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.

We've got a very special episode of Feel Slovenia the Podcast for you. It's an insider's guide to Slovenia with a band of intrepid expats like me, each giving personal recommendations of places, activities, and foods around Slovenia that a tourist would be unlikely to encounter without the help of a local.

The episode is divided by region and features several of my own favourites, as well as suggestions from fellow expats from Columbia, Mexico, Germany, England, the US, and Australia. Plus, my parents. Stay tuned for the Expats Guide to Slovenia.  

Let's begin with Ljubljana. We have a whole podcast on Slovenia's Capital, the originally named Ljubljana Podcast, so I'll point you there for more, but I do want to mention a number of hidden treasures.

Possibly the most spectacular thing to visit in Ljubljana isn't actually open to the public. How's that for a teaser? It's the Jesuit Seminary Library part of The Seminary Palace Library of Ljubljana. It's in a building adjacent to the outdoor central market, and in fact, the indoor part of the market is beneath it. The entrance is flanked by giant muscle men statues. It's an active seminary with a truly spectacular Baroque library built in 1701. We're talking sleeping-beauty-library-style, all carved wood and frescoes. I've only been in once when a local sweet-talked to priest into letting us see it. You need to contact the Archdiocese Library and put in a formal request. It shouldn't be merely touristic. They only want to host people with more of a research interest. Like someone with a focus on religious history or architecture. Right well ahead of time and hope for the best. 

If you like coffee and art, then grab the Ljubljana Specialty Coffee Map, which I made with my buddy Colombian architect turned coffee guru Alexander Nino Ruiz, from whom we'll hear more later. It's a free map available at various points around the city that shows the locations of specialty coffee shops and art museums.

I point you to Carniola Antiqua on Trubar Street as well. A treasure trove of antiques and art. Very reasonably priced run by Jaka Prijatelj. It's fun to browse and you'll surely find a souvenir to take home. Further down Trubar Street is Hiša začimb, the house of spices, a tiny shop filled with giant jars of exotic spices and spice mixes.

If you've got kids, also on Trubar Street, you'll find the Interactive Museum House of Experiments, which is perfect for kids age 3 to 10 or so, and interested grownups. All of the exhibits are interactive science experiments and you can play with and learn from them. 

At Tržnica, the central market, be sure to find the cabbage stand with a line in front of it and a smiling blonde woman serving up sauerkraut and sauer turnip. This is Marjetka, a local legend whose family grows indigenous Ljubljana cabbage, supposedly the best for sauerkraut. Grab a small bag, even if you're not going to cook, as it's a great, healthy, raw snack. 

Mark Evans, a historian from Canberra, Australia, highlights how Ljubljana has great international food too. 

Mark Evans: Now do I as a foreigner have any one little undiscovered gem about Ljubljana, that is a little off the beaten track. It took me a little while to think about, if I'm honest, most of the gems of Ljubljana are pretty-well covered. But the one that I have to give a huge shout out to is the restaurant Maharaya and Himalaya. It is an outstanding Indian and Nepalese restaurant that's about two kilometres from the town centre of Ljubljana. It's found on Vodnikova cesta and as a lifelong lover of Indian and Nepalese food, and my dad, who has spent a great deal of his life in India and Nepal can attest it is incredible food. The staff are fantastic. Then, the garden out the back is gorgeous. The prices are eminently reasonable for the incredible quality of the food.

And even if you don't want to go there in person, you can order a takeaway pretty much anywhere in Ljubljana and I could not recommend it more heavily. The samosas they have are absolutely to die for. If you find the time, give it a try. Yes, it's a little bit out of the town centre, but you can very, very easily reach it by bus lines because it's very close to one of Slovenia's main streets. I guarantee it. You will not be disappointed. 

Noah Charney: For great breakfasts, I'll point you to the cafe at the top of Nebotičnik, a 13-story skyscraper in the city centre. When it was built, it was the tallest building in this part of Europe. Today, it looks quaint to call it a skyscraper, but it's a beautiful building with a cafe at the top that's open to the public, but not many know about it. 

You enter from the side of the building around the corner from the main street, Slovenska cesta. There's a dark stone lobby lined with busts. Take the elevator to the top floor, then get out and walk up the curved wooden staircase. One floor further, you'll be rewarded with amazing views. 

My favourite breakfast in Ljubljana is served up at Hotel Mrak near Križanke, an open-air theatre. The Kuhar family runs the hotel and has curated the breakfast to feature beloved ingredients from throughout Slovenia. The breakfast is open to anyone, not only guests at this chic artsy hotel. So don't be shy.

Expat Rory Cox also has a breakfast suggestion for you. 

Rory Cox: Hello, this is Rory. I moved to Ljubljana about two years ago from California and love living here. My recommendation is for the breakfast at Kino Dvor Screenings. Every Sunday at 11:00 AM Kino Dvor shows a first run film, and for the price of just over six euros, you get the film plus free coffee and croissants from the cafe. The great thing about seeing a movie in Kino Dvor is that this country uses subtitles, not dubbing, so you can hear the dialogue in the film's native language.

Kino Dvor has a wonderful series of films every day, but these showings are quite a scene. They often sell out, so make sure you book your seats in advance. Also, make sure you get there early as the refreshments are not allowed in the theatre.

Noah Charney: I introduced Alex Nino Ruiz already. He and I made the coffee map of Ljubljana together and also wrote a coffee guide to Ljubljana for the über hipster coffee magazine Standart.

Alex is the boss at Črno zrno, the Black Bean, a miniature but much beloved specialty coffee shop on Gornji trg beneath the Castle Hill. Črno zrno is basically a few stools and a tiny bar with Alex standing behind it. It's like a united-nations favourite of locals and tourists alike. It was the only cafe listed in a New York Times article about Ljubljana. This is the place to try great coffee, but also to meet locals and visitors. 

Here are Alex's recommendations for the Dolenjska region. 

Alex Nino Ruiz: After eight years connecting with global foodies and organic wine lovers in my coffee shop in Črno zrno in Ljubljana, one name kept coming up: Domačija Novak nestled in Savinja Vas pri Dvoru near Novo mesto. This family-run homestead is a must visit for orange wine enthusiasts. We finally made the trip. At first glance, it is a traditional Slovenian homestead, exuding drastic and pretension elegance that immediately feels welcoming. Their seasonal menu features local ingredients while forage herbs spelled and venison from local hunters. The real magic pairing traditional dishes with modern orange and organic wines I had never encountered before. Boris Novak, a pioneer of Slovenian Orange wine movement, creates a cellar of 300 plus bottles. Featuring vintages from icons like Gravner, Radikon and Kabaj. 

Noah Charney: My pick for the Dolenjska region is the town of Kostanjevica na Krki. The town is visually distinctive. It's on an island in the Krka River. The old town is lovely and in fine weather you can rent a boat and row around the island or even swim in the river.

Just outside of town is Kostanjevica Monastery, which by the way is where I got married. It's a magnificent complex of buildings that also houses an excellent art museum: the Božidar Jakac Gallery. The grounds are filled with form Viva Sculptures, giant works made by visiting artists from found or recycled materials. For a meal, go to where our wedding party was: Gostilna Žolnir. 

From Dolenjska, we head to Notranjska. Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle are the obvious choices. For a Lord-of-the-Rings-landscape walk, hike Rakov Škocjan, a natural park featuring a ruined church, a natural stone bridge, caves at archways that might house a goblin army. Snežnik Castle there is ridiculously photogenic.

In Cerknica, I recommend hiking up Slivnica, a 1,114 metre high hill, and then grab a meal at Dom na Slivnici. I once had a memorable wild garlic soup there. It's possibly not recommended if you're on a date unless you both order it. If you see močnik on a menu in the Notranjska region, then you should grab that too. It's a buckwheat porridge loaded with lard and cracklings and a local, regional specialty. Yes, your cardiologist might advise against it, but if you're here on holiday, a bull won't hurt. 

The Štajerska region is known for its friendly people and wine traditions. On the border between Gorenjska and Štajerska, if you're driving on the highway between Ljubljana and Maribor, you'll see a sign featuring a giant donut with the word Trojane on it.

Stop here. This is the ultimate road trip rest stop. Trojane makes the most famous donuts in Slovenia fresh all day long. You’ll want to eat them.

Of all the places in the Štajerska region, my favourite is the fun to say Ptuj. An ancient Roman settlement in later, a bustling medieval town. It's capped by a castle with a great museum, but Ptuj is at its most vibrant in the summer during the Ptuj Wine and Poetry Festival, when literary events and wine tastings are held throughout the city's engaging nooks and corners. And of course, in February during Kurentovanje, the striking Pagan festival in which locals dress as benevolent demon monsters who scare away the winter and welcome the spring. 

Perhaps the biggest surprise spot for me in Štajerska is Jeruzalem. It feels like you've suddenly travelled to Provence. All rolling terrorist hills and world class wineries. Supposedly founded by Crusaders on their way back from the original Jerusalem, this is heaven for wine fans. I'd also mentioned Podčetrtek, the Town named “under Thursday”. This refers to when the town traditionally had a market day.

It has a number of things going for it. Olimje Wellness Spa is one of them, but while you're in the area, head over to Jelenov greben. This is a deer park that includes a restaurant serving. You guessed it: venison. It's next to Olimje Monastery, which features one of the oldest pharmacies in Europe. The monastery is worth touring, especially if a monk guides you on the tour. Then beside it, there's a famous chocolate shop that sells excellent handmade chocolates that are also available in fun and risqué shapes, including chocolate boobs and a whole series called The Chocolate Kama Sutra. For Kids, there's the witches hut just up the hill. This is a labour of love made largely by a single person. It's a hugely elaborate handmade village. You can wander through with a spooky witchy Adams family vibe. It's weird and wonderful. This all makes for plenty to do, if you want to swing by under Thursday.

Koroška is out of the way by Slovene standards, and so it feels like a pleasant surprise for locals and tourists alike when they explore it. We took a family holiday there earlier this year and stayed at Kmetija Samec at Sele 25 near Slovenj Gradec. Our main event was a tour of the mine in Mežica. This is where lead, zinc and wulfenite, whatever that is, had been mined since ancient Roman times. With this particular mine beneath Mount Peca, dating back to 1424, when it was documented in the accounts of the wonderfully named Duke Ernest the Iron, which makes me think that he was shaped like an iron. It's also a mind that's been cleverly transformed into a tourist attraction. There are various ways to visit, including a route for experienced mountain bikers in which you cycle through abandoned mind tunnels, accompanied by guides. With our children in tow, and because we are not experienced bikers, we opted for the tour on foot, which is a total loop of six kilometres.

But to get there, you enter the old-fashioned way, the way miners in the 19th century went to and from work every day by teeny tiny windowless wooden box cars. Now, I'm not normally claustrophobic, but doing an impression of a packed can of sardines, we squeezed into boxcars that were barely tall enough for me to sit in.

No windows, wooden walls wide enough for two to sit side by side, sort of, and some of us would be riding backwards. Off we went. I had to meditate for the first minute or two to fight down the buried alive while on a rollercoaster sensation, but then it was okay. It's loud and it feels like you're whipping through the earth.

It turned out that the box car travels only 10 kilometres per hour, but it sure felt like a hundred. The mine tour was fascinating and sobering. There was a lot of child labour and the conditions were grim. I'm very glad to have taken the tour, but I must say that I was relieved when we reemerged into the open air. 

And now for a breath of fresh sea air Primorska. Head to the seaside and the obvious place to visit is Piran and visit it. You should, but the whole cast region is lovely. And this year, 2025, Nova Gorica is the European Capital of Culture. So, it's never been a better time to explore the city, which is covered in its own episode of this podcast. 

Here's what some expats recommend in the seaside region of Slovenia.

Carlos Pascual: Hi, I'm Carlos Pascual and I'm a Mexican writer living in Slovenia now for more than 16 years. And although based in Ljubljana, I've been refurbishing a little stone house in Kras, the Karst, il carso  in Italian, which is this region that surrounds the area of Trieste, it’s the hinterland of Trieste. And there is one specific thing that I love to do is discover places that are called osmice, which is the plural of osmica, which are farms, private houses that open briefly to offer their products to customers from all over that come to visit the region.

This is a long tradition inherited from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Farmers were allowed for eight days, that's the root of the word osmica, eight days to offer their produce without paying taxes. This is now taking a strong tradition in the area and I wouldn’t like to fix your ideas on any specific osmica, I would invite you to go and wander around. I think one of the pleasures is precisely to discover your own favourite osmica. For that you could visit www.visitkras.info which will tell you which osmica are going to be open for the month. Well, I hope you will enjoy your visit.

Sara Terpin: On our blog, slovely.eu., we present places in Slovenia that are not so well known. A little bit of-the-beaten path. So, this time I'd like to suggest you an unusual place to visit a cemetery, but not a monumental cemetery. On the contrary, a simple village cemetery, but with something very peculiar. I'm talking about the cemetery in Miren, a small village near Nova Gorica that in 1947, was cut into by the border, dividing it between Yugoslavia and Italy.

The border ran through the graves and there were actually some graves which were cut in two. So, some deceased had their head in Yugoslavia and their feet in Italy. The line that was divided, the cemetery can still be seen today. You can discover this strange story in the exhibition of Vsemir, which was opened recently and is housed in the cemetery building in Miren.

Among other things in the exhibition, you can hear the stories of people who lived in that period and experienced this absurdity. The museum is open every day from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM and the best news is that it is free of charge, so you can enter the exhibition spaces with a qr code that you get on the website of the Goriški muzej.

By the way, this exhibition is part of the official programme of European capital of Culture 2025 in Nova Gorica Gorizia. 

Noah Charney: Now we come to my home region, the mountain region of Gorenjska. I'm partial to Kamnik my adopted hometown, and there's a whole episode of this podcast focused on it, if you're interested in a deep dive.

I also love Bled and I have a whole podcast series, the Bled Podcast, and a book Bledology about Bled and its surroundings. So, I'll set that aside. Instead, let me tell you about Bohinj, my favourite place in Gorenjska. Bohinj has a special vibe to it. It's wilder and more romantic with a capital R than Bled. It's got a ski spot, Vogel, which is great for hiking, when it's not snowed in. You can take a gondola up. Near the gondola is Savica Waterfall. There's an 11 kilometre trail to hike all around the lake, if you like. My favourite hike for those in reasonable condition is Vogar, which provides a wonderful view down to the lake below, from the top. On the shore of the lake, visit the Church of St. John the Baptist, built in 1300. It has a unique fresco inside that as an art historian interested in iconography, the study of symbolism stayed with me because it's the only known example of the image anywhere. A white devil lurks on the shoulder of Cain as he considers killing his brother Abel. The philosopher Jean Paul Satra was intrigued by this fresco detail when he visited in the 1960s. You can also spot three different paintings of St. Christopher from three different periods, thirteen hundred, fourteen hundred and fifteen thirty. When we visit as a family, we like to stay at ArtPartment, a village a few kilometres from the lake run by our family friends, Mergole.

Albert and Leja Mergole are renowned therapists specializing in helping the dynamic between parents and teenagers. They've got a great book called Connect to Your Teens that would be good for any parent to read. Just around the corner from them at Polje 28, you'll find Pr Tonejovc, a family dairy farm, a very small one where Mom Simona makes all manner of amazing products.

You have to wind your way down what looks like a private driveway and park in front of a private house, but there's a shop there. Ring the bell and Simona will pop out and sell you her homemade goodies, yogurt, gibanica, and potuca cakes, but also some local specialties. Zaseka is smoked lard that is used as a cooking ingredient, or if your cardiologist is looking the other way as a delicious spread on bread, perhaps topped with cracklings.

She also makes mohant, a unique cheese to Bohinj. It's a bit like Marmite. You either love it or you hate it. It's a semi-soft cheese with a strong pungent smell. Think of gym socks, but in a good way. The closest approximation would be gorgonzola, but it's nothing like gorgonzola. How's that for a good description?

It's certainly worth trying to see if you fall in the Love It category. Better also grab one of Simona's flavoured yogurts. My favourite is baked apple as a backup. Then for dinner, I could eat burgers, three meals a day, and Foksner near the lake is one of Slovenia's best burger joints. Eating burgers and smelly cheese means you need to work off your indulgences.

My friend Tomas Vucurevic is a German expat who recommends a wonderful fresco church in Primorska and a hike to a secret partisan hospital in the Kamnik Savinja Alps. Tomas is the world's leading expert in ingredient branding. Things like Gore-Tex, where you'd buy any product that contains an ingredient you trust.

What ingredients does he recommend for tourists in Slovenia? 

Tomas Vucurevic: For me personally, the absolute hidden gem is still the Medieval Church of Hrastovlje from the 12th century with its perfectly preserved frescoes, including the amazing Dance of Death, of which a copy can be seen in the museum in Ljubljana. From the distance, you can see only the top of the tower peeking out of the high defensive walls that has been built around it in the 15th century.

You have to call the key keeper to let you in and experience the beautiful secrets kept inside. The number is actually written on the door. The other thing that is truly special and unique to Slovenia are the monuments and leftovers from the Yugoslav partisans that fought against the occupation from the German and Italian Nazi forces.

Many Slovenian partisans had a mountaineering background and the partisan hospitals buried deep into the forest and mountains protected the wounded from being discovered. The most famous one for sure is the Franja Partisan Hospital that is unfortunately still closed after being flooded a few years ago.

But I like to take the walk through the forest to the hospital Bela, close to the Ogrlice waterfall in the valley of the Kamniška Bistrica. My favourite food, anything that follows the natural calendar, dandelion now in March. Then soon, wild asparagus from Istria, cherries from Goriška brda in summer, but also in autumn when it's time for the chestnut picnic with the neighbours.

Here's what other expats have to recommend in Gorenjska, including my parents. 

Laurie Bach: Hi, my name is Laurie Bach, and I have been living full-time in Slovenia for about the past nine years. I'm also an intercultural trainer by profession, so I understand the importance of studying a culture so you can live and work happily and productively.

My tip for today is a wonderful family-run chocolate shop where all of their chocolates are made by hand and right there in front of you. It's a mom-and-pop operation with their two teenage daughters helping when they can. And it's located right at the entrance to the old town of Radovljica. And since we lived in the land of chocolate, Belgium, for over 20 years, I think we know our chocolate.

And of course they don't mass produce their chocolate, they only sell it at their beautiful store into a couple of local restaurants. So, it really is one-of-a-kind chocolate and not one to be missed. I hope you've enjoyed my insiders’ tip today and you continue to enjoy beautiful and delicious Slovenia.

James Charney: My name is James Charney and I have the very pleasant opportunity to spend a lot of time in Slovenia, a country that we love to visit. Especially in the area of Kamnik because we get to visit Noah there. He asked for some suggestions for favourite places, and it's pretty hard to come up with a short list, but places that occur to me that are very special. I'm a big fan of the Pr’ Jurju, restaurant in the woods near Kamnik. It's a cabin that is run by a family and that has hands down the best Wiener schnitzel I've ever had. Also, the biggest, it overlaps two sides of a plate. They have wonderful Turkey dishes, štruklji, classic Sloven salad, and the, one of the things that we take some amusement with, is the fact that the father of the family is a big fan of the former dictator Tito. And the restaurant is basically a shrine to things Tito with photographs and medals and diplomas just scattered throughout as decoration.

So that makes it a very special place to visit and a favourite of ours. We also love the gondola ride, going up to Velika planina, that wonderfully beautiful plateau in the mountains nearby. The ride itself is exciting and beautiful. And, speaking of a ride, we love the drive over the mountains from Kamnik to Klagenfurt for Austria, which we've done.

The ride itself is beautiful and Klagenfurt for is pretty interesting as a place to visit, but it's not in Slovenia, but the drive is through some of the most beautiful parts of Slovenia. 

Diane Charney: My name is Diane Charney, and there's so many things I love about Slovenia that I am going to find it hard to narrow it down, but I'm gonna give it a go. 

The Arboretum is full of gorgeous trees and plants and it's great in every season, especially for kids. They have a butterfly house, they have an amazing playground and they have realistic full-size models of giant dinosaurs and whales with movable parts and also exciting statues of other animals. And they have a wonderfully large gift shop full of temptations for fanatic gardeners like me.

Another place I love of a different order is the Russian Chapel on the route 206 in Triglav National Park. It's a wooden structure that was built by prisoners of war, war from World War I, who were buried in an avalanche, and it's dedicated to their memory. It's a very solemn and moving site, but a really beautiful one and um, makes a nice contrast to other things that you might be doing during your enjoyment of Slovenia.

The last thing is my absolute favourite place. It's called Zlata ptička, a shop, full of unique products from Slovenia, local foods, cheeses, homemade pastries. Fabulous herbal teas that I've never seen anywhere else. Luscious soaps, natural cosmetics, and with friendly, helpful, kind, great people to help you, and it's a wonderful source for gifts and I could spend a whole day there. 

Bruce Bach: My name is Bruce Bach. I'm an American expat living with my wife Laurie, here in lovely Slovenia for about the last nine years, in our beautiful region very close to Bled. We have kind of a unique, I guess you would say, path. It's called the Bee Trail. So, if you're on the main road, walking, biking, whatever to Vintgar Gorge, about a hundred metres before the Gostilna Fortuna, you find a small side road. Right at that corner, there's a large posted colorful map called the Bee Trail. This map takes you on a path up the Viševnica Hill, right from that point, and after a moderate climb of old, maybe 10 minutes on a dirt road, you come to a bend where there's a bench in the most wonderful view, looking down at Bled castle and the lake taking in the entire Julian Alps in the Gorenjska region. You're actually hundreds of meters higher than the castle and the Bled area, so it's quite a nice view and not known to a lot of people except those who are local. Enjoy. 

Finally, let's mention the least visited part of Slovenia – Prekmurje, near the Hungarian border. Lendava has an excellent museum in its castle. But the place I'll point you to is the Grad called grad in the town of Grad. Yes, that translates as a castle called Castle in the town of Castle. It's Slovenia's largest, you guessed it, castle with a museum inside with a warn of rooms in which you can play hide and seek with your children. I speak from experience. It's also near a fun and educational amusement park in miniature called Vulkanija about volcanoes. Random, but why not? And great for kids. 

While there, try gibanica, the layer cake and bograč – a twist on goulash – and listen to the song by Slovenia's most popular musician Z Goričkega v Piran. The title describes the longest possible road trip in Slovenia from Goriško in Prekmurje to Piran in Primorska.

Jason Hartley is a chef, brand, consultant and culinary traveller with a popular and engaging TikTok and Instagram @Balkan.Brit. He recommends spots all over Slovenia, so he's a good voice to end on. 

Jason Hartley: Where to even begin. You've got in the north, northeast of the country, you've got Ducal Winery, a father and son duo. The dad used to be a mountaineer. The son used to be a, a Slovenian Premier League footballer. They now have got the most beautiful winery making some gorgeous wines in one of the best-looking cellars in the country.

Also in the north you've got Monstera Estate, which is a foodie retreat created by TV Chef Bine Volčič and his wife Katarina, where you can go up and hang out for the weekend cooking and learning and eating absolutely amazing. In Dolenjska, in the south of the country, you've got Domačija Novak, which is another foodie lovers' paradise, where the family grow and source foods locally, cook amazing dishes and have one of the most phenomenal wine cellars in the country. 

You've got BioSing David Lesar has got this insane underground layer, like something out of a James Bond film where he makes the most unbelievable salamis. In Istria, on the other side of the country, you've got Gramona Farm making unbelievable beautiful olive oils. You've got in Ljubljana itself, you've got Dapper, my mate Primož (Stayer) and his wine store that isn't a wine store, which sells denim and you can turn up and eat there as well, which is superb.

You've got Čokl, which is just the best coffee ever in a really anonymous looking location near the puppet theatre. And then in Goriška Brda, on the border of Italy, my beloved Goriška Brda, you've got so many things. You could, you've go to Kabaj Winery where you can also eat beautiful food there in their restaurant. 

You've got Konvin on the border of Italy, which is this amazing grill and wine bar experience. You've got, Villa Ava who've just built this unbelievable new, tasting room and production room for their olive oils. And then of course, you've got the winemakers. And if I had to give some really hidden tips, I'd say Blažič, Kristian Keber who has got this beautiful new cellar, Oton Reya, a tiny wine maker with a big heart, and beloved by everyone in the region, so, a must-visit. 

Noah Charney: We hope that this has been helpful. Of course, it's a very subjective list in just the tip of the iceberg. Part of the fun of visiting a place like Slovenia is discovering your own hidden facets of the country that has so often been called a hidden gem. 

I'll end with one last suggestion. If you are arriving or departing by plane, then consider a first or final meal at Dvor Jezeršek, which is a five minute drive from the airport. It's an excellent restaurant home base for one of Slovenia's celebrity chefs, Luka Jezeršek, a judge on MasterChef Slovenia, whose family runs a number of great restaurants, including one in Ljubljana Castle and one in Bled Castle. Luka is famous for kaiserschmarrn, a sort of chopped caramelized pancake situation popular throughout Austria-Hungary. He's a proper schmarrn star. It's a killer dessert, a sweet start or end to your next holiday in Slovenia. Or heck, if you're like the rest of us, why not just move here. 

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. If you'd like to learn more, visit slovenia.info. For more information, you're welcome to follow our social media channels. Feel Slovenia on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube and TripAdvisor.