In the second week of 2014 the sloveniaholidays.com team set out on a working trip to Štanjel, an idyllic village on top of the Karst plateau overlooking the beautiful Vipava Valley.

The village of Štanjel is divided into three parts: the castle and church area and the village itself. The castle and church areas are combined by a village square with a fountain on the paved grounds to which a lovely stone staircase is leading. The local stone houses with beautiful stone carved elements are built on terraces, which are wrapping the plateau and the picturesque narrow streets will lead you to amazing small village squares. The renaissance castle and the Parish Church of the Prophet Daniel built in the 15^th century complete the idyllic image of the village Štanjel. The famous Slovenian architect Maks Fabiani, whose grave can be found in Štanjel, arranged a beautiful park called the Ferrari park under the defensive walls of the village.

In the village the GALLERY OF LOJZE SPACAL, a famous Slovenian painter, can be found. The gallery holds the largest collection of art works of this prominent Slovenian artist. While staying in Štanjel, a walk in the aforementioned beautiful Ferrari garden, which is during the summer months also a lovely wedding spot, is a must.

 When in Štanjel, you can stay in several great apartments, among others in the Apartments Valetovi and the Apartments Marija Jera. During our visit we stayed and worked in the latter one. The apartments are in a house with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a kitchen. The apartment we stayed in was really a very cozy and comfortable one – although we went to bed quite late, we really had a very pleasant goodnight sleep.

The lovely owner of the apartment, Ms. Marija Jera, is also a tourist guide, who can take you on a sightseeing trip around Štanjel and its surroundings. Moreover, together with her husband, she is also a beekeeper – taste and buy their delicious homemade honey right at their courtyard!

During the day, we were brainstorming and planning our new ideas for our internet portals sloveniaholidays.com, informacija.net and sloveniashop.net in a lovely multi-purpose room, which can welcome up to 20 people, and is a great space to organize various workshops, meetings, get-togethers, themed evenings or other events.

In the evening we headed to the inn Hiša posebne sorte, where we enjoyed a delicious dinner prepared by the top chef of the restaurant Restavracija posebne sorte. The charming interior with lovely modern touches in combination with the littoral atmosphere and the friendly inn owner Mr. Vid Sorta made us feel like at home. The restaurant Restavracija posebne sorte offers their guests delicious seasonal dishes, beef meat from their own farm, homemade pasta, unforgettable deserts and exquisite local wines.

In the offer of the house Hiša posebne sorte are no coincidences, renouncements or proxies can be found - everything they offer has its own special purpose. With a professional approach and a thoughtfully designed culinary offer the inn is making its dream a reality. In their stories nature, culture, tradition and health are always intertwined. We REALLY recommend a visit to the inn Hiša posebne sorte!

At the restaurant we enjoyed:

• cold beef slices on top of home grown chicory with olive oil, lemon and homemade cheese
• vegetable cream soup
• pork roast filled with prosciutto and cheese with roasted potatoes and vegetables
• desert of a “special kind”

That the desert really deserves such a name, we present you here the proof – the girls of sloveniaholidays.com asked for the special recipe!

After a long day, an excellent dinner behind us and a bit of a short night, we carried on with our work the next day. We visited our advertisers in Štanjel, wished them a happy and successful New Year and presented them a small gift from sloveniaholidays.com. By foot, we them headed to:

• the Tourist centre TIC Štanjel
  • past the Apartments Valetovi
  • to the Gallery of Lojze Spacal, where we left a small present as a surprise as well :)

We thanked Ms. Marija Jera for her warm hospitality, kindness and the pleasant stay, waved goodbye to Štanjel and headed back home to Upper Carniola.

  A list of accommodation options in Štanjel and its surroundings >>

  Restaurants and inns in Štanjel and its surroundings >>