The traditional Šokčev dvor farmstead courtyard in Žuniči

Public domain • Photo by Sl-Ziga via Wikimedia Commons

Šokčev Dvor in Žuniči

Q: What specific hands-on activities can visitors participate in at Šokčev Dvor?

Visitors can engage in traditional crafts such as flax beating, Easter egg painting, felt making, cloth weaving, and basket weaving. These activities allow guests to actively experience the living traditions of the region.

Q: What makes Šokčev Dvor architecturally and culturally significant?

It is a protected cultural monument that exemplifies the distinctive architecture of Bela Krajina and highlights the Serbian community's influence in the area. The whitewashed walls, wooden beams, and shingled roof evoke the charm of a bygone era.

Q: Where is Šokčev Dvor located and what is the surrounding environment like?

The homestead is nestled within the Kolpa Regional Park and is located close to the banks of the Kolpa River. This setting provides a tranquil backdrop ideal for a peaceful retreat after hiking in the surrounding park.

Q: What kind of artifacts and interior features can be seen inside the farmhouse?

Inside, guests will find a collection of artifacts including a brick oven in the kitchen, handwoven textiles, and rustic tools. These furnishings bring to life the daily routines and cultural heritage of past generations.

Q: What types of events and experiences does the homestead host throughout the year?

Šokčev Dvor hosts workshops and cultural events that celebrate the folklore, handicrafts, and culinary delights of Bela Krajina. These events offer an immersive experience into the rural life and traditions of the region.

Traditional Serbian farmhouse in Kolpa Park

#2 of 6 in Bela Krajina

Where: Bela Krajina, Bela krajina
Directions: Directions

Šokčev Dvor is a restored traditional farmstead in the village of Žuniči, in the Kolpa area of Bela Krajina, the south-eastern corner of Slovenia. It is run as a small heritage site and workshop centre rather than as a conventional museum, and it gives a close look at how farming families in this border region lived, worked and celebrated. Bela Krajina means White Carniola, a name often linked to the white bark of the birches that grow here, and the region has a character quite different from the Alps or the coast, with gentle hills, warm river valleys and its own folk customs.

The farmstead is a good example of local building tradition. The main house is low, with whitewashed walls, heavy timbers and a steep roof, and its rooms contain the furniture, tools and textiles of earlier generations: a hearth and baking oven, simple wooden benches, spinning and weaving equipment and the everyday objects of a rural household. Bela Krajina was long a frontier zone, and its population includes communities that moved here in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, among them Orthodox Serbian settlers who left a lasting mark on local customs, names and religious life. That mixed heritage is part of the story told in Žuniči.

What distinguishes the place is that it is used. Workshops are held where visitors learn traditional skills, such as beating and spinning flax, weaving cloth, making felt, plaiting baskets and painting Easter eggs, a craft for which Bela Krajina is well known. Linen and hemp were once central to household life here, and the techniques have been revived by local enthusiasts. Events during the year bring songs, dances and food to the yard, and visits by school groups and families are common. Most activities need to be arranged in advance, so it is worth contacting the organisers before travelling.

Šokčev Dvor is a pleasant stop on a day in the area. The 25 marked hiking trails and 13 cycling routes of Bela Krajina pass nearby, and the Lahinja Regional Park offers a quiet landscape of meadows and a karst river. Local Honey Producers sell their products in the villages, Oljarna Pekarič presses oil from pumpkin seeds, and the Community Vineyard Cottage of Drašiči shows the wine culture of the hills. Warm summers make the Kolpa a popular place for swimming, so the farmstead pairs well with a river afternoon.