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April 2025

Heavenly Flavours at the Height of Spring

Traditional culinary events and our top adventures

Welcome to foodie paradise! Culinary events celebrating the excellent produce, wholesome products and the authenticity of local gastronomy are kicking off in the Vipava Valley and Goriška. Discover the Paradise Valley on an exciting exploration of local wines, homemade dishes, ice cream and pasta, olive oil, and masterpieces by renowned chefs.

Flavours of the Vipava Valley wine and food festival

On the most beautiful days of spring, the Paradise Valley presents its greatest treasure, the luxury of flavours. Mid-May features the annual Flavours of the Vipava Valley festival, a traditional showcase of authentic valley delicacies. For decades, the festival has put Vipava Valley wines at the forefront. Connoisseurs rank the Vipava winegrowing district, which preserves more than thirty old indigenous varieties and is famous for its top-quality wines, among the most interesting wine regions in this part of Europe. The festival also showcases the cuisine of the Vipava Valley, cherished for its authenticity, its fidelity to locally produced ingredients and modern interpretation of culinary legacy. 

This year, the Vipava Valley will also be proving itself as a land of exquisite ice cream, included in the very first European Ice Cream Route. During the two days of the festival, on 18 and 19 May, visitors can taste wines and ice cream while the traditional Vipava Market spotlights the local producers and providers of culinary experiences. The festival features expert workshops, with a special program for children.

From 25 April to 25 May, the festival also hosts a Culinary Month, offering rich opportunities for culinary pamperings. Lovers of authentic flavours will be delighted by two more culinary events in May: the traditional Pasta Party (Pašta fešta) in Ajdovščina on 24 May, and the Asparagus Festival (Praznik špargljev) in Orehovlje on 25 May. Paradise Valley for foodies is real!

Discover unique experiences

It's not just the mouthwatering flavours that invite you to our Paradise Valley. Discover our specialities, feel the richness of our cultural heritage, and embark on heavenly experiences in the company of local guides. Here are just some of our top adventures, showcasing the valley's heritage and local culture in original and surprising ways.

  • In Nova Gorica, our new Smuggling Tour is already a hit with visitors, taking you back to the 1970s smuggling routes and historical life along the heavily guarded national border. 
  • A different experience altogether is offered by the story of the boutique Golden Ring Cheese Dairy, which ripens its cheeses under the Sinji Vrh Mountain. Here you can learn about cheese-making and prepare your own wheel of cheese in a beautiful natural environment. 
  • Wine lovers should definitely experience a ride on the Vipava Valley Wine Train. Guided wine tastings accompanied by local snacks on the train journey, a stop for a tour of Ajdovščina's town centre and a visit to an agritourism farm will linger in your memory. 
  • At the mighty Rihemberk Castle, the priceless heritage of the Vipava Valley is on display in a picturesque, entertaining and educational way. Selecting from a variety of guided experiences, families are impressed by the Treasures of Rihemberk Castle exploration tour. 

The Paradise Valley, unique all year round, offers many more opportunities for a relaxing trip, a weekend getaway, or a short holiday in pristine nature. Choose from our accommodations and stay in paradise on your time.

Cycling from flavour to flavour

In these parts you can combine cycling and tasting, your favourite pastimes. Bike & Taste in the Paradise Valley caters to active visitors in love with life. While cycling through the valley and its winegrowing hills, many opportunities for stopping, visiting inns and agritourism farms await you in the local villages. At the end of an active day, you can enjoy a wine tasting in one of Vipava Valley's wineries where you'll be personally welcomed by the winemaker, happy to share their family stories. Want to see for yourself what makes wine tastings in our region so special? Welcome to the Paradise Valley for foodies!