Beekeeping is a traditional agricultural activity in Slovenia; the beekeeper's main task is to harvest bee products (mostly honey) from the hives.

Picking honey from hives depends on hives, usually the back or upper part of the hive is removed. To keep the bees calm, they need to be "smoked", which means the bee smoker is used to calm them down. Then the beekeeper takes out the boxes with honey cells from the hive. He takes out full frames, and inserts the empty ones, so that bees can fill them. With a special tool he opens the cells and extracts the honey, which is then filtered, and the result is a dense sweet honey that is ready for use.

Most beekeepers occupy themselves with beekeeping because of the production of honey, but beekeeping is much more than just honey production. This is a very diversified activity and because of this, beekeepers have a good chance of developing entrepreneurial ideas in beekeeping. They can opt for a larger number of queens and bee families, focus on marketing and in the opening of sales space - e.g. home-made beekeeping rooms or produce quality Slovenian honey with a protected geographical indication. They may opt for the production of pollen or royal jelly.

Among the beekeeping devices are personal equipment and tools with which the beekeeper takes care for a tidy beehive. Personal equipment is necessary, each beginner as well as a beekeeper with several hives needs to have it, because he must be protected from bee stings. The basic equipment includes a protective net or headgear that can be placed on another headgear or is placed on a hat with wide ends. For the protection of hands, special gloves are needed, which have suitable design, with rubber above the palms, as they protect against the stings.
Among the tools is a hive chisel which is used to open the hive parts that are glued with propolis. It is also used to remove wax extensions. Small whisk broom is used to remove the bees from the honeycombs when the honey is poured. A small ash tool on a longer handle is used to clean the bottom of the hive. In addition to the basic tools, special claws can be used to pull out the honeycombs, while the paint spatula is used to clean the hives. The beekeeper also needs a source of smoke to sooth the bees. To this end, he uses bee smokers: manual bellows or bellows driven by a special mechanism.

In the past, beekeepers were using the cooked and dried wood mushroom. Among the beekeeper tools there are also accessories for marking the queen bees. In the accessories, there are four colours and nets to catch the queen during painting and drying of the paint. This device is not used if the wings of the queen are trimmed. Beekeeper ensures that the inventory, tools and equipment are always in good condition, and if necessary, the tools and equipment are further disinfected before use. The documents of the beekeeper are: the production plan, the analysis of the profitability of individual products, the calculation of operations, the list of investments in the new season, etc.


Beekeeper produces honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, beeswax and bee venom. (Bee venom is used for pharmaceuticals and homeopathy).

The Kolpa Regional Park extends along the border river Kolpa, in the area between Stari trg and Dragoša, entirely within the municipality of Črnomelj. The main attraction of the Kolpa Regional Park is certainly the Kolpa River with its valley, which changes its character several times through the area of the park. At the beginning of the considered area between the Učakovci and Vinica, the valley opens towards the central Bela krajina plain and again narrows down at Podklanc. There, Kolpa flows in a narrow valley below Zilje and Preloka all the way to Žuniči, where the valley towards Miliči is even more pronounced and forms a canyon with high, overhanging rocky walls alternately on both banks. Here the river makes the greatest rotation in its course and then runs towards north and northwest. At the Fučkovci, the lowland flow begins slowly along the planar world of alluvial deposits, where the valley widens the most.

Šokčev dvor in Žuniči is a typical Bela krajina farm house of the near Kolpa region and is one of protected cultural monuments of the Kolpa Regional Park. This is a farm house with an enclosed courtyard, consisting of a house, a shed, and a barn. The house and all is connected by a wall with an entrance door, which makes the courtyard closed from all sides. The house is restored. In this renovated house you can see the farm room, where old furniture, cradle, old farm clothes, and home-made linen have been put on display. The other room with an old baker's oven serves as a dining room, which is perfect for groups and all other visitors.

Where to look for paradise nowadays, if not in remote and pristine landscapes, where tranquillity, diversity and rich natural and cultural heritage intertwine? Therefore, welcome to the heart of Bela krajina, where the ancient Metlika is hidden between the Gorjanci and the Kolpa river. You will be touched by its diverse history, culture and friendly people.

The Metlika municipality is a land of many faces. Because of its remoteness, it is mysterious, unspoilt and clean, and its diverse world is full of magical corners that offer rest and entertainment. Although geographically remote, it has been in the area for many centuries. Even today, it is rich with folklore, culinary specialities and events that are not found even in highly developed and rich places. In winter it is white and tranquil; offering views of the building and cultural heritage, in the spring it is flowering and inviting you to drive along the hiking and cycling routes, and in the warm months, the green and clean beauty of Kolpa is perfect for chilling. It is especially beautiful in autumn colours, when the Bela Krajina granaries and wine huts are filled. Winemakers in Bela Krajina produce wines that satisfy even the most demanding drinkers, while delicious home-made food and hospitality persuade travellers to return to us again and again.

Uskoki, which settled as a protection from the Turks, on the slopes of the Gorjanci, brought the Bela krajina cake to Bela Krajina. Later, individuals moved to the lower villages and thus transferred their habits and also the baking of the cake.

What is a good Bela Krajina cake? It is a cake that was made by a skilful housewife. The appearance of the cake reflects effort and energy. It is round, which means unity and infinity. If you cut the cake, each receives the same proportion. The appearance of the slice reflects the mode of preparation and the energy that was released while the housewife was kneading the dough. Salt and cumin, scattered in the cake, show the housewife's accuracy. The taste of the cake tells a lot about the quality of raw materials. Of course, the smell of cake is also important, which takes us to the grandmother's kitchen. The Bela krajina cake is a welcome food that shows the housewife's mood. The traditional way of serving with breaking, however, connects everyone present.

Members of DKŽ Metlika protected the Bela Krajina cake at the European level. We can meet them every year and attend a bakery workshop at the event of Vinska vigred and Mlada portugalka when the entire old town core of Metlika smells of warm bread, cakes and homemade delicacies.

A certificate for a protected dish has already been received by 23 producers. It is expanding its reputation and it seems to be well connected with wonderful wines and sparkling wines produced by diligent Bela Krajina winemakers.

In 2014, the Primary School Bistra buča opened its doors at Radovica near Metlika, which in its nests cultivates the diversity of the southern corner of Slovenia - Bela Krajina. The school is intended to promote and get to know Bela krajina in a playful and fun way. You will get to know Bela krajina in the Primary School Bistra buča in Radovica under the "strict" eye of the teacher, who is portrayed by Jože Matekovič. The idea of creating this kind of school was born to the famous Bela krajina humourist, writer, cultural worker and man of many gifts - Toni Gašperič.

The programs in the school that are being adapted are carried out by a "strict" teacher. Well, except in cases when the nagging headmaster comes to school, who occasionally visits unannounced at the school of Bistra buča and intervenes the classes for both the teacher and the visitors of the Primary school Bistra buča. At that time, even the teacher's stick, resourcefulness and strict gaze do not help much. A school caretaker may also come unannounced, but he is generally not that important. The Primary school Bistra buča invites all those who want to know how the lessons were held in the sixties of the last century, and get to know, in a unique way, the tourist destination and the heritage of Bela krajina and make a good laugh.