Ten Must-Take-Home Souvenirs from Slovenia
Slovenia has many unique products to offer – from traditional food to handmade products, such as artisanal cheeses, local wines, honey, and intricately crafted lace and pottery that reflect the country’s rich cultural heritage.
Here’s our list of 10 MUST Take Home Souvenirs from Slovenia!
1. Slovenian honey
Slovenia has a long tradition in beekeeping and is home to a number of excellent beekeepers. The country is known for the quality of its honey and its long tradition of apiculture and apitherapy.
Therefore, bringing home a jar of Slovenian honey (also called liquid gold because of its numerous health benefits), is a great and healthy idea!
Slovenian honey is produced under strict regulation and only by a nationally protected bee – Carniolan honey bee.
2. Pumpkin seed oil
A survey on our Slovenia Travel Forum on Facebook showed that a great number of repeating Slovenia visitors always bring home a bottle of Slovenian pumpkin seed oil!
Pumpkin seed oil, often referred to as ‘green gold,’ is a prized culinary specialty and a staple in every Slovenian kitchen.
In some parts of Slovenia, like Styria and Prekmurje they have been growing pumpkins since the 18th century and turning the seeds into oil.
3. BOROVNIČEVEC (blueberry liqueur) or MEDICA (honey liquer)
For an authentic taste of Slovenia, we recommend trying some of the country’s popular brandies and liqueurs, such as borovničevec (blueberry), orehovec (walnut), smrekovec (spruce), or medica (honey).
Each one makes a truly excellent souvenir to bring home from Slovenia.
Borovničevec – mixed in with the liqueur are bits of blueberries that have soaked in the alcohol and sugar.
4. Lect Heart
For those looking for a sweet traditional Slovenian gift, Lect’s Heart is a thing to buy! The decorated honey bread making is an old traditional handcraft of Slovenia.
In the Live Gingerbread Museum in a little town of Radovljica near the famous Lake Bled visitors can watch the making of this kind of bread and its decoration.
Look into the Radovljica Lect Museum museum here.
5. Salt Flower
Another of the great “Made in Slovenia” souvenirs is definitely fleur de sel (solni cvet) from the centuries old Sečovlje salt pans, on the coast south of Piran.
Its recognisably unique flavour and fragrance is the result of the traditional production method – gathering of the salt in a thin layer on the surface of the saltpans basins.
Known also as the Piran Salt, it exceeds even the prized French Fleur de Sel varieties.
6. Woodenware products from Ribnica
Ribnica is a small town in South East of Slovenia known for a unique craft connected with the making of useful wooden objects. From various household objects (spoons, sieves, buckets etc.) to wooden toys and various accessories (wooden jewellery, today even wooden phone cases and similar).
Read more about the woodenware making tradition in Ribnica here!
If you want to support local traditions and local artisans, go for a Ribnica woodenware product.
7. Idrija lace
The same as for Ribnica wooden ware goes for Idrija lace– it’s a Slovenian product with a great tradition.
Originating from a mining town of Idrija, back in the 19th century miners’ wives were bringing some extra income with making lace. This activity is still going on among the local women today.
There is a surprising variety of lace goods – from simple cloths and handkerchiefs to gloves, necklaces and even earrings.
Read our interview with a original Idrija lace maker and artist Tina Koder here.
8. ‘SLOVENKA‘ tea & coffee cup
If you like to drink your tea or coffee from a special cup – this is must have Slovenia souvenir for you! SLOVENKA (Slovenian Woman) is a handmade ceramic cup with a lace plate by Slovenian ceramic artist Brigita Herjavec.
You can read the her story here.
9. Only In Slovenia products
Slovenians are known for wrapping sharp and biting words in a gentle, almost charming form.
These mischievous, innocent-sounding yet culturally colorful Slovenian insults have been collected by Tanja Luketina and Siniša Šafarić under the brand Only in Slovenia, and carried across our borders through various products.
Slovenian traditional insults, translated: perfect as a quirky souvenir, a cheeky gift, or a polite way of telling someone off without them realizing… yet.
Get your favorite MUST HAVE Slovenian insult product here.
10. Felt slippers
Made from the wool of the indigenous Jezersko-Solčava sheep breed, these cozy felt slippers are not only warm and durable but also a beautiful example of Slovenian craftsmanship and sustainable tradition.
Additional suggestions:
- Slovenian wines – reds Teran, Modra Frankinja, Metliška Črnina, whites Rebula, Zelen, Pinela … and the latest two hits: Orange wine and First Lady wine.
- Potica (nut roll and a traditional festive pastry).
- Local cheese (e.g Bovški sir or cheese from Velika planina plateau).
- A jar of figs in Teran wine.
- Pater Ašič tea (herbal teas by the most famous monk of Stična monastery).
- Rogaška crystal – Slovenian crystal products with almost 350 years of tradition.
- Painted panels from bee hives – with traditional folklore images.
For more great Slovenian souvenir ideas, visit the souvenir shop at Trubarjeva ulica 18 in Ljubljana.
Spominki Souvenirs Shop in Ljubljana, Trubarjeva 18 Street
