Pule Estate - cultural heritage, luxury, gastronomy, wellbeing and beauty of nature

Pule Estate

Area: 120 ha
Floor area of buildings: 3,000 m2
Year of restoration: 2006
Capital investment value: €8.5 million
Architect: Rupert Gole

The Pule Estate has been restored with a refined sense of tradition, architectural heritage and cultural landscape by a descendant of its historic owners and is today one of the most prestigious country estates in Slovenia. Set among the hills of the Dolenjska region, it offers something that is frequently lacking in our fast-paced world: total relaxation and peace in the midst of glorious natural surroundings. The estate is an ideal venue for private functions and business events; as well as fine cuisine it offers a well-stocked wine cellar, accommodation in luxurious individual cottages and a wealth of opportunities for recreation.

Designing architecture in accordance with tradition

Click for zoomAs architect Rupert Gole explains when describing the project and the process of renovation, enormous attention was devoted to designing architecture in harmony with the tradition of vernacular architecture and cultural heritage in this part of Slovenia. The renovation process began in 2004. Of the eight original buildings, only the house and granary were in a condition to be worth restoring. The other buildings were reconstructed.
For functional reasons, additional underground structures, invisible from the outside, were added to the historic layout of the estate, documented by land register entries from 1825. The new structures house technical infrastructure, storerooms, garages and the wine cellar. The last of these is connected by stairs to the restaurant below the barn. Buildings whose previous function did not fit in with the new concept have been given a new role. Subsequently six wooden cottages were built on the estate, containing nine guest apartments and other facilities such as a wellness centre.
The new buildings are all outside the historic complex and set in woodland. The result was a harmonious whole consisting of 16 buildings. Particular mention should go to the restored house (built in 1650) and granary, the reconstruction of the barn and stable, which now houses a restaurant and kitchen catering for up to 60 guests, and a function room with a capacity of approximately 100, a toilet block, a clubhouse, a wonderful double hayrack of the kind known as a toplar – a jewel of Slovene vernacular architecture dating from 1884, the building for storing farm machinery and the apiary.