Dr. Noah Charney: Hello, welcome, and dobrodošli to Feel Slovenia the Podcast. In each episode, we will explore what I have called the world's best country. Meeting locals, traveling, eating, and getting to know the very best of Slovenia.  This podcast is written and hosted by me, Dr. Noah Charney, and is brought to you by the Slovenian Tourist Board. 

Welcome to Kamnik, my adopted hometown. I'm so proud to live here, and I like nothing better than singing its praises to tourists, who are just as likely to fall in love with it as I did. I've long suggested that it is an ideal third stop for tourists coming to Slovenia for the first time, as it's just a half an hour north of Ljubljana, at the foot of the Kamnik Slovenia Alps range. 

Of course, most people will see Ljubljana and Bled, the two highest profile destinations, but then there are many reasonable options for a third stop.  Kamnik is ideal for a different vibe from the other two, yet it's super convenient. A small medieval town of around 10, 000 people, it features three castles and has been called, well, by me at least, the microbrew capital of the world.

And every September, it's the centre of attention for the National Costume Parade, or Narodne noše. This episode introduces Kamnik and its lively annual parade.  I've lived in many countries, Italy, France, Spain, the U. S., England, the Netherlands. And many major cities - London, Paris, Rome, Venice, Florence, Madrid – but in the end, I've chosen to call Kamnik home.

Whenever friends, local or foreign, ask me why I love Kamnik, I always describe it as the sort of town the American painter Norman Rockwell would depict if he had grown up in Gorenjska instead of New England.  It is tiny, cozy, warm, beautiful, clean, safe, but surprisingly lively with many festivals and events to keep you busy.

Idyllic for a young family like mine.  Kamnik has a few claims to fame. In the Middle Ages, it was far more important than Ljubljana. A stronghold of the Bavarian Andechs family, it was a big enough deal that it had its own mint to make coins, and it was on the trade route connecting Budapest to Venice. 

It's home to three and a half castles. That sounds confusing, but in Slovenia, the word grad for castle is used for many a very large manor house, not only the clichéd fortified castle. So, Kamnik has Stari grad, Old Castle, on a cliff overlooking it. It has Mali grad, Little Castle, the oldest one, on a small hill in the centre of town. 

It has Grad Zaprice, which used to be outside the town walls and which now contains the municipal museum. And there's also a 19th century industrialist's mansion, Grad Katzenberg. That is what I call half a castle.  Prior to the pandemic, I published an article about Kamnik as the microbrew capital of the world, with the most microbreweries per capita. 

There were seven in the town at the time, and all of them were there for the water.  The fresh water from the mountains that comes out of Kamnik taps is soft and neutral in flavour, meaning that brewers love it.  Most breweries chemically neutralize the flavour of water before brewing, but not here.  If you Google microbrew capital of the world, then my article and references to it are the only, let's say, proof that Kamnik held this title.

So, I'm not quite sure how official that is. But let's say it's official. It sounds good, doesn't it?  Today there are four excellent microbreweries in Kamnik, and you can take beer walks to try them all and also learn more about Kamnik.  Ksenija Mravlja runs the Beerway Tasting Tour. 

Ksenija Mravlja: On our Beerway Tours, we combine all the good things of Kamnik. We combine the outdoor activities in the mountain region. We're also beer tastings in Kamnik. We have four different breweries, which is a lot for such a small town. They're all very interesting, very different, all craft breweries doing their best, uh, exploring new styles and new tastes. So, we combine tastings of craft beer and also visits to the breweries with sightseeing, visiting to the town, but also to the outdoor nature. You don't have to just take my word for it that Kamnik is great. 

Dr. Noah Charney: In addition to Ksenija, we've brought together multiple unbiased sources to tell you how great Kamnik is. Here's Luka Svetec, Director of Kamnik Tourism. 

Luka Svetec: Kamnik is great because it offers many different experiences all in one place. From the old town centre, you can be in mountains, a thermal pool, at energy spots, or in a botanical garden in just half an hour.  It's interesting for tourists, but tourism doesn't overwhelm the locals. Instead, it makes our community richer.  The centre of Kamnik is interesting for tourists because of its rich history. 

You can visit museums, castles, and other historical sites. You can also enjoy a coffee in one of the local cafes and feel like a local yourself. 

Dr. Noah Charney: Luka mentioned that part of Kamnik's appeal is the easy access it offers to a wide variety of places and activities.  He named a few, but here are some more within the Kamnik municipality. 

Arboretum Volčji Potok is a world class botanical garden just a five-minute drive from Kamnik. Its size and grandeur will surprise you. It is enormous and features a wide variety of garden styles, from French neoclassical to a wild forest, from a hedgerow maze to a manicured rose garden. There are tropical orchid displays, a butterfly sanctuary, and a dizzyingly wonderful array of children's jungle gyms.

Slides and pirate ships and ziplines and trampolines. Not to mention the frequent display of moving full scale dinosaur models peppered throughout. When I used to take my kids, their eyes would widen with delight, as if we brought them to a miniature Disney World. There's even a lovely cafe in the middle, so you can quite literally spend the day there.

And multiple visits will disclose new treats. A hidden lounge chair here. A pond full of what looked like mutant man-eating carp there. Absolutely heaven for children. In the summer of 2024, it hosted a major international art exhibit. So, if you visit before the end of September, you can still spot giant jewel coloured animal sculptures displayed throughout Kamnik as part of the Dobre Novice exhibit.

These giant animals are by William Sweetlove, one of the 25 major international artists to feature in what was the largest scale exhibit in the history of Slovenia.  It was hugely successful, and it did what all good contemporary art does, it divided opinion and provoked debate. Luka Svetec explains. The exhibition was amazing.

Luka Svetec: It got strong reactions. People either loved it or didn't like it at all. There were almost no neutral opinions. I'm glad that we decided to have the exhibition because it was not only a cultural event, but also an educational experience for us in Kamnik. We had several partners in the project, and we worked together very well. It's always great to collaborate. 

Dr. Noah Charney: Perched atop a mountain is an enormous plateau called Velika Planina, where centuries of cowherds have grazed their cattle. But this is no ordinary mountaintop. It has its own cultural ecosystem, with a unique traditional costume for the cowherds. It looks part Middle Earth, part Hawaiian, with long strands of dried spruce shavings acting as a rain and wind barrier, as well as specialty foods.

Kislo mleko, or sour milk, tastes much better than it sounds. It's a delicacy, as are trnič hard cheeses, shaped like decorative boobies, or that's one version of the story at least. And they taste a bit like parmesan, shaved over food.  Enhancing the Icelandic saga meets Tolkien atmosphere are low slung wooden houses that dot the landscape. 

Once the seasonal home of cow herds, you can now rent many of them for short holidays. Some without electricity but with loads of charm and authenticity. Some fancy and fully equipped. I like to stay in huts run by the I Feel Alps group, and another provider, Fairy Tale on Velika Planina, just received a Green Key Award for Excellence in Sustainability. 

There are a handful of chalets serving excellent food and local schnapps to warm you up, and be sure to find your way to the gorgeous teacup sized wooden church, St. Mary of the Snows.  It's a tradition to come at midnight for mass here on a snowy Christmas Eve, which I've never managed to do, although I'm sure it's lovely.

I was once up here with a Swiss friend, when fog locked down and I felt like I was in the midst of a horror movie set. We could only see a few meters ahead of us and could only hear the wind and cowbells. Every now and then a figure, or a cow, would emerge from the mist only to be swallowed up again.  I imagined writing a horror comedy about carnivorous cows who take revenge on everyone who isn't a vegetarian. 

Just before recording this episode, I was on Velika Planina filming a promotional video with its director, Tomaž Štefe.  We rode up in the new six-seater eco-friendly chairlift, and filmed with some of the giant animal statues from the Dobre Novice exhibit. We brought two cow sized bright red dogs up with us. 

Velika Planina will be featured in its own special episode at some point of this podcast, but it is truly a unique place that is worth the entire journey to Slovenia. Don't miss it. You'll want more cowbell.  Just up the road from Kamnik and beneath Velika Planina is a forest around the Kamniška Bistrica right snuggled up at the base of the Alps.

This is where Tito loved to come hunting, as did Yugoslav royalty. A hunting lodge for the Yugoslav king is there, as well as one of my favourite restaurants, Pri Jurju, buried deep in the forest. This is where a 2020 Hollywood film, Infinite Storm, starring Naomi Watts was made. If you go, tell the owner, Riki, that Noah sent you. 

The church in the village of Tunjice is where I got married, but I recommend it without prejudice. One of the finest late Baroque churches in Slovenia, it has a ridiculously picturesque location, perched like an owl on a hilltop, framed by the Alps, with sweeping views all around and some impressive, gilded statuary inside.

If you're feeling a little new age, you can also swing by Zdravilni Gaj just down the street, visited by folks from around the world and purported to be a place with healing vibes and the source of live water, as they call it, sold in bottles as far away as China.  You've probably heard enough from me by now, so I'll pass the mic back to Luka Svetec to tell you about Snovik Thermal Spa. 

Luka Svetec: Snovik Spa is the highest spa in Slovenia. Surrounded by the Kamnik Savinja Alps and beautiful forests, the spa is famous for its healing thermal water, which locals have used for a long time.  The spa complex includes a reception, restaurant, wellness centre and pools, both indoor and outdoor. There are also apartments nearby, gardens, an outdoor gym, and walking paths. It's a perfect place for families on holiday, and a great spot for relaxation all year round. 

Dr. Noah Charney: But perhaps Kamnik is most famous in Slovenia for its annual national costume parade called Narodne noše in Slovene, which looks when written like it should mean national nose, and which I have mispronounced as nerodni nož, which translates as awkward knife.

But Kamnik folks are forgiving and love to host tourists, thankfully, and are delighted when foreigners make an effort at speaking Slovene, even if we make awkward knives out of it. To learn more, I spoke to Doroteja Narat from Kamnik's Tourist Information Centre. 

Doroteja Narat: The National Costume Festival has a cherished history that dates back to 1966. It was in this year that the visionary president of the Kamnik Tourist Association, Dr. Svetozar Frantar, along with his dedicated secretary, Alfonzo Skala, decided to create an event that would celebrate the beauty and the tradition of our national costumes. They named this event the Day of the National Costume.

With open hearts, they invited numerous associations and individuals from both near and far, and the response was overwhelming. The very first parade took place on Sunday, September 11, 1966, winding its way from the Tomo Brejc Primary School to along Šutna Street, all the way to the dormitory on Cankarjeva Street.

That day, around 350 national costumes proudly graced the streets, each one a vibrant testament to our rich cultural heritage.  In 2015, the festival drew nearly 50, 000 visitors, marking the highest attendance in its history. Over 2,050 participants proudly took part in the Grand Parade, showcasing a breathtaking display of tradition and unity.

This incredible gathering of people and cultures is a testament to the enduring spirit of our festival. We invite you to be part of this unforgettable celebration. where the energy of thousands fills the air and the vibrant colours of our heritage come alive.  

The woman's traditional costume is a beautiful and intricate ensemble beginning with black shoes and hand knit stockings. Layers of white petticoats give way to a skirt paired with a bodice completed by a black apron. The upper part of the costume includes a finely tailored jacket, lace trim sleeves, and a silk neck scarf fastened with a precious brooch. A traditional head covering, whether it be a silk scarf or called peča, a bonnet or called avba, or a simple head wrap called zavijačka, for unmarried women, completes the look.

The man's costume is equally striking, featuring black leather boots, knee length trousers, a crisp white cotton shirt, and a silk neck scarf. A woolen vest and jacket add a layer of sophistication, and no outfit would be complete without the traditional hat. As the elder gentlemen often remind us, a treasured pocket watch is the final indispensable touch. 

These traditional garments are more than just clothing. They are living testaments to our rich cultural heritage, each piece telling a story of craftsmanship, pride, and history. We invite you to witness this timeless elegance at our festival, where the past is celebrated with every stitch and every step. We have been cooperating with the International Festival from Celje to Žalec since 2011, which takes place almost simultaneously each year with the Days of National Costume and Clothing Heritage. Thanks to this festival, we host foreign folklore groups who perform on stage and later join the National Costume Parade. 

Dr. Noah Charney: Maybe to conclude it's best if you hear from a local with no official interest in promoting comic tourism.  Robert Posl grew up in South Africa, but his parents were from Kamnik and he is lived here for decades.

I'll give first him, then Ksenija the last word, well before my outro, at least.

Robert Posl: Narodne noše is one of those events which I think is very special and unique about how I see traditions. And something which I emphasize that people must not lose that, especially in Kamnik. It has these regular events, these annual events, and you can really see the traditions and so the history of Slovenia really comes out. 

Ksenija Mravlja: Kamnik is a great place to be. It's so close to Ljubljana. You have like half an hour drive away from Ljubljana, or if you take public transfer, it will probably take you not more than 40 minutes. And then you reach this beautiful historical town with so much culture, so much history, but at the same time, you are just. Below the Alps, you are very close to all the beautiful outdoor activities you can do in the mountain area.  

Dr. Noah Charney: Kamnik feels like the facet of the hidden gem that is Slovenia, that's been overlooked but remains pristine. It's lively but not overly touristy. It's a great base from which to explore the Alps, with northern Slovenia's best sights an easy day trip away. Bled in 40 minutes, Ljubljana in 30, Jezersko or Bohinj or the Logar Valley in an hour. And within a few minutes of Kamnik, you've got Velika Planina, Arboretum, Snovik Thermal Spa, Kamniška Bistrica. Plus, in the centre of town, you've got multiple castles and microbrews and world class water and, well, you get the picture. 

And if you've listened to this podcast and see me walking around town, possibly with my hairless dog, please do say hello.  

Hvala and thank you for listening to Feel Slovenia the Podcast.  This podcast is brought to you by the Slovenian Tourist Board and was written and presented by Dr. Noah Charney.  Please subscribe to get each new episode and tell all of your friends interested in travel and all things Slovenia. 

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