There is a moment, from time to time, when I am led away from my husband under the guise of an impending surprise. In Colombia, it was donning a rancher outfit; in Morocco, a traditional Amazigh wedding dress, complete with shoes, a headdress, and a skirt. This time, Silvia led me out of a Slovenian wine cellar, handing over a self-playing Zeleznik accordion. With the push of a button, folk music began. I shyly re-entered the vinoteka. There was clapping. There was singing. Should I spin in a circle? Stamp my feet?
Sylvia rushed over to slow the music. A melancholy tune began. Now I could sway—the ballad was universal. Scraps of homemade cheese, bread, and cured meat remained from our happy hour. Na zdravje! We drained our glasses of the wine sourced and produced from the homestead’s vineyard. I was eventually relieved of my instrument. Saying goodnight to our camp hosts, Sylvia and Robi, we climbed the steps, passing gnarly old apple trees and giving Lucy, the German shepherd, a pat before crawling into our camper for a quiet night. It is a universal truth that good food, good wine, and good company make you feel at home wherever you may be.
Between Italy and Croatia, with Austria to the north and Hungary to the northeast, Slovenia is blessed with incredibly diverse topography. From the European and Dinaric Alps to the Pannonian and Danuban lowlands and hills, the country’s clear lakes, towering cliffs, waterfalls, limestone caves, and Mediterranean coast draw travelers worldwide. Not many can resist the country’s onyx-coloured rivers, surviving medieval structures, Baroque architecture, and outdoor opportunities—all fuelled by local cheese, dumplings, sausages, stews, and fresh produce.
However, Slovenia poses some challenges for overlanders. Wild camping is prohibited with enforced fines, and off-roading with any motorized vehicle is forbidden under Article 29 of the Environmental Protection Act. High season is busy, congested, and can be expensive. Camping fees, a driving vignette, parking, and entrance costs for some of the country’s best sights can certainly add up. In Slovenia, you often have to pay to play.
Skeptics suggest motoring through Slovenia into neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina, where off-roading rules are laxer—this may be best if you’re traveling on a tight budget and schedule. For those eager to see what Slovenia offers, however, free motorhome areas offer electricity, water, showers, and more. But if you’re looking for something a little bit different (as I was after waking to the sound of our neighbor chucking biscuits outside his camper one morning), there are ways to trade an off-road experience for a cultural one: agritourism.
Slovenian farm stays typically take you away from tourist hot spots and into the countryside via quiet, single-track roads highlighted by churches, small settlements, blackberry shrubs, and beech trees. Most locations can be found on the Park4Night app by clicking the “On the Farm” filter. Overall, these parkups typically offer a better value, are more interesting, and provide a glimpse into local Slovenian life—much more so than your typical lay-by.
Of course, this was all theoretical as we left our parkup one mid-summer morning bound for our first Slovenian agritourism camp. Located in the tiny hamlet of Podbrezje, Tourist Farm Matijovc is run by the 10th generation of Jegličs—Janko and Ana, with some help from their three teenagers), who cultivate 23 hectares of fields, orchards, and meadows. Arrive during harvest season when things are in full swing, and you’ll catch tractors coming and going with apples and pears destined for fruit baskets, juice, vinegar, or spirits.
The Jegličs offer a variety of fresh produce for campers, including potatoes, cabbage, zucchini, plums, and more; the welcome liqueur is a small sample of a vast array of bottles available for purchase. Although the property is charming, it is situated in town, and the parkups are a bit bare bones and in close approximation to fellow campers. The restroom facilities, however, are some of the most impeccable I’ve seen. Bring earplugs, though—the nearby catholic church bells are off the hook.
Freshly laundered, we set off the next morning for the countryside. Waving rows of corn and rolled bales of hay made up much of the landscape, which makes sense as 32 percent of Slovenia is covered by agricultural land. I was envious of the fig trees growing so easily in Slovenian backyards—I can’t say the same for their roaring unsuccess in my home province of British Columbia. Rhododendron and ivy made way for local orchids and chicory, a gorgeous segue to our next destination: the Fairy Tale Farm Sanctuary.
The Lavrič family, including our host, Zala Lorena, care for the rescued animals that live on their property and offer camping by donation with a morning meet-and-greet with the resident goats, cows, bulls, geese, goats, horses, pigs, and Shetland pony. Čopko the goose took a particular liking to Richard. Anywhere he went, Čopko followed, eager for a cuddle. Proceeds from camping donations pay for the animals’ yearly hay intake, which amounts to approximately $10,000. We enjoyed a quiet night alongside various overlanders from Switzerland, Germany, and Spain, and filled our tank with triple-filtered water, splashed around in the above-ground pool, and took a dip in the local reservoir a short walk away.
Rounding out our orchards, vineyards, fields, and groves tour of Slovenia required a foray into Posavje, one of three wine regions in the country’s southeast. Although Slovenian winemaking dates to Celtic tribes in 400 BCE, its red and white varietals have recently become internationally recognized for their exceptional quality and taste. The Domačija Vesel farm not only offered an overnight parkup for our Tundra but a wine tasting as well.
- Tourist Farm Matijovc 20-25€ per night; toilets, electricity, water, hot shower park4night.com #75355
- Fairy Tale Farm Sanctuary By donation; showers, toilets, water, electricity, dishwashing, laundry available vpravljici.si
- Domačija Vesel 20€ per night; water, electricity, Wi-Fi, toilet, shower veseladozivetja.si/dozivetja/domacija-vesel
Read more: Destination :: Mount Triglav, Slovenia
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2025 Issue.
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