I left Britain for Slovenia, bought a £17,000 home and now live like a queen

A British widow who moved from Manchester to Slovenia before Brexit has said she can now live “like a queen” on her monthly pension of £950.

Linda Parks, 75, moved to the small central European country in 2018 after her husband passed away.

Reassessing her priorities in life, she sold her home, paid off her remaining mortgage, and, drawn by the untouched countryside in Slovenia, bought a €20,000 (£16,890) turnkey apartment in the rural surroundings of the capital, Ljubljana.

“When my husband died in 2017, I decided I wanted to change life and country. I understood the importance of leading an active and healthy lifestyle to keep in good shape at my age and Slovenia seemed like the best option,” Mrs Parks, a former interior designer, says.

“Friends of mine kept hailing the beauty of Slovenia, still little known to us Brits, where uncontaminated nature rules and locals spend a great deal of time outdoors. The air is clean, the food is locally sourced and having a tiny population of barely two million people, there is a lot of space. I also wanted to get away from the industrial smog of Manchester.”

The garden of her condo where she stretches in the morning

Mrs Parks bought her small one-bedroom apartment up in the hills on the outskirts of Kamnik, a rural town 20 kilometres from Ljubljana, where tourists, she says, are a rare sight.

Surrounded by a park with paths and benches that she says are ideal for retirees like herself, the apartment is part of a mid-size rural condo. It came partly furbished and with a new kitchenette.

“I am now a resident. The process was easy as I applied before Brexit, luckily. I never go back to the UK having no family left there anymore except for one sister, and I sold my home,” she says.

Mrs Parks has a monthly UK state pension of £950 and a little extra pension from her husband. She says back in Britain she was paying for a family member’s university fees and her money did not go far.

A view over the hills around where she lives, 20 kilometres from Ljubljana

Now her money allows her to live “like a queen over here”.

She says her quality of life in Slovenia is far better than that back in the UK, in part thanks to its lower cost of living. She spends roughly €150 (£127) per month for food, often eating out twice a week for €20 (£17).

Another huge factor in her improved quality of life is Slovenia’s untouched countryside, including forests, canyons, marine reserves, lakes, waterfalls and rivers.

“Most of its territory is protected land, unlike in many other European countries, meaning the local authorities take great care in preserving the environment and there is a widespread awareness on sustainability. Where I live, I go on daily walks and I just love being surrounded by nature,” she says.

On weekends she likes to explore new villages, waterfalls and natural reserves on guided tours. Locals are very friendly and most speak English, she adds.

She regrets not being able to take full advantage of some of the activities such as river rafting and extreme water sports because of her age. However, she says breathing fresh, oxygen-rich air while she stretches in her garden in the morning, and seeing green all around her each day is enough to keep her healthy. Since she moved there, Mrs Parks says she no longer suffers from insomnia and her bones ache less.

Another major plus compared with popular expat-luring European countries such as Spain, France or Italy, is that Slovenia is still one of Europe’s best-kept secrets, she says.

“British expats living here, as far as I know, are very few. I have never personally met any, and they tend to live in the capital or major cities. It may get a bit touristy in summer during high season, but the great thing is I hardly ever bump into people from the UK.

“UK retirees are still pretty much drawn to the warmer but extremely crowded Med countries where they can live the dream under the sun. Here in Slovenia it’s really quiet and peaceful.”