FEEL Slovenia Podcast

Na zdravje! That’s "cheers" in Slovenian, and it’s an apt opening for this episode, which is all about Slovenian wine .  Join us as we uncork the rich tapestry of Slovenia's wine traditions , exploring the vast landscapes of vineyards and hearing from some top experts who guide us through the nuanced art of wine appreciation. Let's see what they recommend drinking when you’re i...

In this special episode, our host Dr. Noah Charney reports from the front lines of the Frankfurt Book Fair. In 2023, Slovenia is the guest of honour at this world’s largest book fair. What is it like to be there and how is Slovenia presenting its literary output to the world? Along with exclusive interviews with Katja Stergar, director of the national Slovenian Book Agency, and Miha Kovac, Sloveni...

Traveling responsibly has never been more importan than it is today. We all want to venture to beautiful new places and enjoy unique experiences, but we also want to do so in a way that is sustainable for those places we visit and for our planet.  In this episode, Dr. Noah Charney delves into the meaning of responsible travel together with a special guest, Virginia diGaetano, a veteran travel writ...

NFT could stand for New Format Tourism, but it actually means Non-Fungible Token, and it’s linked to blockchain technology. Slovenia was the first country to use NFTs to promote tourism. In this episode, Dr. Noah Charney visited the Ultimate Julian Alps Sensory Adventure , a groundbreaking three-day event, for which 15 esteemed foreign media representatives exchanged their exclusive NFTs given to...

Whether you’re an experienced mountaineer or a casual hiker, Slovenia’s mountains certainly are inviting. Three spectacular ranges of the Alps rise up along the country’s northern border: the Julian Alps in the west, the Karawanks and the Kamnik-Savinja Alps in the north. In this episode, Dr. Noah Charney meets some of Slovenia’s mountain rescue professionals, who offer valuable tips on how to saf...

We’re all aware of the importance of healthy, sustainable eating . For our bodies and for the planet. But it’s not always easy to convince ourselves to make a meaningful change in the behaviors we’re used to, let alone implementing change across societies worldwide. We might understand that a cow has to eat 100 grams of grain in order to grow by 5 grams, making beef an unsustainable commodity. But...

Ana Roš is a Slovenian chef and restaurateur who gained international recognition for her work at the Hiša Franko restaurant in Kobarid, Slovenia. She was named World's Best Female Chef in 2017 by the World's 50 Best Restaurants, and Hiša Franko was ranked as one of the world's 50 best restaurants . Roš's cuisine is influenced by her Slovenian heritage and the local ingredients...

This episode is about how to fly. Ski fly, that is. The sports of ski jumping and ski flying are hugely popular in Slovenia and throughout mountainous Europe, but not as well-known elsewhere. To learn more about this dramatic sport, Dr. Noah Charney spoke to Olympian Jernej Damjan . Jernej was a bronze medalist at the 2005 World Ski Championships and represented Slovenia over a career that spanned...

This episode is dedicated to a unique tradition in Slovenia— Kurentovanje . This ancient pagan festival features friendly demons who chase away winter and invite in the spring. Kurents’ door-to-door rounds are one of the best-known carnival traditions in Slovenia, and Kurent is one of the most common and popular carnival characters, which was first documented in 1880. In 2017, UNESCO added door-to...

Anyone who follows NBA basketball news knows Tim MacMahon . He’s among the world’s best-known basketball reporters . Dr Noah Charney caught up with him on the last day of his visit to Slovenia in September. He came to Slovenia as he was doing research for a book he’s writing on the Slovenian basketball phenom, Luka Doncic .  That a reporter of his renown was in Slovenia was big news. Luka Doncic h...

When Americans Mike and Anne Howard set off on their honeymoon back on January 22 2012, they thought they'd spend a year travelling the globe. 11 years later and counting, they're still on the same honeymoon. They just kept on traveling and doing it the right way. They're focused on sustainable travel, destinations and modes of transport. Slow travel overland with as few flights, as...

“Bohinj is too beautiful for murder,” said Agatha Christie , when interviewed by a national TV journalist during a holiday there in 1967. From room 204 of the Hotel Bellevue, Christie and her husband, a famous archaeologist, could see the expanse of the Julian Alps and the crystalline, wild splendor of the lake mirroring pines and peaks. Though Christie found Slovenia too beautiful for a whodunit...

Writing about Slovenia is particularly rewarding, as it so often feels like your articles open up a hidden doorway for readers with limited or no preconceptions about a country they will inevitably love. Readers have an idea about what travel to, say, Italy or Spain, Thailand or Costa Rica might be like. But while most will have heard of Slovenia—and heard good things about it—it does not have the...

There are trips we take that, without our expecting them to, transform us. They help us grow, broaden our horizons, feel closer to other cultures and people. Perhaps we even find love or a spiritual moment while abroad? Those moments are precious and turn a holiday into a life-altering experience for the better. In this episode, Dr Noah Charney the annual gathering of the Transformational Travel C...

In this episode, over brunch at Ljubljana Castle, Dr Noah Charney interviews American journalist Kate Wagner . Kate has a diversity of interests, but is best known as a cycling journalist. She's covered La Vuelta , the Tour de France and all the biggest races, and has profiled and extensively interviewed Slovenian cyclists, including Primož Roglič and Tadej Pogačar , who are also the ambassad...

Sara Isaković is a world-class swimmer from Slovenia. She won a silver medal in the 200 meter freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Olympics . Not only did she take home a silver, but her time of 1 minute and 54.97 seconds made her just the second woman in history to swim that race in less than 1 minute and 55 second. She was also the first Slovenian swimmer to win an Olympic medal . But that’s just part...

In this episode, Dr Noah Charney talks about the world's oldest vine, which is over 450 years old.  The Old Vine is considered the jewel in the crown of Maribor, Slovenia’s wine-loving second city located in the north-east of the country. To unveil all the fun facts connected with the Old Vine, he talked with Aleš Jenuš, Maribor City Guide ,   two renowned Slovenian sommeliers, Nina Bratovž a...

Slovenia's best ambassadors are its elite athletes . This small country has an astonishing number of world class athletes, and many–including top cyclists Primož Roglič and Tadej Pogačar , who are official ambassadors of Slovenian tourism. Slovenians love sports and engaging with the outdoors – the country is perfect for it. Whether you're interested in mountains or plains, coast or hill...

Welcome to this special episode of Feel Slovenia the Podcast celebrating World Bee Day . May 20 is a day dedicated to celebrating the wonders of the bee, an absolutely critical animal to the planet’s ecosystem. Without bees, our flora could not exist—three-quarters of all food crops depend on pollination—and so the bees need to get the credit they deserve. For this reason, the United Nations decla...

Regardless of your faith, there’s one thing we can all agree on: holidays that bring together family and involve good food. So for this special Easter episode of Feel Slovenia the Podcast we’ve focused on the culinary traditions around this, the most important of Christian holidays. It’s a very special episode, too, as our host, Noah Charney, chatted with five different people to bring you a broad...

Ever wanted to eat cream cake in a treehouse? Who hasn't, right? In the latest episode of Feel Slovenia the Podcast, expat writer Dr Noah Charney set off into the trees to visit Garden Village Bled, an eco-friendly resort that recalled his childhood fantasies. Then it was time for a bite to eat. Noah already knew about Bled's famous cream cake, so he was curious about what other local sp...

On Slovenia’s Adriatic coast , near Koper, there stands an olive oil farm run by the Lisjak family . They produce not only some of the best olive oil in the country, used in Slovenia’s top restaurants, but it is among the best in the world.  Dr Noah Charney visited them for an olive oil tasting and was particularly intrigued by their single source indigenous varietals the sort of product that is n...

This time, Feel Slovenia the Podcast takes a trip to the seashore. Dr Noah Charney speaks to Irena Fonda of Fonda Fish Farm , one of the world's best, specializing in sea bass. Fonda Fish Farm is also one of the providers that hold the Slovenia Unique Experience label, which guarantees that you will experience Slovenia’s originality in an unforgettable way and with all of your senses. What&ap...

Though Slovenia has a small population, it has enjoyed a great deal of success in world sport at the highest level. Ilka Štuhec is one of the many successful athletes who inspire both the Slovenian and international public. Many people wonder what it is about Slovenia that makes it one of the most successful countries in the world in terms of sporting achievements per capita . One of the reasons i...

In our first episode, Noah describes how he came to live in Slovenia, after having “auditioned” numerous other countries, and why he thinks so highly of it, as a place to visit or move to full-time. In the process, he spoke to many fellow expats from a diverse array of countries to learn why they love life on the sunny side of the Alps. Feel Slovenia the Podcast is brought to you by t he Slovenian...