The competition on Radio SI highlighted excellent tourist packages and products that offer the best of Slovenia's diverse regions -- from eastern Prekmurje to the coastal region of Primorska -- and ran throughout 2018. The foreign-language team of Radio SI uncovered hidden tourist gems that remain unknown to the numerous tourists visiting Slovenia. Altogether 18 potentially overlooked but exceptional tourist packages from all over Slovenia were presented in 2018. As part of the show, 18 foreign couples living, working or studying in Slovenia (members of Radio Si's International Club) tested these packages and shared their experiences on the English-language show and also on the website sloveniashiddengems.si. On this website you can listen to all the shows and find pictures and texts about the tourist packages.

The selection of providers was made by Radio SI and the listeners who voted for the suggested offers. At the end of the competition, listeners and visitors of the website voted from October 15th to November 15th among the 18 finalists and chose three winners, who at our final ceremony in Vila Bianca were given the prize "Slovenia's hidden gem 2018".

All finalists received a certificate of recognition and pottery from the craft center Slovenska Bistrica.

The prize for 3rd place goes to the one-day tourist package GOURMET OVER MURA, which involves a comprehensive experience of the Pomurje region. There you can lose yourself in the tastes of Prekmurje culinary specialties and the top-quality wines of the region. Šunkarna Kodila, the winery Marof, and the Rajh restaurant have teamed up with other providers of the region to create a culinary-tourist package - a true Prekmurje gourmet experience.

The prize for 2nd place goes to the tourist package LAŠKO CRAFT BEER EXPERIENCE. A week is barely enough to experience this spa and brewery town. But even if you come for just a day, it will be more than just a simple visit. That's why you're more than welcome to carefully plan your next trip around this area of green surprises, cultural specialties, secret traditions and exciting getaways.

The prize for 1st place goes to the tourist package MEDITERRANEAN FLAVORS OF SLOVENIAN ISTRIA of the Butul Homestead from Manžan above Koper, where everything is set around their world famous herbal garden, offering more than 50 varieties of herbs. Their guests can also enjoy the scents of the vast plains and charms of the Mediterranean, and be introduced to the olive tree and its oil, Malvasia and Refosco wines, as well as excellent local food.

 

Photo: Peter Kopše Pišec

 

Based on the excellent response to the Slovenia's Hidden Gems project among providers and foreigners, as well as our radio listeners, the team at Radio Si is already preparing to continue their work in 2019. This time around, they would like to introduce 14 packages of Slovenia's most attractive tourist offers to visitors from abroad. To that end, we're asking providers and listeners to propose new unique locations and tourist packages that are a must for foreign tourists.