Enchanting Slovenia

If given a map right now, could you point to Slovenia? I couldn’t before our travel adventures. I’d heard of it, but knew nothing about it including its location. I knew it was an “old country” but that was it. I’m glad to say I’m a bit more educated now that we’ve visited, and I can actually locate it on the map! We toured Slovenia near the end of our travels, and I’ll be forever grateful that we made the effort to travel to this incredible country. If you want adventure, beautiful landscapes, friendly people and an old school culture, you need to make Slovenia a travel destination.

Before heading to Slovenia, we travelled by train from the Dolomites in Italy (see our last blog post or click here: Visiting the Dolomites!) to Trieste, Italy. Trieste is a lovely port city rich in history and culture. A local told me that tourists are missing out as most choose to visit Venice instead of continuing to this region of Italy, and although we didn’t get to Venice (by choice), I’d have to agree with her. Trieste, the capital of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, sits on the Gulf of Trieste on the Adriatic Sea, and it is stunning. Brent’s artificial knee needed a break, so I toured the city solo visiting the neighbourhood squares and the Cattedrale di San Giusta Martire along the way. When we were there, the city was hosting the Barcolana 55, a historic regatta, so it was a hive of activity, and the Piazza dell’ Unita Italia was the perfect spot to have an Aperol Spritz and soak it all in.

After our two night stay in Trieste, we took a train to the Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia. To say Ljubljana is a bit of a tongue twister, so think “loo-blee-aa-nuh”! A short walk from the train, we picked up our rental car, a must if you are going to tour the country, and then made our way to our Airbnb located outside of old town. I suggest making Ljubljana your base camp to see the nearby sights, but as mentioned, you will need a car. We didn’t spend a lot of time in Ljubljana, but we did spend an evening in the Preseren Square, the central square where much of the architecture dates back to the Roman Period. There is much to be seen including the Franciscan Church of Annunciation, Ljubljana Castle, Town Hall, Ljubljana Cathedral and the Neboticnik - a thirteen-story building hosting Neoclassical and Art-Deco architecture. If you do visit the capital, make sure you stroll the Ljubljanica River after eating at one of the many outdoor cafes.

Our first excursion in Slovenia took us North to walk the Postonja Caves, about an hour and half drive from the capital. I have toured the Caves of Nerja in Malaga Spain, and although beautiful in their own right, they paled in comparison to the Postonja Caves. The cave system is a whopping 24 kilometre stretch, although most people see a portion of that opting for the 5 km tour. A train takes you about 4 km through the caves, and the remaining kilometre is done by foot. The formations and fauna were jaw-dropping, but so were the cute, legendary “baby dragons” or “Olms”. Olms have the most unusual characteristics; namely translucent skin, big heads, red tufts, four limbs, 10 digits and hidden eyes, and they date back to Darwin’s Origin of Species in 1959. Google them - they are fascinating little buggers.

While in the region, you must visit the Predjama Castle. Although we didn’t do it this way, the wise thing to do would be to visit the Postonja Caves in the morning, and then the Predjama Castle in the afternoon. Many companies offer this tour departing from Ljubljana. Predjama Castle, the world’s largest cave castle, is nestled in a 400 ft vertical face and dates back to 1202. It’s not only worth the tour, but it’s also worth spending a bit of time researching the history and back stories. Also, don’t forget to indulge in the traditional Slovenia “Bled Cake” (see photo below) with a nice coffee along the way.

As mentioned, I really didn’t know a lot about Slovenia before our arrival, so I was beyond pleasantly surprised to know that Slovenia is known for their thermal spas! Slovenia has 87 spas mostly in Pannonian area, and the locals have been enjoying the healing waters of the mineral springs dating back to the Roman times. Hence the name “rimske term” or Roman Baths. From Ljubljana, we drove the country roads to Terme Dolenjske Spa where we soaked for the afternoon, and stopped off roadside for a hearty lunch at a family owned restaurant. That lunch was so simple yet, I remember the experience with great fondness. It always surprises me when people ask me if I have a “favourite place” to visit, but I really don’t. But what I do have, are “moments” in time that I remember and hold close to my heart - just like this late lunch in Slovenia.

On our final day in Slovenia, we spend another beautiful day in the town of Bled. A quaint town full of shops and restaurants. It’s a popular destination for both tourists and locals. We spent the afternoon walking around the famous Lake Bled, before going for a short boat ride over to Bled Island. From Lake Bled, you can see both the Church of Assumption and Bled Castle - both rich in history and beauty. We chose to rent our own rowboat, but other tourists went in a “pletna”, a wooden boat with origins dating back to 1590. They are still hand carved and display a bright, colourful awning.

We would highly recommend visiting Lake Bled when you come to Slovenia, as it’s such a magical, fairytale type of place.

If you want to see our Slovenia adventures, check out this video on our Youtube Channel: Enchanting Slovenia

Lake Bled