Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia; Culinary Autumn in Radol’ca

Summer has been and gone and the leaves on the trees are already showing signs of autumn, which means it’s time for Culinary Autumn in Radol’ca!

I’m more than excited to announce that the opening event of this year’s Culinary Autumn is Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia, which is the successor to last year’s Gluten-Free Festival that I organised in Radovljica. Planning for this year’s event began shortly after new year, and having worked almost flat-out on for the past few months I think I’m justified in wanting to shout about it – loudly!

The opening event of Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia will take place on Saturday 28th September, with an international cookery workshop followed by a reception and concert in Radovljica Manor and then gluten-free dinner at Hiša Linhart, cooked by Michelin-starred chef Uroš Štefelin. Dinner is also available on Friday 27th September, Saturday 28th September and Sunday lunch on 29th September, reservations are mandatory in all cases.

The main day of the Expo is Sunday 29th September 2024, when, in addition to an education programme, children’s programme and entertainment and sports programme, around 30 providers of gluten-free food will be selling their products and some of them offering free tastings.

People have various reasons for not eating gluten; those of us with coeliac disease have no choice, then there are those who are intolerant and others who choose not to eat gluten. Whatever the reason, or even if you are just curious, you will find something at the Expo to suit all tastes and for all generations.

For more information click here.

Last weekend an article was published about Gluten-Free Expo in the Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung.

And I even appeared on the breakfast TV programme Jutro na Planetu last week, together with Anna Nica Simoncic, the owner of the gluten-free burger bar. Anna showed viewers how to make gluten-free tortellini and I talked about life with coeliac disease, how to read food labels and, of course, Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia.

After the Expo, Culinary Autumn in Radol’ca continues with Farmer’s Table, which made its debut last year and proved to be a huge success.

Imagine the scenario… some of Radovljica’s best chefs, a menu featuring dishes prepared with traceable ingredients – some sourced directly from the farm where lunch will take place – a ride on a hay wagon, a farm tour with tastings, lunch at the farm and music.

But that’s just the start! Other events throughout October and November include, among others:

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So, it’s certainly going to be a busy and tasty autumn!

Please keep your fingers crossed for nice weather on Sunday 29th September, and, of course, if you are in Slovenia, come along to Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia. Everyone welcome!

© Adele in Slovenia

 

 

 

What’s New, What’s Hot and What’s What!

It took its time but at last I can say that summer seems to have arrived in Slovenia!

There’s so much going on at this time of year in Radovljica and the surroundings, I’ve put together this blog to help you narrow down the choices of what to do and see, where to go, and, as per the title, what’s new, what’s hot and what’s what!

Since many visitors to the area are interested in the great outdoors, I’ll start with some tips for hiking and cycling, which also happen to be my two favourite summer activities.

My cycling tips: Radovljica to Žirovnica and the Završnica valley; Radovljica to Begunje na Gorenjskem and the Draga Valley; Radovljica through the Lipnica Valley to Kropa and onwards to Jamnik (by bike via the road or on foot through the forest)

The Završnica Reservoir, photo: Visit Žirovnica

My hiking tips: Kropa to the Vodiška planina mountain pasture; Lancovo to the Hunters’ Lodge on Talež on the Jelovica plateau; Begunje na Gorenjskem to St. Peter’s Church; Draga Valley to Mt. Begunščica via the Roblekov dom mountain hut

In addition, there are plenty of other activities and events to ensure you won’t be bored this summer!

Open-Air Cinema – outdoor film screenings under the stars. Click here to see the programme.

NEW Sailplane Grand Prix – the Lesce Sports Airfield will host the FAI Sailplane Grand Prix, which is a qualification event for the world championship. Find out more here.

Summer Guided Tours – between 15th June and 15th September you can take a guided tour, organised by the Radovljica and Begunje tourist information centres. Click here for more information.

Thursdays in the Square – live concerts and Taste Radol’ca street food in Linhart Square. Click here to find out more.

Radovljica Festival – lovers of early music have been enjoying the Radovlijca Festival for more than 40 years. In addition to concerts, music workshops also take place. Click here to read more.

And finally, I can’t wait to tell you about my latest ‘project’. After last year’s successful Festival of Gluten-Free Flavours and Fun in Radovljica, this year I’ve gone one step further and it’s now turned into Gluten-Free Expo Slovenia!

The Expo provides visitors with an opportunity to discover new products and flavours, buy some of the best gluten-free food available, listen to esteemed speakers from Slovenia and further afield and discover medieval Radovljica and its surroundings. The Expo features over 25 providers of gluten-free food, 2 food trucks, a children’s programme, live music, expert talks and workshops, and an entertainment and sports programme featuring, among others, guided tours, guided walks and cycle tours. All this and more!

Everyone is welcome, regardless of whether or not you follow a gluten-free diet. Entrance is free. You can read more about the expo in Slovenian here https://glutenfreeexposlo.com/ and in English here https://glutenfreeexposlo.com/en/

© Adele in Slovenia

 

 

 

Chocolate Comes to Town!

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.

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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.

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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.

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Hope to see you (t)here.

© Adele in Slovenia