In October, the Association of Tourist Farms of Slovenia organized a study trip for Slovenian journalists to the Zgornja Savinja region and its farmstays.

In the Zgornja Savinja region, we got to know diverse countryside, met the owners of the farms in person, listened to their stories and tasted the authentic local dishes.

Bukovje farmstay

The Bukovje farm is located on the outskirts of Ljubno ob Savinji. The ever- smiling Mrs. Alenka opened her farmstay to us and showed us around. She is a master in making the sweet dessert ajdnek. We also had the opportunity to learn step by step how to make ajdnek buckwheat dough according to a recipe with only 3 ingredients (buckwheat flour, honey, walnuts). We also tasted Savinjski želodec salami, the king of cured meats and a culinary masterpiece of the Zgornje Savinska region, which was first mentioned in 1620. Savinjski želodec salami is geographically protected, has a European quality mark and the process of making Savinski želodec salami has been protected as intangible cultural heritage. Together with Tokec (cider), it is a culinary and gastronomic specialty. We ended our visit at Bukovje farmstay with a tasting of Savinjski žlinkrofi stuffed with meat, accompanied by mashed potatoes and a piece of warm ajdnek pastry. Their pear, peach and apple juices are fantastic.

Visocnik farmstay

In the embrance of the nature, away from the noise and crowds in the pristine countryside at an altitude of 1121 meters you can find Visočnik farmstay. The farm was first mentioned in 1426. We were welcomed by Urška, Viktoria and Martin, who later showed us around granary/kašča constructed in 1880, where we admired the tools used by the Visočniks’ ancestors. At the Visočnik farmstay, you can choose between 3 nicely furnished rooms, 1 apartment, sleeping on a hayrack or 3 glamping huts overlooking the colourful meadows and the magnificent Kamnik-Savinja Alps. We were greeted with homemade schnapps, blueberry liqueur, elderberry juice and a sandwich with Savinski želodec salami. Viktorija and Urška prepared mouthwatering meal from local ingredients and following the traditions and the season. We treated our taste buds with the always good beef soup with homemade noodles, cottage cheese štruklji dumplings, slow-roasted beef, buckwheat kasa and fried mushrooms. We had just enough room for yummy strudel for dessert. Sleeping in a glamping hut was an amazing experience. I woke up with the sound of raindrops on a wooden roof. The self-service breakfast was huge and offered a perfect combination of fresh, local and seasonal delicacies.

Zgornji Zavratnik farmstay

It was raining all morning when we arrived at the Zgornji Zavratnik farmstay near Luče. We were greeted by Simona who offered us a welcome drink (homemade jagermaister, pine tree liqueur, wild strawberry liqueur, lavender juice was mouthwatering!) and a snack (flancati pastries). They deal with youth tourism and offer various activities (sports activities: sports games, hiking, climbing wall, etc.), ethnological activities (traditional weaving and knitting, singing traditional local songs, traditional dances, collection of old tools, etc.), nature activities (wild food, surviving in nature, learning about life on the farm, etc.). The farmstay can accommodate up to 40 people. We spent almost an hour felting and making a key ring. It was meditative and a lot of fun.

Metul homestead

The Metul homestead is located in the village of Krnica. Despite the heavy rain, Tomaž and his mother Jožica greeted us with a big smile, an obrnjenik dish (a former forester’s snack made from buckwheat flour, cream, milk, salt and butter) wrapped in a horseradish leaf, a cup of chicory “coffee” and a glass of cider. There are 2 apartments, an outdoor swimming pool (heated in the cold season!), Jacuzzi, infra-salt sauna and a Finnish bio sauna, a covered terrace with barbecue, 5 e-bikes and u-pick vegetable garden.

Stoglej farmstay

We had mouthwatering lunch at Stoglej farmstay in the village of Podveža. The food served here is fresh, local and seasonal. Milena and Tomaž are fantastic hosts. They welcomed us with homemade walnut schnapps. We indulged our taste buds with liver pâté and homemade bread, pumpkin soup, mashed potatoes with roast pork, vegetable soufflé, buckwheat struklji with millet, jabčen fižol/beans with apple sauce, wild garlic žlinkrofi ravioli. Flancati (a type of deep-fried pastry) were a culinary masterpiece of the day.

Lenar farmstay

It was raining dogs and cats when we finally arrived at the Lenar farmstay in the Logar valley. Gustav, Milka and Urska, who briefly describe the facts about the Logar Valley, run a farmstay that can accommodate up to 30 people. The stylishly furnished rooms and apartments are suitable for families, couples and solo travelers. Last but not least, they are offering sauna, e-bikes and a place for small meetings.

The Zgornja Savinja region is a year-round tourist destination with outstanding farmstays and a true culinary paradise.