ifeelsSLOVEnia | Adele in Slovenia

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.

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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 tastings
Live cookery shows and workshops

Street performers, music and buzzing festival energy
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

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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

Generally speaking, Slovenes love New Year’s Eve and really go to town when it comes to celebrating! So, if you are going to be, or are thinking about, celebrating New Year’s Eve in Slovenia, here are some ideas of how, and where, to see in the new year in style.

You won’t have to go far to find new year’s celebrations, since pretty much every village, town, and city has some kind of celebration. And even if you don’t see them, you will certainly hear them!

The biggest crowds gather in the Slovene capital, Ljubljana, where numerous events take place, the highlight being the fireworks display launched from the Ljubljana Castle hill. Find more information about New Year’s Even in Ljubljana here – https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/visitors/events/page-12848/

There are New Year’s Eve concerts held in several of the city centre squares from 9pm onwards.

Lake Bled is another popular place to spend New Year’s Eve. I saw in the new year there a few years back; first taking a (brisk!) walk around the lake, then settling down with a friend and a mug of mulled wine to watch the fireworks display above the lake.

There are New Year’s Eve celebrations in all the major cities, including Maribor, Celje, Novo Mesto, Nova Gorica, Piran, Kranj, Velenje etc., as well as smaller local events.

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New Year’s Eve in Maribor, Photo: http://www.maribor-pohorje.si (Profoto studio)

A more unique way to see in the new year is to visit the mountains. Quite a few of Slovenia’s mountain huts hold house parties on New Year’s Eve. Expect hearty food alongside the wood-burner, plenty of schnapps, and obligatory singing! Of course, don’t forget that the next morning – yes, the one after the night before – you will have to hike back down!

You might find the hut half buried in snow, as I did here on the Pokljuka plateau, but that’s all part of the fun! A pair of snowshoes, as seen below, definitely aids access when conditions are like this.

If it’s a nice sunny New Year’s Day, what better hangover cure can there be than this!

If you prefer a ‘hair of the dog’ style hangover cure, then be sure to try out one of numerous kinds of Slovenian homemade fruit schnapps, but beware, the homemade versions are often strong enough to blow your socks off!

I have to admit to being a bit of a killjoy when it comes to New Year’s Eve. I can take it or leave it, preferring Christmas and time spent with family to loud parties and – as we all know – the world is always still the same the next day, despite all the new year’s resolutions! However, since I’ve been in Slovenia, I have tried to embrace New Year’s Eve a little more, and have tried a number of different ways of celebrating.

If you’ve been a good girl or boy, then Old Man Winter (Dedek Mraz) may visit on New Year’s Eve! I met him at Vila Podvin on New Year’s Eve 2014/2015, whilst enjoying a gourmet dinner prepared by one of Slovenia’s top chefs, Uroš Štefelin. Families with young children especially enjoy the New Year’s Eve celebrations at Vila Podvin. This year the fun begins at 7pm – reservations essential.

New Year 2015/2016 was spent at another local restaurant, Kunstelj Inn, whilst other years I have just walked from home into the heart of my hometown of Radovljica where the celebrations are focused around the historic old town centre, with live music and merriment. This year in Linhart Square, the heart of the medieval old town, there will be live music and merriment with the Gašperji Ensemble from 11pm – 2am.

There have been a couple of times when temperatures having been well below freezing and I couldn’t face going out in the cold and the appeal of staying home in the warm won over! If you do venture out in the cold at midnight, be sure to wrap up well!

Wherever and however you choose to celebrate, I wish you a very HAPPY NEW YEAR and a healthy and prosperous 2017!

Adele in Slovenia

My life and adventures in Radovljica and throughout Slovenia

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The Sweetest Weekend of the Year!