Guide to traveling Brda, Slovenia’s wine region

I don’t need to tell anyone that Slovenia has stolen my heart a bit. Before my trip to Slovenia I had high expectations of Slovenian nature and these have been fully met. What I didn’t expect, however, was that one of the regions we visited would look so much like Italy. In the wine region Brda (full name: Goriska Brda), it looks like you are in Tuscany instead of Slovenia. I would like to take you on a journey of discovery through Brda, the wine region of the country and I hope that I will surprise you with this as well.

Wine tasting at Klet Brda

Brda is known as Slovenia’s wine region and I can immediately see why: wherever I look, I see vineyards as far as the eye can see. A large part of Slovenian wine comes from here and wine producer Klet is one of the major producers. Klet is a special company with a special approach. Under the banner of this organization, no fewer than 400 smaller winegrowers are united, making them the largest wine producer in Slovenia. Klet exports its wine to no fewer than 26 countries and in total they produce about 300 different wines. The differences between these wines are really not always great: often it is about small details such as clarifying the Savignon Blanc for the American market or a different design of the bottle according to Asian preferences.

Klet gave me an interesting tour of the wine cellars and the company. Then I tasted no less than 5 different wines. The sommelier was able to describe perfectly what typified this wine and which wine suits which preferences. She also explained how these wines obtained their specific taste. Despite the fact that the tasting already took place at 11 am, the wines all tasted great! After the tasting I took a bottle of white wine with me to take home. You can book a tour including wine tasting from 6 euros per person. In my opinion, it’s a real recommendation!

Cycling through Brda

One of the best things I did in Slovenia was an electric bike ride through the vineyards of Brda. In the beginning I found it a bit exciting, as the bike had both rear and front wheel gears. In addition, I could also set whether I wanted the electric bicycle to do the heavy work or whether I also wanted to pedal a lot. After fiddling around for a while, I found a position that was comfortable and that I could easily adjust as the road got steeper and so I needed more electricity. After that, cycling became one big party. The scenery of Brda is beautiful and I really felt like I had landed in Tuscany. Cute villages, endless vineyards and fairytale streets made me wonder. If you want to rent an electric bicycle or scooter, you can do so at the Tourist Information Center.

Honey tasting and bee therapy at Skubin

There are many beekeepers in Slovenia. Of course they produce honey, but there are also a number of beekeepers who also offer something else: bee therapy. I visited beekeeper Skubin and was immediately impressed by this man. He told us that his mother suffered from bronchitis and that he had heard that bee therapy could help. That’s why he built a wooden hut, with recesses for beehives. Inside the hut there are two beds on which the sick person can take place. Then he opens the hives (don’t worry, there are grids in front of them so the bees can’t get out of the hives) and you have to lie still for a while. The buzzing of the bees, combined with the scent they give off, seems to be very good for people with lung diseases. Even if you don’t want to follow bee therapy, it is nice to pay a visit to beekeeper Skubin. You can taste different types of honey here and of course you can also buy a jar to take home.

Spend the night in Smartno

The village of Smartno is small, but really breathtakingly beautiful. In the evening I took a walk through the tiny center and I thoroughly enjoyed the peace and space. As far as I’m concerned, Smartno is a very pleasant base from which to discover this Brda.