On 14 June 2026 we had a double celebration at Lunina dolina: we officially opened our new yurt and at the same time hosted our first friendly chess tournament. The day was all about good company, laughter and good moves — on the chessboard as much as in putting up our new addition.

🇲🇳 A yurt straight from Mongolia

Our farm has grown so far with chickens, sheep, laying hens, geese, ducks and quail — and now we have added a touch of Mongolian pride to that colourful company. When we decided on a yurt we wanted something genuine, so we imported it straight from Mongolia — with the original traditional instructions and measurements.

For us, used to European standards where a millimetre is simply a millimetre, the "Mongolian centimetre" came as a mild culture shock — a far more "flexible" notion than we had expected. Putting it up was a real test of patience, resourcefulness and creative expression. But the yurt now stands firm and proud in the middle of our valley.

⛺ What exactly is a yurt?

A yurt is no ordinary tent — it is an ancient nomadic dwelling that developed thousands of years ago in Central Asia. Nomads needed a home that could be put up, taken down and carried by horse or camel quickly, and that would still withstand brutal winter winds and summer heat.

• Its round shape has no corners — energy and air circulate inside without ever stopping.
• The door of a yurt traditionally always faces south, so that nomads could tell the time precisely from the sun coming through the doorway.
• We do have clocks on our phones, but we like to honour tradition.

And why a yurt on a regenerative farm? Because it embodies exactly what we are trying to do here: live in harmony with nature, circular, sustainable and with a minimal footprint. And also because it suits our landscape and our animals beautifully.

♟️ The first chess tournament

So that the opening day would not stop at admiring Mongolian architecture, we began it with a mental sport — we hosted our first chess tournament. Chess is a game of strategy, patience and considered moves — precisely the virtues we needed while working out which pole of the yurt belonged where.

Thank you to everyone who helped put up the yurt (and kept their nerve), thank you to everyone who came, and to all the chess players — sharp minds and steady hands were in full swing those days. The title of Yurt Chess Master 2026 went first to Daniel Trio, and the title of Young Yurt Chess Master 2026 to Jakob Kranjc Tepteh — congratulations to both! We firmly believe this tournament will become a tradition of ours.

The yurt is officially open — do step inside and feel a touch of Mongolian steppe magic. We are happy to help with reservations and enquiries.

Discover the yurt → Get in touch →

Co-funding

The event »Open day at Lunina dolina« is co-funded by the SMARTIES for SMEs programme and the Maribor Chamber of Craft and Small Business, both of which recognised the importance of regenerative tourism in the project and supported an example of good practice in linking regenerative farming with sustainable tourism.