In the hitherto unknown Vrbovec castle in Nazarje, we visited Museum of Forestry and Woodworking in which the history of forestry and woodworking in the Upper Savinja Valley is presented. Forests once dictated the kind of economic development of this area and had a decisive influence on the lives of the local residents. Forestry and carting were once very connected in our Jablaniška valley.
In the upper castle We were welcomed by the local pastor and the mayor of the municipality. They say that cooperation between the local community and the parish, which boasts the largest cathedral in Slovenia, is very important for the progress of the place. The city with 1,800 inhabitants, as many as the area of Jablaniška dolina, is somewhat comparable in terms of rugged terrain and the number of hamlets. Together we had a herbal tea in a herbalist and listened to interesting stories, which were told to us by herbalist Maja. Our ears were full. This year, only in the LAZ association, as part of the VISIT Litija project, collected and wrote down local stories. We will also interpret our stories and include them in tourism programs.
We are in Solčava mirrors Bicka boutique (Bicka is a young sheep in the Solčava dialect) and was presented with a demonstration of fasting made of wool. During the demonstration, a member of the Bicka association presented us with their activities and the annual event of the Festival of Sheep Wool, which is usually held in September. The wool of the indigenous Jezersko-Solčava sheep breed is used for felting and manufacturing products.
We spent the afternoon in nature at Experienced guiding along the lower part of the route through Logarska dolina, which this year received the title of the best thematic route of Slovenia 2021 from the Tourist Association of Slovenia. He took care of the guided and experienced tour Marko Slapnik, the initiator and creator of the mentioned thematic route. The LAZ association has already cooperated with Marko Slapnik, namely in the implementation of training for local tourist guides (Locadent project).
The participants of the excursion were impressed by what we saw and experienced. We were especially impressed by the hospitality and openness of our hosts, who were happy to share their experiences with us. We were especially happy that we also surprised them with our positive energy. They confided in us that they hadn’t had such pleasant guests for a long time. We look forward to the next gatherings and connections inside and outside the association.