Olimje Chocolate Shop

The Olimje Chocolate Shop is a small family business in the village of Olimje, in the municipality of Podčetrtek, in the Kozjansko hills of eastern Slovenia, not far from the Croatian border. The village is best known for its Baroque monastery, which stands on a hill above the road and houses one of the oldest working pharmacies in Europe, and the chocolate shop sits close by, as part of the cluster of attractions that draw visitors to the area. Its roots reach back to the chocolate-making traditions of Vienna before the First World War, brought to the area by the family and adapted to local tastes, so that the craft combines Central European pastry culture with a village setting.

The shop is small, and its charm lies in the handmade character of the products. Chocolates are made in small batches, using techniques that have been passed down in the family, and the range includes truffles with various fillings, bars with fruit and nuts, pralines, figurines and colourful sugar-coated dragées. New flavours appear each year, often inspired by seasonal produce from the region, such as pumpkin seeds, honey, herbs or fruit brandies, and the staff are glad to explain how they are made and to help visitors put together a mixed box as a gift. Tasting is usually possible, and the smell of cocoa as you enter is a pleasure in itself.

The shop is a good stop on a family day out. The surroundings offer a gentle walking route that is suitable for pushchairs, leading past meadows and orchards to the monastery and other places of interest, and children generally enjoy the combination of sweets and the nearby fairy-tale attractions. Because it is part of a small cluster of sights, it fits easily into a half-day trip that also includes the monastery, with its Baroque church and old pharmacy, and the Witch's Hut, a woodland attraction for children.

The wider area has more to offer. Terme Olimia Resort, with its thermal pools, is close, Jelenov Greben has deer and a rustic restaurant, and the Kozmus Beekeeping Farm, the Amon Homestead and the Haler Homestead present local produce and traditions. The Museum of Farming Equipment shows how farmers worked in the past. The shop's opening hours vary with the season, so it is wise to check before travelling, and chocolates are best bought in cooler months, since heat can damage them. A box of Olimje chocolates makes a good souvenir of the region.