250 years of the Lectar workshop

The handcrafting called “lectarstvo” in Slovene used to be the most popular craftwork in Slovenia. Today, only a couple of workshops still preserve the tradition of gingerbread making, among which the Lectar workshop in Radovljica celebrated its 250-year anniversary. Their speciality is their 500-year old house, transformed into a museum and gingerbread-making workshop. The first Lectar hearts in Radovljica were produced in 1766. Visit the Lectar workshop on 2nd April at their Open Day.

Once upon a time, when a boy wanted to show his love for a girl, he gave her a Lectar heart with a mirror. The girl who received this heart knew that the reflection in the mirror means that she is in his heart.

“Lectarstvo” is one of the oldest crafts in Slovenia, first mentioned in the 14th century. Most gingerbread workshops were in Styria, followed by workshops in Carinthia and Carniola.

In Radovljica`s Gostilna Lectar the gingerbread workshop serves as a live museum, where Lili and Jože Andrejaš continue to produce gingerbread according to old recipes. In order to mark the 250-year anniversary of the workshop they have decided to hold a contest to search for the oldest preserved gingerbread in Slovenia. The presented hearts will be shown at a special exhibition to be held throughout the year.

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