Čučoriedková záhrada: pick-your-own blueberries and aronia juice

A berry farm in the Gemer-Malohont region

Ratkovské Bystré is a small village in a valley below the wooded hills of the Revúca Highlands, in the Revúca district. This is the historic Gemer-Malohont region in the south of central Slovakia: quiet, sparsely populated, with sheep-farming traditions, salaš farms and fairs. Here in 2010 the owners’ family planted the first Canadian blueberry bushes on a small plot — and gradually grew them into the Čučoriedková záhrada (Blueberry Garden).

The owners stress that they are not after mass production: the berries are grown in harmony with nature, with respect for the soil, minimal intervention and care for the landscape around the farm. The plantation holds several Canadian blueberry varieties — Bluecrop, Chandler, Duke, Spartan, Liberty and Darrow — as well as aronia (black chokeberry), American cranberry and lingonberry. The rows of bushes are covered with bird nets, and behind them rise the green slopes of Gemer.

Why go

• Pick your own blueberries. The berries ripen mostly in July and August, when the farm opens the garden for self-picking. The owners announce the start of the harvest on Facebook, Instagram and through the newsletter on their website.
• Aronia juice. The farm’s main product is 100% aronia juice with no added sugar, in 750 ml glass bottles. It is sold at the farm gate and at regional-product fairs.
• Plants for your garden. In autumn they offer raspberry, blueberry and aronia seedlings, and off-season frozen blueberries, for example for jam.

What to taste and buy

In summer — fresh, large, sweet Canadian blueberries straight from the bush; visitor reviews of them are mostly enthusiastic. The Canadian (highbush) blueberry is not the same as the wild forest bilberry: the bushes are taller than a person, the berries are large with firm pale flesh, so they travel well and do not stain your hands as much as wild ones. For picking, bring your own containers, a hat and water, and come in the morning before the heat. The rest of the year — tart dark aronia juice, valued for its high antioxidant content, and frozen berries. The farm takes part in regional events: in October 2025 its juice was tasted at the shepherds’ feast Mitrovanie at the salaš below Maginhrad, and in 2026 aronia appeared in dishes by the neighbouring “Špeciality z farmy” producers.

Practical information

Address: Hlavná 352, 982 66 Ratkovské Bystré — the farm is on the main street just before you enter the village, on the left. It is a few kilometres from Revúca and about 35 km from Rimavská Sobota. A car is the easiest way to get there; public transport in these villages is infrequent.

How to visit: by prior arrangement only — by phone on +421 907 397 661, by email or via Facebook. The owners explain that the season is very busy and they want to welcome every visitor in person. Prices of berries and juice are not published on the website — ask when you arrange your visit.

The garden lies on level ground by the road, so there is no long walk; picking berries is great fun for children, and the quiet of Gemer is good for adults. Aronia ripens later than blueberries, at the end of summer, so in autumn the farm is usually busy with juice rather than fresh berries — plan your trip accordingly.

Nearby

• Muráň Castle — castle ruins on the edge of the Muráň Plateau.
• Revúca — a small town with monuments of the Slovak national revival.
• Salaš pod Maginhradom in Veľké Teriakovce — venue of the autumn shepherds’ feast Mitrovanie.

Official website: cucoriedkovazahrada.sk

Photos: cucoriedkovazahrada.sk.