From soldier to world-famed herbalist - meet Tanja Rebolj

Tanja Rebolj, a former professional soldier who swapped her uniform for a basket of herbs, now creates world-renowned liqueurs from as many as 300 medicinal plants grown in the unspoilt nature of Zgornje Jezersko. Mučenik, Brisalec Spomina, Koroški Antigripin, Jaga Baba – these unique liqueurs are crafted according to secret recipes that Tanja has been developing for 20 years, transforming alpine flora into her brand and into irresistible drinks and souvenirs that captivate nature lovers across Europe. Her brand, Cvet Gora Herbal Adventures, symbolises the shift from the rigours of military discipline to a life lived in harmony with nature.

It all began 22 years ago, when Tanja Rebolj was a professional Slovenian soldier on numerous assignments, far from the smiles and laughter she now shares with her guests. Although a brilliant military career awaited her, as she recalls, she chose to give life a second chance for the sake of the man she would later marry. She left her uniform behind, moved to Zgornje Jezersko, and began a new career in tourism.

"It all happened by chance, but exactly as it was meant to be. A friend asked me if I would help her prepare Jäger. She showed me pictures of plants – I didn’t know the name of a single one, though I had seen them all ‘in passing’ around Jezersko. We agreed that she would provide the brandy, and I would gather the herbs," Tanja recalls, remembering how, while establishing a new guesthouse in Jezersko, she experimented with a fine drink made from 64 plants during a break.

Her first Jäger was an instant hit – Tanja instinctively added wormwood without harmful thujone (she brewed a tea from it), and the drink “sold like hotcakes.” Guests at the family guesthouse and campsite at the entrance to Zgornje Jezersko kept asking for more, and the former soldier began developing a new career. Over the past ten years, she has refined the recipes that today feature in her liqueurs, which many describe as “medicinal.” The most popular include Jezerska Pehta (102 plants, eight years in development), Jaga Baba for women, Hribovska Kri for men, Antivirus (a hit created during the pandemic), Koroški Antigripin, and the playful Brisalec Spomina (“the delete-key drink”).

Her first Jäger was an instant hit – Tanja instinctively added wormwood without harmful thujone (she brewed a tea from it), and the drink “sold like hotcakes.” Guests at the family guesthouse and campsite at the entrance to Zgornje Jezersko kept asking for more, and the former soldier began developing a new career. Over the past ten years, she has refined the recipes that today feature in her liqueurs, which many describe as “medicinal.” The most popular include Jezerska Pehta (102 plants, eight years in development), Jaga Baba for women, Hribovska Kri for men, Antivirus (a hit created during the pandemic), Koroški Antigripin, and the playful Brisalec Spomina (“the delete-key drink”).

"We live happily in Jezersko and value nature. That is what we want to offer our guests – a rarity you don’t often find," says Tanja, adding that she and her husband (and their 15-year-old daughter Živa) now run a tasting venue, a guesthouse with rooms, Camping & Glamping Jezersko with several different glamping units for families and couples, and a campsite. All guests are offered specially prepared breakfasts starting with her herbal teas, homemade preserves, and syrups, while the rooms feature natural soaps and cosmetics.

"Every year we expand the business slowly. I never stop learning about plants, and our understanding of their health benefits inspired both my husband and me to develop our careers in different directions. I focus entirely on what herbs can provide in my ‘kitchen,’ while my husband concentrates on tourism. Together we offer each guest an unforgettable experience in nature, far from crowds and noise," concludes Tanja with a smile, noting that she uses the quiet winter months to bottle and package everything that nature provided the previous year.

Photos: Nikola Zoko