Take a helicopter to dine beneath the stars

Alpine dairy farm-style, but with a hint of modernity

Treat yourself to a dinner beneath the stars on an idyllic mountain pasture surrounded by the mighty Alps. To make the experience even more special, you can be taken there by helicopter.

You will take off in Tržič, a town with a historic city centre and a colourful tradition of craftsmanship. It lies below the southern foot of the Karavanke mountain range, so the flight to the Dolga Njiva alpine dairy farm will be even more picturesque. You will get a beautiful view of the highest peaks in the Karavanke mountains, the Ljubelj pass, the dairy farms on Kofce mountain, the Košuta massif, which is the longest mountain ridge in Slovenia … The journey over the mountains and forests will lead you to a fairytale cottage, where tables with red tablecloths are waiting to seat their guests.

You can also drive there by car, leave it in a well-kept car park, and take a beautiful fifteen-minute alpine trail to the cottage.

Innovative ideas on the mountain

The cottage on the Dolga njiva mountain pasture has been managed by the Kleindienst family for many years. The father, Matjaž, is a shepherd on the alpine pasture, who tends to the livestock and the surrounding area, while also being in charge of preparing all their traditional alpine dishes. Among other duties, his son Matic is the head chef for the Dinner Beneath the Stars. He is helped by his brother-in-law Andrej, who specialises in Nežka’s “štruklji”, a form of traditional rolled dumplings. Andrej’s wife Teja helps the family with everyday tasks, and by now you are probably already wondering who the “štruklji” are named after. The head chef and recipe developer for the traditional “štruklji” at Dolga njiva is grandmother Nežka.

They are a committed, talented, and innovative family that strives to show its guests something new each year. Whether it’s the “Gujsa bar”, a new variety of grandmother Nežka’s famous “štruklji”, or a completely different twist to the traditional “žganci”, a dish similar to polenta. In 2020, it was the Dinner Beneath the Stars, and the helicopter flight was added in 2021. As they say, they are driven by the genuine impressions of people who leave the mountain happy, smiling, and completely relaxed, which is their main goal.

Gourmet cuisine at 1,400m

Upon landing, you will first be warmed by an aperitif, while filling your lungs with the fresh mountain air. Guests are most impressed by the homemade liqueurs, like spruce, the bitter gentian, the sweet dwarf pine, or the thyme liqueur. Non-drinkers may refresh themselves with a glass of homemade apple juice. As you sit down at the table, you will be treated to a five course menu, with five delicious dishes prepared from homemade and local ingredients. From the cold appetizer, soup and warm appetizer, to the main course and dessert, the dishes will take you on a culinary walk through the alpine dairy pastures.

You can choose between a meat or vegetarian menu, with the food changing according to the season. To showcase some of the delicacies that await, we can take a peek at the late summer menu. You start off with marinated veal tongue with a fine potato salad and pumpkin-seed oil, while vegetarians get cottage cheese mousse with leeks and pumpkin-seed oil. The warm starters are creamy kale and chamois soup, and risotto with spelt and porcini mushrooms.

The main course is pork tenderloin stuffed with shepherd’s cottage cheese and butternut squash, or zucchini stuffed with aged cheese and chickpea paste, both accompanied by roasted garden vegetables. Alpine dairy farm-style, but with a hint of modernity. The dinner concludes with a sweet dessert of pear pie and homemade ice cream.

Thanks to the soothing ringing of cowbells, the relaxing candle-light, and thousands of shimmering stars, you will be constantly reminded that you truly are in the heart of the mountains. And during the breaks, you will be entertained by excellent Slovenian musicians.