RANDOM SPOTTING OF THE DAY IN LJUBLJANA: Mlekomat
While exploring around Ljubljana, I suddenly saw something that looked a bit shiny and modern compared to the big, old buildings surrounding the square I was walking around. From the side of this shiny box thing smiled a cartoon cow. I did a double take. It didn’t take long to figure out what this was. A milk vending machine.
Or Mlekomat as it prominently displayed on the side.
Part of it looked like a normal vending machine, with different slots where you could put in a number and an empty bottle would be proffered to you by the machine out of a slot. The other half of this contraption was different from a typical vending machine and is why that bottle you may have just bought needed to be empty.
Read More: 24 Hours in Ljubljana: the Perfect Itinerary
On each side of the cow’s smiling face were two spouts. You could bring your own milk jug, place it under the spout…and get milk! The white liquid of Mlekomat is fresh raw cow milk from a local dairy farm, where it sounds like cows happily graze in pastures.
Ok, I added the happy part, but cows grazing in Slovenian pastures must be happy and produce awesome tasting milk, right?
It was also cheap – €1 Euro for a liter of (what sounds like organic) milk. That would run at least $4 (€3.50) where I live.
Why I didn’t immediately march up to the Mlekomat and purchase a bottle and some milk, I have no idea. I blame it on heat stupidity. It was nearly 100 degrees that day in Ljubljana and milk did NOT sound good at that moment. But still…milk from a vending machine. Screw heat disorientation, I should obviously have tried it.
I mean, it was on demand milk in the middle of a square!
So yes, one of my travel regrets is not trying some of this amazing sounding liquid. Tell me, have you encountered one of these contraptions and tried it? And what are your thoughts on a milk vending machine — genius or ridiculous?
Thanks for sharing your experience, Tony!
I was part of a tour group to this beautiful city and on a day when the markets were closed our tour guide pointed out this milk vending machine to our group. To satisfy everyone’s curiosity I volunteered to give it a try. My only regret is that I only had the machine dispense 500ml of this absolutely delicious milk instead of a full litre. I am 64 yr old and this milk brought back memories of my childhood where our milk came direct from the farm and was always delicious. If you are ever in Ljubljana make it a point to try the milk dispensing machine, you will never regret it.