Summer might be officially over (boo hoo!) but, fortunately, there’s plenty to look forward to in September in the Radol’ca area.
September marks the start of Culinary Autumn, when during September and October numerous events take place for foodies, with something for everyone: gourmet meals, made with local, traceable ingredients; a unique outdoor dining experience; and Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia, including a new Live Better Zone, for those with special dietary requirements and a desire to improve their well-being.
The first event, The Farmer’s Table, will take place this Saturday, 12th September. This unique experience includes a ride in a hay cart, tastings and a visit to a local farm along the way, lunch at an organic farm with Taste Radol’ca chefs (3-course menu featuring the finest traceable ingredients), accompanying wines and a practical gift. Reservations are essential.
The next event, and one which is very close to my heart, since I’m the organiser, is Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia. What started as a gluten-free festival in 2023, grew into an Expo in 2024 and 2025, and this year will be the biggest Expo yet, around 30 stalls laden with gluten-free food, as well as a jam-packed (fortunately, jam is gluten-free!) accompanying programme, including a magician, mini Planica ski jump (sorry, only for children!), numerous talks and sessions in the Demo Kitchen, various museum activities and more.
I think it’s fair to say that the Expo takes over my life for around six months per year, so, as you might imagine, its success means a huge amount to me. So, if you know anyone who might be interested, please do forward them details.
You can find out more about what is going on in the Radol’ca area this autumn by looking at the Events Calendar.
A bit of a shorter blog from me this month, as, in addition to work, there’s still SO much to do re the Expo. Wish me luck! And, of course, if you are in Slovenia at the time of the Expo, do come along to say ‘Hi’, browse the stalls, visit the Live Better Zone and enjoy the atmosphere.
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:
Considering its relatively small size, Radovljica and its surroundings – collectively known as Radol’ca – are certainly well endowed in culinary terms.
The ethos of Restaurant Week, which takes place twice per year – in spring and autumn – is to bring together some of Slovenia’s finest restaurants to highlight the country’s excellent cuisine and bring gourmet food closer to the general public by offering special menus at affordable prices.
To help you choose which one, or ones, to visit, here’s a little more information about each one, from my layperson’s point of view!
Gostišče Draga, located in the lush Draga Valley, is headed up by chef and owner Ales Tavčar. In the past the restaurant was particularly popular in summer, as the valley remains pleasantly cool even on the hottest of days, but nowadays it has become well-known throughout the country and beyond and is popular year-round.
A lot of the ingredients used come from the family farm – Kmetija Lizokar – thus truly adopting the ‘farm to fork’ approach.
In addition to food cooked in the restaurant, you can also take the taste of Gostišče Draga home with you, by buying some of it’s ready meals sold in jars, such as beef goulash, Bolognese sauce, various stews and pickled vegetables.
Hiša Linhart is a Michelin-starred restaurant in the heart of Linhart Square in Radovljica’s old town centre. Masterchef Uroš Štefelin and his team focus on transforming traditional Slovenian ingredients into nouvelle cuisine.
I’ve been fortunate enough to eat there on a few occasions, the last of which was as part of Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia, which took place in Radovljica in September 2024 and which I organise(d). The entire menu, part of which you can see below, was gluten-free.
Restavracija Šobec is located at the highly popular and award-winning Šobec Camp. The restaurant is far from the average campsite restaurant. It is now open year-round, even when the camp is closed, and out of the main season, has also become popular among locals for Sunday lunches, dinners, various celebrations, weddings, etc.
Although the menu offers pizzas and other traditional Slovenian dishes, Restaurant Week is the time when the chefs can showcase their best culinary skills.
Out of season, the camp is also a pleasant place for a stroll.
Vila Podvin is located in Mošnje, just a few kilometres from Radovljica. In the past the building was a stables, but now offers gourmet food and luxury accommodation.
It was formerly run by the team who are now at Hiša Linhart, and I must confess that I haven’t been there since it came under new ownership, so can’t comment first-hand. However, it received a good write up from the food critics Uroš and Violeta Mencinger, who are the organisers of Restaurant Week.
Restavracija Tabor is a seafood restaurant, which is located in Podbrezje, very close to but not actually within the municipality of Radovljica, but due to its excellent food and ethos, it has earned its place among Taste Radol’ca restaurants.
Although the menu is largely seafood-based, there are also some meat dishes available.
Room are also available, and the restaurant’s garden is the ideal place to soak up the views of the surrounding countryside and hills.
Of course, there are also plenty of restaurants in other areas, and with 7 days still to go, get browsing, choose and book! You can read more about all the participating restaurants here.
Finally, just a heads up, it’s not long now until the ‘sweetest’ event of the year in Radovljica – The Radovljica Chocolate Festival. This year’s festival takes place on 12th and 13th April. The programme is packed with entertainment for all the family. Click here for more information.
During the height of the coronavirus-related lockdowns, here in Slovenia we weren’t allowed to leave the borders of our municipalities; something that we would never usually even consider in ‘normal’ times. Fortunately that’s a (fairly) distant memory now – and hopefully one never to be repeated – and now not only we (the people!) but also Taste Radol’cacan go beyond borders!
This year, in addition to the Taste Radol’ca restaurants from the Radol’ca area, there are also two others from neighbouring municipalities, one of which – Restavracija MANU – has already won numerous accolades in the short time it has been open.
The annual highlight of the Radol’ca culinary year takes place next Friday 28th October – the opening Taste Radol’ca event and dinner prepared by all the talented chefs!
The focus of this year’s Taste Radol’ca is sustainability and, as usual, there is an emphasis on locally produced and/or locally grown, i.e. no, or minimal, food miles and supporting local farmers and producers. The 3-course (or more) set menus remain at the same price as last year – 26 euros – which, considering the price rises all around us, remains excellent value for money.
Further proof of Radol’ca’s status as the ‘culinary capital of Gorenjska’ is the Michelin Star recently awarded to Uroš Štefelin, formerly from Vila Podvin, and his team at Hiša Linhart, as well as a Michelin green sustainability star.
This year’s opening event kicks off at 4pm with a farmers market, which offers visitors a chance to chat to, and buy from, the suppliers to Taste Radol’ca restaurants. Entrance is free, so come along and join in. The more the merrier!
At 5pm there is a presentation of Taste Radol’ca restaurants, with entertainment from pupils from Radovljica’s Anton Linhart primary school.
This year’s gourmet opening dinner will take place at Gostilna Avguštin in Linhart Square – the heart of the historic old town. The restaurant is hugely popular due to it’s sunny terrace with views of the Jelovica plateau, the Lipnica valley and the JulianAlps.
Having just translated all the menus, I know you’re in for a treat, but I won’t let the cat out of the bag just yet. After all, there has to be some element of surprise in life!
It’s hot! Hooray!!! While those that aren’t lovers of the heat are already complaining, I’m in my element at this time of year when I get get out on my bike and in the hills and mountains, and when one doesn’t need to go out dress in multiple layers of clothing!
The tourist season seems to have started much earlier this year here in Radol’ca and elsewhere in Slovenia, no doubt such is the yearning among many for holidays after the long COVID-19 pandemic.
So, with that in mind, this blog contains a rundown of new features and events in Radol’ca this summer, as well as some of the great, existing, traditional events too! As you will see, there’s certainly plenty to choose from and something to suit all the family.
Thursdays in the Square
Thursdays in the Square are back this year with a series of concerts featuring a variety of music. The concerts take place every Thursday evening in July in the old town centre of Radovljica. The first concert will feature Slovenian hit songs performed by young musicians from the surroundings of Radovljica, followed on 14th July by the Argentian-Italian group SuRrealistas. The third Thursday in July Čedahuci will perform followed by Masharik on the last Thursday in the month. Taste Radol’castreet food will be available at all the Thursday evening concerts and, prior to that, visitors will have a chance to purchase arts and crafts from stalls of the ARTish festival.
Guided independent cycling and cycling-culinary tours
Why not set off on a culinary-cycling tour of the Radol’ca area? Guided e-Bike tours are available or just hire a bike (or bring your own), pick up a map from the Radovljica Tourist Information Centre, and set off on your way.
Cycling is an ideal way to get some outdoor exercise, enjoy the fresh air and see and taste the countryside. Along the way you can stop off at the Pr’Šlibar farm, where you can buy fresh strawberries, strawberry jam, juice and cordial as well as dried meats, and the Dolenc Farm where you can taste and buy some of the home-produced dairy products.
This year Gostišče Draga, which is part of Taste Radol’ca, was once again visited by Slovenia’s top food critics, who awarded it two hearts, thus confirming its place as one of the best in the Radol’ca area. The restaurant with rooms is also the holder of the Green Key in Green Cuisine sign as a result of its efforts to operate sustainably.
The Draga Valley is also home to the parkour archery course, which I can highly recommend.
Free guided tours
Special free guided tours of Radovljica, Kropa, Mošnje, Kamna Gorica and Kamen Castle will be held throughout July and August.
In addition to guided tours, from Mondays to Saturdays throughout July and August, half day Hop On and Discover bus tours, run in cooperation with the neighbouring destinations of Tržič, Jesenice and Bled, offer the opportunity to explore more of Radol’ca and the surroundings. The bus trips are free of charge for holders of a Julian Alps: Radovljica benefits card (see below).
Julian Alps: Radovljica benefits card
Discount cards are available free of charge for those staying in partner accommodation in the Radol’ca area for a minimum of three nights. The card is issued by accommodation providers and can be used to take advantage of numerous discounts and other special offers for activities in Radol’ca and the neighbouring destinations.
Iron Forging Festival
The village of Kropa sits nested into the far eastern edge of the Jelovica plateau and is crammed with interesting architecture and preserved technical heritage, which is showcased during the annual Iron Forging Festival. This year’s festival takes place on Saturday 2nd July.
The festival features demonstrations of hand forging of nails in the vigenjc Vice forge, a small local market, open days at the Iron Forging Museum and the Fovšaritnica Museum House, as well as at the headquarters of the company UKO Kropa, which specialises in all manner of wrought iron furnishings and fittings and is keeping the village’s iron-forging tradition alive.
Avsenik Festival
The hugely popular Avsenik Festival attracts lovers of Slovenian folk music from far and wide. This year’s festival takes place over three days from 26th to 28th August.
In addition to the above, there are also other events, such as the annual Radovljica Early Music Festival, Medieval Day and open-air cinema, as well as plentiful water sports, theme and hiking trails and more! Click here to get the full list of summer events.
As you can see, whether your a culture vulture or an adrenalin junkie, there’s something for everyone this summer in Radol’ca!
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!
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.
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 RestaurantLinhartin 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!
After almost a year-and-a-half of preventative measures of varying degrees, Radol’ca’s summer events calendar kicks off in style this week, with almost a year-and-a-half’s worth of events in just one week!
The first event, and one that many have been waiting (im)patiently for, is the Queen Real Tribute Band, who were lined up to perform at the 2020 Radovljica Chocolate Festival, and who were also on standby for this year’s festival – both of which were cancelled, though a somewhat smaller festival is scheduled for 11th and 12th September this year – and will now finally be on stage this Thursday 1st July in the first of a series of Thursday evening concerts throughout July. The evening is due to start at 8pm with a Taste Radol’ca culinary market in the Radovljica park, which is open to all, followed by the band at 9pm (ticketed event).
Those more interested in traditional Slovenian folk music can head for nearby Begunje na Gorenjskem where live music evenings have now resumed at Gostilna Avsenik (ticketed events) – the home of Slovenian folk music – with the Avsenik House Ensemble and other guest Slovenian folk music ensembles.
During this current heatwave, for many a cold beer is bound to hit the spot, so the Radovljica Craft Beer Festival, which takes place on Saturday 3rd July from 12noon onwards, is the place to be. The festival will be held in the Radovljica park and feature a food market with Slovenian craft beers and Taste Radol’ca food.
The Kropa Iron Forging Festival takes place on the same day, Saturday 3rd July. So, be sure to plan the day well and, in fact, why not head for Kropa first then stop off at Radovljica on the way back, but remember: Don’t drink and drive!
The festival will run from 10am to 6pm and includes free entrance to the Iron Forging Museum throughout the day, a reenactment of the life of Kropa’s blacksmiths with the Cofta Drama Group at 12noon in the Vigenjc Vice forge, a small craft market, open day at the UKO wrought iron factory, a demonstration of smelting iron ore, and more.
Also on the same day – yes, there’s more! – the regular monthly Vila Podvin farmers market takes place in the garden of Vila Podvin (one Michelin Star) from 10am to 12noon, where you can meet local producers and suppliers, and sample and buy their products.
Once you have recovered from all of the above, there are plenty of other events coming up through the month of July. Check out the events calendar for more details.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for somewhere (else) to ‘chill’, the Radovljica swimming pool is the ideal place to cool off at this time of year. I took this snap of it looking glorious in the sunshine earlier today from Obla gorica, the small hill behind the pool.
Note: many of the events are still subject to social distancing measures and are now ticketed, so be sure to check out the Visit Radol’ca website for the latest information.
Hooray, I am finally the bearer of some good news…it feels like a while since I’ve been able to say that!
Writing this feels a bit like groundhog day, as it was around this time last year that Slovenia began to exit its first lockdown and I published a similar blog on the subject. And here we are today, almost a year later and only now Radovljica, as well as the rest of Slovenia, is slowly beginning to re-open after three, seemingly endless, lockdowns.
Unfortunately, the vaccination programme is still going slowly – to date around one-fifth of the country’s 2 million residents has received at least one shot of a vaccine – but, notwithstanding, things are steadily moving in the right direction and finally, after 6 long months, the terraces of restaurants/bars etc. were able to re-open last week and as of yesterday (Monday 26 April) hotels and other accommodation facilities are able to open up to 30 rooms (regardless of the size of the property). Note, however, that a negative test or proof of vaccination is required to stay in an type of accommodation (camps included).
So, now you, well we if I include myself, can actually begin to start thinking about planning holidays, something that has seemed unthinkable for a long time now. And since most of us will no doubt – sensibly – prefer to avoid places overrun by mass tourism, it is destinations such as Radol’ca that come into their own with its boutique accommodation and numerous hiking trails and other off the beaten track attractions. So, here are a few ideas to help you in planning your visit to Radovljica – whether for a few hours, a few days, or even longer!
After record snowfall in some places, it’s still very much winter in Slovenia’s high mountains, fortunately here in Radol’ca there are plenty of hiking trails at lower altitudes. I’ve written about such trails on numerous occasions, so a quick search back through previous blog posts using key words will turn up plenty of info on hikes to, for example, Suharna, the Vodiška planina mountain hut, the Roblekov dom mountain hut, St. Peter’s church above Begunje na Gorenjskem, and more.
Of course, after all that fresh air and activity you will be in need of some sustenance, and you certainly won’t go hungry at Taste Radol’ca restaurants, the ethos of which is using seasonal, locally sourced, ingredients. At the time of writing, some of the restaurants have yet to re-open, since they are currently only allowed to serve customers outside on the terrace and for those with smaller terraces it is not worth their while re-opening. However, it is to be hoped that it won’t be too long until they are able to fully re-open. Radol’ca even has a Michelin-starred restaurant – Vila Podvin – as well as several other fine dining restaurants and numerous rural inns.
In terms of accommodation, there’s plenty to choose, from river-side camps to apartments, guest houses and other boutique accommodation.
In terms of events, it’s still a bit early to say what will and won’t take place this year. The Radovljica Chocolate Festival, which was cancelled last year and postponed this year, is provisionally scheduled to take place on 11th and 12th September this year, while the organisers are hoping that others events, such as the Craft Beer Festival and live music and food on Thursdays evenings in the square, will be able to go ahead in summer, in some form or another. But at the moment it’s a case of watch this space to see how things pan out.
Of course, all the above-mentioned are in the Radol’ca area itself, meaning there’s still a whole host of other places waiting to be explored in the surrounding areas; the Julian Alps and Triglav National Park are on the doorstep, Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj are close, Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana is just a cca. 40 minute drive, and even places such as the Postojna caves, the Soča valley, and Slovenia’s coast are all within a 1-2 hour drive – nothing is that far away in Slovenia!
So, I hope I have provided you with some food for thought and ideas to help your holiday planning and, as and when there is (even) more news about more things opening up, I’ll be in touch with more up-to-date info, or, in the meantime, do feel free to drop me a line if you need more info. Always happy to help, well, within reason that is!
The Radol’ca area is synonymous with Elan – the world-famous producer of skis, and now you can find out more about the company’s history and innovative products whilst enjoying some interactive fun at the new Elan Alpine Skiing Museum.
The museum is located at the company’s production unit in Begunje na Gorenjskem, just a short distance from Radovljica. It was opened in 2018 by the legendary Swedish skier Ingemar Stenmark, who competed using Elan skis throughout his entire career. The first pair of skis on which Stenmark competed in World Cup races is among the museum’s exhibits.
Elan was established in 1945 upon the initiative of the ski jumper and ski maker Rudi Finžgar (1920-1955) who in 1941, despite being young and inexperienced, became the first Slovenian ski jumper to jump over 100 metres. The company quickly became known for its innovative and trend-setting designs.
The museum showcases Elan’s 70-year history and its sources of inspiration for the future,
There are also exhibits showing some of the achievements of the company’s other divisions, including boats, aeroplanes, sports equipment and wind turbines.
The exhibits are spread over two floors in the small museum. Upstairs you can get a glimpse into a workshop…
…test your balance on skis and a snowboard – not as easy as it looks…
…and there is a chance to test your skills and get interactive on the ski simulator. Needless to say, I didn’t score top marks but it was fun having a go nonetheless and a pretty good workout too!
The museum is open Tuesdays – Saturdays from 10am-6pm and offers a great experience for all the family, even for non-skiers like me!
Adjoining the museum is the Elan Sports Shop, which is crammed with sports apparel, both Elan’s own-brand products and other brand names, which you can access from outside or alternatively once you make it past the finish line!
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Adele in Slovenia 