Trip of a Lifetime: Slovenia for Food Lovers. Who Knew

Only a few spots left. This trip is run by my great friend, Kim Hartke and will be an amazing experience.

Taste of Slovenia: A Real Food Experience,  May 16-23, 2013

On this foodies tour of Slovenia, you will visit the Adriatic Sea Coast, Goriska Brda, Karst, Vipava Valley, Julian Alps, Lakes Bled and Bohinj, Cerknica, Kocevje, and Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia.

The tour of Slovenia will focus on the tiny nation’s traditional foodways. Participants will visit Istrian vineyards, alpine dairy farms, mountain pastures, cheese artisans, farmers markets, olive groves, biodynamic and alpine apiaries, sea salt pans, sea bass farm, charcutiers, learn about traditional methods of production, and participate in tastings of traditional products.

Where is Slovenia, and why Slovenia?

Terraced Grape Vines in Biljana, Slovenia

This small microcosm is located at the crossroads of Europe and neighbors on  Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia. Because of its location, history, and geology, Slovenia shares a food history with these countries which is reflected in its cuisine.

Taste of Slovenia is a unique food tour like no other- a food odyssey of rich sensual culinary experiences and a hands-on introduction to the best of Slovenia’s traditional culinary heritage, as well as the latest culinary achievements in the areas of Slow Food and wine.  In beautiful natural settings, you can see, touch, smell and taste first-hand the products of culinary traditions that have been passed down for generations.  You will meet and talk with artisans and experience a myriad of real foods – raw milk cheeses, prosciutto, sausages, olive oil, fruits, wines, honey champagne and much more. And you can expect some surprises- you never know what seasonal specialty your host will share with you on the day of your visit!

“Because of our small size, all foods are local in Slovenia,” says Professor of Dairy Science at the University of Ljubljana, Irena Rogel

Experience this amazing food tour of Slovenia in Central Europe, where cultures meld into a unique cuisine, combining local traditional foods in a place of unsurpassed natural beauty.

In this small country, about half the size of  Switzerland, where land is at a premium, real food has always been extremely important. Even today, the emphasis is still on “domaca,” fresh, local, naturally grown foods which are prepared at home.  Traditional foods continue to hold a special place in Slovenian cuisine

See the Ancient Castles on this Tour of Slovenia

Step Back into Time, Yet Witness the Future of Food

Slovenia is a small, green microcosm, a reflection of past and present Europe, with a rich, complex history set in a magnificent breath taking natural world of  pristine lakes, waterfalls, plains, mountains, and valleys. With Austria, its northern neighbor, she shares the alpine environment which includes beautiful peaks, wild flowers, glacial lakes, and wildlife like the chamois, immortalized in the Slovene, Austrian and Italian folktale of the legendary, Zlatorog (Goldenhorn).  Slovenia flows into the Hungarian plains on the northeastern border all the way to Vienna. The mysterious Karst with its many caves leads on to the  Slovenian coast, the Adriatic Sea and Italy on the western border of Slovenia, which provide the special climate of smiling sun,  grape terraces, olive groves and rosemary. Croatia, to the south, extends the karst and Dinaric Alps down its long coastline

Because of its location at the crossroads of Europe, many peoples have lived on the territory, “na Slovenskem”:  Celts, Romans legions, South Slavic, Turks, even Napoleon’s armies.  Later, as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and then Yugoslavia, the country’s rich culinary heritage continued to grow. Now, as an independent country since 1992, and member of the European Union, Slovenes proudly bring their culinary traditions into the modern age.

Janez Botogaj

This food tour of Slovenia will showcase the rich culinary heritage of the country, which includes wines, cheeses and  raw dairy, prosciutto and other charcuterie, olive oil,  honey, brandies, truffles, pastries and desserts, natural juices, jams, jellies, salt, seafoods, dormouse, farmers markets, mineral waters, Slow Food, local food and food products. In addition, guest speakers, local food and wine experts, including Ales Kristancic, winemaker extraordinaire; Janez Bogotaj, award winning author; and bee expert, Janko Bozic, PhD, will be on hand to give in-depth detail about the Slovenian traditional culinary heritage.

How to Sign Up, Learn More

Land price of the tour is $1855 on a double room basis per person. **$372 per person single supplement; $423 (328.00 Euro) per person double solo supplement- a single person in a double room.

Visit Sylvia’s blog “Taste of Slovenia” at www.foodtourslovenia.wordpress.com for all information about the tour, including traveling to Slovenia, and paying for the trip.

For more information, contact Sylvia Onusic at  tasteofslovenia (at) gmail (dot) com or Kim Hartke at kim (dot) hartke (at) gmail (dot) com.