There are two types of people. Those who think Slovenia is a grey, communist/war-torn/Eastern-bloc country (and was probably part of Russia at some point). And those who have actually been, and have therefore fallen in love with the place. You may have guessed I am the latter.

Others of my ilk have often asked me: “What’s a good Slovenian present to take back home?”

There are of course all the regular tourist tat souvenirs readily available; the made in China fridge magnets; the sickly-sweet ‘sLOVEnia’ merch and the depressingly overdone ‘it’s the only country with love in its name’ (excuse me while I go and throw up). Plus the normal barrage of cliché t-shirts featuring dragons, sLOVE hearts, or a Slovenian flag.

But when I buy gifts for people back home, and want to give them a taste of something truly, authentically Slovene – what do I buy?

Well, over the years I have returned home with many Slovenian-themed gifts but here are the Slovenian presents that have gone down the best with my friends and family.

1. Dormice & Moonshine: Falling for Slovenia

For those who want to really get to know the Slovenia beyond the pin-up pictures of Lake Bled, this is a book for you. It’s a travel-memoir that takes you deep under the skin of Slovenia,  exploring the landscape, the culture, the cuisine and attempts to learn the language as the author falls in love with an ex-sausage-curing cabin in the northern mountains and moves his entire life to Slovenia. Full disclosure, I wrote it. But don’t take my word for it; read the reviews and see what Slovenia-lovers are saying.

2. Breg Design T-shirts

Back in 2020, tired of the aforementioned cliché Slovenia t-shirts, I thought I might be able to do better. After all, I’d already seen there were so many interesting aspects of Slovenia and Slovene culture that would look good on a shirt. So I created a set of Slovenian-flavoured designs and launched a line of Tees – Breg Design. I ended up getting interviewed on the Slovenian equivalent of BBC news, and later being featured in a documentary. I have partnered with a global print-on-demand company to make my designs available on a wide range of t-shirts and hoodies, so they can be printed and shipped anywhere in the world.

3. Homemade Schnapps

One of the most popular gifts I take back home are small bottles of homemade schnapps. I often decant a bit from my main supply into smaller bottles and make a little hand-written label for it.

Now, this is a gift that money can’t really buy. The very fact that my Slovenian schnapps has been cooked up in a hilltop barn in a semi-illicit still is what makes it so popular with my friends; it’s proper moonshine stuff and that seems to be its very appeal.

However, if you don’t happen to have a friendly schnapps-making friend who will give you a bottle, it’s of course possible to buy all sorts of schnapps in Slovenia. I can’t personally recommend any, as I have never needed to buy it. But you’ll find a wide schnapps selection in most supermarkets, or gift shops.

4. Slovenian Beer

Continuing the alcohol theme, Slovenia has plenty of beers to boast about. Some of my favourite Slovene craft brewers include Tektonik, Pelicon, and Lobik. I’m a big fan of IPA and NEIPAs, and there’s no shortage. I even have a Tektonik beer glass because I love the logo (as well as the beer). You’ll find a few craft Slovenian beers in most Slovenian supermarkets, but I recommend going to a craft beer shop to get a larger selection as well as advice from the staff.

5. Cockta

Once deemed ‘Yugoslavian Coca-Cola’ – I’ve long been a fan of this pun-friendly soft beverage. With 11 herbs and spices, it has notes of dandelion and burdock, Vimto and Dr Pepper but Cockta has a unique flavour, nothing like Coke, (and it’s also caffeine-free). I have created a legion of Cockta fans back home and a bottle of this stuff always goes down well. Available from every supermarket in Slovenia. Read more about my thoughts on Cockta – the King of Slovenian soft drinks – in my Slovenia A-Ž

6. Coffee from ČRNO ZRNO

For over 7 years I have been a loyal lover of a tiny speciality coffee bar in Ljubljana called ČRNO ZRNO (Black Bean). Run by a Colombian ‘Coffee Scientist’ who delights locals and visitors with his precise kava creations, his bags of beans – sourced from his homeland and roasted in Slovenia – make ideal gifts for coffee-fans. The ČRNO ZRNO logo looks great and coffee travels well. For the full experience, I recommend a visit to his cafe in Ljubljana, but you can order online too.

7. Learn Slovenian with ‘Beseda na dan’ cards

If you know someone who loves Slovenia so much they’re trying to learn its notoriously complex language, then this is the gift for them. These delightful, colourful cards help you to learn one ‘beseda’ (word) every ‘dan’ (day) – along with example sentences demonstrating how the word is used in real life.

I was given a set myself and they definitely boosted my Slovenian vocabulary in a fun way; it’s nice to have something physical rather than staring at a screen all the time. And I especially appreciated these cards seeing as there are so few resources for learning Slovenian, compared to more widely spoken languages.

8. Pumpkin Seed Oil

I discovered pumpkin seed oil during my early visits to Slovenia and instantly loved it. The dark, thick, glassy green liquid is a deliciously nutty addition to a salad, soup – or even – vanilla ice cream.

I don’t understand why other countries don’t make pumpkin seed oil (I’ve only ever seen it in Slovenia and Austria) but it makes an excellently unique gift for foodies. There’s no particular brand I recommend, just go to any Slovenian supermarket or farmer’s market and buy any bottle.

9. Slovenian Salami

Slovenes are big into their salami sausage. The best I have had comes from small farmsteads that still practise koline – the annual animal slaughter and sausage-making party – which I have personally attended. You can find salami in supermarkets, but for the real homemade stuff, visit a farmers’ market. It’s normally made with pork and beef, but I have also seen more exotic meats including bear and horse.

10. A Polona Polona Coffee Mug

This Slovenian company have an extensive range of coffee and tea cups featuring illustrations by Polona Pačnik. Her distinctive style has brought all manner of famous faces to ceramics, from Kurt Cobain to Benedict Cumberbatch (as Sherlock Holmes).

However – for a real Slovenian slant – my favourite is the Marshall Tito mug. I was gifted this by a good Slovenian friend and it remains my go-to coffee mug to this day. There is even a Slovenian pun written on the inside of the rim: ‘A ti to kavo piješ’ – ‘Are you drinking this coffee?’.

The Tito mug doesn’t seem to appear on their website any more – it may have been discontinued – but perhaps you can still find it in Mladinska Knjigna stores in Slovenia, and failing that, there are plenty of other excellent designs to choose from.

11. A Moonchild Snowboard

These are not cheap, so only buy one for the Slovenia-lover in your life if they have been a very good girl or boy. But Moonchilds are brilliantly designed and built Slovenian snowboards that come out of a small village in northwest Slovenia (read an interview with Jure Sodja – the founder and mad professor of snowboard design).

I personally have the Moonchild Malibu and I love it; it’s a great shape, looks unusual, and has seen me slashing off-piste power and slicing up corduroy for several winters now; it’s truly a great ride. In fact, the board is so good, it has been selected by the UK Snowboard mag – Whitelines’s Top 100 best snowboard products, two years in a row.

Other Slovenian Gifts and Souvenirs

Other gifts that you’ll see spilling from the souvenir shops include honey (Slovenes are bee mad), Piran Salt, (Slovenia still makes sea salt the traditional way down on the coast), lace from Idrija, wine from Brda and other parts of the country, and crystal glass from the spa town of Rogaška Slatina.

But the items I have detailed above are the Slovenian gifts that have been most appreciated by my friends and family, after almost two decades of testing.