Surprising Slovenia: Former Yugoslav Republic is a True Hidden Gem

Posted on   August 8,2018   By John Compisi

We’ve never been to Slovenia before this journey and now I wonder why.  Slovenia is an amazing country with its own Alps, lakes and nearly 30 miles of Adriatic coastline.  The country is situated in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean.  According to Wikipedia, over half of the country is covered by forests which were very apparent as we entered from Italy, on the west.  This makes Slovenia the third most forested country in Europe, after Finland and Sweden.  Slovenia is mostly hilly and actually very beautiful.  Once part of Yugoslavia (with Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro), Slovenia established its independence and sovereignty on June 25th, 1991 and joined the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 2004.

The River Ljubljanica flows through downtown Ljubljana. (L.Compisi)

 Ljubljana, its capital, is quite vibrant and architecturally very interesting with much to see and do.  With nearly 300,000 people, Ljubljana is Slovenia’s largest City. Of special interest is dining along the river at the many cafes. Experiencing the farmers market in the downtown Market Square was eye-popping and made us wish we could buy fresh fruits and vegetables as well as fish.  Looked amazing.

Beautiful offerings in the central market of Ljubljana (L.Compisi)

The tree-lined river offers a stunning backdrop (L.Compisi)

Ljubljana Castle, which is high on a promontory overlooking the city, offers a great photo opportunity from below as well as from above.  The walk up to the castle is not overly strenuous but a tram is available as well.  Exploring the castle is very interesting with a museum and other interests.  The castle has two restaurants and a café as well as other amenities.

View of Ljubljana Graf (castle) from one of its towers (L.Compisi)

The visit to the Ljubljana ‘Skyscraper’ is not the tallest building in the city but it was the first ‘skyscraper in Ljubljana. The restaurant at the top has wonderful views and besides the traditional fare serves a renowned cream pie.

The decadent cream pie at the Skyscraper (L.Compisi)

We had booked a ‘Food and Wine Tour’ that was advertised through TripAdvisor with a tour company called Viator.  Although our guide was quite knowledgeable, after having had a city tour the day before and an orientation tour the evening before we basically heard the same stories multiple times. The food and wine tour itself was lackluster although we got to taste four different wines and nine different dishes.  It was not memorable.

Sparkling local wine and small bites along the river.(L.Compisi)

Where to stay: We stayed at the Hotel Mrak which is just on the edge of the old city with easy walking access to the city’s extensive pedestrian area. The Hotel Mrak is undergoing a needed room renovation and although we stayed in an older room we did see the renovated rooms which are sleek and quite nice.  It proved to be a perfect location to explore Ljubljana for the three days we were there.

View of Ljubljana Graf from below (L.Compisi)

After departing Ljubljana, with a bit of sadness, we headed for Lake Bled, the Bled Castle and the Julian Alps.  It was quite scenic!  The walk around Lake Bled is about 3 miles and we did it in a little over an hour and 20 minutes. There’s a chapel in the center of the lake which has its own myths and stories for weddings.  And the view from the castle is quite spectacular.

Bled Graf (Castle) at Lake Bled (L.Compisi)

The mythical chapel in the middle of Lake Bled (L.Compisi)

When we left Lake Bled we went to the Julian Alps which separate Austria and Hungary from Slovenia. We stayed in a small hotel with a view of the mountains that was quite picturesque and dined at a traditional restaurant that evening. The Julian Alps are quite beautiful and truly spectacular. We stayed at the Hotel Mangart in Bovec. The hotel is more than adequate and was reasonably priced.  Bovec is about an hour and a half from Lake Bled and is surrounded with activities of all kinds including a ski jump training area, Nordic Centre Planica, which was fascinating to watch.

The dramatic Julian Alps in northern Solvenia (L.Compisi)

In retrospect, Slovenia was the biggest surprise on this journey through parts of the former Yugoslavia.  Everyone assures you that Croatia and the Dalmatian Coast are stunning, and they are, but we were very pleasantly surprised to experience the history and beauty of Slovenia.