Slovenian community in Hungary inaugurates tourist accommodation
Szentgotthard, 11 November - The Andovci Cultural and Tourism Association of the Slovenian minority in Hungary has opened a tourist apartment house in Orfalu/Andovci, a village on the Slovenian border. The facility Triglav was built with the help of the Hungarian economic development programme, which provided the community with EUR 380,000 to build it.
Orfalu, Hungary
Triglav Apartments.
Photo: Vida Roš/STA
Orfalu, Hungary
President of Porabje culture and tourism association Andovci Karel Holec, State Secretary at the Office for Slovenians Abroad Vesna Humar, Hungarian Secretary of State for Churches, Minorities and Civil Affairs Miklos Soltesz, Hungarian Secretary of State for Public Administration and Regional Development Gabor Mayer and representative of Slovenians in the Hungarian Parliament Erika Köleš Kiš at the opening of Triglav Apartments.
Photo: Vida Roš/STA
Orfalu, Hungary
Triglav Apartments.
Photo: Vida Roš/STA
Orfalu, Hungary
Triglav Apartments opening ceremony.
Photo: Vida Roš/STA
Orfalu, Hungary
Triglav Apartments.
Photo: Vida Roš/STA
Orfalu, Hungary
Triglav Apartments.
Photo: Vida Roš/STA
Orfalu, Hungary
Triglav Apartments opening ceremony.
Photo: Vida Roš/STA
Karel Holec, head of the association, believes the Raba Valley, which is home to the Slovenian minority, is a promising tourism destination.
The association is thus already planning to build a glamping village nearby.
The apartment house is named after Slovenia's highest peak and is located only a stones' throw away from Little Triglav, a rock given to the community by Slovenia's Triglav National Park.
For over a decade, every summer groups of Slovenian minority members have been embarking on a 320-kilometre walk into the heart of the Julian Alps, ending their days-long journey by scaling the 2,864-metre peak.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony on Saturday, State Secretary at the Office for Slovenians Abroad Vesna Humar stressed the importance of cross-border cooperation for ethnic minorities.
"I'm very pleased that cooperation between Slovenia and Hungary in economic programmes in the border area is an excellent example of best practice at EU level," she said.
Humar added that the Slovenian government approved a 2025-2028 development programme for the Hungarian community in Slovenia only a few days ago, increasing the funds available compared to the preceding period.
Moreover, the departments of the economy and for Slovenians abroad are just now completing a development programme with EUR 10 million worth of economic incentives for Slovenian communities in all four neighbouring countries.
"The Raba Valley was the pilot project, we learnt a lot from it and now we will be working on the experience," said Humar.
Hungarian Secretary of State for Churches, Minorities and Civil Affairs Miklos Soltesz said that the Hungarian government had provided the equivalent of over EUR 13 million to the Slovenian community in the past ten years.
"Wherever I go in the Slovenian part of the Raba Valley, I see the results of these investments," said Soltesz, highlighting schools, kindergartens and churches.
Moreover, State Secretary at the Hungarian Ministry of Public Administration and Regional Development Gabor Mayer said that the government would publish another call, worth an equivalent of some EUR 4.3 million in financial incentives, before the end of the year.