Exploring Slovenia: A Vegan Travel Guide | Klemen Godec

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Today, we're thrilled to welcome Klemen Godec, a licensed tour guide from Slovenia and the visionary behind Vegan Tours Slovenia. Klemen has a unique story: from his roots in education and sales to embracing his passion for tourism, he’s dedicated to creating vegan travel experiences that let you explore Slovenia without any dietary worries.

In our conversation, Klemen shares a bit about his journey as a long-time vegan and how that inspired him to design tours that highlight Slovenia’s hidden gems, stunning landscapes, and rich cultural tapestry. Whether you're curious about sustainable travel or planning your next adventure, you'll find plenty to inspire you in his insights.

So, sit back and join us as we explore the best of Slovenia through the eyes of a passionate vegan tour guide. Enjoy the episode!

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Transcript

Brighde: Welcome Klemen to 



the World Vegan Travel Podcast. Thank you for joining me. 



Klemen: Thank you Brighde. Hello. 



Brighde: We have been planning this podcast for a while. I think I originally spoke to you maybe four or five months ago, something like 



Klemen: that. 



I think in October. Yeah. 



Brighde: You were talking to me about a very exciting vegan travel opportunity that you were developing, and I definitely wanted to have you on the podcast to talk about that. So why don't you tell us a little bit, Klemen, about who you are, and your background, and what it is that you're hoping to develop.



Klemen: Okay. Thank you. So yeah. I'm a native Slovenian. I was born in Ljubljana, and I originally studied Slovenian language and literature, and theology. I majored in both of them. Then I had a career as a teacher, and then I was in sales and marketing for a private company. But I've always been drawn into tourism. And even with the company, we have dealers from international dealers, from all over Europe. And whenever the partners would come to visit Slovenia, I would always be the one to take them around, to show them around Slovenia. And even when I was a student, I would work a part-time job at a tourist agency where I will assist licensed tour guides. So this has been a part of me because I really like people, and I really like to host people. I really like for people to have a great time, and I'm absolutely in love with our country. In this current job I have, which is a really good job, but something was missing, if you understand, and I just naturally came back to this passion of mine. So I'm now slowly but steadily working on becoming a tour guide, a go to tour guide, for vegans who want to travel and explore Slovenia. I'm not against anyone else wanting to have me or to hire me, but I think that traveling as a vegan can be really stressful because I have my own experiences. I've been a vegan since January 1st, 2012. And if you're wondering, New Year resolutions can stick. It is possible. Yeah. But this one has a deep meaning. It's not just something superficial. I respect the vegan way of life, and the approach to being cruelty-free, if you like. This is a part of my life as well. So I thought to myself, why don't I just create something for people who want to visit our country, to not be as stressed out as I am if I'm ever visiting anywhere.



Brighde: I love it. So, in your dream, what kind of services would you like to provide? 



Klemen: Basically just guided tours or events in which I would take care of the planning. And then I would also do the guiding. Sometimes you can do certain things yourself. If you know that at the end, I'm waiting for you or I have something prepared for you. When you're traveling, you don't want to overthink. At least most of us don't. And if you know for a fact that, okay, this is Klemen, and he's vegan himself, so he understands this, and he's got my back, then you can enjoy your day, whether I'm guiding you or not, knowing that for supper, something will be prepared to your liking.



Brighde: I love that. I love that. So, if I remember well from our conversation a few months ago, you are working towards becoming a licensed guide, or you have become a licensed guide. Am I remembering that 



Klemen: correctly? 



Yeah, I already . I got my license. I passed the bar and got the license in the summer of 24. I haven't guided. Oh thank you. I haven't guided any vegans yet. I do have some experience, but not with vegans specifically. So this is what I'm working on right now. To establish myself, just to make everyone willing aware that I'm here. So passing the bar was just one step of the way. Yeah.



Brighde: I love that. I love that. So definitely anyone listening who requires any guiding services or advice from someone who, from what I can see, is passionate about their country, and very knowledgeable, you have to be very knowledgeable if you're going to pass those tour guide tests. You've studied literature, so it's clear to me that you are an incredible source of knowledge on this beautiful country.



Klemen: I have to say, I am a bit of a history buff myself.



Brighde: Yeah, I think that shows a really good guide. Somebody who knows a lot but knows how to deliver and is open to specializing on, maybe, less dates and more stories. Anyway, I have never been to Slovenia. I have heard a lot about it. I have been to the region, to the countries surrounding Slovenia. So I have a bit of an idea as to what it is like, but, nothing beats going there or speaking to somebody who is passionate about the place. So why don't you start by, even just the geography of Slovenia, because until I looked at the map, I didn't realize that you actually have a little bit of coastline and that you are not landlocked. So why don't you really make it, for simple for people, to understand where Slovenia is in Europe.



Thank you. Slovenia is rather a small country. It's shaped like a chicken if you look at the map. The head starts Northeast, and it's bordering Hungary. And then the longest border we have is with Croatia, which covers the eastern and the southern part. And then to the North, we border Austria, and then to the West, Italy. So, in Hungary, if you've ever been there, there's a lot of flatland.And even the altitude is very low. We have three ridges of Alps. One's completely in Slovenia, one we share with Austria, and the westernmost we share, the highest ones we share with Italy. But also, as you've mentioned, we also have, before the coastline, we have the karst. We have a similar terrain that Italy or a part of Croatia would have, and we also call a part of that region Istria, which you might have heard of. And then you reach the Mediterranean Sea, and we have a really small coastline. So north of that is Italy and south of that is Croatia. There's even minorities in all of the surrounding countries we have. Okay, yes, I was just looking at a terrain map of Slovenia as you were speaking, and yeah, it's got a lot of hills and mountains.



Klemen: And it's really fast. So if you imagine the highest peak is the highest peak of the Julian Alps and it's almost3, 000 meters. And within maybe an hour or hour and a half drive, you reach the Mediterranean Sea, which is at zero altitude. So it's really diverse.



Brighde: By the sounds of it, the natural beauty is a big part of it, and there are so many ways to enjoy that, I'm sure. But would you mind talking a little bit about the capital, what is interesting about it, and the things that people might do there. 



Klemen: Oh, Ljubljana. Yeah. I'm a native from Ljubljana. It's a really small and wonderful city. It's the largest one in Slovenia. It really is. But if you're used to big cities or metropolitan areas, you'd consider it very small. It's really friendly and cozy. And what I think people really appreciate about Ljubljana is that you can cover most of what you want to cover by foot or by bike, or maybe now the electrical scooters are very in fashion. So it's a day, maybe two days for you. If you're not really interested in something cultural or architectural, but if you just want to see the place, get the vibe to it, one day or two days are plenty. You cover most of it by foot. It's very clean. It has different influences from other cultures I mentioned, but with some Slovenian, typical Slovenian twists. And it's just a really lively place to be in, because so much stuff is going around year long. You have festivals. You have open markets. You have street music playing. You have this and that parade. In other regions, in other parts of Slovenia, you might want to be careful when you visit. But if you visit Ljubljana, practically all year round, you can find something for yourself. I have to say this, it's nestled under the Castle Hill. So the Castle Hill has never been occupied by a lord of any sort. It had a more protective role to play in Ljubljana, but now it's completely open to visitors. It has a very tall tower as well, so you can really get a good overview of where actually you are at, and you can see the Alps from Ljubljana and from the castle. So if you just a bit fortunate with the weather, you will have an amazing first experience.



Brighde: Lovely. And I just zoomed in on my map here, and it seems like it is built on a river as well. Are there ways for people to enjoy that?



Klemen: Yes. So the river Ljubljanica, you can rent boats and it can drive you up and down through the city center. In the olden days, they used to have live music on those as well. And I think they're still working on, bringing that back to life. They're also working on bringing back to life that you could float to the nearby city of Veronika. But what's really interesting about Ljubljanica here, is that during the summer days, we have a water volleyball festival. They're just in the city center and you can just stop by the bank and watch some music, watch some volleyball, have a good time. It's really, it connects us. It's a way of life. The river is part of Ljubljana.



Brighde: You mentioned floating to a nearby town. What does floating mean? 



Klemen: With a boat.



Brighde: Oh, with a boat. 



Klemen: With a shallow boat. They're really working on that. It's a bit of a mess, really, because the agriculture made it for the wheat. And now they're cleaning this, so you could only travel with the boat so long, so far, but not to the city where it was once possible to. Yeah, but, nonetheless, if you visit Ljubljana and if you rent a boat, there's quite a long journey you can make, up and down the stream. You can use paddle boats if you want to explore by yourself. It's not a small length. It's quite a length.



Brighde: I see. I see. 



By the sounds of it, this is a lovely city to check out, and going to see the castle and enjoy the river. Could you tell us if there are any other really interesting things to do inside the city or maybe short little excursions just outside the city or maybe some activities that people could do?



Klemen: Yes, I can, thank you. If you're a history buff, like I am, or really into architecture or culture, then you might want to spend more than one day. The city, it's an ancient city, actually. It was here in Roman times. It was called Emona. Quite a lot of historical artifacts were found during the excavation. We still have an old wall, so you can definitely check that out. And then we have some modern architecture. We have three really famous architects. One of them is Joze Plecnik, you might've heard of, he's the one responsible for the new Prague, but he's actually a native Slovenian. He's spent quite a lot of time here and you can see what he's done all over Ljubljana, which will then motivate you to check these landmarks out if you'd like. Otherwise, you could just, I think the Ljubljana Marsh, where I actually live by now, is quite underappreciated. It's the lowest most southern European flatland of Marsh, and it's home to some really exotic birds, if you'd like, and other animals. And you can just spend a day hiking, or maybe driving around, or cycling around. There are lots of different paths, or little trails that people used to go with horse and carriage. If you're up to this, maybe go photo hunting because these birds are in Slovenia. I don't know if you know this, but we are the second most forested country in Europe. We have really lovely nature, and it starts at the threshold of Ljubljana. And so the birds living here are not something you would experience anywhere else, especially in more urban areas. Like in Germany, a lot of those species are extinct. So if you care for nature, if you like seeing does and deers, if you like seeing wild hares, foxes, anything you might imagine from a fairy tale, with some luck, you can go cycling to the Ljubljana Marsh and you will see these animals. And you can take a picture of them if you'd like. So this is definitely one thing that might strike your interest.



Brighde: I'm curious. I was just looking at my map again, and I think I have the place that you're talking about. It's this very sort of flat area south of the city, Ljubljansko Barje? 



Klemen: Barje. 



Brighde: I see. Oh, wow, that is really interesting. And there are a ton of trails that go through it. It looks lovely. 



Klemen: And this marsh is actually a flatland, and Ljubljana by itself lies in the valley. So if you like hiking and you also appreciate a good view, in, within a half, half an hour, maybe, quarter, two or three quarters an hour drive from Ljubljana, you can go to any old hill. There's probably a path that leads up the hill and you can explore from another perspective, which is also quite under the radar of most tourists who just want to stop by and want to see just the basics. But you don't have to. You can take some time and explore the surrounding area as well.



Brighde: Could you talk a little bit, especially given how mountainous Slovenia is. How do travelers usually get around? Is there a good bus system, a train system, or do most people have to hire a car as a visitor? Especially thinking about the highlights that people want to experience in Slovenia, and we'll talk more about that in a minute. How do people usually get around? 



Klemen: Yeah, because the terrain is really difficult here, most people have cars in Slovenia. Families, up to two cars. We have to have them. We do have some public transport, but if you're a tourist, that would be, I think, quite limited to the main product that you can easily find on the internet. If you want to explore anything by yourself, mostly people just drive by a car, or rent a car, or hire someone to drive them so that they have a really good starting point to go exploring, be it the mountains, or just the hills, or anything they want to see. Yeah. But if you talk about, say, Lake Bohinj, which is really close to Lake Bled, you can park your car freely at a nearby village, and then a bus will take you to the lake. So you don't have to worry about parking. And this is, again, so for certain glacier valleys in the Alps, where you typically leave your car outside of the ramp, where there's a parking lot, and then the buses circulate towards the starting points if you want to climb mountains. Yeah. But this is the best infrastructure we have. So if you're in that region, then it's okay for you. Yeah.



Brighde: Okay, I'm curious, is Slovenia, because I do see some train lines there in Ljubljana. Are there train connections with the surrounding countries? 



Klemen: Yes, they are. They're really busy with remodeling this. I think you might know that the whole of Europe has actually become aware of how important good railways are both to the economy and to the population, and which obviously has to affect tourism. So just into capital, they are building a new train station, like a center. So from Ljubljana there are five major train lines going outwards, and definitely you could visit some countries. Sadly, the route to Northern Italy was discontinued some decades ago. I'm not sure if they're willing to reestablish that, but other than that, so to Croatia and to Austria, and to Hungary, to Budapest, the railway is a good option. And will be even a better one in the future. I'm quite sure of this because I know what they're doing. I'm keeping track and definitely they're serious about this.



Brighde: Fantastic. I'm sure a lot of people would consider exploring Slovenia as part of, maybe, a Central Europe trip, or interrailing, or a train trip. So it's good to know that you can access the cities by rail. That is really cool. Okay, so would you mind sharing with us? Maybe we can start with the must-sees that travelers should visit when they come to Slovenia, the places that are the most notable, the most interesting, and then perhaps if we've got time, you might like to share some more hidden gems that are less known.



Klemen: Thank you. Yeah. So definitely Ljubljana. Everyone, if you're not traveling just through Slovenia, if you're traveling to Slovenia, you will stop here, and rightly because this is our capital. It's our cultural center. It has possibilities to different likings, whether you're a sports person, whether you're a cultural person, whether you're into history, whether you're into nature, you can find something in Ljubljana. And also really nice vegan food. I don't want to point a lot of them out, but there are some venues that are completely vegan. Feel free to check them online or DM me if you'd like. But other than that, there are also providers of vegan food that are vegan-friendly. Just really top restaurants, hotels, whatever you like. They will accommodate you, so you're all set if you want to come to Ljubljana. And then there are the must-sees of Slovenian tourism. So if you go to the Northwest, you will go to the Gorenjska region, which is the Under Alpine region. I've mentioned Bled. If you ever saw any postcard of Slovenia, you saw Lake Bled with the castle overlooking it and the small island with the church in the middle of the lake. 



Brighde: I'm looking at it right now. It's beautiful.



Klemen: Yeah it is. It's the only island we have in Slovenia. We don't have the islands in the sea, we just have this one in the glacier lake.



Brighde: Very small, the island, it's not a big island, right? 



Klemen: Slovenia is very small. The island is just a speck of dust, maybe. No, but it's really, it's lovely. I would advise people travelling to Bled to mind the season, because it can get overcrowded. It really is lovely. If you have a chance, do it in spring or in autumn, and during spring and autumn, the weather is usually a bit more crisp because in summer there's humidity in the air and you don't see the surrounding Alps. If you visit the castle above Lake Bled, it's really steep, by the way. It's really high above. It's not just like a little hill. You see the Julian Alps. So the ones that are bordering Italy, but most importantly, you see the Karavanke Alps which are bordering Austria. They're just behind you, and they are green. They are not stone, they are green with meadows, and they're really lovely. And you see them in the palm of your hand, and obviously the lake and the surrounding area and the little island, and then you can rent a boat or you can go on this joint boat that carries a lot of people. It's called the Pletna. So if you're in Italy, if you're in Venice, you go to the Gondola. If you're in Bled, you go to the Pletna and you visit the island. You check the church. There are 99 steps on the way up. You ring the bell for good fortune. You go see how they lived in the olden days and how they made potica, which is our famous traditional dessert. Bled is actually a really good little town to visit if you have the opportunity. But I really do advise you to mind the season because July and August are really busy. 



Brighde: Yeah. 



Klemen: And then another product which is really famous in Slovenia is Postojna Jama, the Postojna cave. And the castle, which is about 10 minutes away from it, the Predjama castle. As I've mentioned, we have quite a lot of karst terrain that consists of limestone below the ground. And what that does is, when water runs through it, it flushes parts of the terrain away. So wherever there is limestone, it was two million years ago or something, there's now a cave or a hole. And we have this really vast system of caves. And Postojna Jama is, I think, is the oldest tourist cave in the world with, I don't know how many visitors they surpassed, I think it was three million or four million last year. So it was a big celebration of that. And we have the largest cave animal in the world, which is called the human fish. And this is incidentally, maybe, one of the reasons why Ljubljana which is connected with Pistoia, with underground rivers, has a dragon in our Quest of Honor. Because whenever the waters would flow out during floats, yeah, people would see these human fish and thought they were baby dragons. This is a completely cave animal, but it's really big. So they're usually really small. And this long fish and it's pale. It has a complexion similar to humans. So it's called the human fish. It's really fascinating. And they have an aquarium of these fish. You're not supposed to take pictures with flash because it bothers them. But you can see them really properly. And they take such good care of them, even though they're endangered, that just a couple of years ago, they started laying eggs. So if you go, you can see baby dragons, if you like. 



Brighde: I'm so curious. If these animals live completely in the dark, in the caves, what do they eat? 



Klemen: They can go for years without eating. 



They're a type of, they're a kind of protease, I think, which are known for their stem cells to allow for them to stay forever young. I think they live like a century or something. You might have to Google this. I'm not really big in biology, but they will eat other smaller cave animals, fauna.



Brighde: I see. Oh my gosh, that sounds like a unique animal. A human fish, you say. 



Klemen: Yeah. 



Brighde: I will have to Google that after our call. I invite all of the listeners to do the same. That's so interesting. 



Klemen: Yeah, but it's not just the human fish, it's the whole experience. They pop you on train, you visit the underworld. There are chambers. In the wintertime they have a live manger happening in the cave and sometimes they host events. Sometimes of national importance, but sometimes they are concerts as they have the concert hall, for example. So it's not just the human fish, but the human fish is at the end and you wouldn't want to miss that one. I have to mention this. A quick car drive away from that is the Predjama Castle, which is obviously connected to the same cave system. And it's the largest cave castle in the world. It was really safe from all intruders because it's actually built into a cave and it's only facing the surroundings. If they draw the bridge, or they leave the bridge, no one could get in. But the people who wanted to invade them didn't know that the cave it's built in has several secret exits. So people could go to collect food and not starve to death, which was usual whenever someone wanted to invade a castle or the Turks. 



Brighde: Like them siege or something. 



Klemen: So that's actually worth visiting as well. And if you're fortunate enough in the summertime, they host, I think in June, they host the medieval games. You see knights in shiny armor.



Brighde: I love it. You've, so far you've talked about Lake Bled and the cave area. What's the cave area called? 



It's Predjama Castle. 



Predjama Castle. Thank you. Are there any other places that you would consider are on nearly everybody's list of places they want to visit? 



Klemen: There are a couple more but I will narrow this down to Piran, which is a peninsula sticking out in the Mediterranean Sea. 



Brighde: Oh. 



Klemen: Pyrrhus means fire in Greek, and they used to have lighthouses there to guide ships going in. And it used to be Italian, it's now Slovenian because we've somehow, after the wars, we've changed roles. Where Slovenia used to be, is now Italy and vice versa. But it's a really lively city. So if you imagine, Ljubljana has quite a lot of Austrian influence because of the old Austria-Hungary Empire, and before that, the Austrian Empire and the Habsburgs. Whereas in Piran, obviously, the influence is Mediterranean. It's Venetian and it's a completely different little town. It's very colorful. It has a fort up on the hill from which you can observe the little town. But what you want to do is, you want to go down. You want to visit the Tartini Square. So Tartini was a famous violinist, and he was from Piran. you want to maybe go visit the salt pans or just have a stroll around the city. In the summertime from May to, I'd say, September, at least you can bathe. It's quite a warm sea we have. You can expect 24 degrees, 25 even in the summertime, easily. If you don't fancy that, you can take boat tours,you can go cycling. The Slovenian coast is really small. In any direction, you'll get there quite easily, quite quickly. And they do have good public transport. You can take the bus and visit othertowns as well there, and I have to mention this, Piran, because of tourism, but also have quite a lot of vegan options, including ice cream. You don't want to miss that.



Brighde: I love that. And I just noticed as you were talking that there is actually a ferry from Venice to Piran. 



Klemen: It is, yeah, and it's really hard for some Americans or maybe some South Africans who will spend their whole adult life saving money to go visit Venice, whereas people in Slovenia, you're in Venice in two hours, it's really close to us, yeah.



Brighde: It's, and I will say, the water in Piran looks absolutely beautiful. I mean it looks like the Croatian waters, which I guess shouldn't be such a surprise given where it is in the world, but we're talking like beautiful blues and greens and very clear. It just looks lovely. 



Klemen: It really is. Even the monitoring of the water always gives good results. This is simply due to the fact that the current, the Dalmatian current, or the Mediterranean current, which is really strong. It flows from South to North along the eastern part, and then it turns down in Trieste, and it goes down along the eastern part of the Italian boot, the Apennines peninsula. So the water is always flowing up and it's fresh.



Brighde: And it seems that your coastline there, it does have lots of beaches. It has lots of little towns, but also a lot of forest as well. 



Klemen: As I've mentioned, we really have a lot of forest. And if you go to the beaches,you can choose whatever you fancy. We have the typical sand beach in Portoroz. We have a couple of wild beaches. We have a nude beach just between Piran and Fiesa, or we have just local beachesin the smaller towns around the coast, if you'd like. Or you can go to Italy, or you can go to Croatia. It's practically a very similar experience as the culture is Istrian. Istra is the region and it's really similar.



Brighde: Yeah, it really looks like a coastline that is not built up a lot with big resorts with high-rises or like Southern Spain would be. It looks to be relatively untouched. 



Klemen: Yeah. Except Portoroz has quite a lot of hotels, and if we're speaking about those, I do have to mention that they have a spa, a wellness resort with ancient water. So the shaft is really deep, and the water there is prehistoric. And it's, I don't know how many thousand years old, don't ask me about the numbers, but it's like a really healthy mixture of salt and fresh water. It is incredibly beneficial for your health. It's a bit, so the experience is a bit premium. I do have to say this. It's not for spending two months there, but if you have a chance and if you fancy these kind of things, you do want to check that out. And the other thing you might want to visit is the salt pans. So we have just on the border with Croatia.We make our own salt. It's really healthy. Jamie Oliver uses it in his restaurants in the UK. I have to say this. I'm quite proud of these things. But yeah, you can either visit them, buy some salt, or you can visit the wellness resort there, which is only, I think, it's above 13 years old because it's designed to relax you. It's designed for you to go there. To have a really good time in the sun, in the wind. They pat you with the moats and the salt from the salt pans. It's very beneficial for your skin, for your body and for your mind.



Brighde: I love it. I love it.



Alright, so when I've seen pictures of Slovenia in the past, something that has immediately been like a priority for me, is going out to enjoy the mountains. So how can travelers do that? Is it in other places in Europe, whether you can do like day hikes, everything's well marked. How can people find out about the trails? Are there any long distance paths? Do you camp when you are multi-day hiking, or are there refuges or villages? Can you talk to that?



Klemen: Thank you. So this is actually our national sport. We are really mental about mountain hiking. Obviously because we have the conditions for it. I have to say, our mountains are as high as the Alps in Switzerland, Italy, in France, and Austria. But the climate is really harsh. If the weather changes or in the wintertime, it is said that our mountains are equivalent to those in, let's say, Austria, but a thousand meters higher, because we have a very specific climate. I'm not discouraging anyone. I'm just saying, if you visit and you see the mountains, do not go without equipment. And I would strongly advise you to hire a guide to take you, especially if you're not used to mountain hiking or traveling anywhere in the Alpine region, because at least to give you a good and proper and safe first start experience. Our mountains are incredibly well marked. We have a really big number of volunteers, mountain guides, people who maintain the routes and the trails, and they're marked with a bullseye. They're white in the center, and then they're circled with red. And you can find those on rocks, on trees, pathways. There are little marks, maybe some boards, showing you directions. But where to start climbing? Yeah, usually, so if you're traveling, it's always best to ask a guide. Then second best is to ask a local because they know the mountains. They visit the mountains practically every day, and they will tell you which trails are most suitable, appropriate for you, and also which gives the best views. Because you can take a 1 hour hike and see Lake Bled a bit from afar and have a quite a good experience. And it's a safe journey as well. And why wouldn't you want to do this if you've never been there? So you don't want to tackle the highest peaks if you're here for the first time. As far as camping goes, most of the Alps, especially on the Western side, are protected under the Triglav National Park, which is the only national park we have. It's quite large. Camping is prohibited there. You can't camp, and you can't use drones. I'm sorry, if you want to use, you have to climb yourself. So you have to resort either into a cottage, or you sleep down in the village, anywhere you find, Airbnb, apartments for rent, whatever, and then you hike during the day. But there are quite a lot of mountain huts and cottages you can visit, mostly on junctions. So there are quite a lot of cottages and huts on mountain passes, or on different starting points, and there are also some that are open all year round.It's pretty probable you will have a really good experience, carefree, and that you will find something that suits you. And as far as the food goes, most of these cottages that offer food, they do accommodate for vegans simply because of the fact that they have to make the best of what they have during the season. And they always prepare the brews, or some of them always prepare the brews and the stews and the dishes on a plant-based diet. And then they cook the sausages or the meats in a different pan, in a different bowl. You can just order a stew or sour cabbage, sauerkraut, and it's vegan. You can definitely enjoy that.



Brighde: Ah, fantastic. Yeah, Seb and I have done a lot of hiking in the mountains, particularly in Switzerland and France. Staying in those refuges, sometimes in villages, and it can be a little bit hard. So it's good to know thatthere are options available. You talked about Alpine hiking, and I know I mentioned Alpine. First of all, which of course is like the highest area where it's the most craggy, where you need the most skills and knowledge, but maybe the most fitness. But what about a little bit lower down in like the forests? Are there lots of trails where you can enjoy that kind of thing and feel a little bit more safer? 



Klemen: Slovenia has a very good system of trails, not just in the Alpines, not just in the highest regions. Even in the forest plateaus below the Alps, there are trails. They are marked with the same location, with the same marks. You can easily guide yourself through. You can visit the local tourist center. They will provide you with a free map or you can maybe buy a regional map. They're not as expensive and then you're good to go. The lowlands are covered with network. So even if something happens, there's a good chance you can find yourself via GPS on your mobile device. And it also brings me to a couple of hidden gems. People usually overlook if they spend some time in Slovenia. One is Pohorje, which is near Maribor. Maribor is the second largest Slovenian city, and Pohorje is foresty, hilly plateau that's nestled just between the flatlands and the Karavanke Alps, which are bordering Austria. Yeah, it's a lovely forest. It's a bit elvish, it really is. I've been there. I've crossed the whole of it in a three day hike. You come to a part of the forest where time stands still. It's a bit, there's a bit of mist. I saw a reindeer up close, like really close to me. Yeah, those with the big antlers. Those are reindeers, right? In the flatlands you'd usually see does and deers. That one was huge. This is what we also have and the trails are perfectly marked. This is who we are as a culture. We want the best and the largest and the steepest. You can definitely visit the lowlands and go to a nearby forest and you will have had a lovely experience.



Brighde: Wow, that sounds lovely. Could you talk a little bit aboutthe food in Slovenia? What are the traditional foods? I'm sure it's not super vegan-friendly traditional food, but maybe there are some particular places where you can enjoy this food made vegan.



Klemen: Yeah, I think you'd be surprised. Typically, Slovenia was a land of farmers and workers. And traditionally, people would only eat meat once a month. The wealthier families maybe once a week on a Sunday. Other than that, they had to make do. And even today, practically half of Slovenes have their own garden and they grow a lot of vegetables, especially in those parts where they aren't as alpine, because those are harsh conditions. Yeah. So our food is meant to be sturdy and comforting because you had to have energy for work, but it also traditionally didn't include much meat. That changed after the wars because for obvious reasons. Staple food of Slovenes is also not just based on meats, and dairies, and eggs, but it's also based on grains, and vegetables, and legumes. So you just have to know what to choose. And then thankfully, today's modern trend of veganism and plant-based diets, a lot of our traditional food has been transferred, transformed into vegan food. So let's say the potica, which is the queen of desserts, we like to call her, is, there are five official versions of that, but you can easily find a walnut and raisin filled one that's vegan. But not just in Ljubljana, you can find it in many good restaurants around the country. 



Brighde: Is it a cake or a pudding? 



Klemen: It's like a sweet dough that's rolled flat, and then spread with the filling, and then it's rolled up. Potica is an abbreviation of "rolled up" in the Slovenian language. Yeah, and then it's put into a baking dish, and then it's put into the oven. It's hollow in the middle so the heat will penetrate anywhere, and that's really regularly available across Slovenia. Even if you go to the supermarket around Christmas or around Easter, you will find a vegan option. As far as savory food goes, so buckwheat porridge, zganci, which is made of buckwheat, but it's like a mush, if you like. That's vegan by itself. You can also usefried onions, and instead of dairy, instead of milk, which is typically drizzled with, you can use oat milk or soy milk. And people do this. And if you go to Mountain Hut, that also caters this, you can have zhganci in a vegan manner. I've done it myself and it's a wonderful experience. And then there are the stews, the brews, food that's comforting because you want to keep warm, and you want to have energy, and they are cooked with cabbages, and turnip, and potatoes. Sometimes they will have legumes in them. Otherwise they would probably have even millet which was huge in a part of our history. So quite a lot of the things you can find. And the last thing I have to mention, this is Å¡truklji. I know it's hard to say. 



Brighde: Oh. 



Klemen: Å truklji. I think you may find a picture online. It's a sweet or savory dough and it's filled, but it's then put in boiling water until it floats up and it's cooked. Traditionally, it would have a cottage cheese filling, but you can easily make it, or they make it. There are places that they cater vegan Å¡truklji . They are made with either fermented chickpeas or fermented soybeans. So for the savory ones there's the walnut filled one, which is the sweet one, and it's also drizzled with fried breadcrumbs and then maybe with some raisins, and that's vegan as well. I frequently, especially in the summertime, I have to say, I visit those venues more frequently than I should.



Brighde: It's interesting because



Klemen: I've never been to a Slovene restaurant. I've never tried Slovenian food. It sounds like you need to go to Slovenia if you want to try those things. That's really cool. 



I would also advise people, if you come to Slovenia, nothing wrong with pizza. I love it, but leave pizza to the Italians. If you come to Slovenia, just dare, just take a chance, because our cuisine is really good. People don't know this because we've not been established as a country for a very long time, but most of the business partners for our company I've hosted, most of them said that we have amazing food, and it's not just bragging. We're under so much different cultural influences from all of the surrounding cultures and we also had to make do with what we had because times used to be very hard. And that made for a really specific combination. So if you're ever here, just dare yourself, just be brave and just try our food.



Brighde: What about wine, and beer, and drinks? Does slovenia have these?



Klemen: Yes, very strong. So craft beers,I think, since, 10, 15 years ago, anywhere, America, Canada, Britain, wherever, obviously Slovenia as well. There's a little town called Kamnik, which statistically has the most breweries per capita in the world. But it's a really small town. If it has two breweries, then, you know where I'm getting at. No, we have the Savinja Valley, which is really famous for hops. And it's a very high premium hops. And the beer made from that has a really nice taste to it. They used to export it to Germany, but then by law, it was said that they should sell it to Slovenian manufacturers first. So if you like beer in Slovenia, don't just go for the industrial ones you find in the supermarket. There are loads of breweries you can find, and there's this little town in the Slovenian region called Žalec which has a beer fountain, and they also have festivals there, live music playing. You buy a beer glass from the vending machine, and you pour yourself a lager. Yeah. 



Brighde: And what about the wine? 



Klemen: We have three wine regions with their own specifics. If you're a wine fan, if you appreciate a good wine, I can tell you this because this is a fact, that if you go to a really nice restaurant in New York, they will definitely have some Slovenian wines for you to try. Yes, because the climate here is really specific. So we have the northeastern part, which really prefers green wines, white wines,maybe some sparkling wines. We have the southeastern region, which likes to mix wines. They have really good classical choices as well.Cabernet and such. The soil is very specific. If you ever visit Slovenia, you will see vineyards in those regions. On every hill, until the last corner of the hill, there will be vineyards. You will be amazed. They have a special acidity to them as well. But then if you go to the coastal region, so on the west side, there's a third region. That's the warmest region and has the most sunlight. The wines there are mostly sweet. They have really nice fresh wines as well. And then you go to Goriška Brda, which is a small region nestled just above Italy. So the soil there is red. They have lots of sunshine, and they really know what they're doing as well. So if you appreciate a good bottle of wine, that would be my recommendation for you.



Brighde: What could you tell listeners to make sure that they are not inadvertently offending the local people there?



Klemen: They're so kind, they're really helpful in any possible way. I've had a visitor in Slovenia who was really terrified of the Eastern Europe, and when he came here he was really surprised. We're a modern country. We've been modern since, I don't know, we've been in independent countries for the last 30 or more years and you really don't have to worry about that. So Slovakia is really similar for a foreigner, but we're  Slovenes. And Croatians and Serbians were in the same country, named Yugoslavia, but it's not the same people, and it's not the same language, and we really like it if people appreciate that and don't get us mixed up because even Canadians don't like to hear that they're American. We don't like to hear that we're Croatian. 



Brighde: Oh, thanks. 



Klemen: Other thing is, as I said, we are really helpful as a nation, but we are really hard working. So if you see, even if you're traveling, if you see people working on something, or if you see farmers doing whatever they do, be respectful towards that. Too many a times, I have a friend who is a farmer, this is his full occupation, and people park cars on his route where he is,dragging lumber from his forest. Yes, visit Slovenia, yes, look around the corner, but really be respectful toward the people because people are hardworking. They like to provide for themselves and best not get in the way of that. If you want them to help you, just ask them, they will gladly. So point you to a parking lot, I'll tell you where to go, but don't make their lives unnecessarily difficult. Thank you.



Brighde: That seems entirely reasonable from my perspective. And yeah, I can see why people would get like Slovenia confused with Slovakia. They have the same like first four letters, and of course, geographically located. I think, people would get confused with Croatia, but actually Slovakia and Slovenia they don't even neighbor.



Klemen: We're all Slavs here in the Eastern part, but we have a specific culture because we've been in this draft of different influences, and we're our own people, our own nation. It's nothing special if don't know this, but just have this respect and appreciation. Even though we're small.



Brighde: Yeah. I think that's reasonable. All right, Klemen, I want to thank you so much for taking the time to be on the podcast. Definitely go and check out the show notes, listeners. Because, Klemens did an amazing job at putting, at collating some information. I know your website isn't quite ready yet. How can people stay in touch with what you're doing? Do you have a domain name that you might, that you will have a website attached to in the future? How can people find you and your services? 



Klemen: Oh, I hope in the near future? I really do hope. I am working hard on this. So I've started with the web page and it's supposed to be Vegan Tour Slovenia, but you can also find me now available on Instagram. My name is Klemen Godec and the title below is Vegan Tour Slovenia. Feel free to DM me if you'd like to speak to me, or if you'd like any of my services, or if you'd just like to keep in touch with me. You can follow me, and I really do plan on filling the page with different tips, with different experiences, with different stories and pictures for you to enjoy. I've also visited some festivals in the past, and I'm planning on doing the same in this year. I don't only cover vegan festivals, which is like Vegafest Ljubljana, which is in the summer time. I also visit other festivals and then look for vegan options and bring that information to you should you ever travel here alone and would like to check things out for yourself. So I would really appreciate if you followed me, and if you want, you can DM me and I will make sure I will reply to you.



Brighde: I love it. A question I have regarding your services. Something that I think is often overlooked, is the idea of hiring somebody to put together an itinerary based on somebody's interest. Is that something that you will 



Klemen: offer? That's a perfect question. I appreciate that. This is what my webpage should include. So you will choose the region, you will choose the activity you like, and there will be a few other options, but mainly we focus on the major things. And then I can even surprise you, if you'd like, with some hidden gems, but mostly to your liking, then I can provide the route for you.



Brighde: Some people absolutely love to research a country and put together an itinerary but for something, for somebody who is too busy to do that or it's a country where maybe you don't know so much about it. Like I've learnt so much about Slovenia just today. Hiring a local guide like yourself to maybe having a call for an hour or so and then letting the guide put together an itinerary. I think that the price would be very reasonable and it would save a huge amount of time. Where basically you're learning the country from 



Klemen: scratch.



Definitely. It's always best to learn from people that know what they're, what they're talking about, know the place they're living. And I think the common ground of being vegan, being on a plant-based diet for whatever reason, is a really good common ground to start from. Because as I've mentioned, there's so much stress into traveling itself. You don't justtake a day off and go. There's always some preparation behind, and if I can take that load off from you, because I already know these things. I know Michelin star restaurants, which offer a regular vegan menu, and if you're visiting the Vipavska Valley, if you're visiting, let's say, the Goriska Brda, why not contact someone who really knows where you can travel. And then have the accommodation, spend the night, maybe, it will really make your traveling easier and less stressful. And this is actually what's the last thing I want to say. If you're traveling to Slovenia, do not be in a hurry. So many people want to visit everything in the same day, and then just move on because it's a small country. But we have so much to offer. We have such nice nature. You can take a while and just have a breather. Let other people take care of the things you don't want to be doing because you're already too much occupied with your work. Let yourself be treated to the restfulness and peacefulness that we have to offer. And we will all benefit from this.



Brighde: I love it. I love it. Thank you so much, Klemen, for being on the 



Klemen: podcast. 



Thank you very much, for having me. It's been an absolute pleasure and all the best to you and your listeners in the new year.



Brighde: Thank you.