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Bela Krajina is a small area of Southeastern Slovenia where Big Berry Lifestyle Camp is located. Bela Krajina is home to many local producers and artisans keeping Slovenian traditions alive. At Big Berry guests have the opportunity to visit these local artisans and really get a feel for the culture of the region. There are so many wonderful places to visit and so little time. I was only at the camp for 4 days short days, and I’m already itching to go back and experience more of this charming region, especially the brewery, which I unfortunately didn’t have time for this trip.
Bees!
Apparently bee tourism is a real thing and Slovenia is swarming with it. (See what I did there?) Čebelarstvo Veselič in Metlika has been producing honey for 4 generations, so they’ve gotten pretty good at it. With the help of some of the Big Berry interns as translators, the senior beekeeper gave us a very thorough tour of the property and a look at the honey making/harvesting process.
We were taken inside to learn how the honey is extracted from the honey comb, and of course we got to try some fresh honey. Then we got a tour of the grounds, including the bee houses. Obviously, the first thing you notice about Čebelarstvo Veselič is the bees. There are bees buzzing around EVERYWHERE. I know this goes without saying, but it’s a bit unsettling. Turns out, bees are less menacing than they appear, and no one in our group got stung!
After the tour there is a small shop where guests can purchase a variety of fresh honey. If I wasn’t traveling so much I would have brought some home. I was just certain that sometime during my next 11 flights all my clothes would end up covered in broken glass and honey. Normally I would risk it, but since my next stop was Tbex, I figured that was not a great first impression with travel industry professionals.
We ended our tour with a toast and a bit of honey liquor from our guide. He even offered to let me marry one of his 3 sons (sight unseen), and stay there. It’s not the worst offer I’ve received and Bela Krajina is beautiful enough that it might be worth signing on to a lifetime covered in bees.
Morning Schnapps, Breakfast of champions.
Here we learned about the traditional dress of the region. “Bela” means white, and and the “Bela” in Bela Krajina actually refers so the white linen worn by the people. We were taken through the process of how the linen was made before modern technology and given a change to tour the farm house to see how people in the region would have lived.
I’m not sure if the dog is native to the area
Decorating Pisanice- Colored Eggs
Decorating Easter eggs is common practice in many cultures, but Bela Krajina blows the others out of the water. They use a sharpened tool and melted wax to create mindblowingly intricate designs. These eggs are synonymous with the area and make for a very popular souvenir. I had the opportunity to try my had at it, but I don’t think tourist will purchasing my handy work anytime soon.
Looks like a really great place! I could spend the whole day there.
Wineries are my favourite thing in the world! This one has such a fantastic view, I’d love to watch the sunset in that place
Slovenia looks absolutely beautiful! I used to love decorating easter eggs when I was a kid. I always had those beautiful ideas in my head, but they never quite turned out the way I imagined 😉
We love visiting Wineries. Taste the local culture i call it lol. Don’t believe i have ever tried a wine from Slovenia i will now be on the look out for one.
What a great place to explore! I love checking out new places when we travel, it’s fun to see what the citys have to offer.
Oh wow, I’d have a blast there. We have a bee keeper here but I’ve never met him. I’ve always wanted to ask him a dozen questions though.
Very interesting, thank you! I love MED(honey) and I am russian) this is essential part of my diet!
Bee tourism sounds really interesting. I am sure the honey is fresh and as pure as can be. It . I am also fascinated by the painted eggs.
This is so interesting for me, I’d love to visit there I like the colorful eggs
I love that they are promoting what the locals have to offer. One way to truly enjoy a place is to get to know the locals and what they do for a living. I would love to stay here for a couple of days and just go around the country, from the farm to the wineries!
Ooooo how cool are these eggs!!!! So pretty.
Liquor for breakfast? Count me in! It all sounds amazing actually. Looks like you had a great time!
Swarming with the bee business….. LOL!
This looks like a great opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at daily life in Slovenia! Getting to know the locals is such an important part of travel that is often overlooked when trying to check items off a bucket list. I’d love to visit!
I would have such a great time with all of these activities! That honey looks so delicious!
I guess I should not have not have looked at this article before I made my lunch. Wow, that honey, bread, and olive oils look so enticing.
Wow, now I want to go to this place all that amazing good wine, honey and other amazing local foods, I need to get back to Slovenia.
This is really nice and I am in Vienna not far from Slovenia so it would be great to be able to see and visit here. I also love honey!
What a fun and immersing experience! Let us know about the brewery when you return and check it out.
This looks like such an amazing trip! I am in love with the beautiful eggs 🙂
I’ve only been to Bled, but SO wish I would have known about all of this before going to Slovenia! All of these activities are right down my alley and I love how local it all seems!
Great to know about Bela Krajina in Slovenia. I grew up in the neighbourhood region, in North East Italy, but didn’t know about this place. Love those special oils and the local produce.
That last photo is stunning! Definitely giving me strong “time to open a bottle of wine and enjoy” vibes. Also, decorating your own Easter egg must have been so much fun! This sounds like a very cool cultural experience.
Love visiting wineries though it can be hard esp with the kids… However, if there’s a will, there’s always a way:) Thanks for sharing!!!
You know what I like about this? It is just so real and rustic. There are so many fancy tours around, but this seems to be a great to get to know local culture.
Beautiful trip! I love how they show the honey being pressed. Also, that egg painting thing was cool! Definitely looks like a fun adventure.
Wow! Looks like an amazing place. I love how you were able to experience the history and culture while you were there. Would love to taste that honey!
Big Berry looks so cool! I would love to visit and do all of these activities! The bee farm visit sounds like fun–I always love learning how things are made. The vineyards look gorgeous, too!
Wow! The place is amazing! Are all the products handmade and organic. They looked like it to me! What a wonder their traditions have survived!
Honey liquor- yum. I know bees make people nervous, my kids tend to run and yell. I find if you leave them alone and ignore them when they are close they leave you alone. Now if I could get my kids to follow that:)
Slovenia looks absolutely gorgeous! Love visiting wineries and that sunset is the perfect finish to a beautiful day!
I’ve never had honey liquor before! I can imagine it would be great in a summer cocktail. Bela Krajina looks right up my alley.
If I would given a chance to travel to this place, I would be honored. What a great place. Very fun and traditional.