This year, Novo Mesto took part in the national tourism campaign Slovenia’s Hidden Gems, organised by Radio SI, and received the Slovenia’s Hidden Gem 2026 recognition for the experience The Untold Story of Cviček.
Slovenia’s Hidden Gems – Radio SI
Slovenia’s Hidden Gems is a campaign through which Radio SI showcases lesser-known, authentic and distinctive tourism experiences across Slovenia. The campaign brings the stories of Slovenian destinations to an international audience, offering visitors a different way of discovering Slovenia – through local stories, people and experiences.
This year, Novo Mesto participated with The Untold Story of Cviček, an experience that brings together Trška gora, Cviček wine, local winemaking traditions, regional cuisine and authentic encounters with local people.
The Untold Story of Cviček
The Untold Story of Cviček takes visitors to Trška gora, where throughout the day they discover the life of local winegrowers and learn about the making of one of Slovenia’s most distinctive wines. The experience begins with a ride on the Cviček-mobile to a vineyard, where a local winegrower invites visitors to take part in seasonal vineyard activities and gives them an insight into everyday life in the vineyards. After the work comes a traditional »vinogradniška malč’ka« at godmother Jožefina’s wine cottage, Zidanica Verček – a lunch featuring typical Dolenjska dishes and offering an authentic taste of the local cuisine.
In the afternoon, the story continues at Zidanica Škatlar (Matjaž Homestead), where visitors discover how Cviček is made and have the opportunity to blend their own wine. They then bottle their own version of Cviček, create a label for it and take it home as a souvenir of the experience.
Throughout the day, vineyard work, Dolenjska cuisine, wine and personal encounters come together in an experience that does not simply place visitors in the role of observers, but actively involves them in the story of Cviček.
More about the experience:
The experience was among this year’s finalists in the Slovenia’s Hidden Gems campaign, while the filming for the feature took place in Novo Mesto in May. The radio feature was broadcast on 20. 5. 2026, introducing listeners to the story of Cviček, Trška gora, Dolenjska’s winemaking tradition and an experience that takes visitors into one of the region’s most distinctive wine landscapes.
As Radio SI also broadcasts to an international audience, the story of Cviček was presented in English, reaching listeners who are discovering Slovenia for the first time or looking to explore it through lesser-known and authentic stories.
The Radio SI feature is available in the Slovenia’s Hidden Gems podcast:
Recognition for a story that connects people, place and tradition
Receiving the Slovenia’s Hidden Gem 2026 recognition is significant because it highlights a complete experience rather than a single attraction. The Untold Story of Cviček brings together the natural and cultural landscape of Trška gora, winemaking, local cuisine, the tradition of wine cottages and contemporary ways of exploring the destination.
The experience was created through collaboration between local providers and creators and is now part of Novo Mesto’s tourism offer. It allows visitors to discover Dolenjska through wine, cuisine, landscape and the stories of local people.
This year’s recognition is therefore also a meaningful acknowledgement of the cooperation between local partners and of the promotion of Novo Mesto on the wider international tourism market. Through the Slovenia’s Hidden Gems campaign, The Untold Story of Cviček has been given an opportunity to share the story of Cviček and Dolenjska with people who may not yet know Slovenia well.