Culinary experiences

Goodies from Alpine pastures on the slopes of Mt Raduha

The farm lies below mighty Mt Raduha at an altitude of 850 metres with 45 hectares of land. It gives a view of the Veža and Križevnik pastures. The farmstead is set in a solitary spot surrounded by meadows and woods, at the end of a drive leading to the farm only; you can get your fill of peace and quiet and enjoy a truly carefree holiday. You will be able to soak up the good energy and take it home with you, along with some new knowledge for life.


No need to take a single car ride for three whole days!

 

The weekend experience is suitable for families with children, groups of co-workers, friends or pensioners, and also for jubilee celebrations with a difference.


A minimum of 10 adults is required to carry out the programme as described below.

Day 1

Arrival on Friday afternoon. You will be welcomed by your friendly hosts with a shot of schnapps or a glass of homemade juice. After checking into your room, Simona will show you round the farm and tell you about the types and breeds of farm animals, about farming on a mountain farm and how their cows' milk is used and processed.

You have probably never seen how cheese is made. The hostess will show you the process as done at her farm.

Dinner will follow, prepared largely from foods produced by the farm. After a dinner of local and seasonal dishes, which you may have met with and tasted for the first time, you will light a campfire and have a chat at its side. You will then be joined by a žalik žena and told the story about the origin of Luče.

You must be wandering who this žalik žena might be…

Žalik žene are mythical beings from folk stories. They are kind-hearted white ladies with lovely long hair. Generally friendly to people, they advise farmers on land tilling and will help them as long as they are left alone. They bless herdsmen's animals and make sure the cattle have enough milk and they may give a farmstead a ball of thread which never ends unless the farmwife curses it. Like good fairies, žalik žene appear when needed most. They have magical powers and can grant wishes.

Day 2

You will be roused by birdsong from the grassy orchard and woods that encircle the farm. For breakfast you will be served white coffee, tea from herbs picked in the local meadows and woods, homemade cured meat products (smoked bacon, salami, savinjski želodec), homemade pâté, young and matured cheeses, full-fat cottage cheese, butter and homemade jams.

After breakfast, Simona will take you for a walk on the farm meadows and tell you about the medicinal plants along the way, some of them for aromatic teas. Especially for visitors of the farm, a little house was set up with a display of various local herbs in glass jars. You can then make tea in the house with some guidance. Adults will have the chance to try some homemade bitter spirits and listen to the hostess reveal the recipe for it, and perhaps some other secrets, too…

On your walk in the meadow you will meet cowherd Jernej, who will tell you a cowherding story in an interesting and fun way. You will be asked to join some cowherds' games, which are social in character rather than physically challenging. These old games, now mostly forgotten, will make you laugh and help you bond.

You will enjoy a cowherd's lunch with treats from the farm simply in the meadow.

After lunch, you can take some time just for yourself to relax, rest, chat in the children's playground at the house, play tennis, volleyball, cycle or walk down the ethnological wood trail to get a glimpse of how woodcutters used to live in the past. Alternatively, you could drive to the Logar Valley, which is only 30 minutes away, and enjoy the lovely scenery in the embrace of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps.


Day 3

Breakfast is followed by a hike to two highland pastures on Mt Raduha, Javor and Loka at 1500 metres of altitude, which will take two hours of walking along a partly steep path through the woods. The hike is suitable for primary schoolchildren and possibly younger children if used to such distances.

On Javor, you will be welcomed by cowherd Jože and told about life on the mountain, which is a far cry from life in the valley. You will learn about a cowherd's daily routine, see his house, find out when they put cattle out to pasture and return to the valley, when a wild cock can be heard singing in the dwarf pines, and more.

The cowherd will dish up a herd's snack, home-baked bread, mohovt (cottage cheese with caraway) and soured milk.

In the afternoon, you can also visit the Snežna jama cave on the Arta pasture, which is around half an hour's walk from Javor. After the two-hour-long visit to the cave you will return to the farm. The hosts can pick up any guests too tired to walk back.

Back at the farm you can get a light supper before going home.

The programme includes:

· 2 x half-board

· a cowherd's lunch packed in cloth

· a cowherd's snack

· herb tea tasting

· tour of the farm with guided activities

 

The price is EUR 95 per person.

Free for children under 5, half-price for children from 5 to 8, 30% off for children from 9 to 14

EUR 1.5 tourist tax per person per day

The hosts will be happy to cater to your needs and prepare other memorable experiences for your group. Your call and visit will be warmly received.

 

Information and reservation:

Tourist farm Zgornji Zavratnik

Raduha 49 a

3334 Luče

Tel.: +386 (3)838 41 60, +386 (0)41 334 531

info@zgornjizavratnik.com

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