Can’t Spell Slovenia Without Love
One of the most common questions we have gotten from friends and family about our trip has been “What was your favorite place that you visited?” The answer to that, believe it or not, is Slovenia. We went in with zero expectations, imagining somewhat shabby towns with no English speakers and experiences that would cause us to get pushed way out of our comfort zones. What we found was the exact opposite. Slovenia, and the towns we specifically visited (Ljubljana & Bled), is a vibrant, beautiful, hip destination that has something for everyone. While our meager expectations made for a surprising & great first day, Slovenia continued to outshine our increasingly high expectations throughout our visit.
We arrived to Ljubljana from Florence via bus in the late evening, and decided to venture out for dinner before packing it in for the night for an early start the next day. Due to Slovenia’s proximity to Italy, there are a lot of Italian dining options, and it turned out we were staying right by a highly rated pizza restaurant. We were immediately taken with the warm hospitality, impeccable English, tasty beer options, and overall vibe we got from the staff and locals (Julia was even complimented on her Slovenian “Thank You” as the best pronunciation they had heard from a tourist -- whether or not that was true, the waiter knew what he was doing and got a generous tip). The rest of our time in Ljubljana was just as welcoming; our walking tour was one of the best we experienced, and we became increasingly enamored with the Slovenian culture and history. For example, Slovenians revere writers -- especially poets -- above war heroes or politicians. Therefore, instead of a statue of a famous soldier on a horse, Ljubljana’s main square is named for (and has a statue of) the most famous poet in Slovenian history, France Prešeren. Their national anthem also strays away from the common theme of war or battle; the name, literally translated to “A Toast”, was a poem written by Prešeren that was adopted as the national anthem in the late 1980s, and is much more reminiscent of a drinking song. And if any fact encapsulated our experience in Slovenia and with its people, it's this: the origin of the name Ljubljana comes from the Slovenian word “Ljubljena” meaning “Beloved”. Pretty fitting.
Our two days in Ljubljana went faster than we liked, but we had a wonderful adventure waiting for us in Bled. A small town surrounded by the Julien Alps, it has become increasingly famous due to the picturesque photos that have shown up in National Geographic and on various Instagram accounts designed specifically to give you wanderlust. The most common photo you’ll see is an aerial view of the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Maria located in the center of Lake Bled. Despite how easy it is to Google the image, we still walked away with hundreds of photos from different points around and above the lake. Sorry, not sorry. Our time in & around Bled included a few misguided (but ultimately satisfying) hikes, beautiful fireworks over the lake to ring in 2018, and a middle of the night wake up from one of the drunkest Italian girls we’ve ever seen (more on that later). After 3 days in Bled, we boarded the first of 4 buses that would take us down to our final “new” European country, Croatia.
As you’ll see in the below highlights & lowlights, we have very few negative things to say about Slovenia. It’s a wonderful country with fantastically pleasant people, great food, beer & wine, and a remarkably positive worldview given its tumultuous history. If you have the opportunity, visit this country.
Bled Cream cake: A staple of Bled, the original (and best) cream cake can be found at Hotel Park, where the recipe was invented and perfected in their pastry kitchen in 1953. Although we were staying in a hostel, the Hotel Park cafe is open to the general public, so we were able to visit the restaurant to try the cake for ourselves (and then returned on multiple occasions). The cake is made from scratch in their kitchen every day and prepared every hour so they are fresh at all times. A tasty treat that is an experience not to be missed when visiting Bled.
Ljubljana free walking tour: As mentioned previously, the walking tour in Ljubljana was a fantastic way to get to know the history of Slovenia and see the city’s sites. Along with the interesting facts and beautiful landmarks sprinkled throughout, we had a fun tour guide who took us to try the two most popular types of flavored schnapps in Slovenia: blueberry (borovnicevec) and honey (medica). It was an entertaining & informative way to see the city, and got our visit off to a great start.
Mala Osojnica Viewpoint: We arrived in Bled on a beautiful NYE day and knew we wanted to take advantage by exploring as much as we could before fireworks that evening. After consulting with the hostel staff and some maps, we decided we would walk half way around the lake, climb the trail up to the Mala Osojnica Viewpoint in time for sunset, and then walk the remaining length around the lake back to our hostel. One thing we found out quickly is that the Slovenian definition of a “trail” is complete lawlessness: scattered & confusing directional markings, no clear cut pathways, downed trees that you have to hurl yourself over to continue walking. A casual hike in this country is an actual death trap. After 3 failed attempts at figuring out the start of the trail (and laughing about how far behind we would be if this was an Amazing Race challenge), we found a small “hike path start” sign that pointed at a dried out waterfall bed filled with sticks and leaves. Thus began our ascent. We were deep into a rant about Slovenia and their terribly maintained public trails, when we passed an elderly woman and her granddaughter descending down the path. That shut us up. If she could do this, so could we. After a brief and terrifying moment where we thought we had hiked the wrong way for 45 minutes, we finally stumbled onto the viewpoint and it was SPECTACULAR. Our jaws hit the ground as we just stared at the view below. We cracked a couple of beers, cheers-ed to the end of 2017, and stayed up there for close to an hour savoring the beauty. Thankfully, there was another way to descend that was much easier, and we finished the 4-mile walk around the lake on cloud nine and even more in love with Slovenia than we already were.
NYE fireworks over Lake Bled: New Year’s Eve has never been one of my favorite holidays, but ringing in a new year in a brand new country after accomplishing a goal of backpacking the world made me feel a little more like celebrating the spirit of the holiday - saying goodbye to the past year and hello to a brand new year full of possibilities and new experiences to come. Andrew and I bought a celebratory bottle of champagne, brought it down to the lake and waited with the crowd for the stroke of midnight fireworks. The backdrop of Bled Castle with the reflection of the fireworks over the lake was truly magnificent, making it my favorite New Year’s to date.
Gostilna Pri Planincu: After a long day of hiking and exploring Lake Bohinj, which is about a 20 minute drive from Lake Bled, we were in the mood for some hearty comfort food, and this restaurant in Bled was just the ticket. It was one of our favorite meals in Slovenia and a great local experience.
Union brewery: The great beer rivalry in Slovenia is between Union and Laško. We of course tried both (they tasted pretty similar to us) but also decided to pay a visit to Union Brewery during a 3 hour bus layover between returning from Bled and leaving for Dubrovnik. The brewery was very modern, the beer selection was fresh and tasty (especially their unfiltered options) and the lunch special was ridiculously affordable for the portion size given. We were thoroughly impressed.
Downtown Ljubljana: I cannot overstate the loveliness of downtown Ljubljana. The Vienna Secession style of architecture, its location on the banks of the Ljubljanica River and the cobblestone streets make it a beautiful place to simply stroll and admire. The strolling is made even easier thanks to the pedestrian-only zones that were implemented 10 years ago, which eliminated all car and bus traffic from the city center (such a good idea!). This allows for a nice spread of outdoor seating options at restaurants & bars and the ability to wander up and down streets without having to dodge cars or inhale bus fumes. It is one of the most enchanting cities I’ve visited and I can’t wait to return.
New Year’s Day in Bled: After an amazing New Year’s Eve, we were looking forward to our next full day in Bled in order to hike up to the castle and continue to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Unfortunately, the weather made that impossible. It rained the entire day and the thick fog hid any view of the lake, so even a wet hike would have been fruitless. Rainy days for us also meant having to stay inside and spend money somewhere, which added to the disappointment.
Slap Savica: With the rain having cleared up on our last full day in Bled, we decided to hop on a bus and take a trip to Lake Bohinj, a less famous (and therefore less touristy) lake, but one we had heard was more beautiful than Lake Bled. We were also told to check out Slap Savica (or Savica Waterfall) while we were there by a hostel employee, so we decided to walk to the waterfall first and then hike the 8 miles around the lake. Unfortunately, the fog from the previous day did not let up, and after a perilously icy climb to the waterfall viewpoint (much like the Neuschwanstein Castle, the path to the waterfall is “closed” in winter months, i.e. go at your own risk), we arrived to...a bunch of fog and no waterfall to be seen. The annoyance of having trekked 2 hours to see this waterfall for nothing was only surpassed by our annoyance at having to immediately turn around and attempt not to die on our descent. The only thing that cheered me up was a young Italian man who arrived shortly after us, took one look at the non-existent waterfall/fog mass and yelled “vaffanculo!” before angrily storming back down the path. Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Pizzeria FoculuS: To get to Ljubljana, we took an 8.5 hour bus ride from Florence, where our morning began with ice cold showers after our Airbnb’s water heater broke. Upon arriving, we walked through cold, off & on drizzle to our Airbnb near town center. Our Airbnb was nice, and we were greeted by the lovely elderly mother of the Airbnb host (who was 1 of probably 5 people in Ljubljana who didn’t speak perfect English), but goddamn did we need some food after all that. Enter Pizzeria FoculuS. Not only did it have delicious pizza, beautiful decor, and fresh, Slovenian beer, but the staff were so friendly and kind. I’m sure it helped that right off the bat, Julia said “Thank You” in perfect Slovenian (that’s my girl) & ingratiated us with the server, but the server took time to ask us about our trip in Slovenia & gave us tips on what to do. In what would become a theme, there were no dirty looks when we asked for English menus (I mean I could’ve probably pointed at something written in Slovenian & received a delicious dish given our experience there…), or any of the usual tension that can arise when tourists enter a more locals-oriented establishment. Because of our server’s advice, we even added an excursion to Lake Bohinj to our Bled trip.
Haircut at Cut ‘N Go: I’d been thinking of a haircut going into the final two countries since my hair was getting a little too long & we had the summer weather of South America on the horizon. But, the last time I got my haircut abroad was in Italy in 2010, when I literally just said “Basta!” when I thought she’d cut enough hair. Add in the fact that we’re on a budget (in case you didn’t get that by now), and I was basically looking for a cheap haircut from someone who speaks English. Enter Cut ’N Go. We stumbled upon this place by chance, and were drawn in by the sign in English advertising men’s haircuts for 10 euro. We went in & I was seated after a few minutes. I quickly looked up a picture on my phone to give the hairdresser an idea. She looked at it, said “Ah, the classic” and went to work. 20 minutes later I walked out with a fresh cut, a complimentary lighter(??), and the relief that I wouldn’t have to enter Brazil looking like this.
Petkovšek, Premier Pub, and Fany & Mary bars: This trifecta of bars, all right next to one another & owned by the same individual, was recommended to us by our tour guide. Each bar has a different theme but a focus on craft beer: Petkovšek is a beer cafe, Premier Pub is an Irish pub, and Fany & Mary is a burger bar. Their close proximity made for nice bar hopping, but I also loved the location near the river & marketplace. You can stop in for a drink, then walk along the promenade up to the town square. Even though our server broke between 12-15 glasses when she cleared tables—which was only made sadder by the fact that she would almost always make it close to the sink before we’d hear a loud crash of glass—I think Petkovšek was the best. It had a great atmosphere, the friendliest staff (a high bar in Slovenia), and excellent beer.
Mala Osojnica Viewpoint: Julia outlined the hike perfectly, but it’s hard to overstate how incredible the view was. After walking 20-25 minutes down a dirt road, turning around to find “the path”, slowly realizing “the path” barely even warrants the sarcastic quotes given how rough it is, gaining motivation from an old woman but still wondering if you’re in some kind of hiking purgatory...you really find that you’d just settle for an end to the hike & call it a day. Instead, we found this gorgeous view that we’d seen in countless travel blogs but could never compare to the real thing. We cracked a beer, ate some of the cake given to us by the mother of our Ljubljana Airbnb host (don’t need to speak English to make a hell of a good cake), and just took it all in.
Lake Bohinj hike: This highlight is interesting because a lot of the hike was a nightmare, and unlike Mala Osojnica, there was no spectacular view to redeem the experience. Instead, because of how comically difficult the hike became, both Julia and I felt a sense of accomplishment when the day was over. As we said, we went to Bohinj on the recommendation of the server from FoculuS. We read up on the area, which has a lake that is twice the size of Lake Bled, as well as a waterfall called Slap Savica. Sounds great. Julia covers the waterfall in her lowlight, so I’ll pick up where she left off. After our Italian friend succinctly summarized our feelings towards the waterfall, we turned tail and made our way down the treacherous stairs & trail to take a calm, flat walk around the lake. Or so we thought. Winter storms had knocked down huge trees along the path, so we had to constantly find ways to navigate around them. The worst part was that each set of downed trees got progressively more precarious to bypass. The first set just required us to walk along a hiker-made path of packed in snow through the brush, but by the time we arrived at the 4th one, we had to climb trees, shimmy through tight clumps of branches, and jump from a retaining wall. It was an adventure. We thought about turning around, but by the time we reached the most difficult obstructions, we were more than halfway around the lake with no idea whether we could make it back the way we came before it was dark. The entire day was so frustrating & yet so fulfilling because of how difficult it was. We both agree we’d go back and do the lake walk all over again, in spite of everything. But fuck that waterfall.
McDonald’s Ljubljana: I’m not ashamed to include this in the highlights since it 100% made the best *cheap* drip coffee we had on the trip. Add that to the excellent WiFi situation, and it was a great haven for us as we were waiting for our bus to Lake Bled, our bus to Zagreb, and our bus to Venice.
Slovenian kindness: I think I’ll be recommending Slovenia to people for the rest of my life. Like Czech Republic, Slovenia has fallen under the control of many different nations & empires due to its strategic location. But, unlike Czech Republic, Slovenians are not generally distrusting of tourists. They are welcoming & kind, speak English fluently, and because of their proximity to Italy, make great food. I could not recommend Slovenia more highly.
Hostel Roommate Vomit: Like Julia mentioned, on NYE we watched the fireworks over the lake, drank champagne, and then headed back to our hostel not long after midnight. We relaxed a bit, & were excited to sleep after a long day of hiking. Our Italian roommates came back around 3am or so, talking to each other in the classic “whisper yell” in what even I could tell was slurred Italian. Then, one of the girls started to get sick. After loudly vomiting in the bathroom, her friends helped her into her bed (the top bunk, of course!) and she promptly started puking again. Then, attempting to go back to the bathroom, she fell out of bed onto the radiator (which somehow was much worse for the radiator than for this 90 lb girl). Anyways, this trainwreck went on for another hour, and involved the drunkee puking on her bed again, her friend’s bed, and the bathroom sink. What made it worse was she and her friends didn’t even clean up her puke in the bathroom! Even the one friend wearing an adult size panda onesie to bed couldn’t bring enough humor to the situation for it not to be a lowlight.
Bed in Ljubljana Airbnb: Our bed in Ljubljana was fairly comfortable but extremely loud. The mattress material was like a bean bag cover, so anytime you moved, it made a loud crunchy/creaky sound that made it impossible to change sleeping positions without waking the other person up. As someone who changes sleeping positions multiple times before actually falling asleep, poor Julia’s entire going to sleep experience basically turned into this.
