‘Honestly Sweet‘ was chosen as the slogan for the tourist destination of Radol’ca, which encompasses Radovljica itself (where I live!) and the other surrounding towns and villages in the municipality, due to the town’s long connection with all things ‘sweet’ i.e. beekeeping and chocolate.
And while this year’s Chocolate Festival has been and gone, Radovljica now features a brand new ‘sweet’ treat – the Radovljica Beekeeping Adventure.
Photo: http://www.radolca.si
The Radovljica tourist board came up with the idea for the Radovljica Beekeeping Adventure in order to consolidate the town’s position as the capital of Slovenian beekeeping as well as a desire to offer more activities for families. The idea for a bee-related adventure was an obvious choice and was inspired by the events last year to mark the first-ever World Bee Day.
The Beekeeping Adventure has been designed as a family adventure. It features four interactive points in the old town centre of Radovljica, the first of which is the apiary in the town park.
The next is in front of St. Peter’s church…
…and at the viewpoint at the end of the old town centre.
Despite living here 12 years, I can never tire of the view from Radovljica towards the Julian Alps and the Jelovica plateau, and even on a partly cloudy late May day – in a month where there have only been 2 days without rain so far – the views still blow me away, every time!
The adventure concludes with a visit to the Museum of Apiculture in the Radovljica Manor, where you can watch bees hard at work and find out plenty more about the history of Slovenian beekeeping, see an exhibition of the oldest painted beehive frontal panels, and learn even more about just how amazing bees really are!
The fun, creative and educational tasks have been devised to allow children to hone their manual skills and to learn about beekeeping, whilst seeking out the path with the help of a map helps develop outdoor orientation and spatial recognition skills.
As a reward for completing all the tasks, a ‘sweet’ treat awaits at the end – but I won’t spoil the surprise!
The Beekeeping Adventure costs €8 per family, which includes:
- One copy of the booklet including a map, tasks and information about the life of bees
- A family entrance ticket to the Museum of Apiculture (2 adults, up to 3 children)
- A ‘sweet’ surprise
- Supplement for additional booklets with tasks: €1 per booklet (up to 3 additional booklets are permitted per family upon purchase of a family package)
The booklet can be purchased at the following locations:
- Radovljica Tourist Information Centre – at the entrance to the old town centre
- Begunje Tourist Information Centre – opposite the Pr’ Jožovcu restaurant (Avsenik) and adjacent to the main bus stop
- Museum of Apiculture, Radovljica – in the Radovljica Manor in the old town centre
The Beekeeping Adventure is available from 24th May to 31st October 2019. Since the Museum of Apiculture is closed on Mondays, it is recommended that you visit from Tuesday to Sunday. The path itself is very short and flat, but together with solving the tasks and a visit to the museum, you should allow approximately 1.5-2 hours.
The Museum of Apiculture is celebrating it’s 60th anniversary this year, and, to mark the occasion, there will be a new comprehensive exhibition while the main anniversary event will take place on 15th June.
To end, on an entirely different theme, though one that many would also consider to be ‘sweet’, next Saturday a brand new festival is coming to Radovjlica – the Radovjlica Craft Beer Festival. Weather permitting the festival will kick off at 12 noon on Saturday 1st June and will feature a number of Slovenian craft breweries, live music, and food from Taste Radol’ca restaurants. A shuttle bus will also run every half hour from Bled.
So, now there are even more reasons to come and visit the lovely town that I call ‘home’!
© Adele in Slovenia
Adele in Slovenia 