What is a glamping? I admit, I didn't know what it was until last June when I spent a couple of days at the Big Berry relaxing, swimming in the river and discovering this still unknown part of Slovenia.
Our little house in the Big Berry ... not bad, right?
This is a very difficult period for me: work in the office that sucks my life and soul away, some problems in the family (luckily it seems to be resolved even if it is better not to say it too loudly), a thousand things to do to the point to make two commitments on the same day and at the same time but on the two opposite sides of the city.
In short, a big mess.
So when they offered me a couple of days of complete relaxation in a glamping in Slovenia, I have not been able to say no: it is true that I am a backpacker traveler who prefers simple accommodation such as hostels and small guesthouses, but the temptation to rest my ass for once in a comfortable place where my only one worry was finding the right temperature the shower was too strong.
The "kit" with a bottle of local red wine… A better welcome could not have been given to me at the Big Berry!
I was really very happy and excited to try this new experience, I love camping. So we left by car, we covered almost 800 km with the Panda in a single day and in the evening (or rather late at night) we finally reached the Big Berry glamping, in the region of Bela Krajina exactly on the border between Slovenia and Croatia.
What is glamping
I think by now all travelers know that what is a glamping. Literally glamping stands for glamourous camping, a campsite of the highest level, in which the classic tents with mattress and sleeping bag have been replaced by structures equipped with all comforts, similar in all respects to the rooms of a hotel, but without the slightest undermine the feeling of deep contact with nature typical of normal camping.
In practice, the beauty of camping but with a few more comforts.
The veranda with the Jacuzzi for my moment "ahhhhhh" moment
Glamping is a new trend that was born in America about ten years ago and is now spreading like wildfire in Europe too: glamping offers a wide variety of accommodation, from real luxury tents to mobile- home, yurt, up to tree houses.
My glamping experience at Big Berry
Il Big Berry, as I said before, it is located in a very remote area of Slovenia, in the far east, built right on the banks of the river Kolpa, natural border with Croatia to which the opposite bank of the river belongs.
Upon arrival, a small house was waiting for us, with a living room equipped with a large sofa in front of the largest television ever seen in my life, a bathroom with those showers with a very strong jet of water and a large soft bed.
Imagine my happiness when I found a bottle of wine as a welcome!
The Big Berry is the classic place you imagine when it comes to wellness and relaxation. Slovenia aims to become the top destination for green and eco-friendly travel in contact with nature and the Big Berry reflects all this with modern but sustainable structures: in total there are 7 houses that can accommodate up to forty people, a few meters from the Kolpa river, under the shade of the large canopy of trees.
The living room with the kitchen equipped with every comfort (including the blender!)
Each cottage has been designed with great attention to detail: equipped with a bedroom, a private bathroom and a bright living room with a glass window which leads to a wonderful veranda with a large jacuzzi, located right in front of the placid waters of the river. .
The awakening is just as sweet as the arrival: on the veranda we find a basket with an abundant breakfast inside, freshly baked hot croissants, local bread and ham, organic eggs, different types of yogurt, cereals, milk and fruit juices, in short, every good -of God.
Unlike other glamping sites, there is no swimming pool at big Berry. After all, it would be useless since it is enough to take a few steps to dive into the emerald waters of the river.
The weather upon our arrival is warm and sunny, perfect for relaxing under the trees and enjoying a nice BBQ complete with vegetarian and vegan food.
A “stolen” photo of me while I was walking in the middle of the wheat field (trying not to get caught by the farmer)!
In the afternoon we take a drive around the area, we pass through villages with small houses surrounded by meadows full of flowers, wheat fields as far as the eye can see and hills covered with lush tree forests.
We stop by a local wine producer for a tasting: here I discover that the wine has one
great tradition in this region of Slovenia.
I should come there more often.
The next day is dedicated to total relaxation. We go down for a couple of hours paddling quietly on the river and enjoying the show that the lush banks give us and then return to the glamping and lie down in the shade on the veranda with that book that I had for a long time on the bedside table and that I had not even managed yet to open.
Slowly “canoeing” on the Kolpa River
Both glamping and the whole area around it offers a wide variety of outdoor activities:
in the morning the Big Berry organizes fitness and yoga classes and lessons, beach volleyball tournaments or rowing (as we did) on the river.
In the region you can go rafting, it is a paradise for those who love cycling and for lovers of hiking.
Furthermore, being about an hour and a half away from the capital Ljubljana, an hour and a half from the famous Lake Bled and about an hour from the Croatian zagabria, the Big Berry is a fantastic base for exploring this slice of the Balkans.
To conclude: the Big Berry is a great example of glamping and with a combination of sports to do, outdoor activities and luxury accommodation it is definitely a place I recommend spending a couple of nights on a trip to Slovenia or to spend a relaxing week in complete contact with nature.
Big Berry Camping is located in Primostek on the bank of the Kolpa river about an hour and a half drive from the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana.
I was invited to the Big Berry to try the glamping and as usual the review of my experience is totally honest, otherwise I would never recommend it on my blog.
