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Food and drink · Radovljica
For a weekend in April, the old town of Radovljica, near Bled, turns into a large chocolate showcase, with producers from across the country, tastings, workshops and demonstrations at Linhartov trg square and the town manor.
In the photo: Radovljica
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Click a photo to enlarge it.
Radovljica Chocolate Festival — Radovljica
On a weekend in April, usually after Easter and before the May 1 public holiday.
April
Dates change every year: check this year's date before you travel.
The festival
Radovljica is a small town in Upper Carniola, on a terrace above the confluence of the two branches of the Sava River, a few kilometers from Bled. Its old town, around Linhartov trg square, preserves houses from the 16th to 18th centuries and the town’s baroque manor. Every April, these streets host the chocolate festival, the largest event of its kind in Slovenia.
The festival began in 2012, the year the Gorenjka chocolate factory in nearby Lesce turned 90. The first edition lasted one day; the celebration grew and now occupies an entire weekend, featuring Slovenian chocolatiers and makers from neighboring countries.
Stalls spread across Linhartov trg square, the town park and the rooms of Radovljica’s manor. Producers display bonbons, bars, truffles and sweets made with chocolate, and there are tastings, contests, workshops for children and adults, and cooking demonstrations where chefs use chocolate in sweet and savory dishes.
The town also has a tradition linked to bees and honey: the beekeeping museum, in the manor itself, tells the story of beekeeping in Slovenia and the painted hive covers, a local folk art.
It’s worth the trip to combine a spring weekend in the Julian Alps, with Bled and Bohinj nearby, with a festival dedicated to chocolate in one of Upper Carniola’s best-preserved historic centers.
The chocolatiers’ stalls at Linhartov trg square and in the town park. The demonstrations and contests in the baroque hall of Radovljica manor. Chocolate workshops for children and adults. A stroll through the old town and the beekeeping museum in the manor.
Arrive early in the morning, when the stalls are less crowded; lines grow in the afternoon. Saturday is usually the busiest day. Radovljica has a train station a few minutes’ walk from the old town, and there are buses from Bled and Ljubljana; by car, follow the parking directions provided by the organizers. In April, mornings are still cool: bring a jacket.
Chocolate in many forms: bonbons, truffles, handcrafted bars, sweets and chocolate drinks. The cooking demonstrations show other uses for chocolate.
Dates, the program and the tasting rules for each edition are posted on the official website. Check how tickets and the festival card work before you go. For accommodation, there are options in Radovljica, Bled and Bohinj.
In the city
Your questions
On a weekend in April, usually after Easter and before the May 1 public holiday. Confirm the dates on the official website.
In Radovljica’s old town: at Linhartov trg square, the town park and the baroque manor, a few kilometers from Bled.
Yes. Radovljica is a few kilometers from Bled, with frequent buses; the town also has a train station near the center.
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