Every fall, Slovenia’s biggest honey fair is organized
in Semič. This event is becoming increasingly internationally well known and attracts a growing number of entrants
and visitors each year. |
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White Carniola is a region rich in birch, flax, canvas, and winegrowing
areas with their typical Metliška Črnina blended wine.
Here the pristine and picturesque Kolpa
River flows, providing an invaluable source of inner peace.
The hills, birch groves, and sparse birch and fern woods,
alternating with woodlands, the rich cultural heritage,
White Carniolan cakes, and junipers lend this region at
the southeastern edge of Slovenia a very special
air.
The bee houses that can be seen around Slovenia today are
a special Slovenian feature. They are built from various
materials, but most often from wood; the only
exception is the bee house in the Karst region, where nearly all were made of stone in the past. The advantage
of a bee house over a bee yard, in which each box hive
stands on its own, is that beekeepers can use it even
in bad weather. In addition, the hives and bees
are stacked under the same roof and thus better protected against
cold and humidity. In winter, the characteristic overhanging
roof protects the hive fronts from rain and snow, and
in summer it protects them from the scorching heat. |
BEEKEEPING POINTS OF INTEREST
* White Carniola is home to several excellent beekeepers,
who invite their visitors to taste their honey and
various drinks. Perhaps they will even take
you into the very heart of the Kočevski Rog plateau, where
they keep a Carniolan queen-mating station.
We recommend visits to the following bee farms:
* The Maksimiljan Vajda Bee Farm in Metlika;
* The Pavlin Bee Farm in Semič;
* The Jože Sever Bee Farm in Semič.
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HIGHLY RECOMENDED
Metlika: the oldest firefighters’
museum, which presents the history of Slovenian firefighting;
Adlešiči: presentation of two traditional
handicrafts: embroidery and Easter egg painting;
Rosalnice: a small village with the
well-known Three Parishes – that is, three Gothic pilgrimage
churches from the 14th and 15th centuries, squeezed behind the same wall;
Semič: the church and the museum in
the municipal headquarters. |
