Our stories

Gostilna Vovko: Machov portal

Mach's stone portal

A 400-year-old portal that once adorned the façade of Mach's manor on Veliki Slatnik. In the 18th century, the family of the world-famous physicist Ernst Mach lived in Veliki Slatnik. His father was involved in silk production and brought the Japanese silk moth (Antheraea yamamai) from Japan. It was from Veliki Slatnik that this butterfly then spread throughout Europe. Before the manor was demolished by Mach's heirs, Anton Vovko bought the portal and put it inside the inn. Of the once great manor house, only a portion of an old barn remains on Veliki Slatnik.

Gostilna Vovko: Tla iz bobrovca

Crown tile flooring

The floor in the grand dining room is paved with roofing tiles (known locally as 'beaver' tiles), which once served as roofing on the Podsreda Castle. During the renovations, the Vovko family bought part of the crown roofing tiles and reused them for the remodelling of the inn.

Gostilna Vovko: Miza iz grajskega parketa

Tables made from the castle's parquet flooring

Tables made of parquet blocks, which were once walked on by the nobles of Podsreda Castle.

Gostilna Vovko: Hrastov stol

Oak chair backrest

An imitation of an old Slovenian chair. The inspiration for our logo. These chairs are used in the guest room, which we call "Mach’s Room".

Gostilna Vovko: Vhodna vrata gostilne

The front door of the inn

A 120-year-old oak door brought over from Vovko's old homestead, which has since been restored and is located opposite the inn. Anton Vovko paid his respect to his parents Jožefa and Janez by reusing the door and fitting it to the entrance of the inn.

Gostilna Vovko: Hrustavka

Brusniška hrustavka (hard-fleshed cherry)

Brusniška hrustavka is a Slovenian native cherry variety. This variety, which is native to the Brusnica valley and goes back more than two hundred years, is famous for not failing to bear fruit even in the most unfavourable years. And it is a variety that does not require pesticide spraying, which is especially significant in this day and age. Safeguarding the Brusniška hrustavka cherry variety has laid the foundation for further tourist promotion of this natural heritage, which was started before the Second World War by a teacher from Brusnice, Martin Marinč, and now continued by diligent local growers with an annual cherry display. There is also a Cherry Festival organized every year by a local association.

Gostilna Vovko: Forma viva

Seed – a monument to hope in nature (Forma Viva)

Our family inn cultivates a special attitude towards tradition, culture and art. In 2019, we made a donation to the international sculpture symposium Forma Viva in Kostanjevica na Krki. Aldo Shiroma Uza from Peru, Bojan Mavsar from Slovenia and Robert Canev from Bulgaria were selected in an international competition, and Canev's sculpture has been put on display on Gostilna Vovko's lawn. The author named the sculpture "Seed – a monument to hope in nature". It highlights the universal importance of seeds representing hope in growth and development. It is about the eternal hope that something better is coming, which will contribute to knowledge and human growth. Erecting the sculptures outside the Kostanjevica area means that the circle of influence of Forma Viva is expanding. For our inn, this represents a seed for further contribution to the artistic and cultural development of the town while adding value to the region's landscape.

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