Farm stays in Slovenia, sleeping and eating on a farm

Staying on a tourist farm

Town and city options are covered in hotels in Slovenia. At least a third of tourist farms offer accommodation, in the farmhouse itself, in apartments, rooms or camping areas. Quality is rated with apples, from one to four, and four-apple farms add varied food and other experiences to well-equipped rooms. There are farms specialising in organic produce, in families with children or in cyclists, and some are adapted for people with reduced mobility. The Tourist Board adds that on many you can sleep in the hayloft, and that some have camping areas nearby; if you’d rather use a tent, see campsites in Slovenia.

Who are farm stays for?

For me, farm stays fit two cases above all, children, because the Tourist Board stresses they can be with the animals and play outdoors, and anyone who wants to eat proper Slovenian cooking. They also work as a base for walking or cycling, because many farms sit in valleys and hills with trails close by.

Excursion farms, for a meal

These are farms you visit to eat, many of them on the tourist wine roads, known for their hot and cold dishes and drinks. They usually open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and it’s worth booking. Taste Slovenia notes that farms with accommodation don’t always serve every meal, but will send you to the nearest inn, which they sometimes supply themselves. The dishes you’ll find on those tables are in Slovenian food.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Slovenia for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

What to expect at the table

The Tourist Board describes a table of home-made cured meats and cheeses, honey, freshly pressed juices, the farm’s own wine or brandy, and farmhouse dishes such as žganci, stews, soups and desserts ranging from štruklji to potica. Taste Slovenia mentions the custom of a sip of brandy to welcome you and see you off, and says the best of the meal depends on what’s in the garden that day.

Regional flavours

Each area gives the stay a different character, according to the Tourist Board. In the Soča Valley, most farms sit high up and make good starting points for short hikes; around Maribor and Pohorje you can help bake bread or sleep in a hayloft; and in the Upper Savinja Valley the local speciality is želodec, a stuffed pork stomach. Some farms also offer beekeeping tourism with the native Carniolan bee.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Slovenia on GetYourGuide.

Sleeping in a vineyard cottage

In the Posavje region, the Tourist Board highlights the zidanice, small brick houses among the vineyards where you can spend the night, and the repnice, cellars dug into the ground. It’s the most unusual way to sleep in Cviček country. The wine regions are covered in Slovenian wine. If what you want is a pretty village as a base, my list is in the prettiest villages in Slovenia.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Slovenia for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.