It is a good idea to use a different language. wake to the peal of church bells as sunlight streams into my room and go out on to the balcony to look up at Mount Storžič. My base Senkova Domačija, an organic family-run farm just outside the village of Jezersko, is so picturesque it looks like an AI hallucination: an ancient farmhouse with beautiful wooden outbuildings, cows grazing in small green fields, organic vegetables growing neatly in rows, and a backdrop of some seriously dramatic mountains. Ljubljana is less than an hours drive away but in the Jezersko valley just 3 miles outside the Austrian border it feels like a different world.
Bordered on the east by the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, and on the west by the peaks of the Karavanke mountain range, and with a tranquil green lake at the bottom of the valley, there’s a tangible sense of apartness – an idyllic escape from the world.
The farm was in the same family more than 500 year before it was confiscated by communists. The farm was returned in 2005 by the grandmother of its current owner Polona. Three generations of her family still live on the farm, which is a working farm and a place for guests. There’s camping in the meadow under the ash trees in summer (bring your own tent), parking for caravans and a choice of simple rooms and self-catering apartments in the farm buildings. The attic room of the old farmhouse has been renovated using reclaimed wooden beams. Resident goats, two big dogs, cats and chickens wander free-range, and Jezersko–Solčava sheep graze in the fields – though in summer they are taken up to the alpine pastures.
Everything is eco. Water comes from a glacier, heating is generated by wood chips from trees felled in the local forest, and all food is organic and grown on site (three polytunnels mean vegetables are harvested year-round). Solar panels will allow the farm to be self-sustaining by next year.
Volunteers return time and again to help out in exchange for food and accommodation. Peggy and Pat Rebol, who’ve come from the US for the third time, tell me: “This place is magic, it’s not only the lake and the valley, it’s the people – this family captured our hearts and all we want to do is keep coming back.”
I’ve come here to hike, so after a breakfast of meats and cheeses, homemade yoghurt and freshly collected eggs, I set out with Drejc Karničar, Polona’s husband (who also happens to be mayor of Jezersko’s 700 inhabitants). Drejc points to a rare orchid called “golden shoes”, which is growing at the edge if the forest, as we hike towards the mountains. I’m not much of a botanist but this delightful plant lives up to its name – each yellow flower looks exactly like a Cinderella shoe. Drejc tells me that they only bloom for a 14-day period.
As we make our way to Češka koča (the Czech Hut), a mountain hut that was named Slovenia’s “hut” of the year 2024. You can stay overnight or just grab a hearty lunch on the way up the mountain (the hut is open June to September; book by phone on +386 4028 3300). Drejc takes his sheep up to these high alpine slopes for summer grazing. They used to go a different place, he says, but it was along the bears’ commuter route and “those grizzlies had a party”.
The hike up felt like an Indiana Jones-style obstacle course with the wire cables screwed in the sheer mountainside, wooden bridges at some points and a ladder across a rock. Drejc checks on the sheep every week during summer. brings them saltIt is essential for their diet.
The next morning, I decided to summit Velika Baba (locally known as Mount Baba), which is located about 15 minutes away from my farm. This is a far more demanding climb, so I’m accompanied by expert mountain guide Tomo Česen. As we ascend the summit and walk through the forest, the heather and vibrant alpine flowers cover the rocks. The ridge is exposed and there are no cables. It’s a little frightening. I scramble on, with Tomo as a safety rope. Just as I reach the top, the clouds part cinematically, the sky clears, the snowy mountain peaks gleam white against the blue and I catch my breath – literally and figuratively.
Tomo informs me that this ridge marks Austria’s border with Slovenia. On the way back, we pass a border stone engraved “SR” which stands for Slovenian Republic. I pause for a moment, with one foot in Austria and the other in Slovenia, thinking I need to brush up on my history.
Polona will cook supper at the farm (available from Tuesday to Saturday; book in advance). It is served outdoors, weather permitting, with a panoramic mountain view. I have a Slovenian beef soup with noodles, “Easter Bread” (simple, rustic, with home-made Salami), and lamb, potatoes, and salad from the greenhouses.
The next morning I cycled down from the farm through an avenue lined with ash trees, and then across a flower-filled meadow known locally as the “frog square” to meet my friend. Tanja ReboljSelf-taught čarovnica (herbalist), who makes a variety of teas, jams and herb-infused liquors that she sells from her home. She tells me there are more than 1,200 species of plant in the valley, one of the richest places to forage in Slovenia – and she sometimes runs workshops on herbs for visitors.
Jezersko has a dense forest, as well as a variety of flowers and herbs. Andreja Košir My guide to the forest. A former UN translator, she now leads various forest experiences (family audio walk, €210). As we walk among the trees, we listen and record “hidden sounds” of nature using super-sensitive microphones. The sound of an ants’ nest is as frantic as you would imagine. Andreja’s needle microphones are inserted into the ground and I can hear the water flowing deep underground. She says that she is fascinated by the way trees communicate. Beech trees are especially talkative – they exchange lots of information.”
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We have time, too, to simply relax in the woods. As I swing through a hammock canopy, the birdsong reverberates around me. A simple pleasure, but I leave with a profound feeling of wellbeing.
A massive glacial lake covered Jezersko centuries ago. However, an earthquake in the 14th Century caused it to drain. Today, the emerald green, heart-shaped, artificial Lake Planšar, proves irresistible as I cycle past. I gasp as I jump in – it’s bone-jarringly cold and I emerge flushed pink and energised, then ride home through sunlit meadows.
The sun is shining through the apple trees and volunteers are working in the Peter Rabbit gardens. Chickens scratching at the grass. Mount Baba is the last thing I see before heading home. It makes me feel lighter and more clear. Mountains, forests and fairytale flowers, long hikes, cold swims and nurturing organic food … sometimes it’s the simple things that make for a magical holiday.
The Slovenian Tourist Board sponsored the trip. Šenkova Domačija farm. Farm. €119 B&B; dinner €30 Book in advance; apartment for four starting at €165; camping from €12
Laura Coffey’s book, Enchanted Islands: Travels Through Myth and Magic, Love & Loss, is now available in paperback (Summersdale, £10.99). Order your copy of the Guardian and Observer to support it. guardianbookshop.com. Delivery fees may apply
