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15 Jan 2025
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Description
Step into the heart of Slovenia's Karst region, where Lawrence, Nina, and our lively Border Collie, Neo, want you to be part of our journey renovating a 200-year-old stone house. Nestled on 6 hectares of beautiful land, our peaceful spot offers a special experience surrounded by nature.
We're taking it slow, using mostly eco-friendly materials for the renovation. As avid travelers who value community, we're inviting kindred spirits to help us restore this historic home. Neo, our always-happy Border Collie, is ready to be your companion on walks through the stunning Karst landscape.
About the Renovation Project:
We're fixing up an old stone house with classic Karst stone features, including a courtyard called "borjač" with a beautiful stone well from 1801. Our goal is to turn the house and courtyard into a cozy home and a gathering place for different groups of people. We envision a place that's warm, authentic, and laid-back, where folks can come together to explore art, music, learning, and more. There's something magical about the mix of stone and wood that creates a grounded and beautiful atmosphere.
Having traveled extensively and being community-focused, we have a history of collaboration with people from diverse backgrounds. We're familiar with volunteer work and communal living. As the sun sets over Karst, we enjoy good, healthy food and spend evenings playing board games or gathering around the fire, singing songs and sharing stories. It's all about enriching our lives and building connections.
If you're drawn to simple, serene living, have a passion for restoration projects, and crave a warm community vibe, our doors are wide open. We're excited to welcome like-minded individuals to bring their skills and spirit to this journey of creating something beautiful in the pure and inviting landscapes of Karst!Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Travelers engaging in a cultural exchange with us will experience a multifaceted journey. Here's how you can benefit and what you could learn:
Learn English from Lawrence who is a native speaker (UK and Australia), providing an immersive and authentic language-learning experience. Gain practical language skills while communicating with us and participating in day-to-day activities.
Delve into the world of traditional building materials, with a focus on lime, hemp, pozzolanic materials, cocciopesto, and more. Acquire practical skills in utilizing these materials, understanding their properties, and contributing to the eco-friendly renovation project.
in hands-on learning by participating in the creation of our garden, understanding the fundamentals of organic gardening. Acquire knowledge about sustainable gardening practices, including planting, harvesting, and maintaining a permaculture-inspired landscape.
Draw from our extensive experience of living in different communities worldwide. Gain insights into various community dynamics, fostering an appreciation for diverse lifestyles and collaborative living.
Learn Yoga, Nina is a certified Yoga teacher and likes to start the day with Yoga practice :)
Learn the art of foraging wild plants and integrating them into everyday meals. Acquire practical knowledge about identifying, harvesting, and cooking with wild plants, exploring the rich flavors of the local flora.
Learn about the unique Karst region and Slovenia through engaging conversations and local experiences. We will gladly share our knowledge about historical context, and local knowledge, providing a deeper appreciation for the surroundings.Help
Get hands-on experience in cutting grass, shrubs, and small trees - clearing the overgrown areas of the land. Dive into renovation works with us, including tasks like clearing out the house, removing plaster from walls, and laying new floors, putting the drainage systems in, etc.. Lots of moving materials with the wheel barrow... Plastering walls with eco materials. Creating shutters and doors from new and reclaimed wood. Creating a veggie garden. Planting herbs. Creating natural fences. Foraging wild plants. Drying herbs. Creating oil extracts from different herbs and plants. Cooking delicious meals… Join us in this eco- slow-renovation adventure, where work meets leisure, and history meets modern sustainability.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Slovenian: Fluent
Italian: Intermediate
Dutch: Intermediate
Spanish: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.Accommodation
Enjoy your stay in our charming and already renovated old house in the village, where your room awaits. We have space for two volunteers who will share a cozy room. There is one bathroom and kitchen that we will all share. There is also a smal living room for you to relax in. When you step out of the house you are almost immediately in the green of nature. The house that we are renovating is just accross the courtyard. There is a lot of land arround the house and if you would like to stay in your tent or campervan, that is also possible.
What else ...
During your leisure hours, you can take walks, explore the surrounding land, do yoga under the old chestnut tree and visit nearby attractions like Lipica stud farm, enchanting Škocjanske caves, the medieval city of Štanjel, and local wine cellars. Immerse yourself in the local culture or enjoy board games with us and spend the evenings by the fire. You will definitely see wildlife here, like deer, wild boar, foxes, etc. Don't worrie they stay away from the house, but deer are regular visitors to the fields around the house...
We are situated in a village in the midst of nature, so the biggest city Sežana is 20 minutes away by car. There is also a bus connection nearby. We can arrange to pick you up upon your arrival and your departure. Ljubljana is 60 minutes away and the coast - the Adriatic sea - is 45 minutes away by car.A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.
Space for parking camper vans
We have a parcel next to the house where you can park your campervan.
Can possibly accept pets
We can accept all kind and well behaved dogs. We have a male Border Collie who is used to sleep in the house.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Feedback (8)
She did not shy from any job that we had to do, she helped in the garden and in the house, she helped with loading lots and lots of stones into the… read more
I helped in the garden, in the house with cooking and cleaning, in the renovation project by moving stones and gravel (what an adventure! :p) out of the floor, as well as… read more
We achieved some great projects mostly physical work in the garden, work was varied. The house they are renovating is also impressive and beautiful.
There were hot days when we were there (late July), we split our work hours between morning and evening to… read more
Photos
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(4.8)
She did not shy from any job that we had to do, she helped in the garden and in the house, she helped with loading lots and lots of stones into the… read more
I helped in the garden, in the house with cooking and cleaning, in the renovation project by moving stones and gravel (what an adventure! :p) out of the floor, as well as… read more
We achieved some great projects mostly physical work in the garden, work was varied. The house they are renovating is also impressive and beautiful.
There were hot days when we were there (late July), we split our work hours between morning and evening to… read more
They were very welcoming and their property is a wonderful space. Nina's cooking was amazing, she was always giving us new and exciting local dishes to try which we loved. We also shared our experience with another workawayer which was great for us all. (He had no car and… read more
the property. they are very receptive when it comes to personal feedback such as organizing working hours and days off… read more
On our days off we went… read more
Nina and Lawrence are nice and open hosts. Nina has a lot of… read more