Tag Archives: ifeelsLOVEnia

Let the Festive Season Begin!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Christmas in Slovenia, coeliac disease, EXPO, gluten free food in Slovenia, Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia, Gluten-Free Expo Slovenija, gluten-free food in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Okusi Radol'ce, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia, Slovenia blog, Taste Radol'ca, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

During my morning runs through Linhart Square over the past couple of weeks since returning to the Radovljica area, I was able to see the Christmas tree steadily taking shape as well as the gradual adorning of the square with various natural decorations and festive lights.

A festively-decorated window at Hiša Linhart restaurant with rooms in Linhart Square, Radovljica

All of which was the build-up to the switching on of the festive lights, which took place last weekend. As ever, locals, as well as visitors from further afield, came out in their thousands to marvel at the decorations, soak up the festive atmosphere, enjoy some mulled wine and some tasty local food cooked by some of the Taste Radol’ca restaurants.

Festive decorations in Linhart Square, Radovljica

Switching on of the festive lights in Linhart Square, Radovljica

Of course, it’s not just Radovljica that has adorned its festive appearance, but also many other cities, towns and villages throughout Slovenia. Some of the most notable are Ljubljana, as well as Celje, Koper, Kranjska Gora and Maribor. And since Slovenia is small, everywhere is within a few hours’ drive, so you can easily visit numerous towns and cities to soak up the festive atmosphere, visit Christmas markets, etc.

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Christmas lights in the square by the Triple Bridge in Ljubljana

After the big switch on, comes the visit of the first of the ‘Three Good Men’ – St. Nicholas (the other two being Father Christmas and Grandfather Frost). St. Nicholas (Dedek mraz in Slovene) is a legendary figure similar to Father Christmas, whose roots are in Slavic mythology. He, like Father Christmas, arrives in towns and villages, and, together with his helpers, brings presents to children who have been good.

St. Nicholas (dedek mraz)

One of St. Nicholas’s helpers in Linhart Square

St. Nicholas is celebrated on 6th December, which this year falls on a Saturday – an ideal day to visit the monthly Radol’ca farmers and craft market in Linhart Square (open from 10 a.m. to 12 noon), then later you can watch the arrival of Saint Nicholas (at 5 p.m.), followed by a street show by the Cizamo Theatre, titled Snežko smeško (The Funny Snowman).

On Saturday 20th December, a special Festive Family Day will take place in Linhart Square, featuring creative workshops, fairy tale horses, a Čupakabra circus show and live music, along with a full-day ARTish fair and Taste Radol’ca street food.

A series of Street Shows will take place throughout December, including on Christmas Day and Boxing Day (26th December). It has become quite a tradition when my family visit from the UK to go for a stroll to the old town centre and watch one, or more, of the shows.

Of course, there’s plenty more going on too, so click here for the full calendar of events this December in Radol’ca.

With this being my last post of this year, it’s time for a bit of reflection. It’s certainly been a busy year, what with moving (twice!), starting a new job (twice!), getting married (just once!), organising Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia, setting up Gluten-Free Hub EU, and plenty more in between.

So, here’s to 2026. Happy Christmas and Happy New Year to all readers from near and far. I hope you continue to follow me on my ‘journey’ next year too!

© Adele in Slovenia

A Return to Radol’ca!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Begunje, Begunje na Gorenjskem, Bled, Christmas in Slovenia, hiking in Slovenia, hiking trails, ifeelsLOVEnia, Karavanke mountains, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Slovenian mountain huts, The Julian Alps, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca, Žirovnica by

For those of you who don’t know, I moved to Slovenia, specifically Radovljica – from the UK – in 2007, and have lived here ever since. Well, that is up until 1st July this year when, due to being let down at the last minute re the purchase of a flat, also in Radovljica, we had to temporarily move elsewhere; albeit not far, just up the valley to Gozd Martuljek, near Kranjska Gora.

Whilst Gozd Martuljek is a true paradise – nature, peace and a wealth of outdoor opportunities, particularly the traffic-free cycle track into Italy – I don’t know anyone there and with the onset of winter, I was very pleased to return to the Radol’ca area early this November. To be able to again walk and cycle familiar routes, see familiar faces and feel at ‘home’ is priceless.

It wasn’t long before I was out exploring some of my favourite walks and hikes, a couple of which I’d like to share with you.

The first, and one of my regular ‘haunts’ starts near the Tourist Information Centre in Begunje na Gorenjskem, from where there are numerous trails leading up to St. Peter’s Church.

The church and the nearby Sankaška koča hut can be a destination in themself or you can continue, like I regularly do, onward to the Smokuški vrh viewpoint, from where there are wonderful views towards Lake Bled and the Julian Alps.

One of the most well-known mountain huts and hikes in the area is to the Roblekov dom mountain hut on Mt. Begunščica in the Karavanke mountains. Since I’ve been there many, many times, and since we have a joint passion for exploring lesser-trodden paths, we decided to approach it from the other side, i.e. from the Završnica Valley in the neighbouring municipality of Žirovnica.

By following the red and white circular trail markers, you can do a circular hike by taking the trail from the Završnica valley up to the Roblekov dom mountain hut.

Before reaching the Poljška planina pasture, which is about halfway, the trail markers lead down towards the pasture before heading up again towards the Roblekov dom mountain hut. Alternatively, if, like us, you spot yellow markers on trees and opt to follow them, you will also reach the hut on a pleasant trail, though you do need to keep your eyes out for the markers.

To make the route circular, from the hut, hike down to the Poljška planina mountain pasture, from where you take the marked route towards the Sankaška koča hut, branching off for Smokuški vrh and following the ridge (as described in a previous blog here https://adeleinslovenia.com/2024/08/21/a-radolca-ridge-hike/), from where you can return to the Završnica valley.

Before setting off on these, or any other hiking trails in the area, be sure to take a look at the map of hiking trails and/or pop into the Radovljica Tourist Information Centre for more information, and be sure you are properly equipped, which means having good footwear too!

With winter fast approaching, too fast for my liking, if you are planning a visit to Slovenia, you might like to read my previous blog titled 5 Great Winter Hikes in Radovljica and the Surroundings.

The countdown to the festive season is on, and the Christmas tree in Linhart Square – the heart of Radovljica’s old town – is taking shape. The switching on of the festive lights will take place on 30th November, which is always a magical event for all the family.

©Adele in Slovenia

 

 

Open Day at the Dolenc Farm

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, gluten-free food in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Okusi Radol'ce, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Taste Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

As we are well into autumn now, it’s time for Culinary Autumn in Radol’ca. This year’s timetable of tasty events is more jam-packed than ever. From lunch at a farm, various open days and guided bike trips to an opening dinner, the Month of Local Cuisine and a closing event.

As I am somewhat limited as to what events I can join in, due to being a coeliac, when browsing the list of events I decided I would start by going to the open day at the Dolenc Farm (Kmetija Dolenc). Located in Vrbnje, in close proximity to Radovljica, I must have run past the farm at least several hundred, if not thousand, times since living in Radovljica, but have never taken the time to stop and see how it operates and what it offers.

To reach the farm from Radovljica, simply pass under the motorway (near Spar), turn immediately right then the farm is on your left – you can’t miss it!

I must say, the visit to the open-day was a real eye-opener. I knew farming was hard graft, what I wasn’t aware of is how much automation and technology is changing the farming industry too. Despite this, at the Dolenc Farm, the owners know every cow by name and are clearly passionate about what they do. It is one of the largest and most modern farms in the area.

Below are just a few of the interesting facts I learnt during my visit.

Each cow has a collar that transmits information, such as how much it has eaten and drunk, how long it has grazed, chewed the cud, etc. This information is relayed direct to the farmer, who, in the event that something isn’t as it should be, can react almost immediately to rectify the situation.

A robot pushes the fodder from the store to the feed area, and also clears the excrement.

Cows prefer the cold to the heat, hence the farm has fans to keep them cool, even when the temperature outdoors is below zero.

A lot of hay is used!

Calves are kept in special nursery pens, and at first sometime need a bit of help and encouragement to start suckling.

The quality of the milk at the Dolenc Farm is five times better than the average best; most of it goes to Italy for sale. A sad sign of the times and reflection of the state of farming and price cutting policies among governments, major shopping chains, etc.

Fresh milk is available from a vending machine.

Work at the farm is a real family affair, with father and son looking after the livestock, and mother and daughter-in-law taking care of the retail side of things as well as providing tastings for visitors.

Fortunately for me, or rather us, gluten isn’t used anywhere throughout the farm, except in one kind of yoghurt that contains chocolate cereal, hence we were both able to try all the other delicious yoghurts and cheeses.

And, of course, we couldn’t leave without buying some of the tasty yoghurts and cheese to take home. The farm previously had a small shop, however, nowadays visitors can purchase products 24/7 from the vending machine.

As I mentioned at the start, this is just one of many events taking place from now until the start of December in the Radol’ca are. Among the others are:

Wishing you a delicious culinary autumn, wherever you are and whatever tickles your taste buds! Until next time…

© Adele in Slovenia

A Gluten-Free, Jam-Packed Weekend Ahead!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Begunje na Gorenjskem, EXPO, gluten free food in Slovenia, Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia, Gluten-Free Expo Slovenija, gluten-free food in Slovenia, hiking trails, ifeelsLOVEnia, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovensko društvo za celiakijo, Theme paths, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

For the last three years, September has been by far the busiest month of the year, and this year is no exception. Why you may ask? Well because, for all my sins, I’m the initiator and organiser of Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia – the biggest gluten-free event in the country, and possibly currently also in the region.

It began in 2023 as a festival, then was last year upgraded to an Expo, which, of course, means even more work for me. I suppose some might say I’ve only got myself to blame, but, as a coeliac myself, I somehow found myself wanting to help by providing an event for fellow coeliacs, as well as those with an intolerance to gluten and foodies in general. Why the latter? Because these days, gluten-free food has come a long way and, with the exception of a few ready packaged products, you often wouldn’t even know its gluten free, and that is certainly the case with all the delicious, fresh food on offer at Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia!

Of course, the fact its held in Radovljica, my favourite town in Slovenia, is an added bonus!

This year’s Expo begins on Saturday 27th September with an Algerian cookery workshop, followed by a special Farmer’s Feast lunch at Lincer in Lesce.

Then, in the evening, treat yourself to a really unique Two Chefs’ Dinner at Hiša Linhart, cooked by Michelin-starred chef Uroš Štefelin and Janez Repolusk, himself a coeliac, from Gostilna Repolusk in Slovenia’s Koroška (Carinthia) region.

No photo description available.

In between, there will be enough time to visit Kamen Castle in Begunje na Gorenjskem, where, as part of the Pranger Festival of Poetry, Criticism, Translation and Reading, you can enjoy the ambience of poetry reading (albeit in Maltese, but it’s about expression rather than understanding) and accordion music, amid the scenic backdrop of the castle ruins. Or if that doesn’t appeal, work up an appetite by making the short hike on the St. Peter’s Trail up to St. Peter’s Church above the village or take one of the theme trails in the area.

Also as part of the Pranger Festival, an art market will take place in Linhart Square in Radovljica from 10 a.m. on Saturday 27th September.

More about the Pranger Festival here (in Slovene): https://www.radolca.si/sl/koledar-prireditev/festival-pranger and in English: https://pranger.si/en/

Sunday 28th September is the main day of Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia, when there will be over 25 stalls in Linhart Square – the heart of Radovljica’s old town – where you can try and buy a whole range of food, gluten-free of course, though you won’t know it!

In addition, there will be a series of cookery demonstrations and talks (English translation will be available for the latter), a magician, live music and more.

For more information and to make bookings for any of the workshops, talks or lunches/dinners, get in touch by sending an email to glutenfreeexposlo@gmail.com

Here’s a glimpse into last year’s Expo.

Please do come along to say ‘Hi’ and to support me/us in our endeavours to put Slovenia on the gluten-free map of the world!

© Adele in Slovenia

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grabnarca

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

Although it’s not far from Radovljica, it’s been many years since I last went for a walk along the Grabnarca Waterside Nature Trail. In fact, looking back, I realised it’s actually eight years, so it was high-time to revisit!

The start of the trail (marked in Slovene as: Vodna učna pot Grabnarca), is in the hamlet of Kolnica, which is a continuation of the village of Spodnja Lipica in the Lipnica Valley. At the start of the trail, there is a small parking area for a few cars, next to the bridge over the stream, and an information board about the trail (in Slovene only).

In places 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.

The trail starts on the left-hand side of the gravel road that leads up to the Jelovica plateau then soon crosses the road and continues on the other side.

The waymarkers and information boards (in Slovene only) show pictures demonstrating the importance of the streams for people in the Radovljica area – both then and now.

The undulating trail crosses several wooden bridges.

It makes a great family walk, as children will love crossing the bridges, looking for frogs in the streams and generally having fun outdoors, rather than being at the computer or on their phones!

After about half an hour you reach the Vošče pond.

From the pond you could either retrace your steps or, as we did, continue to make it a circular walk. If you choose the latter, continue past the pond to reach a yellow sign for Lancovo and keep following the signs for Lancovo up through the village of Vošče.

Where the road levels out there is a field path to the right, which leads across pastures with wonderful views of the Karavanke mountains.

Keep following the obvious path.

Eventually you reach a house, where a gravel road leads down to the right and back to the start of the trail in Kolnica.

It took us just over an hour to complete the circular walk, but, of course, if you take your time you could easily fill a couple of hours. Whilst you are in the area, you could also visit the former iron forging villages of Kamna Gorica and Kropa.

You can read more about this and other themed hiking trails in the Radol’ca area here.

© Adele in Slovenia

 

 

 

 

 

The Renovated Shepherds’ Trail

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Begunje na Gorenjskem, Hiking, hiking in Slovenia, hiking trails, ifeelsLOVEnia, Jelovica, Karavanke mountains, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Slovenian mountain huts, Tourism Radol'ca, Triglav National Park, Visit Radol'ca by

The Begunje Shepherds’ Trail (Pastirska pot) is one of my favourite of all the hiking trails in the Radol’ca area. The variety of the terrain, the stunning views, and the fact that it is entirely circular all add up to one great hike!

Unfortunately, during the major floods that affected large parts of Slovenia in August 2023, the trail sustained significant damage and was closed for around a year. It reopened in 2024, though the lower part of the trail in particular was almost unrecognisable. Since then, significant work has taken place and I’m pleased to be able to say that the trail is now better than ever.

The trail begins at the head of the Draga Valley in Begunje na Gorenjskem, where you can park and set off on foot on the 10.2km trail. You will soon see a red sign to Preval, where you cross the stream and from then on follow the usual red and white circular trail markers. You soon reach one of the new bridges.

The trail then begins to lead up through the forest, passing a cascade of the stream.

Now comes the hardest part of the trail, though following the floods it is actually better equipped than previously, with steel rope and rungs, so isn’t that difficult providing you have good footwear and are reasonably agile.

I wouldn’t recommend doing this hike after heavy rain, as the next part involves crossing the stream in several places, which is perfectly doable when water levels are low.

After cross the streaming one last time, you reach a rest area with a bench.

Next you reach a giant fir tree, so giant, in fact, there was no way or being able to photograph it from within the confines of the trail, so you’ll just have to visit and see it for yourself! The statistics on the signpost below give the facts and figures: circumference 347 cm, diameter 110 cm, quantity of wood 12.5 m3, height 35 metres.

After about an hour and 15 minutes of hiking, you emerge onto a mountain pasture, home to the Koča na Prevalu mountain hut, where you can quench your thirst and/or enjoy a hearty pasture-style meal. This is one of first of four mountain huts that you pass on this trail – note: the huts are open daily during summer, but out of season some are closed whilst others open at weekends only. You can find out here what’s available to eat on Radovljica’s mountain pastures.

Now follow the forest road to the left for about 10 minutes, then take the path branches off to the right and begins to climb up again on the path marked as ‘čez Roža’. You are soon rewarded with wonderful views of the Radovljica Plains, the Jelovica plateau, Lake Bled, and the Julian Alps with Triglav National Park.

The scenic path is level in places, with a few ups and downs and a few gullies to cross. Shortly before the end of the čez Roža trail, you reach an abandoned manganese mine shaft with an information board, which, at the time of writing (July 2025), was looking at bit worse for wear.

Just a few minutes after passing the mine shaft, the trail joins the main trail that leads from the valley up to the Roblekov dom mountain hut and on to Mt. Begunščica or you could follow the trail back down to the valley, thus completing the circular route.

I’d like to end this blog by saying a big ‘Thank you’ to all those of you who read my last blog and sent such lovely messages of congratulations.

Until next time…

© Adele in Slovenia

 

Tasty and Tuneful at Avsenik!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Begunje na Gorenjskem, Festivals in Slovenia, gluten-free food in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, museums in Slovenia, Radol'ca, Slovenia blog, Tourism Radol'ca by

I’ve been living in Slovenia for 18 years now and during that time I’ve visited the village of Begunje na Gorenjskem, just a few kilometres from where I live in Radovljica, hundreds of times, mainly because it’s a great place to start various hikes in the Karavanke mountains.

I’ve also visited and blogged about many of the attractions and sights of interest in the village, such as the hike up to St. Peter’s church and on to Smokuški vrh; hiking and cycling in the Draga Valley; the Museum of Hostages in Katzenstein Mansion; the Elan Alpine Ski Museum…

I’ve never, until last week that is, been for a meal at the Pri Jožovcu Avsenik Inn and Restaurant, which is part of the Avsenik complex – concert hall, guest accommodation, restaurant, bar – renowned for its highly popular Oberkrainer music, which still lives on today through younger generations of the Avsenik family.

To be honest, I was under the impression that Avsenik is so popular due to its music that its food isn’t so important; more of just an added extra. Well, I stand to be corrected. We were both very pleasantly surprised at the excellent standard of the food and service on our visit last week, and even more pleasantly surprised that they cater so well for those of us who need gluten-free food (in our case due to us both having coeliac disease). The waiter was very knowledgeable about what we could and couldn’t eat, took time to explain how they prepare the food, and reassured us that we were in good hands.

We started with delicious mushroom soup, made using mushrooms from the surrounding hills and mountain pastures.

For main course we chose two dishes that we could share; we always do that as it means we get the best of both worlds!

Calves’ liver and roast potatoes; the former was so tender it melted in the mouth.

Shepherds’ lunch is a hearty dishes consisting of pork fillet fried with onions, potatoes, and cabbage salad with bacon.

After our meal we took time to have a nose around the interior and exterior of the complex.

We weren’t able to visit the Avsenik Museum, as it was closed during our visit; for fans of Avsenik music a visit to the museum is a ‘must’.

Slavko in Vilko Avsenik

Outside, there’s a small play area for children too.

This year the highly popular Avsenik Festival will take place from 28th to 30th August. More than 20 national and international ensembles play concerts in the marquee over the three-day event. The festival sells out very quickly so, if you’d like to go, be sure to buy your tickets online soon!

Until next time…

© Adele in Slovenia

The 12th Radovljica Chocolate Festival + Easter in Slovenia

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Festivals in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Radovljica Chocolate Festival, Slovenia blog, Slovenian chocolate, Slovenian railways, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

It’s amazing how time flies. It only seems like it was a few years ago that the first Radovljica Chocolate Festival took place, yet next weekend – 12th and 13th April 2025 – it’ll be the 12th festival already.

Although, of course, the main theme of the festival is chocolate, the packed entertainment programme means there’s something for all the family, even those (strange people :-)) who don’t like chocolate!

I went to the festival press conference last week to find out all about what’s new at this year’s festival, including:

  • A total of 22 chocolatiers, of which two are from Austria, one from Hungary and one from Croatia and the remainder from Slovenia.
  • Visitors are encouraged to travel to the festival by public transport, and an agreement has been reached with Slovenian Railways that over the 2-day festival, international trains will also stop at Radovljica.
  • This year, for the first time, the Slovenian Beekeeping Association has become a partner, through the ‘It’s from Europe‘ programme and will set up a special ‘theme park’ in Linhart Square in front of St. Peter’s church.

  • This year, for the first time, the Slovenian Beekeeping Association has become a partner of the Radovjlica Chocolate Festival, through the ‘It’s from Europe‘ programme. The partnership has resulted in a new culinary souvenir named ‘Eat the chocolate and plant the wrapper‘. The chocolate bar is filled with certified Slovenian honey, while the wrapper is made from biodegradable paper that contains the seeds of honey plants; after eating the chocolate, the wrapper can be planted. The chocolate bar will be available to purchase at the Tourism Radol’ca stand at the festival. Other honey products will be available at the Slovenian Beekeeping Association stand.

Other highlights, of which there are far too many to list them all, include a chocolate roulette…

…workshops with the Dunking Devils…

…and a chocolate-themed fashion show; this year’s theme is dark chocolate.

Every year, prior to the festival, a competition takes place to find the Best Chocolate Praline.

This year’s winning chocolates are:

First place: Berry blaze (Molinet chocolatier)

Second place: Pistachio and lemon (Lucifer chocolatier)

Third place: Gold tequila and orange (Dobnik chocolatier)

Visitors to the festival also have the chance to taste the three winning chocolates and vote for their favourite.

This year, in addition to the festival goings-on in Radovljica Park, Linhart Square and Radovljica Manor, interesting medieval-themed events will take place in the square in front of St. Peter’s Church.

Click here to open the festival website and see the full programme for both days.

The Radovljica Tourist Information Centre is housed in the building you can see below and is the place to go during the festival if you require any additional information.

Take a look at (some of) the highlights of last year’s festival below.

The weekend following the Chocolate Festival is Easter, which is particularly late this year. If you are thinking about, or planning to, visit Slovenia for Easter, then you can read my previous blog about Easter Traditions in Slovenia.

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter!

© Adele in Slovenia

Brezje Among the Best; Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia Reportage

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Avsenik, Begunje na Gorenjskem, Brezje, Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia, gluten-free food in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia, Slovenia blog, Slovenian Coeliac Association, Taste Radol'ca, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

I’m delighted to be able to say that Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia, which I organised last month in Radovljica, was a great success, but more on that later! First other news…

The village of Brezje, home to the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, is Slovenia’s national pilgrimage sanctuary. In addition to the basilica, the village has numerous other attractions, all of which helped it recently win an award from the Tourist Union of Slovenia (TZS) for being among the most well-kept visitor attractions in the country.

Aside from the main attraction – the aforementioned basilica – the village is also home to the Brezje Nativity Museum…

…the Canticle of the Sun Gallery …

…the Brezje Path of Peace (Pot miru), which leads to the Peričnik waterfall …

and the Otoče-Brezje Pilgrimage Trail (Bozja pot od Otoč do Brezij).

In addition, Brezje is now host to an exhibition devoted to the 70th anniversary of the time when the Avsenik Brothers first started creating a completely new form of writing and playing Slovenian national folk music. Of course, the ‘real’ home of Avsenik’s music is Begunje na Gorenjskem, where you can visit the Avsenik Museum and/or attend one of the many music events.

Now, back to Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia! As I mentioned above, the 2-day event was a great success, so I’d love to share a few photos with you.

We began on Saturday with an international gluten-free cookery workshop, during which the participants, led by Danica Rozman, assisted by volunteers from the Slovenian Coeliac Assocation, Gorenjska branch, prepared a whole array of traditional Slovenian foods, gluten-free of course, for the evening reception to follow.

We then moved from the neighbouring village of Naklo to Radovljica, where we held an international reception and concert in the Baroque Hall of the magnificent Radovljica Manor.

The reception was attended by visitors from Malta, Hungary, Algeria, Bosnia and Poland, all of whom bought some gluten-free food with them from their country, so that we could all try some of their goodies!

After the reception, some of us crossed over to the other side of Linhart Square for gluten-free dinner at Hiša Linhart, cooked by the Michelin-starred chef Uroš Štefelin and his team.

On Sunday – the main day – there were 27 stalls in Radovljica’s park and a packed programme of entertainment, workshops and talks for all generations. In short, gluten-free heaven for all! Don’t let anyone ever tell you gluten-free food can’t be delicious and varied!

Photo: Roman Baloh

Photo: Roman Baloh

Below you can watch a short video of Sunday’s Expo.

The Expo was the first event of this year’s Culinary Autumn in Radovljica. You can find more about other events here.

That’s all from me for now. Until next time…

© Adele in Slovenia

 

 

 

 

A Radol’ca Ridge Hike

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Begunje, ifeelsLOVEnia, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia, Slovenia blog, Slovenian mountain huts, Visit Radol'ca by

When the heat is on, as it is now in much of Europe, morning hikes in the forest are a perfect way to start the day before it gets too hot.

The hike I’ve described below is partly in the forest and partly along a ridge, and in places requires a bit of scrambling, but the views are so wonderful it makes the effort worthwhile.

I started by cycling from Radovljica, then started my hike in Begunje na Gorenjskem, where I left my bike outside the Tourist Information Centre.

TIC Begunje

Photo: http://www.radolca.si

I then hiked up to St. Peter’s Church and onwards to the Sankaška koča mountain hut and further to the Smokuški vrh viewpoint.

From the viewpoint I carried on along the ridge in a westerly direction.

Initially, the trail is easy to follow through the forest, but in places along the ridge it is quite rocky and a couple of times I found myself wondering if I’d reached the end of the trail as it seemed to disappear, but after scrambling past a few rocks the trail continued.

There are views all around – towards the Jelovica plateau, Bled and the Julian Alps to the south…

…towards Mt. Stol and the Završnica valley to the north…

…and towards Jesenice and the Upper Sava Valley to the west.

If you’d like to make it a circular route – regular readers will know I’m obsessed with circular trails! – then continue until you descend to the point see in the photo below.

At this point you could opt to turn right to reach Titova vas (Tito’s Village), more about that here.

Alternatively, turn left and follow the trail back towards the Sankaška koča mountain hut, following the occasional sign for the Juliana long-distance hiking trail.

Follow the trail uphill and, shortly before returning to the hut, you will see the following sign, where you turn right.

Hiking poles and appropriate hiking shoes or lightweight hiking boots are required for this hike.

Click here for more information about hiking in the Radol’ca area.

© Adele in Slovenia