January 2022
The Paradise Valley: green in every way
Take a trip with our Green Guide
First impressions matter. And our visitors agree: the Vipava Valley and the border-free Goriška Region instantly hook you with their pristine nature and year-round green landscape dotted with picture-book villages, mansions and castles. How about second impressions and the feelings you bring back? What really makes this region so great is that the people are fully behind values such as environmental protection, upholding tradition and living authentically. And now it seems that visitors and the media have caught on to that: prominent reporters are writing articles about it and high-profile outlets regularly rank the valley among the most sustainable destinations in the world. Indeed, our valley is authentic, green and friendly. And we are proud to call it the Paradise Valley.
The Green Guide – your new travel companion
The people who live around here are making sure to keep their environment clean and fertile, doing so with great care and dedication and living life in harmony with nature. We subscribe to healthy habits. Nowadays they fall under the buzzword “sustainable”, but for us, it’s just something we grew up with. We’d be happy to show them to you. What we’d also love is if you could keep them in mind as you tour around the valley to help us keep our Paradise Valley clean and green. To help you with this from here on out, you can tour the Valley with the Green Guide which features a myriad of great tips. The guide is easy to spot. Its mascot has a very special hairstyle that resembles the inflorescence of the endemic hladnikia which is a beautiful plant with white flowers that grows only on a small patch on the Trnovo Forest Plateau. The Green Guide and hladnikia’s rarity and beauty are a reminder of the importance of preserving natural resources so that we can continue to enjoy wholesome locally sourced food, water from the tap and the outstanding beauty of the landscape for a long time to come. Seeing as this destination boasts several locations that have a Slovenia Green designation, don’t miss out on the providers offering certified sustainable products, accommodation, food, travel arrangements and attraction providers. In fact, these savvy people were among the first in Slovenia that offered and arranged safe and responsible travels.
Radicchio from Goriška – a brilliant winter veg
In the Goriška Region, right next to the border to Italy, a unique variety of radicchio that is known as the Goriška radicchio has been cultivated through careful selection. Locally, this fascinating vegetable is called “sukénski régut”, in reference to the settlement of Solkan (over a millennium-old no less) near Nova Gorica where its production is still going strong. Solkan is best known for the Solkan Bridge, a magnificent stone railway bridge spanning the River Soča. Of course, there are plenty of other highlights in the area as well. Radicchio is a real winter treat and a unique culinary symbol that goes beyond borders and symbolically links the culture and economy of the places on both sides of the state border with Italy. Dug up in late autumn and brought inside to a warm place to develop its distinct heads, radicchio is a highly sought-after vegetable. And that’s not just because of its beauty and resemblance to a rose, it’s also because of its delectable flavour and health benefits. For chefs this vegetable is a gift that keeps on giving. It has been a staple winter menu item in the local inns for decades. The traditional production and its imaginative use in haute cuisine and simple fare alike are wonderful examples of local sustainability, inspiring visitors from all over the world.
Vipava Valley in international media
Our Paradise Valley came to the attention of international travel media several years ago. In a 2018 article that resonated around the world, the world-renowned Lonely Planet ranked the Valley among the top 10 European destinations. After an almost two-year hiatus on account of the global health crisis, reporters were finally able to visit the Vipava Valley at the end of last year. Again, they had nothing but praise for the place. It was almost like the international press were in a race against each other when it came to writing about the best hidden corners, highlights, exclusive flavours and sustainable practices of the Vipava Valley as they were affectionately describing it through different lenses. You can read what the press had to write about us here. The British Independent for instance explored how Slovenia rose to the top of the world's culinary elite. Meanwhile, Conde Nast Traveller featured Slovenia among the top twelve sustainable destinations in the world, focusing on its cuisine, the unparalleled wine offer and high-end sustainable accommodations in the Vipava Valley. CNN, enjoying a global readership, dedicated an extensive article to the Vipava Valley right at the end of last year, listing the key reasons to visit this beautiful hidden gem. In early January, another inspiring story detailing the charms of the Vipava Valley was published by the influential American Men's Journal. Now it’s your turn: come pay us a visit, tour the area in the company of locals, and discover for yourself what makes this Paradise Valley so irresistible.
