The Western Slovenian community of Idrija is an award-winning alpine town crossed by the Idrijca River. Under the rule of the Habsburg family in the late 15th century, mercury was discovered in Idrija. According to a legend, a bucket maker working in a local spring saw a small amount of liquid mercury. Mining activities took their start and were supported by the building of Gewerkenegg Castle – today the the town's museum – by the mine owners. The mineral idrialite, discovered here in 1832, is named after Idrija. The subterranean shaft mine entrance known as Anthony's Shaft (Antonijev rov) can be visited today for tours.
But mercury is not the only spectacular object found in the area: the Divje Babe (“Wild Women”) Karst cave and archaeological park are overlooking the Idrijca River and noted for its Paleolithic remains. One of them is the worked bone of a cave bear known as the “Divje Babe Flute” dated as 45-60,000 years old and so maybe the oldest musical instrument of the world.
Make sure to visit these when you stay at our place, Na Kupčku Estate.
Our modern apartment on the ground floor of our house in Idrija welcomes you and your loved one from spring to winter. Your private bathroom with bathtub and a king-size bed are already waiting.
The 40 sqm apartment has a living room with a sofa (that can be used as a bed, too), TV, a table, chairs and everything else you need for your stay: slippers, blankets, liquid soap, hair dryer, bathrobes, slippers, bed linen, as well as coffee, tea, vinegar, oil and salt in the fully-equipped kitchen.
The natural surrounding of the house invites for a discovery as long as the sun is up. For example, you can take a deep breath in our herbal garden. Or start your day with a therapeutic massage in the meadow.
And later in the evening you can admire the starry sky with a glass of local wine on the terrace.
We ourselves are living on the floor above, so you can easily reach us if you have any questions or demands. Since we devote most of our time to our guests and their individual wishes, our boutique estate only accommodates two people at once.
You will have a separate entrance and a private garden just for yourselves in front of the apartment. From spring to autumn, guests can also use the jacuzzi pool in the garden. Furthermore, lounge chairs and an open fireplace are available for you.
Choose the type of stay that suits you most and experience pristine nature like never before: from simple overnight stays to multi-day theme packages with massages, sauna and welness therapies - we will not rest until you get the most of your vacation!
Also, we can organize quiet parties, small weddings and ceremonies at the prior request of the guests.
For our guests the home-made breakfast costs 17 Euro per person per day. The dinner is 55 Euro per person and includes 4 plates and drinks. We cook exclusively just for you, without pre-prepared food, using just local ingredients. We have our own home-made apple juice, vegetable, fruit, wine, herbs, and eggs.
Besides that, you are also welcome to use the fully-eqipped kichen to create your favorite dishes. For example, you can pick up fresh eggs every morning in our chicken house. And several shops to fill up the fridge are to be found in downtown Idrija.
If you want to taste the flavors of the Slovenian cuisine, we can recommend you some nice restaurants in the area where you can sense the of taste of Slovenia and discover new as well as traditional creations.
Na Kupčku Estate is to be found in the middle of nature - literally, so there is a lot of green, a lot of flora around the house. You can charge up your batteries for example on the small sundeck next to the house. Also, in the meadows, you can have a massage in the morning to start your day right.
Furthermore, we take our guests to some amazing place: a cloud in the forest, where you can degustate our house desert and meditate. This is sensual experience in the nature.
But you can also go for a walk to discover the area by yourself. In the Northern direction, in the hills west of Idrija, there are tiny hamlets and isolated farms. In Southern direction, only about 100 meters from our house, you can see a small sidearm of Idrijca river; less than 2 kilometers in Southeastern direction, it meets the main river (one of the recommended restaurants is there directly). The river flows another 4 kilometers later into the Wild Lake (Divje jezero), a colorful karst spring worth seeing. In 1967 the lake was protected as a natural monument, and in 1972 it was arranged to be the first Slovenian natural museum.
Another site worth a visit is of course the town Idrija itself. Idrija is one of the few places in the world where mercury occurs in both its elemental liquid state and as mercury sulfide ore. The old mercury mine with stores and infrastructure, as well as miners' living quarters, and a miners' theatre can be visited. It has been an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012. The Gewerkenegg Castle that was built by the mining owners back then to support the mining activities, is now home to the Town's museum. In 2011, Idrija was also given the Alpine Town of the Year award.
Also the Divje Babe Karst cave and archaeological park are to be found in the area. The cave is noted for its Paleolithic remains, including the worked bone of a cave bear known as the "Divje Babe Flute". The flute is dated as 45-60,000 years old and could be the oldest instrument in the world.
And if the weather shouldn't be suitable for a discovery tour outside, you can still detox in our bio sauna with local teas and fruits.