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A Rural Adventure The search for the good life continues in the Soča Valley by sam moffett Well, I’ve gone and
done it. I've fallen in love in Slovenia, as well as falling in love
with it. I am a paraglider pilot and DJ by trade. In the year
1999 I got the chance to play music at the closing party for the
European paragliding championships in the Soča Valley, and I’ve
been coming back every year since. Four years ago, I took the next
logical step and bought a house in the tiny village of Poljubinj,
near to Tolmin in the far northwest of the country. The Soča Valley region of Slovenia is one of Europe’s best kept secrets. Only four kilometres from Italy, it still retains it’s Eastern European enchantment for the moment, and sympathetic visitors should take advantage of this before the European Union and rising visitor numbers take their toll. One of the best ways to enjoy the chocolate box delights of the Juliana Alps is to try kmečki turizm, or farm tourism. Farmers and food producers in this and other regions open their doors for holidaymakers to stay and observe how a typical farm operates, help out, and of course sample the superb rustic food they serve. Traveling by paraglider is a unique and unforgettable way to experience the countryside. A paraglider is a portable flying machine, resembling a tapered parachute. Developed from ram-air parachutes, they provide simple, efficient and effective aerial transport for thrill-seekers worldwide. The Julian Alps are a great arena for the sport, and I am lucky enough to live directly under one of the premier flying sites in Europe, Kobala mountain. Paragliders provide a great way to get around mountains, so my girlfriend and I decided to take a tour of local farms by air, on my tandem chute, using the currents of rising air to soar over the waterfalls and gorges of the Soča Valley. Our first stopping point was
Pri Kafolu, the Leban family farm, in the neighbouring village of
Prapetno. Jožica Leban and her husband Ivan run a relaxed kmetija
turizm establishment. As we touched down in a nearby field, we heard
the sounds of music and raucous laughter. Their lunch session had
turned into an impromptu party, for no particular reason. The good
wine had been decanted, and čevapčice, a traditional
delicacy of mincemeat sausage, was on the barbecue. I managed to get a few minutes to chat to Jožica. She has 2 apartments priced at 13 euros per person in the high season, and offers organic home-cooked food and products such as honey, marmalade, brandy and cheese, all of which she sells to guests. Their two sons, Tomas and Peter, are preparing to open Slovenia’s first outdoor activity tourism school, such is their commitment and belief in the expansion of the sector, especially in the Soča Valley area. After a visit to one of the numerous outdoor activities colleges in the UK, they were quick to realise the potential for business here. Since Slovenia’s accession to the EU, Jožica has seen rising numbers of visitors from further afield than Europe, such as Israelis, Icelanders and even a group of Japanese tourists. She has also seen a shift in preferences for food. Recent visitors have shown a growing interest in the practices of organic food production, and many require evidence of organically sourced products for the dinner table. A typical evening meal will include jota, a stew of cabbage and sausage, with home cooked bread, skuta, home produced cheese, locally sourced prosciutto ham, and apple strudel. This will set you back around 8 euros. Compare this price with what you might pay in Italy or France, especially in mountainous regions, and you begin to appreciate the superb value for money a kmečki turizm holiday provides. Taking a taxi back up to Kobala to launch again, we glide south and take a look at Sotoče, the confluence of the Soča and Tolminka rivers. In India the junction of two rivers is always regarded as a holy place. There is certainly something spiritual about Sotoce. A golden river meets a turquoise river: how could this not be magic! The river valley leads us to Siroko, a well established kmečki turizm farm with superb views over the Soča Valley. The lower part of the valley is stunning, but once you get up into the higher pastures, you are truly in another world. A new version of the film Heidi has recently been shot in the area, and it’s easy to understand why the producers chose Planina, the classic alpine pastures of the Soča Valley, as their backdrop. Siroko stands among 20 hectares of pine forests and meadows of wild mountain flowers, and is one of the longest established tourist farms in the country. Julian and Bernarda Bevk, the proprietors, have a great reputation as genial hosts, and can boast members of Slovenian parliament and high society as past guests. They work extremely hard, providing a great setting for weddings, birthday parties and other celebrations, as well as accommodation at around 14 euros for bed and breakfast in the high season. Traditional Klobasce in Zelje (cabbage and sausage) was on the table when we arrived, a classic hearty meal we appreciated greatly after our flight. A group of schoolchildren were having a great time in the animals enclosure, feeding the goats and arguing over who got to pet the lambs in the field. Over lunch, Julian confirmed Jožica’s observations, as well as adding some of his own; eating habits are becoming more modern, especially amongst the children. While the parents express great interest in organic foods, the children are showing a preference toward newer dishes such as pommes frites and hamburgers. Julian is keen to educate children and adults alike about the benefits of traditional dishes. He is also feeling growing pressure from new EU directives that are making farming more difficult for landowners in Slovenia. For instance, he now has to send milk samples to three different laboratories monthly for analysis. In addition, the main supermarket chain in Slovenia buys very little locally grown produce. Big food producers in Italy, France and other major European nations make imported products, in many cases, cheaper to buy. Although practices are getting more difficult, he loves his job, and is optimistic about the future of kmečki turizm. He sees only good things for the organic food market, and realises there is room for great expansion in that business. This season has been one of his most successful, and the family is expanding the farm. The combination of visitor accommodation and local guests coming for weekend celebrations has been a great success for the Bevk family, and it’s satisfying to see the positive results of their hard work. Launching again from the conveniently steep pasture next to the farmhouse, we flew further north to the last stop on our tour, the idyllic setting of the Pri Lovrcu tourist farm in the pasture village of Cadrg. Marija Boncina has been developing a deserved reputation as a cheese producer as well as an excellent cook. Groups of visitors can prebook her beautiful barn and have a superb lunch experience overlooking some of the most beautiful pastures in the area. Her barn is an attractive example of classic farm architecture from the former Yugoslavia. The open walls are crossed with thin wooden beams, used to dry hay in the spring, and are supported by original stone pillars. The altitude of the village at 700 metres means there are many flower species here that aren’t to be found lower down in the valley. Marija has expert knowledge of the flowers in the village, and though the lunch session had just finished, she still found time to take us for a walk and let us sample her famous home-made pear cider. Her lunches are so well renowned that it is not uncommon for clients to book a celebration lunch a year in advance. Our tour was rounded off with an evening glide back down to the floor of the Soča Valley, touching down near to my local pub in Poljubinj. Sunset in the Julian Alps takes on an almost ethereal quality when seen from the air. We touched down at 6 in the evening, agreeing that we had had a fantastic day, sampling great hospitality and food on our journey. If you are searching for a new angle on the good life and want to eat farm-fresh organic food, extremely cheap, kmečki turizm is the way to go. You are guaranteed organic food, good accommodations, and a great experience, at an extremely reasonable price. On your next visit to Slovenia’s countryside, take time out to sample farm tourism. It works!
In addition to Sam's DJ and paragliding skills, he also runs the website sloveniaretreat.com.
Copyright 2009, Wagner & Associates and Ljubljana Life Magazine.
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