Camping on a Slovenian farm
Our time camping on a Slovenian farm could also be entitled “our favourite experience of our travels”. Pr’ Krač Homestead met all our camping wishes – stunning location, animals, and truly incredible food. We also met up with another van family and a couple from Iceland, all who’ve become friends. We couldn’t more highly recommend this campervan spot in Slovenia.
If you are visiting Slovenia, firstly, in our experience you will end up spending lots more time there than you originally thought. Secondly, if you are visiting Slovenia in a campervan, you mustn’t miss out on this place.
I am notoriously waffly when it comes to things and places that I feel passionately about. So if you just want the practical details then scroll to the bottom where I’ve listed them.
A magical arrival at Pr’ Krač Homestead
We found Pr’ Krač Homestead on Park4Night. It sounded like our kind of place, and it had an epic amount of excellent reviews. Everyone falls in love with it – and now we can see why!
It was the end of September when we arrived, and dusk had already fallen. This usually makes us a bit anxious. However, the sight that greeted us when we pulled into the farm yard is one that I will treasure forever. The yard was lit up with spotlights and the entire family was sat around shucking corn. At least I think that’s the right term.
There were huge piles of drying corn, and they were peeling down the husks and stringing them together. Again, this is what appeared to be happening to me, I hope it’s an accurate description.
I really love farming traditions and feel sad that we’ve ‘lost’ a lot of traditions and skills. Slovenia seems to have got it right in my opinion, embracing the modern but also honouring the past. And not just preserving it, but truly keeping it alive.
We were welcomed warmly and shown to the camping area, which was down behind the farmhouse in an apple orchard.
Soaking up life on a traditional Slovenian farm
In total we spent six nights at Pr’ Krač Homestead, over two weekends. More on why you should visit over a weekend below. We mainly just enjoyed pottering and soaking up the magic of this place. There were goats in the barn behind us, and a stream with a bridge on the other side of the orchard. We enjoyed stroking the horses, and watching the grandfather of the family collecting vegetables.
One evening I wondered through the village with the girls to see the sunset, and ended up talking to a local whose dog was called Mr Bean after the British TV show.
After months in France and Italy not speaking much English with anyone, Slovenia was a treat – so many people spoke good English. I say this not because I expect that other countries should speak English, but just because it was lovely to have deeper conversations with the people we met.
Meeting up with over vanlifers
Through the Worldschooling Facebook Group that I’m part of, I discovered another van family were in Slovenia. They were a New Zealand family – Home Sweet World – with a daughter the same age as our eldest. They were on an epic round the world adventure, and were finishing up their time in a hired campervan around Slovenia and Croatia. To our delight they came to Pr’ Krač Homestead and we got to hang out.
We were also joined by a couple from Iceland – Vanlife Vikings – travelling in their converted van. We had ‘met’ through Instagram and our paths crossed in Slovenia. It was the first time on our journey when we met up with fellow van travellers, and it was much needed!
Food at Pr’ Krač Homestead
So, why should you stay over a weekend? Anyone who knows us on Instagram might know that we love good food. Our monthly spending probably shows that we prioritise good food. Well, Pr’ Krač Homestead has the best food.
On the weekends we visited the farmhouse, it opened its doors as a kind of farm restaurant. They served an unpretentious three course of the most delicious homegrown, home-reared, homemade food.
Unfortunately I don’t know if they do this every weekend of the year, but if you’re planning to visit I would include a weekend day just in case.
A homegrown and home-reared feast
The meat they served was from their own animals, reared on the farm. I imagine the beef broth (picture below) we had to start was made using the bones from their animals too. In the beef broth there were the most delicate noodles, which I later saw being prepared in the kitchen. That’s another memory that will stick with me forever – the kitchen covered in homemade noodles, being cut by hand if I remember correctly.
If you ask our eldest daughter what her favourite food of our adventure has been, she’ll tell you the beef broth at the farm, and lemon gelato in Italy.
To accompany the meat there was a delicious warm buckwheat dish with leeks. Having seen the father of the family harvesting leeks that morning it enriched the experience all the more. There was also sauteed potatoes, meltingly tender carrots, potato dumplings (cmoki) and a green salad with a fantastic garlicky dressing and beans.
Traditional dishes and homemade apple juice
For dessert there was a traditional Slovenia cake called tarragon potica. I’d never imagined tarragon in a cake before, but it was delicious. One to attempt to make in the future! To drink there was homemade apple juice – they were busy collecting apples when we visited, and the day we left the son was pressing them in a huge old press in the yard.
Charcuterie, schnapps and homebaked bread
In addition to serving meals in the farmhouse on the weekend, they also had a small bar in the farmyard. Alongside drinks they also served their own charcuterie, of course we had to try that. They also had a huge still in a barn, producing the most incredible smells. We’re pretty certain this was the schnapps (above picture) that we tried before one meal.
We also discovered that for about a Euro we could go and buy a piece of freshly baked bread (below) from the grandmother in the morning.
I am truly overwhelmed in trying to write about this place. For me, this was a bucketlist experience. I feel in our modern world of industrial and processed foods, this kind of eating is truly special.
Pr’ Krač Homestead – The Details
We visited in September and October 2018.
- Campervan stop: You can find the details for Pr’ Krač Homestead on Park4Night. The don’t charge anything to stay there! They only invite you to come and enjoy their farm produce – which you would be absolutely mad to miss!
- Location: A small village called Dolsko about 20 minutes northeast of Ljublijana.
- Site: The campervan parking was in an apple orchard behind the farm, reached by a dirt track from the road. It was mostly flat. I don’t think there were any services available.
- Weekend meals: On the weekends we visited in September and October they hosted meals in the farmhouse. You needed to book a table in advance. It was incredibly affordable, around €30-40 for a family of 4, eating a three course meal and drinks.
- Bread: We found out from another camper that it was possible to buy a chunk of freshly baked bread in the morning. I don’t know if this is possible every morning, but worth asking if you visit. I think it was about €1 for a large chunk.
- Bar and nibbles: There was a small bar in the farmyard, which was open at various times including the evening. It had a small selection of beers, their homemade apple juice, and perhaps some other drinks. It was also possible to get a platter of their homemade charcuterie and what I think were local cheeses. Just ask!
- Children: They were super welcoming to our children on the farm. There were also lots of other children and babies eating in their restaurant.
- Downsides? The only downside were mosquitoes, but they are everywhere!
All there is left to say is – go there! It’s a great spot in a campervan with the most delicious food and hospitality. We felt welcomed like part of their family, which was especially nice after 3 months on the road. I also imagine that you could book a table for their lunches if you are just on holiday in Slovenia. So if you’re on holiday, go pop in and see if you can book a table.
If you’re travelling to Slovenia, especially in a campervan, check out all our posts so far here on >> Slovenia <<
Also, if you love good food, I found some excellent free guides in a Slovenia tourist office. There was one that detailed all the traditional Slovenia dishes, and another full of recipes for the Ljubjlana region.
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