Let's start with the most frequently asked question when we tell about our move from the Dutch city to a small village in Slovenia: “why Slovenia?”
Of course, we did not make such a choice overnight. We have travelled a lot in our 20 years together and have always been curious about other cultures, local food and a different perspective on daily life. During those travels, we often wondered whether we would trade our Dutch existence for that. Not because life in the Netherlands is so bad, but because it might suit us better. There were always plenty of reasons not to, until we came to Slovenia.
We were both overwhelmed by the fairytale nature, the space and diversity in the landscape, the people, the food, the wines. Both immediately felt that this could well be that place. After this first experience, we visited Slovenia several times for longer periods of time. This way we could visit the different regions and explore which place would suit us best.
Eventually, the Vipava valley became our new home. A wide valley sandwiched between the Italian coast and the impressive Trnovo plateau. The Vipava valley has a Mediterranean microclimate, beautiful nature, impressive turquoise rivers, olive groves and vineyards. Thanks to its climate and fertile soil, almost everything grows there.
Moving here also changed our work. Whereas in the Netherlands we were working as entrepreneurs and freelancers, in Slovenia we first started a big project: the thorough renovation of our house. Besides creating a nice place for ourselves, we realised (attached to the house) two studio flats that we rent out, so that we can share this wonderful place with more people. We can also devote more time and space to our passions here. Wouter's green fingers can finally get to work in the garden and vegetable garden and Daphne can express her creativity by cooking with all the beautiful products from the region. Alternating entrepreneurship with being outside and in nature a lot and tasting a delicious local wine every now and then fits well. And at a place like this, we also finally found room for a dog. Slovenian Sjaak is having a great time on our hill.
Besides renting out the studios, we also write regularly on our website about our experiences, tips and adventures in and around the valley. There are so many beautiful places and charming local entrepreneurs to discover, but they are not always easy to find online.
Besides the versatility of our immediate surroundings, it is also the perfect base to explore the rest of Slovenia and northern Italy!
Hope to see each other in this beautiful valley,
With love, Wouter & Daphne
Questions? You can always reach out to us by mai: vipavatravel@gmail.com