Visiting the world’s first beer fountain in Žalec, Slovenia
Are you a fan of beer? Then this place is for YOU!
The first beer fountain in the world was created here in Slovenia, in the small city of Žalec. The fountain offers 6 different types of beers made by local microbreweries.
In this post, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about visiting the beer fountain here in Slovenia.
A bit about the beer fountain in Žalec
Let me start with a bit of context.
The Žalec beer fountain is called Green Gold and was created in 2017. The goal of the project is to share more about the hop tradition and strong brewing culture of the Savinja region.
Even though this area of Slovenia is very well known for hop production among Slovenians, most foreigners didn’t know or were not incentivized to explore this part of the country.
So the local governments and producers have been trying to create incentives like the beer fountain – which, let’s face it, was the most creative incentive they could come up with!
When driving around the Savinja region, you can see field after field of hops plantation. There are also a lot of small breweries open for visits.
How does the beer fountain work?
The Green Gold beer fountain in Slovenia is a public square that has 6 different beer taps where you can taste local beers.
The taps operate only with the specific mugs from the fountain, which have a chip on their base. Once you place the mug on the tap, the chip is read and you get a 100ml serving.
With each mug, you can try 6x 100ml. This means you can try one of each beer or select a couple to have multiple times.
You can see how it works visually in this video we created the last time we were there.
How much does it cost
Each mug costs 11 EUR and it will allow you to try 6x 100ml. In the end, you get to keep the mug as a souvenir.
You can buy the beer fountain mugs at the office next to the square or in any other touristic establishment in Žalec.
Even though the beer fountain is built on a public square, the fountain will not work without this specific mug, so it serves as your ticket.
Opening times of the beer fountain in Žalec
The Žalec beer fountain is open only between April and October.
The fountain is always closed on Sundays, but they operate from Monday to Saturday in different working hours depending on the month. During the summer (June, July, and August), the fountain is open from 10h to 20h during the week and from 10h to 21h on Friday and Saturday.
If you will be visiting any other month, please check their working hours here.
The space around the beer fountain
The Žalec beer fountain was built as an entertainment space. There are a lot of chairs and a nice green area around that is meant as a place for you to hang out while you enjoy your beers.
The best time to visit the beer fountain is during the summer, especially in the afternoon. The green area around helps cool off the summer temperatures, making it a really nice area to stay.
We visited the Žalec beer fountain in the summer of 2024 and we were very surprised by how nice it was. We really enjoyed it.
FAQ – Popular questions about the beer fountain in Slovenia
Is there anywhere to clean the beer mugs?
Yes, there is a tap where you can clean the beer mugs between samples.
There is also a water fountain with drinkable water.
Is the beer cold?
The beer is not ice cold, but it is chilled the same way as you would get in any bar here in Slovenia.
Which beers are available at the beer fountain?
There are always 6 different beers available, but they change them often. This way, the beer fountain is always an interesting place to visit, even for people who have already been there before.
What they normally do is get a selection of different types of beer, so you can try different things. When we were there for the last time, they had one lager, one dark beer, one IPA, one green beer (which was crazy), one APA, and one wheat beer.
Each beer is made by a local microbrewery from the Savinja region.
There are signs around the fountain explaining each of the beers, so you can decide which one you want to try.
How to get to the beer fountain in Slovenia?
The beer fountain is located right in the center of Žalec. The easiest way to get there is by car, there is public parking available right around the square.
You can also get to Žalec by bus from Ljubljana. There are direct buses daily, you can check the timetable and prices here.
Need more ideas of places to visit in Slovenia?
Organizing your trip
To help you plan your trip to Slovenia, we have put together our favorite planning resources:
- Check out our page with curated Slovenia experiences
- Travel insurance: Make sure you are protected during your trip. We use SafetyWing whenever we are traveling abroad.
- Renting a car: We always use Discover Cars to get the best car deals.
- Accommodation: Find the best hotels and apartments on Booking.com.
- Activities: Get fun ideas of what to do and buy unique activities with Get Your Guide.
- SIM Card: Stay connected during your trip with Airalo.
- Slovenia Map: Check out our custom-made Map with 290+ must-see spots!
- Slovenia itineraries: Check out our pre-made Slovenian itineraries!
- Recommended hiking gear: Check our recommendations on Amazon if you will be hiking in Slovenia!
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