Perger's Honey Heaven

Honeybread is one of the oldest crafts of Slovenia, and Perger's Honey Heaven, in the Koroška region of northern Slovenia, presents it as a family tradition handed down through many generations. The craft of the lectar, the maker of honey dough, grew up in the towns of Carniola and Styria in the Middle Ages, where bakers combined honey, flour and spices into a long-lasting sweet dough that was shaped in carved wooden moulds, baked and decorated with sugar icing. The same guilds often made wax candles, since honey and wax came from the same hives, and the combined craft of lectar and wax chandler was a respected trade. Honeybread is still made for fairs, name days and weddings, and heart-shaped pieces decorated with a mirror or a verse are given as gifts, a custom that links craft to affection.

The visit is organised as a guided tour, and the guide explains the history of the family business, the way the dough is made and left to rest, the carving of the moulds and the baking and decorating of the finished pieces. The tour also covers other products of the house, including biscuits, sweets and candles. Candles made from beeswax are poured or dipped in the old manner, and a demonstration shows how the wax is heated and the wick coated layer by layer, a process that demands patience and a steady hand. Demonstrations are the best part of a visit like this, because they bring out the physical work behind items that look simple on a shop shelf. Visitors who like to taste can often sample the products, and the shop sells honey and honey-based gifts.

The family's story gives the visit a personal side. A craft that has passed from parent to child for generations carries a wealth of memory, from old recipes and tools to local customs, and the master who leads the tour is often glad to talk about them. Details of the dates, the number of generations and the programme should be confirmed with the family, since small businesses of this kind vary their offer through the year.

Koroška offers other things to see nearby. The Karavanke geopark, with the underground mine at Podzemlje Pece, mountain biking at Park Jamnica near Prevalje, the cycle path on the old Štrekna railway line and the memorial at Jezerski vrh make the region a good one for active days, and a stop at the honey house adds a sweet note. Families will find the demonstrations entertaining, and the products make good presents.

The tour suits families, craft lovers and anyone interested in food history. Book ahead, since tours are often arranged for groups, and ask about languages and times.