The village Štanjel in the West Slovenian Karst region is called "San Daniele del Carso" in Italian and "St. Daniel im Karst" in German. It was under the rule of Germans, Italians and the Habsburgs, hence the different name in these languages. Today the Parish Church of the Prophet Daniel in the center of Štanjel commemorates the name - but who was St. Daniel?
Daniel is a character of the Bible, the main character of the Book of Daniel. There it is said that he was a noble Jewish youth of Jerusalem taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon who wanted him to interpret his dreams.
We also had a dream, but we didn't need a prophet to interpret it - we made it come true with hard work and based on the beliefs of our ancestors. The dream was to have an organic, sustainable place where you can rest and recharge spiritually. "St. Daniel", the name of our place, reminds us everyday of this fulfilled dream, and we invite you to be a part of it. You don't even need to be a Babylonian king for that :-)
In our hotel, we want to raise awareness for the environment und sustainability. We contribute to the preservation of Mother Earth in our house by: recycling and composting. limiting light pollution. heating with non-polluting sources, use of solar energy, organic cleaners and cosmetics, as well as organic food in the kitchen; partnership with small organic suppliers in the 0 km chain, careful handling of organic food to achieve a minimum amount of discarded food - 0% FOOD WASTE -, annual CO2 emission control and ecological control, controlled use of water. The furniture is made of recycled wood, the bed linen, pillows and blankets of natural, organic and anti-allergenic fibers.
As part of our holistic view, we named our rooms with the Solfeggio frequencies because they stimulate the primary and instinctive feelings we carry within us but are unaware of and encourage our body to balance and harmony. We offer two Standard double rooms (Love 174 Hz, Youth 285 Hz), three Suites (Joy 396 Hz, Change 417 Hz, Miracle 528 Hz), three Superior double rooms (Connection 639 Hz, Balance 741 Hz, Awareness 852 Hz) as well as two Apartments. The rooms and suites contain rustic furniture made out of recycled wood, pillows, blankets and bedding made out of organic, anti-allergenic cotton, a bathroom (toilet, sink, shower), towels, organic soap, a hair dryer, air conditioning and a balcony overlooking a vineyard, herbal garnden or a typical Karst landscape. The apartments offer the same view, but from huge panorama windows. The bedding is washed with organic washing powder with no softener.
In front of the rooms there is a lounge for socialising and sharing moments (reading room, a fireplace etc.).
The garden offers a terrace with wooden tables to sit down at and a lot of tranquility to rest your thoughts.
In our sustainable shop Botega you can buy - partly locally - handmade jewelry, healing crystals and clothing, but also watches, tinctures or sunglasses. Make sure to come by for a visit!
We do not have a menu as we prepare food by intuition, with organic, seasonal ingredients from local production. Very natural and simple, the same way our grandmothers used to cook. You can enjoy a glass of organic wine with your food. Nina as the nutritionist will ensure that your cells get everything they require in balanced amounts. In our kitchen we use products exclusively certified by organic providers, local partners from our Karst region. We offer a wide range of dishes, including vegan, vegetarian, meat, gluten-free and lactose-free foods.
In our house we all sit down at the same table at same time.
Our healthy breakfast - that is included in the room price - is available from 8 to 10 in the morning. Note: At our house we take only as much as we will eat on a plate - we are very upset to see food being wasted unnecessarily! Once you realize how much energy is put into one little cookie, your conscience doesn’t let you leave a tiny bite on your plate. Every piece is precious, and it is a very long way from the seed to the final product.Our hardworking Girls are preparing breakfast from local and organic ingredients to such tasty foods as strudel, nona cookies, curcumin cakes, herb breads, blueberry yogurt, nuts, dried fruit, herb cheeses, cooked prosciutto, fresh vegetables and fruits. Fresh pastries are baked early in the morning, so the whole house smells. Our no bake cakes are organic, healthy, vegan, raw and handmade - and beautiful, too. We offer creations like "Fresh Brazil", "Raspberry storm", "Very Chocoberry", "Eastern cake" and hazelnut pralines called "Gift of Forest".
And to complement the cake experience: Miran is our house barista and cooks really good coffee!
The healthy dinner - that has a fee of 27 Euro per person - is served early: in the winter time (from 15.10. to 15.03.) at 17 o'clock, in the summer time (from 16.03. to 14.10.): at 17 or 18 o'clock. Dinner in our house is served every TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY and FRIDAY.
We decided to give our guests the opportunity to meet our 0 km partners who are located directly in our Karst region and have the same philosophy as us in the kitchen: fresh, local and prepared with a lot of love.
SATURDAY - Biodinamic farm Kamnarjevih (info: https://kamnarjevi.com/)
SUNDAY - Bistro Grad Štanjel (info: https://gradstanjel.si/en)
MONDAY - Organic winery Derenda (info: http://derenda.si/en/)
and on request - DOMAČIJA ŠAJNA (info: https://facebook.com/domacijasajnasepulje/)
For our dinner, advance reservations are required. Please let us know at our reception or by telephone the day before the event.
Although you will have a good rest and recharge, you won't be bored here.
On the one hand, you can relax in our infrared sauna. On the other, we have a small swimming pool to refresh your body and soul. According to our holistic organic view, the water in it is NOT CHLORINATED, but is based on electrolysis with salt and desinfection with UV light.
Besides that you can discover the surrounding area of the wild and magical Karst region. You will find endless fields, forests, wineyards, hills, valleys and a lot of nature. A lot of hiking trails are awaiting you, and if you are interested, you can even participate in organized hikes. You can also go caving in the Škocjan Caves Park which is an UNESCO’s World Cultural and Natural Heritage site.
Or, if you would like to make your trip as comfortable as possible, you can visit these by e-bike. You can rent a fully charged e-bike together with a helmet and further extras (for example a handlebar smartphone holder) directly at Biohotel St. Daniel through our partner Rockvelo for 49 Euros per day. They also offer traditional bikes, just let us know in advance if you are interested in one or the other.
But if you rather sit on a horse than an e-bike, you can get in touch with the Equestrian Park Lipica, the original over-400-year-old stud farm from where the Lipizzan horses come. They offer guided tours with an experienced Lipica guide.
The Gulf of Trieste and the the Adriatic Sea are also not too far away, the beaches Liburnia and Le Ginestre are less than 30 kilometers from our hotel. Don't expect white sand there though, you will find rather gravel and also some nudist beaches - so keep that in mind in case you want to go there with kids.
Trieste itself is also less than 30 kilometers away. It offers remains of ancient Roman times, but also from the Habsburg monarchy and later times when it became a globally important seaport. The city also lies at the intersection of Latin, Slavic and Germanic cultures where Central Europe meets the Mediterranean Sea, and is home to diverse ethnic groups and religious communities.
What’s there for children?
We are a children-friendly place and have books, DVDs, board games, puzzles and a wooden house for our younger visitors.
Here in Štanjel there is also the "Karst of the Dwarfs" fairy-experiential trail that was created to promote hiking, imagination and creativity among visitors. It beckons visitors to get to know the Komen Karst better, while encouraging adults and children alike to adopt a sustainable attitude as well as environmental consciousness and protection of nature. The 3,4 km long trail is circular and starts in Štanjel at the parking lot near the post office. It ends at the Tourist information center of Štanjel. The duration is about 2,5 hours.
Besides that, we have a lot of wild nature where kids can be outside with no worries.
