Tag Archives: radovljica

Chocolate Comes to Town!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Festivals in Slovenia, gluten-free food in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Radovljica Chocolate Festival, Slovenia blog, Slovenian chocolate, Slovenian Coeliac Association, Slovensko društvo za celiakijo, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

It’s that time again! Chocolate time! The time of the year when Radovljica does what it does best, i.e. puts on a fab 2-day festival and feasts on chocolate(s) galore!

This year’s Radovljica Chocolate Festival takes place this weekend, i.e. 20th and 21st April.

I recently attended the festival press conference, where I was privy to insider information about the festival, which I can now share with you!

A new feature this year is Photolandia, which is already operational now, where you can get your photo taken, post a postcard and get in the festival spirit!

As has been the case for the past few years, a competition was held prior to the festival to find the winner of the title ‘Best Chocolate Praline‘. This year, six Slovenian chocolatiers entered 12 chocolates and for the first time two rounds of judging were held; the first took place in Radovljica, where the master patissier Naser Gashi from La Ganash and the editor of the magazine Pet Zvezdic (Five Stars) Urša Cvilak tasted and assessed all 12 chocolate pralines. They chose the best six, which, on Monday 8th April, then went forward for judging in Austria at the Zotter chocolatier, where the three winning chocolates were chosen.

Morda je slika naslednjega: 2 osebi, knjiga in besedilo

At the press conference, we were fortunate to be able to try this year’s winning chocolate – crunchy yuzu – and, for a change, I was even able to try it, as it is made by the Lucifer chocolatier whose chocolates are all gluten free!

Visitors to the festival this weekend will also have the chance to vote for their favourite among the finalists.

Another new feature of this year’s festival is an exhibition of chocolate mosaics, which is on view in Radovljica Manor. The project connects artists and handicraft people in the municipality and also has a charitable note, as after the festival the mosaics will be donated to residential communities and departments of the Matevz Langus Centre in Radovljica, the Pediatric Department of Jesenice Hospital, the Radovljica Home for the Elderly, and the Kresnica Youth Crisis Centre.

May be an image of gingerbread biscuit

Since Radovljica is so well connected by public transport, and since the festival is so incredibly popular and the organisers strive to make it as sustainable as possible, visitors are asked to, where possible, arrive by public transport. To that end an arrangement has been reached with Slovenia Railways that additional trains will stop at Radovljica

The two-day festival programme is as jam-packed as ever. Full details can be found on the new Radovljica Chocolate Festival website.

Some of the highlights of this year’s programme include the amazing acrobatic Dunking Devils, cookery workshops for adults and children, ChocoBaroque, live music, circus shows, face painting, a honey adventure and more.

No photo description available.

Check out the official Chocolate Festival video here!

And don’t worry, the festival goes ahead come rain, shine or snow (yes, at the time of writing this it’s snowing heavily, whereas last weekend we were in shorts and t-shirts and eating ice-cream!), since the stalls, as well as a large number of the activities, are undercover.

By the way, for any fellow coeliacs, there will also be a number of stalls offering gluten-free chocolates and also gluten-free pancakes will be available on the Torras stall together with information about the Slovenian Coeliac Association.

May be an image of 2 people, pasta and text

Hope to see you (t)here.

© Adele in Slovenia

 

Easter Traditions in Slovenia

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Radovljica Chocolate Festival, Slovenia blog, Slovenian culture, Slovenian food, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

With Easter just a few days away, I thought I’d write a blog on Easter traditions in Slovenia, covering everything from religious and secular celebrations to, of course, food and other traditions.

Easter is celebrated here in a number of ways. It begins on Palm Sunday when people can be seen flocking to churches around the country carrying bundles of branches and leaves, called butare, which are then blessed as part of a custom thought to date back as far as the 9th century.

Easter ‘butare’ bundles in front of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Brezje. Photo: Visit Radol’ca

Žegnane – the blessing of food on Easter Saturday – takes places around the country in front of or in churches or, as seen below in Lancovo, near Radovljica, at shrines in smaller settlements. People take baskets of food, covered with embroidered cloths, to be blessed. However, this food cannot be eaten until Easter Sunday. Then, after a period of abstinence (by some), with a fast beginning on Ash Wednesday, food becomes a big deal as tables in homes around the country can be found bursting under the weight of potica, which is the star of the show, as well as baked ham, horseradish, eggs and more.

Potica is a traditional Slovenian sweet baked at Christmas and Easter holidays, and is arguably the most famous Slovenian dish. It could be said that no Slovenian holiday is truly complete without a slice of traditional potica. Apparently, there are over 80 different types of potica in Slovenia, yet in most shops and bakeries there are only the usual staple varieties, such as; walnut – by far the most commonly found – as well as poppy seed, tarragon, coconut, and potratna –  a layered ‘luxury’ potica, made with curd cheese, walnuts and layers of light and dark sponge.

Gluten-free potica is also now widely available, such as seen below, so no need for us coeliacs to miss out.

May be an image of rye bread and babka

Gluten-free walnut potica and coconut potica – Sladki butik Ines

Pirhi, another staple on tables at Easter, are coloured eggs, traditionally dyed using onion skins. Spring flowers or leaves are attached to the eggs during the dying process to produce the characteristic pattern.

The game of ‘fucanje‘ traditionally takes place at Easter. Players compete in a coin throwing contest, each aiming for their coin to land closest to the target. The winners then ‘takes all’!

12909674_564769800359702_5745541462094381496_o

On Easter Sunday in the municipality of Radovljica ‘fucanje‘ takes place outside the cultural centre in the villages of Mošnje and also in Begunje na Gorenjskem behind the Pr’ Tavčar restaurant.

12496146_564769977026351_8595064718227735184_o

Rolling eggs, or Easter egg hunts, are other traditional Easter games.

Lov na pirhe na Blejskem gradu - THE Slovenia

On Easter Sunday, a typical Easter feast in Slovenia usually looks something like this…

I can’t finish this blog without mentioning the retirement of Slovenia’s best ever ski jumper, Peter Prevec, who officially made his last competitive jumps at Planica last weekend.

May be an image of 2 people, people skiing and text

Peter’s records speak for themself, among them:

  • 203 FIS WC appearances
  • 51 FIS WC appearances
  • FIS WC victories
  • 15 wins in one season
  • Winner of the Crystal Globe 2015/2016
  • Winner of the Ski Flying Crystal Globe in 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16
  • Silver and Bronze medal winner at the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014
  • Silver and bronze medalist at the Nordic World Ski Championships

Originally from the Poljane Valley, Peter now lives with his wife and two children in Radovljica. To show our gratitude and appreciation to him, the town is putting on a celebrate his exceptional sports career this Tuesday (i.e. tomorrow) at 5pm, to which everyone is invited, featuring live music with Saša Avsenik and the Lesce Wind Orchestra.

And finally, it’s less than a month until the Radovljica Chocolate Festival. This year’s festival will take place on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st April and, as ever, will feature a chocolate-packed and entertainment-packed programme, so plan your visit now! Should you need any help planning your visit, contact the Radovljica Tourist Information Centre.

© Adele in Slovenia

Slovenian Culture – Radol’ca-style!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Beekeeping in Slovenia, Begunje, France Prešeren, ifeelsLOVEnia, Museum of Apiculture Radovljica, museums in Slovenia, Prešernova hiša, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Slovenian culture, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca, Visit Žirovnica, Vrba, Žirovnica by

Slovenia takes its culture seriously, and this is most visible every year on 8th February when the country celebrates Prešeren Day – a national cultural holiday – dedicated to its most treasured poet, France Prešeren.

Various events take place throughout the country, the largest of which are in Kranj and Vrba. The former is nowadays known as Prešeren’s Town, while the latter was his birthplace.

In Vrba, which is in close proximity to Radovljica, every year on 8th February people flock from around the country to take part in a 10-kilometre walk along the Žirovnica Cultural Heritage Trail. The trail begins at Prešeren’s birth house …

May be an image of 6 people and text

…then continues via fields and country paths to the birth houses of Žirovnica’s other famous men as well as Anton Janša’s apiary.

The Prešernov smenj fair in Kranj also attracts huge crowds. The event is dedicated to all-things from Prešeren’s time; music, dance, clothing, food …

May be an illustration of 9 people

Throughout the country all museums offer free admission on 8th February to enable everyone to be part of Prešeren Day.

The Radol’ca area has more than its fair share of museums; 12 to be precise (excluding galleries):

Museum of Apiculture, Radovljica

Municipal Museum, Radovljica

Pharmacy and Alchemy Museum, Radovljica

Lectar Workshop and Museum, Radovljica

Iron Forging Museum, Kropa

Fovsaritnica Museum House, Kropa

Sextons’ Museum House, Kamna Gorica

Museum of Hostages, Begunje na Gorenjskem

Elan Alpine Ski Museum, Begunje na Gorenjskem

Avsenik Museum, Begunje na Gorenjskem

Ethnological Museum, Mošnje

Nativity Museum, Brezje

While deciding what to do this year on 8th February, I realised that I had been to all the above museums, except one – the Municipal Museum. So, it was time to tick that one off the list too!

The museum is dedicated to Radovljica’s most well known (former) resident – Anton Tomaž Linhart: The 18th century was a time of great change in Europe. One of the central characters in the then Carniola was Anton Tomaž Linhart from Radovljica, the father of Slovenian theatre and scientific historiography.

The museum is located on the first floor of the magnificent Radovljica Manor.

If I’m honest, it had probably never occurred to me to visit the museum as I thought that since it’s all dedicated to one person, there is only so much you can hear and see about that person. But, I stand corrected! Though the content is indeed dedicated to Anton Tomaž Linhart, it is also an opportunity to find out about life, clothing and customs in the eighteenth century.

And to have a bit of fun dressing up too!

Upon prior arrangement, guided tours are available in Slovene, German and English.

Our national day of culture may be over for this year, but there are hundreds of (other) museums throughout Slovenia to explore throughout the year.

© Adele in Slovenia

 

 

Culinary Autumn in Radol’ca: The Farmer’s Table

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

I know I am somewhat biased, since I live in Radovljica, but nonetheless I truly believe that the team at Visit Radovljica has to be one of the best, if not the best, in the country. Why? Because instead of resting on their laurels, they are constantly coming up with new ideas that are attractive to tourists, beneficial to the local community and adhere to the sustainable goals of Slovenian tourism as a whole.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Taste Radol’ca, when every November the chefs at the participating restaurants create set price menus using local ingredients. This year, the Taste Radol’ca Month of Local Cuisine will extend over two months rather than the usual one, as throughout October there are various activities in which locals and visitors alike can take part.

Guided bike trips, available on Saturday 14th, Friday 20th and Saturday 28th October, are an ideal combination of fresh air, sightseeing and tasting the produce of local farms.

In addition, open days at local farms provide a great opportunity to discover the importance of getting food from field to table in the shortest possible way. The first takes place on 14th October at 10am at the Vegerila Farm, then on 20th October at 1pm at the Dolenc Farm, and 28th October at 10am the Brinsek Farm.

Another among the latest great ideas is a unique culinary experience named The Farmer’s Table, which will take place this Saturday 7th October at 12noon and is the opening event of this year’s Taste Radol’ca. Reservations are required in advance for the 4-hour culinary programme, which includes a horse and cart ride, snacks along the way, lunch at an organic farm prepared by Radovljica’s chefs  (6-course menu from selected traceable ingredients), live music and a practical gift.

Morda je slika naslednjega: 9 oseb in poroka

The chefs taking part in The Farmer’s Table are:

Morda je slika naslednjega: 1 oseba in hrana
May be an image of 1 person
Contact Visit Radol’ca for more information and to book your place at the Farmer’s Table or to book a cycling tour.
Still on the theme of food, albeit it gluten-free food, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those who visited the festival I recently organised in Radovjlica – Festival of Gluten Free Tastes and Fun. I’m delighted to say the day was a great success, which was a huge relief as the weather forecast had been a bit dodgy to say the least. It’s estimated that up to 3,000 people visited. Having spent much of the last year organising it, it was lovely to see so many happy, smiling faces – both visitors and stallholders alike. The festival also further proved what an excellent venue Radovljica is for outdoor events.
Below are a few photos of the day, for posterity’s sake, of course!

Photo: Roman Baloh

Photo: Roman Baloh

Photo: Roman Baloh

Photo: Roman Baloh

Photo: Roman Baloh

Photo: Roman Baloh

Of course, it didn’t take long for people to start asking if the festival will become a regular event. And the answer is … watch this space!
© Adele in Slovenia

 

An Extra Scrumptiously Sweet Weekend Ahead in Radovljica!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, coeliac disease, gluten-free food in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Visit Radol'ca by

If you don’t have any plans yet for this weekend, then you’ll definitely want to head to Radovljica! Why? Well, because there’s not just ONE but TWO great ‘sweet’ festivals!

The first, on Saturday 23rd September, is the Festival of Honey at the Beekeeping Education Centre of Gorenjska in Lesce.

The festival , which opens at 10am, includes, among other things, a market selling honey and other beekeeping-related products, tastings, and workshops for children.

At 12.30pm, adults can learn about and try honey beer, while Jaka the Clown will visit the festival at 3.30pm to entertain children.

Then, on Sunday 24th September I’d like to invite you (all!) to a festival that I’ve been working on for over six months and which I’m organising in its entirety and voluntarily – Festival of Gluten-Free Flavours and Fun!

As regular readers of my blog will know, I have coeliac disease so eating gluten-free food is a necessity. It is estimated that one in 100 people worldwide have coeliac disease, but only around 30% have received a diagnosis. Getting a diagnosis can be difficult because there are so many symptoms that may, or may not, be a sign of coeliac disease.

The description of coeliac disease according to Coeliac UK is: Coeliac disease (pronounced see-liac) is a serious illness where the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues when you eat gluten. This causes damage to the lining of the gut and means the body can’t properly absorb nutrients from food. Coeliac disease is not an allergy or food intolerance.

Despite being a small country, Slovenia has a lot of providers of gluten-free food, but they are spread throughout the country. In addition to coeliacs, there are also a lot of people who don’t eat gluten for other reasons and who may not be aware of the great range of food available, hence I decided to arrange a festival at which the vast majority of the providers of gluten-free food are present all in one place.

But I didn’t just stop at that, oh no! I decided I wanted it to be a festival for EVERYONE! So, I’ve put together a packed entertainment programme that includes something for all the family, including a children’s programme, archery for children, live music by the Avsenik House Ensemble, Mitja Šinkovec, and Lombardo, free chocolate tasting at the Radolska čokolada chocolatier, free guided tours and more.

Hot and cold food will be available all day from 10am to 5pm, including burgers, kebabs, pizzas, cakes of all shapes and sizes, pies, tarts, biscuits, goulash, pancakes, waffles, burek, gluten-free beer, coffee and other hot drinks, cold soft drinks and more.

Take a look at the full programme below. Entrance is free!

The forecast for Sunday is giving me sleepless nights, as it keeps changing. The festival, however, will take place regardless of the weather. The festival will take place in Radovljica park or, in the event of rain, in Radovljica Manor and Linhart Square.

To end, here’s some other food-related news from Radovljica and elsewhere in Slovenia.

Yesterday, chef Ana Roš’s restaurant Hiša Franko became the first Slovenian establishment to be awarded three Michelin stars, the highest accolade conferred by the restaurant guide. Milka in Kranjska Gora was promoted from one to two stars and seven more restaurants won one star each, including Radovljica’s Hiša Linhart, which retained both it’s Michelin Star and Green Star, the latter is awarded to restaurants who are especially committed to sustainable gastronomy. Congratulations Uroš Štefelin, Marcela Klofutar and the entire team at Hiša Linhart!

So, come rain or shine, Radovljica will be the place to be this weekend!

© Adele in Slovenia

Wild Weather and Scrumptious (gluten-free) Štruklji!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, gluten-free food in Slovenia, hiking in Slovenia, hiking trails, ifeelsLOVEnia, ironworking, Jelovica, Julian Alps, kamna gorica, Kamnik-Savinja Alps, Karavanke, Kropa, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Slovenian food, Slovenian mountain huts, The Julian Alps, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

While much of Europe is basking, or rather sweltering, in record-high temperatures, this ‘summer’ here in Slovenia has, so far, been marked by some mega storms, the likes of which have never been seen at this time of year, if ever.

The extreme hail and gale-force winds have wreaked havoc throughout the country, and there’s more predicted for later this week too. So, everyone is waiting and praying that there isn’t a repeat of last week, which brought significant damage to cars, roofs, crops, houses and more.

Toča po neurju v Krškem

On a more positive note, here in the Gorenjska region, i.e. the mountainous region of Slovenia, temperatures tend not to get as high as at the coast and the southeast part of the country. And even if they do, you are never far from a forest to take shelter in, a mountain to climb for some cooler air, or a pool or lake to jump into to cool off.

Here in Radovljica, we are lucky to have the Karavanke range and the Kamnik-Savinja Alps to the north, the Jelovica plateau to the south, and the Julian Alps on the doorstep, the only problem is, with so much choice, it can be hard to decide where to go!

Radovljiška ravnina

Last Wednesday, however, the decision was easy, as I had found out that the lady who runs the mountain hut on the Vodiška planina mountain pasture makes gluten-free štruklji, a real rarity indeed, in fact, quite possibly the only mountain hut that offers them.

It’s actually quite difficult to describe what štruklji are, other than to say they are made using a light dough mixture that is rolled out very thinly then filled and rolled, like a Swiss roll, before being steamed or boiled. The fillings can be sweet or savoury, depending on how creative and adventurous you want to be!

Photo: štruklji at Gostisce Draga in the Draga Valley

I can count on one hand how many times I’ve eaten them since being diagnosed with coeliac disease, so to find gluten-free ones, and so close to home – relatively speaking – is a real treat.

Below I’ve described the route I took up to the hut, which begins in Kropa, but there are also numerous other routes up to the Vodiška planina mountain pasture, including from the village of Kamna Gorica.

The most direct, albeit steepest, trail begins at St. Leonard’s church – one of two churches in the village.

The trail leads steeply up through the forest, with not much let up in terms of steepness until about the halfway point, which is the meeting point of paths that the lead up from other parts of Kropa.

It takes about half an hour to reach the halfway point, then within another half an hour or so, you emerge onto the mountain pasture.

The pasture is also a meeting point of numerous trails, so you can easily extend your hike in numerous directions.

But this time, we were there for the food! Those with coeliac disease, or those of you who know someone with it, will know that cross-contamination is a big deal (read: ‘problem’), something that so often places that claim to offer gluten-free food don’t take into account. However, as soon as I contacted the lady who runs the hut, her reply was such that I knew immediately that she knew about coeliac disease, so I had no hesitation in ordering them upon my arrival.

And I certainly wasn’t disappointed! I think my smile says it all!

In addition, because flour isn’t used to thicken any of the soups or stews, we ordered jota – a traditional Slovenian cabbage and bean stew, which you can order with or without Carniolan sausage.

Visit Radol’ca recently published a blog on its own website about what food is available at mountain huts in the surrounding area; in fact, it was whilst translating the blog that I discovered that gluten-free štruklji were available! Click here to read more and Dober tek (Enjoy your meal!) as we say here!

© Adele in Slovenia

 

 

 

 

Slovenian Beekeeping Placed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Beekeeping in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Museum of Apiculture Radovljica, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Slovenian honey, Visit Radol'ca by

First, the bad news… It has been wet and unseasonably cold for pretty much the whole of May so far, which is bad, or even catastrophic, news for Slovenia’s bees and beekeepers. The latter are keeping their fingers (and toes) crossed that conditions improve soon in order to salvage what they can from the grazing season.

Now, the good news. Slovenia’s application to be placed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage has been accepted, a process in which the Museum of Apiculture in Radovljica played a large part, together with the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association and the Slovenian Ethnographic Museum. To mark World Earth Day, on 22nd April, Radovljica played host to a special event to mark Slovenia’s entry onto the aforementioned UNESCO List. Among those in the photo below are the mayor of Radovljica, the president of the Slovenian Beekeeping Association, the director of Radovljica Municipal Museums, Slovenia’s Minister for Culture, the president of the Radovljica Beekeeping Society, and, of course, our many beekeepers!

May be an image of 6 people

The following quote by Dr. Asta Vrečko, Slovenia’s Minister of Culture, sums up the significance of this achievement for Slovenian culture: “The inscription of beekeeping on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage is of exceptional significance for Slovenia and the world. At the time of climate change, bees and beekeeping must receive special attention, and traditional beekeeping, which is a way of life in harmony with nature, must be nurtured in particular. The beekeeping heritage has a long history that is intertwined with culture and amateur art. Today, urban apiaries also present an important segment of beekeeping.”

Beekeeping in Slovenia on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage | GOV.SI

Here’s some fascinating Slovenian bee facts and figures I came across while reading the Sunday paper, which, by the way, is published on a Wednesday!

  • There are over 11,000 beekeepers in Slovenia
  • Slovenian beekeepers have over 200,000 bee families
  • There are 30 registered breeders of queen bees in Slovenia, who breed around 40,000 queens per year
  • There are 206 beekeeping societies in Slovenia

There are numerous ways you can get acquainted with Slovenia’s bees and beekeepers in the Radovljica area.

Undoubtedly, Erik Luznar is Radovljica’s star beekeeper, in more ways than one! Not only is he one of the few beekeepers here who does it for a living, but he is also now a star in India too, thanks to one of the country’s most popular vloggers, Dhruv Rathee, who visited Erik and his bees to find out more. Over 2 million people have watched it!

In addition to the aforementioned Museum of Apiculture, which is a ‘must see’ when visiting Radovljica…

… the area is also home to the Beekeeping Education Centre of Gorenjska in Lesce, where you can get up close to a traditional Slovenian apiary, and sit back and enjoy watching the bees going about their business while enjoying a hot or cold drink.

No photo description available.

This month, the Radovljica Beekeeping Society celebrated its 140th anniversary at the Centre.

And finally, don’t miss the family ‘Follow a Bee Through Radovljica‘ adventure, which is ideal for the entire family.

I hoped I’ve provided you with more than enough reasons, and inspiration, to make sure you do something bee-related on your visit to Slovenia, after all: No Bees, No Life!

© Adele in Slovenia

 

 

 

It’s Chocolate Time (Again and Always!) in Radovljica!

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

It’s just 11 days until the 10th Radovljica Chocolate Festival – how time flies! I remember the first festival, which was just one day and which led to the start of something much bigger.

Over the years we’ve had three-day festivals, two years with virtual festivals due to COVID-19, sunny festivals, rainy festivals, mega festivals with all-things chocolate, and, in the last couple of years, a two-day festival with a focus on the finest chocolate(s) and an entertainment programme for the entire family.

Thanks to the Radolška čokolada chocolatier, you can now enjoy excellent handmade chocolates throughout the year in Radovljica, but, of course, the Radovljica Chocolate Festival, which this year takes place on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th April, is the event of the year for chocoholics far and wide.

Photo: Mankica Kranjec

Over the past few years, a competition has taken place prior to the festival to find the ‘Best Chocolate‘ among the entries from the chocolatiers taking part in the festival.  This year, 14 chocolates from seven Slovenian chocolatiers entered the competition.

The judges of the competition are the owners of the famous Austrian Zotter chocolate manufacturer.

This year, 1st place went to the Snickers chocolate made by the Hiša čokolade Molinet chocolatier from Kropa, 2nd place was taken by the Goat’s choice good choice chocolate, made by the Radolška čokolada chocolatier, and 3rd place was awarded to the Yuzu and pepper chocolate from the Aska chocolatier.

Visitors to the 10th Radovljica Chocolate Festival, will have a chance to try all three of the winning chocolates, which will occupy a special place in Radovljica Manor. An additional competition will take place to find the ‘Best Chocolate Chosen by Visitors‘ as well as a prize game.

In addition to the chocolate itself, among the highlights of this year’s entertainment programme are:

  • Lego sculptures
  • Chocolate treasure hunt
  • Face painting
  • Cookery workshops
  • Live music (Maraaya, WildArt, Suho cvetje…)
  • Circus workshops
  • Stilt walkers
  • Impro show and other live shows and entertainment

As in previous years, tasting of chocolates takes place via the purchase of tasting coupons.

Of course, there will be non-chocolate food and drink available too, courtesy of Taste Radol’ca restaurants, and, as has also become the tradition, the opening event of the festival will take place with a special gourmet dinner at the Michelin-starred restaurant Hiša Linhart.

Hiša Linhart

The 6-course dinner is produced by 3 young chefs and their mentors – Tomaz Bratovž, Restavracija JB (mentor: Janez Bratovž), Martin Zupan, Hisa Linhart (mentor: Uroš Štefelin) and Darko Krstev, Restavracija Strelec (mentor: Igor Jagodic).

11. Festival čokolade - Premierna večerja treh mladih chefov

The three mentors

Some of the dishes will be subtly flavoured with chocolate, while others will be unashamedly full of it.

Those that know me and regular readers of my blog will know I’m a huge chocoholic, and that I have coeliac disease. The good news is that a few of the stands at the festival will also feature gluten-free chocolate, and, even if you aren’t as big a chocoholic as me, there’ll be plenty of entertainment to keep you amused too!

© Adele in Slovenia

 

 

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!

No description available.

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!

May be an image of drink, outdoors and text

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.

May be an image of lake and nature

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

R&R in Radovljica!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, hiking in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Jelovica, Karavanke mountains, mountain biking in Slovenia, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Visit Radol'ca, wellness in Radovljica by

It occurred to me recently that among all the hundreds of blogs I’ve written about Radovljica and the surroundings throughout the years, the large majority have been about active pursuits – my love of hiking, cycling and, of course, food!

However, somewhere along the line I’ve overlooked the fact that Radovljica and its surroundings is also a great place for some R&R – that’s rest and relaxation to you and me!

Of course, what is one person’s idea of R&R can be at polar ends of the spectrum to another, so below I’ve suggested some ways you can include R&R, wellness and well-being, into your visit to the Radovljica area.

Pampering

Massages, facials and more! There are quite a number of beauty salons in the Radovljica area, where you can relax, be pampered and/or be smothered in honey or even mud!

CIMG0932

Cryotherapy 

Numerous sportspeople use cryotherapy, as it is said to help promote faster healing of injuries and can also help with muscle pain and some joint and muscle disorders.

May be an image of 5 people

And here in Radovljica you can try cryotherapy at the Rož’ca salon at the Radovljica Sports Park, where you can also have various massages, magnet therapy and more.

May be an image of 2 people

Wellness and saunas

The small, family-run Sport Hotel Manca is the place to go for a sauna in Radovljica. It has a Turkish, Finnish and infrared sauna, as well as a whirlpool.

The Torok guest house and spa is located in nearby Hraše. Upon prior booking, the wellness area, which features a jacuzzi and Finnish sauna, is also open to non-residents.

Swimming

At the time of writing, the Radovljica Olympic-size swimming pool is undergoing renovation, but is nonetheless open to the public for recreational swimming during the week from 8pm to 10pm and at weekends from 9am to 12noon and from 4pm to 7pm.

In winter the pool is covered, while in summer it is open-air. The pool hosts a wide range of competitions, including national championships, training camps and other events.

Letni bazen Radovljica

The aforementioned Sport Hotel Manca also has an outdoor pool, where in summer you can cool off in the water then sit back and soak up the views of the surrounding mountains.

Bazen

After a day on the slopes in winter, a hike in the Karavanke mountains (whatever the season) or a mountain bike ride on the Jelovica plateau in summer, or even just because ‘you’re worth it’, we all deserve a bit of pampering from time to time, right?!

© Adele in Slovenia