen, which led to Kunstelj’s strudels, pies, ice-cream and other cakes soon gaining a reputation as the best desserts in Gorenjska.

Like her father, Maja also has a passion for desserts and, also like her father, she went to Austria to learn her patisserie skills. Her role model, who she met on one of her culinary travels, is Lea Linser; at that time Lea was running an acclaimed restaurant in Luxembourg and was the first ‘tv chef’ on German television. To this day Maja turns to Lea’s cookery books for inspiration for her signature desserts.

Some year’s back Maja created the first Kunstelj ‘grizike’ (cake pops), which later became – and still are – one of the star attractions of the Radovljica Chocolate Festival!

You can also visit during the time of Slovenian Restaurant Week, which takes place twice per year for 10 days in autumn and spring, when you can take advantage of a 3-course menu for just 19 euros per person, the next edition will take place from 11th – 20th October (note: the website is currently only available in English, but menus will soon also be available in English and by next year the entire website too – working on that one too!).

Kunstelj Inn is also part of Taste Radol’ca and for the whole month of November all nine participating Taste Radol’ca restaurants offer special menus based on local ingredients also for a set price of 19 euros  per person.

So, now you know (some of) Kunstelj Inn’s history, why not visit to find out (and taste!) more!

© Adele in Slovenia