Our story

Our family has a long-time experience in renting rooms. The Škantars, grandmother Marija and grandfather Miro, have been welcoming guests to their home in Ribčev Laz for more than thirty years. Shortly after the war, great-grandmother Amalija, Miro's mother, set up a few guest rooms in her house by the Bohinj lake and also made a living from renting them. Marija and Miro often talk about her, but what we remembered most was the story that she always said: »Guest is the "king" - they came to rest and enjoy the peace and quiet, so it is not appropriate to disturb them.« Today, we are less reserved and are happy to invite guests to a party – for many visitors in a foreign country there is no better experience than joining the locals and their hosts at a loaded table at a home party, picnic or even a traditional wedding celebration.

In the summer, Marija and Miro like to sit on the bench in front of their house, admiring the Julian Alps with Triglav at the forefront – a view you can't get tired of – and in the early morning they set out to conquer nearby hills such as Galetovec or Ratitovec. They still like to pamper their regular guests, who have been visiting their place for years, so in the evening, when they return tired and hungry from wandering through the Bohinj Mountains, they are happy to prepare them a typical Slovenian feast.

"Life is good if there are lots of people at the table, and even better if the table is full of delicious food." This is the motto of Gorenc family in Bohinjska Bistrica. Mom Silva and dad Stane are very open and hospitable, their sociability is almost contagious, so it is no wonder that they make friends with most of their guests.

Stane had been an active fisherman for a long time, he was also a founding member of the Bohinj Fishing Family and its president. It is mostly his merit that Bohinj's waters are managed by the locals. He thoroughly knows the water resources in Bohinj, the Soča Valley and elsewhere in Slovenia, so he is an inexhaustible source of information on fishing in Slovenia. When in need of rest and silence, he goes to the meditative fly fishing in Sava Bohinjka, and he likes to spend early summer mornings in a boat on Lake Bohinj. Among his friends, he is also known for his masterful preparation of fresh catch, and our regular guests are also rewarded with "Stane's baked fish".

In the last few years, Stane and Silva have also been collecting and drying alpine herbs and flowers from which they prepare teas, syrups and homemade spirits. If you get a stomach ache or a sore throat, contact them – they'll find the right herb remedy for your problem right away. And that's also the answer to the question, "What smells so good in this house?"

We, Jaro and Lidija, are the next generation, Škantar and Gorenc. We considered our parents’ advice, and in 2019, we took over the tradition of Bohinj hospitality that our parents have been nurturing for decades. We will make our guests’ stay here even more pleasant and share with them our thrills and hobbies.

Jaro's mission is to protect the environment, he is a keen advocate of sustainable mobility and respect for nature. In his spare time, he is an avid mountain biker, mountaineer and runner, and a licenced mountain bike guide. Lydia adores walking in nature. We plan to conquer the last peaks of Slovenian mountain trails this year: Jalovec, Skuta, Prisojnik and Triglav. Our next challenge is to cross the Juliana Trail and the Bohinj Mountain Trail in stages.

We are both passionate readers, and after a full day of walking, with our heads full of pleasant adventures from nature and our bodies pleasantly tired, we dive into books. Don't hold it against us if you ever stumble upon a book in our house – sometimes they are scattered everywhere. We've also set up a small library, and it's available to our guests day and night.

Jure and Jan are our sons. Jure, the older one, is already in college, and Jan is a high school student. They like to help us with our work, cleaning the apartments, changing the bed linen, washing the windows ... If you need an advice or help with computers – ask them. They are also excellent advisors if you are interested in how to experience Bohinj as a child or a teenager. They speak English fluently.

That is us, in short. We look forward to your visit!

Lidija and Jaro