It’s very easy to fall in love with
Slovenia: a few days here and you’ll
feel like you’re in paradise. But there
are two things you have to do to
make Slovenians fall in love with
you, our guide tells us as we zig-zag
our way through the luscious green
countryside. Number one: don’t
mix them up with Slovakia, please.
And number two: don’t call them an
Eastern European country. We’re in
Central Europe, babes.
I’m here with my wife, Sarah,
for Pink Week, billed as “the best
LGBT travel choice for your trip to
Slovenia”, with an itinerary promising
an opportunity to discover the
unique hidden corners of Slovenia.
And vineyards. Endless vineyards.
Basically, it’s a wine-fuelled romp
through probably the most gorgeous
country I’ve ever visited. Doesn’t get
better than that, really.
Slovenia really loves wine hard, I
quickly discover. I have the first glass
thrust into my hand within an hour
of arriving and, lovely as it is, by the
end of the trip, I am but a grape. Be a
darling and pass me a beer, will you?
Thankfully, Slovenia also loves
food, because I need something
substantial to soak up all the
alcohol. Where better to feast than
the magnificent Hotel Grad Otoˇcec
(grad-otocec.com), famous for its five-
star fine dining as well as its location?
Built in the middle of the shallow
waters of the Krka river, I can hardly
believe my eyes as we pull up outside
this stunning Gothic castle, which we
will be calling home for the first two
nights of the trip. Several (hundred)
pictures later, we head downstairs for
some rather posh-looking lunch, and
it does not disappoint.
A walk around the grounds and
a few more snaps on, Sarah and Ifreshen up for dinner, before heading
to a nearby vineyard cottage for what
feels like an 18-course meal – paired,
of course, with local wine, chosen by
expert Mira Šemi ́c. Slovenian cuisine
is diverse, thanks to its location, and
the influences of its four neighbouring
countries are evident on the menu.
The star of tonight’s show, for me, is
the utterly delightful custard cream
cake, though it feels like a bit of an
endurance test to get to the end.
There’s more wine the next
morning as we head to Bela Krajina,
a stunning region in the south east,
so close to the border with Croatia a
text message from EE pops up on my
phone welcoming us to the country.
After a quick bite to eat in the
stunning grounds of Šturm winery(@sturmwinery), we take shelter from
the hot midday sun in the depths of
the wine cellar. There, we’re given the
opportunity to sample a selection,
including its famous ice wine. A bit
too sweet for my taste, but the others
on the trip with us love it, going in for
a second (and third) glass.
Nice and merry, it’s time for that
famous Slovenian pastime: sheep
wrestling. Also known as “tie a scarf
around a sheep’s neck without killing
yourself or an animal”. The “fun farm
games” we’ve been promised at Eco
Farm Totter (@kmetijatotter) have us in
stitches, but take a dark turn when
one of the sheep collapses. Thankful-ly, it’s nothing to worry about, and we
leave the farm with a cabbage crown
(my team were the runners up). But,
more importantly, without a sheep
death on our conscience. Ph-ewe.
We do lunch rustic-style at Kozma
Farmstay, situated just across the river
from Croatia. It’s so beautiful here, I
want to give you my eyes so you can
see it for yourself, because words and
pictures just don’t do it justice. At all.
We paddle our feet and skim stones
across the water, before being led
through a short meditation on the
beach. Phone on Do Not Disturb mode
and free from the tyranny of endless
notifications, I feel myself relax, the
only noise the sound of my own
breathing and the water gently rush-
ing past. For the first time in a long
while, I’m thinking only of now, and
it occurs to me that I can’t remember
the last time I felt quite so still and so
at peace.
That evening, we play games and
dance with the locals, laughing so
much I almost do myself a mischief.
I even get that beer I’ve been longing
for. Bela Krajina is really quite some-
thing, and Sarah and I exchange a
knowing look: we will be coming back
here very soon.
Rejuvenated by a few days of
country air, I want to get a sense of
what life’s actually like for queer
people living in Slovenia. Where bet-
ter than lez-owned Ljubljana hot spot
Pritliˇcje (pritlicje.si)?
There, I grab a seat in the sun
and a nice cold drink with co-owners
Nina and Barbara. How have things
changed for queer women since DIVA
last met with them, two years ago?
“I guess society has moved on,” says
Nina thoughtfully. “The atmosphere
has changed a lot, in my opinion.
Young people, they are much >>>Go Slo
CARRIE
LY E L L
TRAVELS
EAST TO
EXPERIENCE
SLOVENIA
AND
DISCOVERS
AN ECLECTIC
EUROPEAN
EDENIt’s time for that famous
Slovenian pastime:
sheep wrestling”
83TRAVEL | SLOVENIA