Bear-friendly holidays on the farm

Trip Summary

The program is designed for lovers of nature and genuine contact with local community. During the week of your stay at the tourist farm Pri Andrejevih, located in the bear area, you will become part of their everyday life and learn about various natural phenomena that have shaped the Karst landscape. At the tourist farm Pri Andrejevih, tourists quickly become friends. The family impresses them with tasty, traditional home made food, which is hard to forget.
The program includes all the most important tourist attractions in the surroundings and brings understanding of the life of bears in their natural habitat. Your visit will therefore include a number of elements of a responsible tourist visit with special attention to the protection, preservation and understanding of the natural environment while offering visitors a genuine contact with local traditions. You will take home with you both knowledge and experience, and above all, new friendships.

What do you need: camera, hiking boots, hiking backpack, waterproof sportswear.

Highlights: UNESCO Škocjan Caves, Lipica, traditional home made food, Lake Cerknica with the museum, Rakov Škocjan, Park of Military History Park, Pivka intermittent lakes, Tourist farm Pri Andrejevih, the brown bear.

Bear and/or environmentally friendly practices:

10% of profit for each program booked through Discover Dinarics portal goes to environmental NGO, Center for Environment

Visit of Sedmak who is protecting sheep with the help of livestock guarding dogs
Beekeeping Šalamun: presentation of beekeeping activities and honey tasting
Tourist farm Pri Andrejevih: accommodation and food

Inquiry

Important

Price: We have put together an example itinerary for you so you can get an idea of what to expect on your “Bear friendly holidays on farm”. But the program is not set in stone. Please contact us and we will make you a tailor-made offer.
Duration: 7 days
Physical difficulty: low to medium
Suitable for families with children, couples, individuals, small groups
The possibility of meeting: bears, wolves, lynxes, forest, meadows and water birds of the Lake Cerknica, butterflies and other insects, jackals
Season: April to October
Location: Postojna with surroundings
Minimum group size: 2
Maximum group size: 8

Pictures

Beekeping is an important part of our live

Family Sedmak has a dog to guard the sheep_foto Petra Draškovič Pelc

Itinerary

Day 1: Meet the Andrej family and the environment in which they live

We will meet at the tourist farm Pri Andrejevih where you will quickly feel at home. All members of the family make sure that the guests quickly integrate into their everyday life. On the farm you will be greeted by the guide who will present you the entire program and then take you to visit the nearby Pivka intermittent lakes. Seventeen scenic lakes of different sizes and persistency attract lovers of nature with their mystery and unpredictability. Here we can find a diversity of plant and animal species that have already disappeared elsewhere or are at risk. Researchers have counted 182 species of plants, 210 species of beetles, 106 species of butterflies and 127 species of birds; this is also the habitat of large carnivores such as bears, wolves and lynxes. We will visit the Ecomuseum where the guide will present you the framework of the destination you are visiting and the associated fauna and flora.

Day 2: Explore the farm and meet the bear

After the breakfast, the Andrej family will take you on an hour-long tour of the farm and present you their life on the farm – their daily work and where and how they produce 80% of all the food that you will consume at their farm. This will be followed by a trip to Lipica Stud Farm, home of the world famous Lipizzan horses. You will learn the entire history of the stud farm, from its establishment to nowadays. We will visit the historic centre with the oldest barn Velbanco, take a walk through the stables and visit the interactive museum – Lipikum – where we will learn about different stages of the development of Lipica. In the evening we will return to the farm and from there go on a bear hunting watch – an organized guided tour accompanied by a hunter. In case of bad weather the tour will be postponed to the following day.

Day 3: Day of hiking and history

The tourist farm Pri Andrejevih lies near the hill Šlientabor which is protected as an archaeological monument. Today’s activities will start with the one-hour climb of Šilentabor which is part of the military circular route that runs up to the slope Primož (underground fortifications – bunkers), energy points of ground forces and the Park of Military History. We will visit the later since is one of the most interesting museums in Slovenia which focuses on Slovenian recent history – particularly on the two World Wars and the Slovenian independence war. This is a museum and adventure centre. After the visit, we will return to the farm.

Day 4: UNESCO Škocjan Caves and culinary workshop at the farm Pri Andrejevih

Škocjan Caves is the only Slovenian UNESCO natural heritage site. The caves are also part of the Ramsar list. The latter includes wetlands of international importance, especially as habitats for water birds. Škocjan Caves are listed as the first underground wetland due to the important natural habitat which comprises highly specialized and often endemic species of terrestrial and aquatic cave animals – including the human fish (Proteus anguinus). The visit will certainly not leave you indifferent. Since we are on the way towards the sea, we will continue towards Piran, the idyllic fishing town of the Slovenian coast. In the evening we will return to the farm and test our capabilities in the culinary workshop led by the female part of the family. With their help we will prepare a traditional dinner from home grown ingredients. You will take home with you all the recipe secrets.

Day 5: Free day to relax and explore the rest of Slovenia

We recommend:
• The visit of Ljubljana, Bled and Bohinj
• The visit of the Slovenian coast
• An active day in the Soča Valley
• An active day in Postojna

Day 6: Lake Cerknica with the museum and Rakov Škocjan

The intermittent Lake Cerknica is the largest Karst lake in Slovenia and when full of water, it becomes the largest lake in Slovenia. It is home to many animals and plants, thus representing a true paradise for lovers of nature and amateur photographers. In order to better understand the reservoir, we will visit the Museum of Lake Cerknica where we will find all the answers regarding how the reservoir works, what can be seen and experienced in the immediate vicinity, and obtain a variety of information about the Karst phenomena of the surroundings. We will conclude the day with a walk through Rakov Škocjan – a beautiful Karst valley between Cerknica and Planina Field. It was formed by the river Rak. The whole area is full of Karst phenomena, the nature learning trail leads us through a unique natural environment. The highlight of the visit are the Big and Little Natural Bridge.

Day 7: Departure for home

The morning of the last day is reserved for packing. In the afternoon we will visit the Predjama Castle which is reigning for more than 700 years from the 123 meter high rock wall.

Logistics

The “Bear-friendly holidays on the farm” program begins and ends in the small village of Narin near Pivka.

Air connection:
There are 4 international airports within a maximum of 2 hours and a half drive (Ljubljana, Zagreb, Venice, Trieste) from Pivka. We offer organized transfers from all airports. If you are interested please contact us.

Road connection:
The village Narin is located near Pivka, 12 km from the town of Postojna which lies near the highway, halfway between Ljubljana and the Slovenian coast.

Additional information:

Maximum number of participants: 20
Before the beginning of the program the guide will provide you with all the important information. Before the beginning of each daily tour the guide will provide you with all the detailed information about the daily program;
Fourteen days before the arrival you will receive all the detailed information about the implementation of the program.

Inquiry