Most of the visitors to the Upper Vipava Valley and the Ajdovščina region come from Europe, primarily Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Austria, and the Netherlands. In the first 6 months of 2016, the Municipality of Ajdovščina saw a 40 percent increase in overnight stays compared to the same period last year. “Lately we’ve noticed that we’ve become a trailhead for a variety of hiking trails. Hikers can hike to the famous Postojna Cave and the Škocjan Caves, and even to Ljubljana. Our unique location allows hikers to easily access Ljubljana and a number of other interesting places,” said Sonja Mužina, who works at the Ajdovščina Tourist Information Centre.

Many tourists staying in Slovenia go to the Upper Vipava Valley for a one-day trip. They usually go on bike trails or hiking trails, and they also love to visit local wineries, where they can sample some of the region’s unique wines. The Vipava-based Institute of Tourism TRG Vipava came up with another idea for attracting tourists to the region: cycling from one winery to the next. The idea has already proven a huge hit with visitors. “We asked local wineries to adopt flexible opening hours. The wineries now don’t require an appointment, and our guests love cycling from one winery to the next. Before the end of their holiday, they visit the wineries again to buy some wine to take home,” said Urška Grmek, the head of TRG Vipava.

According to Mužina and Grmek, hotels and other lodgings are nearly booked out for the summer holidays. The municipalities of Ajdovščina and Vipava can accommodate more than 200 visitors at a time. Moreover, camp sites in both municipalities have almost 200 pitches for tents and motorhomes.

Karin Zorn, Radio Koper; translated by D.V.