The first beer fountain in the world

Can you imagine a fountain, from which beer comes instead of water? No, this is not a dream. Such fountain was installed in Žalec to commemorate the rich hops-growing tradition in this part of Slovenia. Its name, Green Gold, expresses the important role played by hops in Žalec and the Lower Savinja Valley. Instead of water, pour some beer from the fountain, made by Slovenia's micro brewers. The Fountain was given the Sejalec 2017 award by the Slovenian Tourist Board as an innovative product. So, should we grab a beer?

Make a toast with a glass of good beer

The fountain’s architectural design is a symbolic hop umbels, seen as two semi-circles, fountains – one beer fountain and one water fountain. The semi-circles are dressed in copper lace symbolising the beer head. From six taps, you can pour six times 1 dcl of six different beer varieties. For this, you need a glass beer mug with a chip, which you can purchase in various locations in the town. You can take the mug, designed by the world-renowned Slovenian designer, Oskar Kogoj, home as a souvenir.

Hop-growing tradition of the Lower Savinja Valley

The heyday of hop growing in the Lower Savinja Valley began during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa. The first hop garden in this part of Slovenia was near the Novo Celje Manor. Žalec also had its own brewery, which closed its doors after World War I. If you’d like to learn more about the tradition of hops growing and the brewing industry, visit the Eco-Museum of Hop Growing and the Brewing Industry in Slovenia located near the beer fountain.

Lively events by the fountain

The beer fountain in the Žalec town park operates from April to October. In this time, many interesting events take place by the fountain. When the Lower Savinja Valley is coated in aromatic hop gardens, the Green Gold Festival comes to life, at which you can visit the fountain to also taste the delicious specialities of the Fountain Kitchen (Kuhna pri Fontani), listen to musical performances, and experience the pulse of a rural marketplace. Regardless of the season, you can visit the Green Gold Shop, where you can find products from the farms of the Lower Savinja Valley.

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