Beekeeping Tour to SLOVENIA
The Land of Carniola Bees
1-14 May, 2016
beeslovenia@gmail.com
www.slovenianbeekeeping.com
This wonderful tour has been organized by Api Tours, a Slovene tourist agency that deals with
bee tourism and Bee Slovenia Tours with Suzanne. Beekeeping is part of the fabric of
Slovenian culture because it is one of the oldest and most traditional rural activities. It is
therefore no surprise that many internationally respected beekeepers were born on Slovenian
soil. Slovenia offers an extensive beekeeping heritage enriched by beekeepers’ activities today.
Friendly beekeepers throughout Slovenia will be happy to open the doors of their bee farms,
where you can get to know our Carniolan bee and the secrets of how they live.
The first week is thru ApiTours. We will be staying in either farmhouses or B & B’s. The
best way to see a country is to get to know the local people and local cuisine!
Day 01: Arrival in Slovenia
Arrival at the Ljubliana J. Pučnik Airport, Slovenia. Drive to the Gorenjska Region to Lake Bled, an
Alpine jewel with a castle perched above the lake, a famous island with its glorious Gothic church
and surrounded by incredible mountains. Free time to rest or individual activities: walk around the
lake, sightseeing and/or a boat ride with the traditional wooden boat “pletna” to the island. Hint: Do
not miss to try Bled’s famous cream cake! Dinner and overnight in Bled region.
Day 02: Bled – Castle Bled – Museum of Apiculture - The Beekeeping Center
Breakfast. Sightseeing of Bled and visit to the castle. Next the Museum of Apiculture, with about
600 original hive fronts from the 18th and 19th centuries. The motifs (panels) painted in oil represent
the lives and beliefs of people from that time. Short walk through Radovljica’s old town. Free time
for lunch (on own). Then to The Beekeeping Center of Gorenjska which maintains the rich
tradition of Slovene beekeeping. We will take a tour of the state-of-the-art honey-bottling and
honeycomb production, visit an exhibition of the complete circle of honey - from the flower to the
jar - visit observation beehives with its population of Carniolan bees and finally taste a variety of
honey products. Dinner and overnight in Bled Region.
Day 03: Bled– visit a beekeeper – The Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association – Styria Region
Breakfast. In the morning, visit a beekeeper. Sample local honey products, especially their
famous honey brandy and honey with red beet, their own invention. Next to the Beekeeping
Center, the head office of the Slovenian Beekeeping Association that was established 140 years
ago, and comprises 200 beekeeping societies and the journal "Slovenian Beekeeper”, whose
interesting and detailed articles are an excellent source of information on activities in the
beekeeping world. A significant part of their efforts are dedicated to informing the general public
about the importance of beekeeping. Beekeeping equipment from stainless materials and
beekeeping supplies are manufactured here. Free time for shopping, to visit the library or take a
short walk. Proceed to the Styria Region, this green, hilly wine growing region is rich in traditional
customs, ethnological and cultural heritage. Dinner and overnight.
Day 04: Visit a biodynamic beekeeper – herbal & beekeeping farm – Ptuj – Styria Region
Breakfast. Visit to a biodynamic beekeeper with his apitherapy apiary and introduction to honey
massage. Next stop is an herbal and beekeeping farm set in unspoiled nature. We take a walk
through their honey plant garden and learn about the herbs along with their effects to our bodies.
At the end we are served with tea and delicious homemade baked goods. Drive to Slovenia´s oldest
town Ptuj with more than 1000 years of history and sits along the Drava River. We explore its
beauty while taking a walk through the town and visit the castle which houses fascinating collections
of old instruments, furniture, weapons, paintings of Ottoman luxury, and traditional carnival
costumes. The town is also well known for its Roman Mithraic temples and has the oldest Slovenian
wine cellar. Dinner and overnight in Styria Region.
Day 05:
Jeruzalem wine road with wine tasting – Pumpkin oil mill
Breakfast. In the morning we drive to the Jeruzalem wine road with tasting of some great
wines. The Ljutomer-Ormož hills are not only famous for their wines but also for the beauty of the
landscape, which according to many ranks among the most wonderful landscapes in the world.
Along the Jeruzalem Wine Road, nature glows with vivid colours in every season producing high
quality wines. Jeruzalem is proud of its sacred name, energy force lines, wonderful viewpoints and
pilgrimage church. Romans, crusaders, pilgrims and raiding Turks on their way to the Holy Land, all
left their stamp here, therefore, Jeruzalem continues to be a crossroads of diversity. Afternoon visit
to a Pumpkin Oil Mill. Drive to Ljubljana Region. Dinner and overnight.
Day 06:
Ljubljana – Postojna Cave – Predjama Castle – Lipica
Breakfast. Departure for Postojna Cave, the largest cave in the “karst area” and the most visited
show cave in Europe with 20 kilometres of passages, galleries and chambers. Ride the electric train
through the marvellous underground world. Next stop is the nearby Predjama Castle with
dramatic setting in the gaping mouth of a cavern halfway up a cliff. Next, our trip will take us to
the Lipica Stud farm, the breeding ground for the world famous Lipizzaner horses, founded in
1580 during the Habsburg Monarchy. Dinner in the 1000 yr old Socerb Castle and overnight in
a local farmhouse.
Day 07:
Karst village of Pliskovica (Karst region)
Breakfast. In the morning drive to the Karst Region to the small charming village of Pliskovica. Here
we meet a beekeeper who specializes in bee hive transport systems. A special local lunch
together with red wine and cured ham. We meet a “lapicide” natural stone craftsman and see his
master work. Afternoon drive to Kobarid which ends our time with ApiTours. Dinner and overnight.
Predjama Castle
Soca River
Included:
Transfer from airport J. Pučnik Ljubljana to Bled
Transportation in air-conditional coach in Slovenia
6 nights in 2 and 3* accommodation (tourist farms or B & B’s)
Tourist tax
6 buffet breakfasts, 6 dinners & 1 lunch
¼ l wine or 1 beer or 1 juice or 1 soda at dinner
Wine tasting at Jeruzalem wine road and in Pliskovica
Cured ham tasting
Entrances and fees as per program
Professional English speaking guide
Organization and assistance
Not Included:
Transportation to and from Slovenia
Supplement for single room - $138 for first week
Lunches
Everything not listed in “Included”
and organized by BeeSlovenia Tours (i.e. myself). This is where I lived for 5 yrs.
Our accommodations are in newly built Swiss chalets at Kamp Koren which sits next to the incredible
turquoise waters of the Soca River. We will be staying in the same place til departure. Each cabin
has two double rooms with shared bathroom, kitchenette, living room, balcony and porch, WiFi and
TV. The camp has a bar for drinks, sandwiches and pizza. We are within 10 min. walk to town, 10
min to WWI trenches and a swing bridge over the Soca River and 20 min to the beautiful Kojak
Waterfall.
Day 08: Suzid – afternoon adventure sports
Breakfast. Visit the nearby village of Suzid where we spend most of the day at the Cebelarstvo
Lucka Apiary with 500 families (hives). Marija and Dusan have several kinds of hives which you will
find very interesting, a large queen rearing business, a honey extracting building and a new
apitherapy hut where anyone can go in and sit to breathe in the bee air. Late lunch will be at the
apiary. If time allows, those interested in local adventure sports can sign up. List of these with
prices will be at the end, the sports are not included in price. Overnight.
Day 09: Kromberk Castle Lunch and Wine tasting in the wine region of Goriska Brda
Breakfast. Head to Nova Gorica but driving slowly so that we can stop to take pictures of all the bee
houses, trucks and hives along the way. Hopefully we have time to even see a bee condo!!! Drive
to Nova Gorica for a wonderful lunch at Kromberk Castle where every course will be made with
honey. Then up to the wine hills of Goriska Brda where we will visit 2-3 wine tasting cellars. The
scenery and villages are beautiful and very picturesque. Overnight.
Day 10: Bovec for a day of beekeeping, bee houses, apitherapy and bee panel painting
Breakfast. Drive to Bavsica and walk to Matijas’ apiary, the oldest bee house in the area and then to
visit a new apitherapy center, Bee Happy Apiary. Here Maja will show us her apitherapy cabin and
we will do aromatherapy testing. A late picnic lunch will be at the center. Then to Rene and
Nadijas’ bee panel studio where each will be able to paint their own bee panel and a chance to buy
other panels. These are wooden panels that depict the lives, stories and folklore of the region and
were decorated on most of the bee houses in the 1800’s. If time allows, those interested can sign
up to do the new zip line that crosses over the valley 5 times. This zip line is way up there and
would be quite the thrill !!! Overnight.
Day 11: WWI Museum Tour, hike around Kolovrat WWI trenches, Lunch at Kuhinja
Cabin
Breakfast. Walk to the WWI Museum in Kobarid where we will have a 2 hr tour. This is the top
museum of its kind in Europe. Some of the bloodiest fighting ever was done in the mountains
surrounding the area, known as the Isonzo Front. We drive up to Liveske Ravne for a guided hike
around the Kolovrat trenches that have been unearthed and reinstated. Then down the mountain
and to the top of another for a wonderful lunch at the Kuhinja Cabin. The views are beautiful and
there will be time to walk about the area and old barns. Overnight.
Day 12: Adventure sport morning, Riverboat lunch and visit to Drezniske Ravne
Breakfast. Morning free for sports, hiking or just hanging out. Drive to Most na Soca for a beautiful
ride on the Soca River on the Lucija Riverboat for lunch. Captain Dan is full of tales of a princess, a
dragon and a cave! Afterwards there will be time to walk around part of the Soca Lake. Back to
Kobarid and later drive up to the village I used to live in, Drezniske Ravne, for a light dinner of
cheese soup (it’s my favourite) and strukjle (dessert) with drinks. The mountain views are
incredible! We will walk down back to the camp, about 1.5 hrs. Overnight.
Day 13: Departure Day
Breakfast. Free time prior to departure.
Adventure Sport Possibilities – these are not included in the price
When you get your travel health insurance, add adventure sports to it, as the regular insurance will
not cover these. These sports are available the whole week so if there is an activity you are not
interested in, you can sign up. Transportation for the sports is included in the price of the sport. ll.
White water rafting 40E
Kayak trip
50E
Paragliding
125E
($50)
($62.50)
($156)
Kayak school
Canyoning
Zip Lining
60E ($75)
50E ($62.50)
55E ($68.65)
Included
*All transportation to listed activities
*6 nights
*6 breakfasts & 6 lunches & 1 lite dinner
*Entrances and fees as per program
*Wine tasting
Not Included
*drinks
*transportation to airport if leaving
a different time or day
*health insurance with adventure
sport supp.
*airline ticket
*adventure sports
*private bathrooms, all will share
***With staying in farmhouses and B & B’s, private bathrooms are not always possible. For singles,
we will share rooms to keep costs down. Depending on makeup of group, there may not be single
rooms available. There is a supplemental charge if a single room is possible.
Price for trip is $2100 per person in a double room (airline ticket
not included)
Payment will be in 3 instalments of $700 per person. Price may vary due to the exchange rate,
this will be determined by the last payment.
1st instalment
2nd instalment
3rd instalment
13 Nov
20 Jan
1 March
Airline tickets are on your own. I do this for many reasons: you may have points
that you want to use, you may want to leave earlier and join the group on the 2th or
you may want to stay longer. Arrival time in Ljubliana airport should be around
3pm. If you do an overnight flight with one change, you should be able to arrive
around 3. You might want to add cancellation insurance to your ticket.
Cancellation: Full refund until 1 March.
Contact info:
Suzanne Brouillette
321 Chesham Rd
Harrisville, NH 03450
Cell #603-499-3730
beeslovenia@gmail.com
and www.slovenianbeekeeping.com