The first time I visited Slovenia was during a road trip with my boyfriend Pascal in the summer of 2020. It's a small country in central Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean Sea.
The Triglav National Park is a paradise for adventurous travellers. There is a wide range of possible activities including, but not limited to, rafting, canyoning, climbing, paragliding and so on. Nature lovers can enjoy the stunning views on a hike or explore nearby caves.
The capital city, Ljubljana, is pretty small so we didn't feel obligated to cramp as many sights as possible into our short stay, but simply enjoyed taking a walk through the city center and having dinner with an amazing view of the entire city.
So this year Pascal and I decided to stop in Ljubljana again on our way to Croatia and I wanted to use this opportunity to write about my impressions of Slovenia.
One of the key landmarks of Ljubljana is the Castle standing on the top of a hill overlooking the entire city. It was constructed in the 11th century and can be visited for an entrance fee of 10€ per person. The Ljubljana castle houses a museum exhibition on Slovenian history, a puppet museum, and a number of historical rooms such as the Chapel of St George, a former Prison, and small cinema showing a the history of the castle.
My personal highlight were the views of the city from the outlook tower. To get to the castle you can either walk 15 minutes uphill or take the cable car which costs 3€ for a round trip.
In the city center no way leads past the Triple Bridge and Prešeren square. I recommend walking along the Ljubljanica River and taking in the beautiful architecture of the city.
A little further along the river the Dragon bridge is situated. In the original design the architect, Giorgio Zaninovich, planned to decorate the bridge with four winged lion statues. However, the lions were replaced by statues of dragons since the mythical creature is the symbol of Ljubljana.
According to the legend, Ljubljana was founded by Jason, who fled across the Black Sea and up the Danube and the Sava until he reached the Ljubljanica. There Jason encountered a dragon and killed the monster.
Over the years, however, the dragon transformed into a symbolic protector of the city, embodying power, courage and wisdom.
One of Pascal's highlights was playing in the Goran Dragić basketball court in Tivoli Park. But even if you are not interested in basketball, the park is worth a visit as it houses the Tivoli Castle, the Cekin Mansion, the Tivoli Pond, a greenhouse and a rose garden, making it the perfect spot for an afternoon stroll.
For us, the most memorable experience in Ljubljana was having dinner at B Restaurant which is located on the 20th floor of the Intercontinental Hotel. The hotel is the second tallest building in Slovenia (81 meters or 270 feet high), so the view of the city and the castle was incredible. Since the restaurant is pretty fancy the prices are also a little bit above avarage but the food is amazing so it's worth it.
Located on the foothills of the Julian Alps, at the edge of the Triglav National Park, you an find arguably the most gorgeous place in Slovenia, Lake Bled.
In the middle of the lake lies the iconic Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary and on a cliff overlooking the lake stands the magnificent castle of Bled.
Just a 10 minute car ride from the city of Bled lies the impressive 1.6km (1 mile) long Vintgar Gorge. For an entry fee of 10€ you can explore the gorge from the wooden walkway and admire the crystal clear Radovna River, the majestic canyon walls reaching a height of up to 100 meters (330 feet) and the 13 meter (43 feet) tall Šum Falls.
In the Vintgar Gorge you can also spot two man built sights: a dam from which the water is diverted to a hydroelectric power plant and the 33.5 meters (110 ft.) tall stone arch bridge of the Bohinj Railway.
You can park your car nearby the entrance for 5€ (motorcycles for 2€ and campers for 10€).
The opening hours vary depending on the month of visit, so visit the official website for specific information.
Currently, the gorge can only be crossed one-way due to Corona Virus safety regulations, but you can hike back to the parking lot along the top of the gorge.
As mentioned earlier, besides visiting the sights, there are a lot of adventurous activities you can take part in in Slovenia. Pascal and I, for example, had a lot of fun rafting and canyoning.
However, there is still a lot to see and experience in this beautiful country so I am planning to come back one day to explore more of its natural beauty.
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