MOUNTAIN LIFE - Coast Mountains | Winter Spring 2019

WINTER/SPRING 2019 MLCM 81 Keeping the "LOVE" in SLOVEnia Like the aloha spirit in Hawaii, pura vida in Costa Rica and joie de vivre in France, Slovenians believe in spreading elan—living life with energy, style, and enthusiasm. At the heart of it all comes their centuries-old ethos of hospitality. Even the tourist board’s mission of the message “I feel S LOVE nia” rings true: going forward with nature, focusing on organic development, promoting a niche economy, and welcoming diversity. Instead of seeing fast-food joints and strip malls at the end of a long day in the hills, mountain bikers in Slovenia will find herds of cattle, centuries-old churches and character villages, all possessing the elegant grandeur of old Europe; narrow cobblestone streets, arched doorways and cozy homes. “Bikers are always welcome here, everyone is” says Marko, a 66-year-old caretaker of the Zabreška Planina mountain pasture, an area owned by a cooperative of local agricultural societies. Marko works with riders every spring to to clear the cattle trails of winter debris. He also helps build trails and new entrances so bikers don’t have to dismount and climb over fences. In a 200-year-old pasture, the collaboration is working well and, leaning against a tractor in the barn of a mountain hut built more than 250 years ago, Marko says, “Bikers can always pass through and should come whenever they want. Everyone is welcome.” Borut Kelih is an entrepreneur who sold a successful business and entered the tourism market headfirst. He’s also a strong believer in getting Slovenians working together to understand, enjoy and promote mountain biking. “The creation is the right thing,” he says. “When you can create something there is much more meaning behind it.” To back up his words, Kelih created two bike-friendly spots with a vision for the future in mind. First is The Garden Village in Bled, the world’s first six-star glamping resort—a piece of property close to Lake Bled filled with canvas tents and treehouses where guests are encouraged to pick fruit and vegetables for themselves, straight from the garden. And at his Tourist Farm Rocnjek, guests can choose to stay in themed rooms, each an ode to centuries-old traditions of carpentry, iron working and hunting. He wants to promote these cultural cornerstones as part of the guest experience. “The most important thing is freedom,” he says. “You live for love and food, but if you work all the day just for surviving, you never have time for either. If you are free, it doesn’t matter what you do, your freedom is everything.” Dylan Siggers executes a Slovenian bunny hop in the Julian Alps. “Bikers can always pass through and should come whenever they want. Everyone is welcome.”