Gorjuše, a tiny village on Slovenia's Pokljuka plateau, has a big claim to fame. For centuries, it was the center of a pipe making tradition that made the village well-known far beyond Slovenia – a tradition that lives on today.

The exact origin of pipe making in the area is unknown, but it became widespread in the 18th century, when the tobacco craze was taking Europe by storm. Several varieties of pipes were made in Gorjuše, the most famous of which was a local design known as “čedra”: a small, highly curved pipe made out of wood, inlaid with mother of pearl, and fitted with “nickel sliver,” tin, or sometimes even real silver. Finding the right wood was considered extremely important and the pipe makers traveled the region to find just the right pear, maple, and boxwood for their pipes.

Some of the pipes were made by local farmers, but the craft was particularly widespread among miners who lived on the plateau when iron ore was still common there. Many would spend their summers mining and their winters making pipes.

Eventually, the pipes from Gorjuše became well-known throughout Central Europe and as far south as the Dalmatian coast, where they were a particular favorite among sailors. Pipe making put the village of Gorjuše on the map, and at its peak, the craft guaranteed a living wage for dozens of local residents.

In the 20th century, however, the tradition began to vanish. The decline of pipe smoking in favor of the more fashionable cigarettes, as well as industrialization, represented a severe blow to the old craft, and most pipe makers could no longer count on the younger generations to carry on their work.

Two pipe makers, however, continue the tradition. One of them is Srečko Lotrič, who has opened a small museum devoted to a craft that had long provided a livelihood to the people of Gorjuše – and made the village famous well beyond the wooded, sparsely populated Pokljuka Plateau.