From hops to beer - the tradition of Simon Kukec

If you would like to know the story of hops and beer, please visit us.

If you would like to know the story of hops and beer, you are kindly invited to join us in Žalec and Laško. The towns are not only connected through hop-growing and brewing, but also through Simon Kukec (1838 - 1910), a nationally conscious Slovene, who was an important entrepreneur, brewer and hop-grower. When he bought the breweries in Žalec and Laško (the Joint Breweries of Žalec and Laško), his success story began.

Excursion programme:

We will discover the secrets of hops in the Eco-Museum of Hop-Growing and Brewing Industry in Slovenia, the old hop drying facility which provides an interesting and different museum experience and tells the story of the priceless green flower that embellishes the Lower Savinja Valley and gives it its unique appearance. In the Eco-Museum you will find out everything about hops, hop-growing and beer, watch an amusing film from the previous century, drink a house beer and try the original hop-pickers’ lunch. You might even hear the singing of a thousand hop pickers and smell freshly picked hops.

After leaving from Žalec to Laško you will learn about more than 180 years of the brewing tradition. The Laško brewery, which is the leading brewery in Slovenia and one of the biggest European beer producers, brews beer according to traditional, tested recipes. They will tell you the secrets of beer brewing and take you through the automated production processes that enable constant top quality of beer. After the tour, you can enjoy some hearty pastries and beers and have a toast in the pleasant atmosphere of the selected guesthouse. If you want you can also order the special culinary adventure in Thermana Laško – the “brewer’s lunch” or the “Gambrinus menu.”