Ten Must-Take-Home Souvenirs from Slovenia

Slovenia has many unique products to offer – from traditional food and drinks to handmade products.

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 is a great culinary specialty – also called the green gold – and it’s a must 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. Bottle of BOROVNIČEVEC (blueberry liqueur)

For the true experience of Slovenia we recommend to try one of country’s popular brandy’s and liqueurs such as borovničevec (blueberry), orehovec (wallnut), smrekovec (spruce) or medica (honey).

Since borovničevec is our favourite, we chose to put it in the headline. But they ALL are truly excellent idea for a Slovenia souvenir.

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. 

You can buy her products online at  Brigita Herjavec web page.

9. Plečnik candle holder  

While in Slovenia, particularly Ljubljana you will hear a name Jože Plečnik a lot. This great Slovenian architect (1872-1957)  was a pioneer in urban planning and is to thank for some of the country’s most remarkable buildings, churches and bridges.

Read more about the great master of the architecture Jože Plečnik here.

Plečnik candle holder (Svečnik Plečnik) is a product of permanent value, made in accordance with traditional method of blacksmith artistic craft from Kropa.

10. Cook Eat Slovenia cookbook

If after visiting Slovenia and enjoying the local food you wish to bring traditional Slovenian recipes to your home kitchen (which is very likely to happen!), here’s an IDEA – get a Cook Eat Slovenia cook book by a great Slovenian cook Špela Vodovc!

The recipes from Slovenia’s 24 culinary regions, with more than 100 dishes will make happy any food enthusiast. ?

Order the cook book here!

Order your COOK EAT SLOVENIA cookbook HERE and cook & eat as Slovenians do!

Here are some additional Slovenian souvenir ideas – because it’s too hard to stick to only ten! ?

• 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

• felt slippers – felt is the material that comes from the indigenous Jezersko-Solčava sheep breed

Medica is a traditional Slovenian honey liqueur. A bottle of medica is also ALWAYS worth taking back home with you!