Discover Brežice and the Bizeljsko Wine Road

Posted in Brezje, Castles in Slovenia, cycling, Festivals in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Sava river, Slovenia, Spas in Slovenia, thermal spas by adeleinslovenia

The town of Brežice, in the south-east of Slovenia, is framed by the Gorjanci mountain range, is the location of the confluence of the Sava and Krka rivers, home to the magnificent Brežice Castle and other sights of interest, as well as being close to Bizeljsko and the Bizeljsko-Sremič Tourist Wine Route and the Čatež Thermal Spa.

During my stay at the Čatež Thermal Spa, I took time to ‘Discover Brežice’ – as the town’s tourism slogan goes. I set off by bike and first headed to the Brežice Castle and Museum, which is without doubt the jewel among the town’s historic buildings.

The Renaissance castle was turned into a residential castle by the aristocratic Attems family in the late 17th/early 18th century. The Baroque painted Knights’ Hall is most definitely the pièce de résistance and really has to be seen to be able to appreciate its full magnificence and the vibrancy of colours.

The 46 metre-high Brežice Water Tower was built in 1914 in order to provide the town with water. It no longer serves its original purpose but remains the most visible and well-known of the town’s landmarks. Today you can sit in the café on the ground floor and look up to enjoy the view!

Whilst in the area you simply must drive, cycle, or walk, along part of the Bizeljsko-Sremič Tourist Wine Road and pay a visit to a ‘repnice‘ – quartz sand caves which are nowadays used for storing wine.

From Brežice it took around 45 minutes by bike to reach the Najger repnice. The area’s landscape has an almost Tuscan feel to it and, although I was cycling on main roads, traffic was light and it was a pleasurable and scenic ride. The area is part of the Kozjanso Nature Park – one of the oldest and largest protected areas in Slovenia.

Not really knowing what to expect, I found the Najger repnice absolutely fascinating. Repnice caves were originally used for storing turnips (‘repa‘ in Slovene, hence the name ‘repnice‘) during winter, at the time when turnips were the main fodder for livestock.

These days, the caves, made from dug out quart sand, are used for storing wine and visitors have a chance to taste and buy some of the excellent home-made wines, accompanied by a plate of home-produced cheese and dried meats, or other homemade delights.

The rooms inside the caves are at a constant temperature, offering perfect conditions for storing wine. To really understand the marvel of these caves it is necessary to understand how much work went in to digging them out; for each small room it took around 3 months of working 8 hours per day. Now if that isn’t hard labour and dedication I don’t know what is. The results, however, were well worth it!

If you look closely at the sandstone you can make out various natural shapes and patterns. Which animal can you see here?

CIMG1797

Following the tour of the cave there was also the chance to buy some of the home-produced wine, at more-than reasonable prices, which makes an idea gift or a treat for yourself – it was sweet muscat wine for me!

The vast Terme Čatež Thermal Spa is one of the main attractions in the area and offers year-round water-based fun for all the family. You can read a full account of my visit here – http://wp.me/p7jQx9-8y

In bygone days, boats and ferries regularly transported people and goods from one side of the Sava river from the Čatež Thermal Spa to the village of Mostec and back. Nowadays, the special ‘brod’ ferries offer short pleasure trips along the river.

The 7-day Brežice My Town Festival, the largest festival in the Posavje region, takes place annually at the end of June and attracts thousands of visitors from Slovenia and neighbouring countries. The festival programme includes a wide range of concerts, performances, activities for children, sports challenges and a chance to sample some of the best local cuisine.

For more information about all the above visit the Discover Brežice website – http://www.discoverbrezice.com/EN/

© Adele in Slovenia

3Oct2016

Wacky and Wonderful Rainy Day Ideas in Slovenia – The Sunny Side of the Alps!

Posted in adeleinslovenia, Beekeeping, Beekeeping in Slovenia, Castles in Slovenia, caves in Slovenia, churches in Slovenia, cycling, Food, ifeelsLOVEnia, Ljubljana, mountain biking in Slovenia, Postojna cave, Radovljica, Slovenia, Spas in Slovenia, thermal spas by adeleinslovenia

Autumn can be one of the nicest times of year here in Slovenia. The heat of the summer has subsided, and with it the risk of afternoon showers, the roads and tourist hotspots are less crowded, and the leaves falling from the trees are a wonderful kaleidoscope of autumn gold and russet colours.

However, although Slovenia is often called ‘The Sunny Side of the Alps’, let’s face it, it does also rain at times!

Bohinj Lake in Autumn – Photo: Dunja Wedam_3099_orig

Much of Slovenia’s natural beauty lies in the great outdoors. So, as I know only too well, it can be frustrating when it isn’t possible to get out there and enjoy it. But, it doesn’t have to spell disaster! There are still plenty of things to see and do, whatever the weather. So, in this blog, I’ve listed a few ideas for what to do on those gloomy, rainy, and maybe even snowy, days!

MUSEUMS – There are hundreds to choose from, thus it’s nigh-on impossible to single one out, so I’ve whittled down the choice somewhat, though, of course, the list is far from exhaustive. Below are just a few of the largest and most popular.

The Park of Military History in Pivka – even those who don’t consider themselves fans of military history, will find something here. The highlight is the chance to go inside the P-913 Zeta submarine. Read more about my recent visit here – http://goo.gl/nWm3Mq and find more information here – http://parkvojaskezgodovine.si/en/

Photo: Simon Avsec http://www.slovenia.info

The UNESCO-listed Anthony’s Shaft Idria Mercury Mine – more than 700kms of tunnels, and 500 years of mercury mining. More information here – http://www.antonijevrov.si/index.php/en

Photo: Visitidrija.si

The Museum of Apiculture in Radovljica – housed in the magnificent Baroque Radovljica Mansion. Learn about beekeeping in Slovenia and see the oldest beehive panel in the world.

Photo: Tourism Radovljica

Škofja Loka Museum – housed in Loka Castle, one of Slovenia’s finest castles in the heart of the historic medieval old town. It boasts extensive and impressive museum collections. More information here – http://www.loski-muzej.si/en/

Photo: Jana Jocif

The Ptuj-Ormož Museum – housed in Ptuj Castle, in Slovenia’s oldest city. Highlights include the collections of traditional carnival masks, musical instruments and glass paintings, as well as the Castle Gallery. More information here – http://pmpo.si/en/

Bistra Castle and the Technical Museum of Slovenia. The castle was originally a Carthusian monastery during the period from 1260 – 1782 and was later changed into a manor house. It houses an eclectic mix of exhibitions including the Slovenian Hunting Museum and a collection of ex-President Tito’s cars. Read more here – http://wp.me/p3005k-NM and find more information here – http://www.tms.si/index.php

Ljubljana’s museums and galleries – being the capital city, there is a wide choice, among them the National Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art, the City Art Museum, and the Railway Museum. Find out more here – http://goo.gl/WCnyYn

EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY! – It certainly doesn’t have to be bad weather to ‘Eat, Drink and Be Merry’, but a dose of traditional hearty Slovene food on a cold damp day is sure to lift your spirits!

Suggested traditional dishes and foods include; bograč, štruklji, jota, ričet, žlikrofi, kremšnita, gibanica. Read more in this previous blog entitled ‘Love Food – Love Slovenia: 10 Must Try Foods – https://adeleinslovenia.com/2016/02/18/love-food-love-slovenia-10-must-try-slovene-foods/

WINE or CRAFT BEER TASTING – Take your pick! There is plenty to choose from! You could head to one of the many wine-growing areas, such as Goriška Brda and the Vipava Valley, or, if you are in the capital, leave the choice to an expert and set off on a Ljubljananjam guided food walk, which can be tailored to suit. Read more here http://goo.gl/KqwmVo and find more information here – http://www.ljubljananjam.si/

EXPLORE A CAVE OR TWO – With a constant temperature year-round, a visit to one of Slovenia’s tourist caves isn’t weather dependant. The Postojna Caves and the UNESCO-listed Škocjan Caves are the most popular, though there are also hundreds of other smaller caves.

Photo: Iztok Medja for Postojnska jama

SOMETHING DIFFERENT – Not necessarily ‘wacky’ but here are a few ‘out there’ ideas for a different way to spend a rainy day.

Cycle through a mountain! Just because it’s not cycling weather, it doesn’t mean you can’t cycle! For a unique experience try mountain biking through the former lead, zinc and iron ore mines under the Peca massif in Koroška. Read more here – http://goo.gl/DOvjXl

Try and escape the Enigmarium Escape Rooms – Literally lock yourself in (or rather someone else locks you in!) a room, or even an igloo, and try to escape by solving clues before the time runs out. Don’t get locked in! Find out more here – http://escape-room.si/?lang=en

Photo: Enigmarium.si

And finally, if its wet outside, how about some pampering and/or water-based enjoyment at one of Slovenia’s thermal spas. This year I have been on a journey of discovery of them all – well almost all, just one to go! You can follow my journey here – https://spasinslovenia.com/

© Adele in Slovenia

4Jul2016

Award-Winning Olimje – A Very Special Slovene Village

Posted in cycling, ifeelsLOVEnia, Slovenia, thermal spas by adeleinslovenia

The village of Olimije is located in the east of Slovenia in the Styria (Štajerska) region, right on the border with Croatia. The whole area is idyllic, awash with unspoilt nature, lush green forests, hills, vineyards, and far from any major roads, industry and pollution. It’s no wonder, then, that it has won several ‘best kept’ village awards.

The star of the show, which has people flocking to see from far and wide, is the Olimje church, Minorite monastery and old pharmacy.

Olimije is almost a direct extension of the town of Podčetrtek, which has a tourist information centre, numerous accommodation options, eateries and a handful of shops. The town is also served by special ‘spa trains’, operated by Slovenian Railways, which run from Ljubljana. Visitors arriving by train are also entitled to special discounts and benefits. More information here – http://www.slo-zeleznice.si/en/passenger-transport/around-slovenia/the-spa-train

Once there, the dinky tourist road train is a perfect way to get around and see all the area’s sights of interest.

During my 3-day visit I stayed at the Olimia Thermal Spa, which makes an ideal base for exploring the area, and where you can also indulge in some luxurious treatments and water-based activities at the Orhidelia Wellness Centre that has for the last five consecutive years been voted the best in Slovenia. You can read plenty more about that here –https://spasinslovenia.com/2016/06/07/terme-olimia-the-best-wellness-centre-in-slovenia/

From the spa I went by bike on the cycle path to Olimje. My first port of call was a visit to the Olimje church, monastery and old pharmacy. This place, formerly a castle, was first mentioned in historical records in 1208 as a place of the Shrine of the Assumption of Mary. The castle was then turned into a monastery and pharmacy – now one of the oldest pharmacies in Europe.

For over 120 years it was inhabited by the Pauline Monks, who, in 1665, were responsible for building the magnificent and extremely ornate Baroque church, which features one of the biggest golden altars in Slovenia, as well as numerous other notable pictures, frescoes and statues.

The Pauline Monks produced their own natural remedies, and, according to their monastic rule, the monastery had to have a room for any sick brothers with an adjacent room for medicine and remedies. The frescoes in the pharmacy were painted by Lerchinger in 1780 and represent various biblical scenes.

I was astonished at the number of people, hailing from all over Europe, that were queuing in the pharmacy to buy herbal teas, tinctures, syrups and apiculture products. There seems to be a ‘cure’ for every ailment imaginable, all of which are grown and produced by the monks-in-residence.

Adjacent to the monastery building is the Syncerus Chocolate Boutique (Čokoladnica Olimje). Yes, you’re right, that was the MAIN reason for my visit!

I was, literally, like a kid in a sweet shop trying to choose from all the delicious handmade chocolates on offer and I might, just might, have bought a few (kilos!). The shop is open daily throughout the year, from 10am – 5pm in winter, and from 10am – 7pm in the summer season. More information here – http://cokoladnica-olimje.si/

My next stop, just a few minutes uphill from the monastery, was the Jelenov Greben deer farm. The estate comprises a guest house and apartments, a restaurant, a shop selling homemade products such as venison sausages, jams, juices, honey etc., the Star Ata winery and, the stars of the show, the deer and mouflon which roam the estate freely and seem largely unperturbed by humans – meaning you can even get right up close to feed them. More information here – http://www.jelenov-greben.si/

Also within close proximity is the Amon Estate, which is a family-run business and the oldest private winemaking company in Slovenia. The estate features a 9-hole golf course – A Golf, a guest house, and a small shop selling homemade products. It was a perfect spot for me to sit back, take a break, and enjoy the tranquillity and the views. More information here – http://www.amon.si/index.php?si

More information about all the above, and more, can be found here – http://www.turizem-podcetrtek.si/en/

13Jun2016

Spas, Caves, Eats and Other Rainy (and Not So Rainy) Day Ideas!

Posted in Beekeeping, Beekeeping in Slovenia, Begunje, caves in Slovenia, cycling, Festivals in Slovenia, Food, Hiking, ifeelsLOVEnia, Ljubljana, Mosnje, Museums, Okusi Radol'ce, olm, Postojna cave, proteus, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Restaurants, Slovenia, Taste Radol'ca, thermal spas, Tourism Radol'ca, Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

Anyone visiting Slovenia in the last fortnight might be forgiven for thinking it rains here a lot! Please be reassured, however, that this much rain in June is not the norm. In the 9+ years I’ve been living here, I don’t think I can remember such a prolonged period of wet weather at this time of year. It really is turning out to be a strange year, weather-wise. After having very little snow during winter, we then had snow in late-April, and now, in the second-half of May and early June, it seems to be April! It’s been either raining torrentially or the clouds have been looming ominously, making it frustratingly difficult to go anywhere too far from home.

The good news is that it’s set to improve soon, just a couple more days of these storms then hot, dry weather is headed our way, yippee! In the meantime, I thought I’d share some of my ideas for how to spend rainy, as well as not so rainy, days in the Radovljica area and elsewhere in Slovenia.

VISIT A SPA

It doesn’t matter what the weather is doing outside if you are inside getting wet anyway! All of Slovenia’s thermal spas feature indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, jacuzzis and modern wellness facilities, offering something for all the family. You can read plenty more about spas and the facilities here and read some insider tips from me, here – https://spasinslovenia.com/

DELVE INTO THE MAGICAL UNDERWORLD IN CAVES

A visit to one Slovenia’s caves, such as Postojna Caves or the UNESCO-listed Škocjan Caves, is ideal whatever the weather. There are over 9,000 caves in Slovenia, though only a small number of these are open to the public. The temperature in the caves is constant year-round so it really doesn’t matter if its snowing or there’s a heat-wave! All of the caves are fascinating and unique, and the current phenomena of the newly-hatched ‘baby dragons’ at Postojna Caves provides an additional reason to visit. Read more here – https://adeleinslovenia.com/2016/06/01/the-phenomenal-postojna-proteus-phenomena/

Underground river Pivka in Postojna Cave_photo Iztok Medja for Postojnska jama

VISIT, TASTE & DRINK RADOVLJICA

Rainy days always bring an influx of visitors to the Radovljica area as the small town packs in quite a few sights of interest. You can visit the Lectar Gingerbread Workshop, the Museum of Apiculture, the Šivec House Gallery, and the Beekeeping Education Centre of Gorenjska. More here – http://www.radolca.si/en/

I don’t know about you, but this miserable weather makes me want to eat, eat, and then eat some more! The participating Taste Radol’ca restaurants all offer home-cooked, and locally sourced and produced food. Or why not visit the Sodček Wine Bar for a wine tasting session. More here – https://adeleinslovenia.com/taste-radolca/

LISTEN TO SLOVENE FOLK MUSIC AT AVSENIK

Visit Avsenik in Begunje na Gorenjskem – home to the world-renowned legendary Avsenik music – a popular style of folk music. There are regular live events, festivals and workshops, and you can also visit the gallery and museum. More here – http://www.avsenik.com/en

TAKE IN SOME CULTURE AT SUMMER MUSEUM NIGHT

There are hundreds of museums and galleries in Slovenia and a lot of attention is placed on culture and cultural-related events and activities. Next Saturday, 18th June, is Summer Museum Night, when, from 6pm until midnight, museums and galleries throughout the country offer free entrance and host special events. More information here – http://www.tms.si/PMN/?page_id=67

GO SHOPPING

Admittedly, I’m not a fan of shopping, particularly large shopping centres and especially when on holiday in a place where the great outdoors is so ‘great!’ So when I say ‘shopping’ I don’t mean traipsing round clothes shops, and getting hot, bothered and irritated in changing rooms (or is that just me?). Instead, when on holiday, I prefer to browse craft shops, visit local markets, buy and try local produce, and try to find unique buys. I particularly like foodie events such as Odprta Kuhna (Open Kitchen), which takes place every Friday (weather permitting) in Ljubljana. Closer to home at Vila Podvin in Mošnje a market takes place on the first Saturday of every month from 9am-noon, come rain or shine. You can meet local producers, buy food and non-food goods, and enjoy a delicious lunch cooked by one of Slovenia’s top chefs, Uroš Štefelin. More information here – http://www.vilapodvin.si/events

I hope to have provided some ideas and inspiration, after all, the weather may mean some plans have to curtailed but there’s always plenty more to see and do until the next sunny day comes along!

Adele in Slovenia

My life and adventures in Radovljica and throughout Slovenia

Tag Archives: Spas in Slovenia

Discover Brežice and the Bizeljsko Wine Road

Wacky and Wonderful Rainy Day Ideas in Slovenia – The Sunny Side of the Alps!

Award-Winning Olimje – A Very Special Slovene Village

Spas, Caves, Eats and Other Rainy (and Not So Rainy) Day Ideas!