Tag Archives: Slovenia

Europe, Travel Stories

The Ultimate Slovenia Itinerary – A Video!

October 22, 2018 Beth Leave a comment

Our Slovenia itinerary was totally epic. From summiting Triglav, the highest peak in the country, to refreshing swims in the freezing Soča River; From tasting wine in the Brda wine country, to canoeing in the spectacular Lake Bohinj. This is a video compilation of our ultimate trip through Slovenia.

To read about our epic road trip, and see the stops on our Slovenia itinerary, click here and check out this post!

Check out my fave places in Slovenia:

The perfect day in Lake Bled

A Wine Tasting in Brda Wine Country

Spending the day in Ljubljana

Summiting Triglav

Never miss a beat.

Click HERE to sign up for my Newsletter!

Europe, Travel Stories, Travel Tips

The Ultimate Slovenia Itinerary

September 3, 2018 Beth 1 Comment

Spending Ten Days in Slovenia

When we drove into Slovenia, I really had no idea what to expect. Before we arrived, I had to look up “best places to go in Slovenia” and I only found the beautiful blue Soča river and the quaint little capital city, Ljubljana. Turns out, there are SO MANY other things to do in Slovenia! We began our ten day road trip in Triglav National Park, named for the highest mountain in the country, Triglav. The national park boasts beautiful mountain peaks, stunning mountain valleys, and all the beauty that goes along with such a landscape. Here, you will find hiking, climbing, epic waterfalls, and of course, the intensely blue and crystal clear Soča river!

There is so much to see and do in Slovenia, I made a list to help narrow it down, make it easier to plan, and inspire a little wanderlust! Here is the ultimate itinerary for a road trip through Slovenia:

Day one:

Try an extreme sport!

Among the best places to go in Slovenia, Bovec, I would say, is the capital of extreme activities, and the best place to begin adventures in the Soča river valley. There are so many companies in Bovec offering white water rafting, caving, canyoning, paragliding, and zip-lining excursions. We opted for a white water rafting trip with the company based out of a hostel, Hostel Soča Rocks*. Here, we found a white water rafting trip at a very reasonable €41, and the company runs the trip twice a day, so there is plenty of room and availability!

*I am not in any way affiliated with this tour company

Day two:

DO go chasing waterfalls!

With so many mountains, and clear, natural springs around every corner, it is not hard to find a waterfall. As you leave Bovec, south on the 203, you will see signs for Slap Boka (in Slovenian, the word for waterfall is ‘slap’). You can park on the side of the road, and take a quick 30 minute walk up through a forest, to the lookout point. The view might take your breath away!

Next, continue your drive along the 203, through the quaint village of Zaga and Sprenica, and take the exit for Kobarid. Here, you will cross over Napolean’s bridge, a beautiful, and super Instagrammable bridge, and find parking for Slap Kozjak. A 45 minute walk through yet another, beautiful forest, will bring you to the very cool lookout point of the waterfall in a cave!

Pro Tip: One of the best things to do in Slovenia is any time you see a sign that says ‘slap’ just pull over and check it out!

Day three:

Wander the boardwalks of the Tolmin Gorge and enjoy a Slovenian beer by the Soča river.

Through the town of Tolmin, past the fields, and up into the mountain valley, you will find the Tolmin gorge. Entry is €5, and well worth it. The boardwalk takes you along the river, and then turned into steps up along the cliffs. We had beautiful views, both from down next to the water’s edge, and from high above the river. The water is crystal clear, and the rocks are covered in moss and lush, green, leafy plants. It’s really something else.

After the gorge, head down across the river to the restaurant Labrca. Here, you can enjoy a Slovenian beer – it’s a must on the list of things to do in Slovenia! There are two major breweries in Slovenia, Laško and Union. They are very similar, but Laško is a bit stronger. When deciding which one to drink, we were told to think of how many you want. If you are just going to enjoy 1 or 2 beers, choose Laško. If you want to drink 3 or more, choose Union. Your body will thank you in the morning.

Day four:

Do a wine tasting in Brda wine country.

I bet you didn’t know Slovenia has a beautiful wine country! This is a surprise on the list of things to do in Slovenia! The Brda countryside is home to remarkable wines, and delectable cherries. In Dobrovo, you will find Klet Brda, the largest winery in Slovenia. You can do a self-led wine tasting for €12, and have a chance to taste ten of their wines! Read a story about this, the best wine tasting ever, here!

Day five:

Don’t forget about the quaintest capital city in Europe!

From Dobrovo to Ljubljana, the drive is about an hour and a half. There is no doubt, that this little capital city is among the best places to go in Slovenia. There is so much to see and do in Ljubljana, but of course, the best way to start your day in any city, is with a free walking tour! To read about my favourite things to do with only a day in Ljubljana, here!

Day six:

Go to Lake Bled, as beautiful as it is touristy.

Yes, Lake Bled is touristy. Yes, you will spend your time there walking next to large groups of other travellers from all over the world. Yes, there is a casino on the waterfront. But, you know what? There is a reason it is so busy, and that reason is because it is so spectacularly beautiful, and easily one of the best places to go in Slovenia. Any place that is so touristy is a bit more expensive, but I was successful in remaining a cheapskate while I was there. Read about our perfect day in Bled here!

Day seven and eight:

Climb to the summit of Triglav

One of the top things to do in Slovenia, according to the Prime Minister of Slovenia himself, is to climb the highest mountain in the country, Triglav. He has said that it is the duty of every Slovenian to complete the hike and reach the summit. With an altitude of 2863m, the trip requires two or three days (one if you are a seasoned trail runner), with an evening spent in one of the mountain refuge huts! There are a number of trails you can take up to the summit, some are easier than others, some are more scenic with better views, but all lead to the same place: the top! Read about how I got to the top of Triglav here!

Day nine and ten:

Go to the way less touristy and unimaginably beautiful Lake Bohinj.

Only a 45 minute drive away from Bled is the much quieter Lake Bohinj, less touristy, but still one of the best places to go in Slovenia. Here, you will find a much more wild lake, with way less people. There is a walking trail around the perimeter of the lake, and unlike Lake Bled, there will be very few people on it with you. You can also visit the waterfalls in the area, go up the Vogel gondola, or rent a canoe and paddle around the lake (In Ukanc, at the campground, you can rent a canoe for only €9 an hour!).

So there you go, the ultimate list of things to do in Slovenia! Let me know below if you have comments or questions, and if you like this post, go ahead and share it!

Stay up to date on the where’s where of my adventures and click here to subscribe to my monthly newsletter!

Driving through the Dolomites next? Check out one of my fave spots here!

Europe, Travel Stories

Hiking up the Triglav in Slovenia

July 19, 2018 Beth 3 Comments

Day one:

To Uskovnica Hut

We were up at 6am that morning. My body begged me not to leave the bed, but I had to ignore it. This was the day that we would summit Mount Triglav, the highest mountain in Slovenia. Triglav in Slovenian means ‘three heads’ and the biggest ‘head’ has a peak that stands at 2,864m. Triglav wouldn’t be the tallest mountain I’d ever stood on, but considering our hike would begin at 526m, it would be the greatest altitude gain I’d ever hiked. Summiting Triglav is a rite of passage in Slovenia. It is said that one isn’t a true Slovenian until he/she reaches the peak. When we heard this, we knew we had to do it.

The bus that would take us from where we slept in the van to the trailhead didn’t start running until 9:30am and so, knowing that our day had to begin much earlier than that, we rode our bicycles 7km to the trailhead. We locked them up at Hudičev Most or Devil’s Bridge, which is a commonly used name for bridges in Slovenia that cross highly dangerous water (seriously, look it up), and hit the path. Gosh, it was boring. We hiked straight up and up and up, through thick forest. There were no beautiful valley views and no stunning vistas, just the occasional spiderweb that got caught on my face. After two hours of this, we arrived at our first stop of the day, the Uskovnica mountain hut. We took our bags off our backs, sat at a picnic table, and shared an apple with some nutella while we stretched our ankles. Ok, two hours down…

To Vodnikov Dom

The hike up continued. Dang, we gained a lot of altitude! Finally, after what seemed like forever, we cleared the trees and could see the view. From where we stood, we could see Bohinj Lake, where we started our day. We stopped for some water and a piece of chocolate… gotta keep that energy up! We walked along a cliff for a few more hours. We came to a big climb, and as we hiked up, the sweat began to drip. The sun was shining right on us, and was unforgiving. Just then, a couple of trail runners ran by. Carrying nothing but water on their backs, they scaled the hill like it was nothing, which made me feel ridiculous for sweating and panting like a dog. Michael assured me I was doing well, and his words of encouragement gave me the energy I needed to push through to the next stop, the Vodnikov Dom mountain hut. Again, we sat at a picnic table outside and had a snack — wraps with tuna and cucumber! From where we sat, we could see the final stop, the Kredarica hut, where we would sleep this evening. It looked so far away. If my legs could guffaw, they would have at the mere idea of climbing up to that hut. We filled our water bottles from the spring nearby and hit the trail. One. Last. Push.

To Kredarica Hut

Somehow, I didn’t collapse. Somehow, I didn’t stop. Somehow, my legs continued to step one foot in front of the other, and climb. We carefully crossed steep ice and snow patches that blocked the path and scrambled up loose scree. When we finally reached the top, I could have cried! My legs ached, my back burned, my feet were tight, and I yearned to sit down. One thing I love about hiking in Europe are the mountain huts. In Canada, you arrive to the backcountry cabin and have to build a fire, boil water, cook the food you brought. Not in Europe. Here we were, at 2,515m, and they were serving cold beer! Other hikers gathered around on the picnic tables, looking a lot less tired than us. We hiked 24km, gained 1,989m of elevation. We sat down and sparked up a conversation with Sarah and Jordan, from Pennsylvania, USA. We were all exhausted and loopy, and thoroughly enjoyed each other’s tired hilarity. We laughed so much. I’m not even sure that what we were saying was funny, but we were so tired it didn’t matter. At 8pm, we retired to the dorm beds and I was out like a light.

Day two:

I woke up at 4am when another hiker in the dorm room began rustling his clothes and preparing for his day. I’m sorry, 4am?! Through sleep-crusted eyes, watched him don his warm hiking layers, grab his poles, and head out the door. I lay in bed, looking out the window at the fog-covered Triglav. You should have heard the pep talk I was giving myself! I could have done anything after words of encouragement like those! At 5:30am, Michael woke up and rolled over. “What do you want to do today?” I asked. He smiled and said, “Let’s climb a mountain!”

The summit

We ate our breakfast at a picnic table on the deck, and watched as the clouds danced around the summit. At 6am, we were ready to go. We put on our helmets, harnesses, and checked our gear. The last 875m of this hike was a via ferrata with steel cables to clip our carabiners onto. Let’s do it! The first five minutes were the hardest. My body was stiff and cold and I was out of breath quite quickly. We had to climb up Kleiner Triglav (the smallest head of the mountain), walk across a skinny rock path, and then climb the rest of the way to the peak. I felt like I had three points of contact with the rock at all times; my hands were doing just as much work as my feet! We reached the top of the little head, and then came to the narrow walkway. This is the perfect example of when someone should say “don’t look down.” On both sides of the path were sheer drops of ice and rock. I can’t tell you more about them, because I took my own advice and kept my head up.

We climbed up the big head and reached the top of Triglav. We did it! We stood on top of Slovenia. It’s an incredible feeling, standing on top of a mountain that towers over everything around you. I felt huge and tiny, like I could laugh and cry, all at the same time. In the far distance, we could see Grossglockner, the highest mountain in Austria. It stands at 3798m, which dwarfs Triglav, and was the only peak we could see above the clouds in the west. Sarah and Jordan soon arrived at the top, too. We took turns taking photos for each other and sharing our thoughts on the ascent. Sarah confessed she is afraid of heights, so I was wildly impressed that she made it up to the top! I stood on the edge, wrapped my arm around Michael’s waist, and soaked in the view. What an extraordinary moment.

Then we saw wildlife!

Then I remembered the hike we have today and the moment was over. We climbed back down to the hut and arrived at about 8am. Michael bought an espresso and we sat to enjoy the view for a moment before heading down. We scrambled back down the scree and back across the steep ice and snow patches that blocked the path. We saw a marmot! Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen one so close. They are dang cute! Then, buzzing from our wildlife high, we turned the corner, and standing on the path in front of us was a zlatorog (a Slovenian mountain goat)! It was totally startled and bounded up the side of the hill into the trees. Woah! Two wildlife sightings in two minutes! That’s gotta be a record.

Hiking back down

We walked past Vodnikov and stopped briefly only to fill our water bottles. Then we arrived at a fork in the road. If we continued straight, we would take the same path down as we took yesterday coming up. If we turned right, we would walk along a totally new path! We chose the latter, hopeful for some new views. We hiked and hiked, down and down, through a thick and totally whimsical forest. We may not have had the views we hoped for, but I did see about a million butterflies! We sat on a big boulder for lunch, and while we ate, we watched the ants working hard on the ground, the busy bees buzzing around, and the butterflies fluttering by. I looked at my watch. We left the hut four hours ago. I looked at the map. We have only gone halfway. Holy moly, we’ll be hiking forever!

Out of the mountains

Down and down and down we went, until we reached a meadow with a few old buildings. It didn’t look familiar, but I took it as a good sign that we must be close to Devil’s Bridge. We followed the trail and walked along a dirt road that cut a field of tall grass right down the middle. A horsefly landed on my arm and I wiped it off. Another buzzed near my ear, so I whacked it away. Then another flew close to my face. I waved my arms and shrieked like a child. I looked at Michael and he too was swatting at big black flies. AHHHHHHHHH! We began to run! We ran as fast as our desperately drained legs could. We swatted at the air around our bodies. My pony tail did what a pony’s tail ought to do, and kept the flies away from my head. We ran through Hell’s Meadow (as I so aptly nicknamed it), and returned to a forested path. No more flies. Breathless, sweaty, and absolutely exhausted, I burst out laughing.

I think this was around the time we started brainstorming, nay, daydreaming about what we would have for dinner. The discussion began: We should definitely barbecue. Maybe burgers? No, too much work. We could just do rice or pasta. No, we should cook outside. Oh, let’s buy cold beer. Yes. Definitely cold beer. A few minutes of silent thought. I wanted pizza. Can you barbecue a pizza? Can you just buy a frozen pizza and put it on a grill? That would probably burn the bottom. A few more minutes of silent thought. Maybe we could wrap it in tinfoil? That would probably melt the cheese on top. Mmmmm, cheese. Oh my gosh, let’s add extra cheese! And meat! More silence. We could buy two frozen pizzas and put one on top of the other. Like a pizza sandwich! We could have a barbecued pizza sandwich! This will work.

Then we got lost

We walked and dreamed and planned until we didn’t know where we were. We started passing people walking the other way, which was a good sign, but didn’t know how far it was until our bicycles. Two young women joined us on the trail. I stopped them and asked if they speak English. They do! Alana and Katrine from Germany. They spent the afternoon at the waterfall nearby and were now walking back to their car. They invited us to follow them, so we did. To be honest, it was at this point I turned my brain off. I mindlessly followed these two German strangers, and would have followed them anywhere really. I was so ready to be done walking. We passed the time with them with conversation about our hike up Triglav, about their trip through Slovenia, and about Michael and my epic road trip the last ten months! And then, like a beacon, a parking sign appeared through the trees. It pointed us down a path, and on this path we found Devil’s Bridge and our bicycles! Oh my gosh, we still have a 7km bike ride!

After a quick stop at the tourist info centre to drop off our rented via ferrata gear, and an even quicker stop at the supermarket to buy cold beer and two frozen pizzas — yes, we are making a barbecued pizza sandwich, this is really happening — we cycled the rest of the way around the lake and arrived at the van. Faster than you can say “don’t forget the beers,” we were changed into our swimsuits, had the barbecue coals ready, the food in a bag, and the cooler in hand. We walked from the van to the edge of the water, placed everything on the ground, and dove right in.

We walked 24km on the first day, and a total of 27km on day two. There are easier ways to get up to the summit of Triglav; Sarah and Jordan started from Krma and it took them only 4 hours. Why we chose the long way? I’m still not sure. Would I do it again? Probably not. Am I glad I did it? I’ve never been prouder of my body.

Did the barbecued pizza sandwich work? Abso-fucking-lutely.

Looking for more things to do in Slovenia? Click here!

We also did a via ferrata in Spain! Read about it here!

Europe, Travel Stories, Travel Tips

Spending the Day in Ljubljana, Slovenia

July 9, 2018 Beth 2 Comments

You know Paris, Berlin, and Madrid. They are the big, metropolitan, European capital cities, that probably take up 75% of travel posts on Pinterest. They are the well known cities, the top travel destinations, the ‘bucket list’ vacation spots. But, there is a European capital city you may have not heard of. I know I hadn’t. And now I know, that the quaintest, most walkable capital city I’ve ever been to, is Ljubljana, Slovenia.

We enjoyed the perfect day in Ljubljana, and here are my top six things to do in the quaintest capital city in Europe:

1) A free walking tour!

I am such a huge advocate for free walking tours. It is absolutely the best way to see a city, learn a bit about the culture and history, and to get a local’s suggestions for things to do and places to eat. We chose to go with Ljubljana Free Tour (website here). We met in front of the bigm pink church in Prešeren Square. Our guide took us around for about two hours, to the different sites, points of interest, and best photo opportunities in the city.

2. For a coffee or an afternoon drink, go to Pritličje (don’t ask me how to pronounce it…)

For a trendy, super hip break from your day, head here for a coffee, a beer, or a fresh juice. With a shopfront right on one of the main shopping streets, Pritličje boasts an openly welcoming space for people of all sexualities, and identities. I am so happy that such an inclusive cafe thrives here, just two doors down from City Hall.

3. Try a piece of local cake.

Pardon the fact it’s half eaten. It was just so tasty!

After a two hour walking tour, you’ll be ready for a sweet little break. It’s the perfect opportunity to try a slice of the local cake, Prekmurska Gibanica. The cake is a layered pastry made of walnuts, poppy seeds, apples, raisins, and cottage cheese. There is a lot going on with this cake, and oh, boy, it’s is ALL right. We had a slice from Gujžina Prekmurska Gostilna. It was €3.50 for a slice to go, and €4.50 to eat it at a table. We chose to have ours to go, and enjoyed it on the steps of the city hall nearby.

4. Drink a beer!

Slovenia has two major beer brands, Laško and Union. They are very similar, but Laško is a bit stronger. When deciding which one to drink, we were told to think of how many you want. If you are just going to enjoy 1 or 2 beers, choose Laško. If you want to drink 3 or more, choose Union. Your body will thank you in the morning.

5. Wander through the open market.

In a big open square in the middle of the city, is the open market. Here, local farmers come and set up their tables to sell fresh fruit and vegetables from their farms. The market happens every day of the week, except Sundays, and is the perfect place to procure an incredible picnic. And, keep a sharp eye, for the Prime Minister of Slovenia is often seen perusing the stalls too!

6. For dinner? Eat a delicious meal, and support a noble restaurant.

We went to Druga Violina for dinner. The restaurant is known for its large portions, reasonable prices, and for employing people with special needs. Here, we enjoyed the Slovenian sampler plate for two people to share. It was €28, and probably the most expensive thing on the menu, but well worth it. The food was delicious, and we had the opportunity to taste ten or so different local specialties. If you go here around 7pm, prepare for a wait. We arrived just after 7pm, and waited for about 45 minutes. Our table was on the patio, and we enjoyed some wonderful people watching as we enjoyed our meal.

Slovenia, Travel Stories, Travel Tips, Uncategorized

At a Wine Tasting in Slovenia

July 5, 2018 Beth Leave a comment

After a few epic days, hiking, white water rafting, and waterfall chasing in the Triglav National park, we decided we wanted to see a totally different side of Slovenia. We hit the road, and drove down south, to wine country! Wine country? In Slovenia? “But I’ve never had a Slovenian wine,” you’re thinking. I know! Me neither! Turns out, they make wine, and the grapes are grown on beautiful rolling hills, very Tuscan-esque. We arrived in Dobrovo, an incredibly quaint little village, and home to the largest winery in Slovenia, Klet Brda. We quickly found it, and parked the van in front.

Inside, we went to the little shop and asked about the wine tasting. The young lady who worked was so nice. She explained that the tasting costs €12, and it is self led. That meant, she would give us a bit of an overview of the winery and its history, give us the tasting notes for each wine, and then let us try the wines at our own pace. She said people often stay for an hour or hour and a half! Sounds like a pretty good deal! We followed her into the tasting room. In the banquet room next door, through a temporary wall, we could hear the chatter of some kind of party, but our tasting room was completely empty. The lady gave us a brief history of the winery, the names of the various grapes, wines, and some of the techniques used. She handed us the tasting notes for each wine, and told us that all ten wines are for sale in the store. Wait a minute. Ten wines? She smiled and left the room. We found ourselves in the tasting room, on our own, just Michael, me, and ten wines to taste. Ohhhh dear.

We started with the two sparkling wines, served straight out of the bottle. We sat near the big, picture windows, and looked out over the rolling Slovenian hills. Gosh, this countryside is stunning, and so, SO different than the mountainous, rocky, and extreme Triglav National Park from where we just came. As we tasted the sparkling wines, the party in the banquet room next door, sang a Slovenian drinking song and cheers’d! We joined them in raising our glasses and cheers’d each other.

We moved onto the whites, the six whites (!), that were served from a machine. Each bottle was connected to two buttons with an icon next to each button — one was a half full wine glass, and one was a full wine glass. You can guess which button we chose. We pressed the full wine glass button once, twice, three times. We read the tasting notes of each wine, and half pretended to follow along. I have never been that good at tasting the notes and nuances in a wine, and today was no different. Sure, after I read notes that the wine smells like kiwis and tastes like wood, the wine smells and tastes just so, but until I read it, it really just smells and tastes like wine. Every time someone walked through the room, to go to the banquet room, or through to the wine shop, we stuck our noses deep into the glasses and rambled on about tannins, the subtleties, and the tones.

We paid for our tasting, and bought a few big bottles of our favourite wines. We left the winery, and went back to the van. We knew that after that much wine, neither of us could drive, so we went for a hilarious, drunken stumble around the vineyards.

We arrived back to the van after an hour or so. There was a big parking lot across the road from the winery, and it looked flat enough, like a decent place to sleep. So, because neither of us was fit to drive, we pushed the van across the road into our perfect little parking spot. The beauty of having your bed with you at all times is that after having way too much wine, you can just fall right into it. Thanks for the epic wine tasting, Slovenia!

Europe, Travel Stories

At a Wine Tasting in Slovenia

July 5, 2018 Beth 2 Comments

(the best wine tasting I’ve ever done!)

After a few epic days, hiking, white water rafting, lake hopping, and waterfall chasing in the Triglav National park, we decided we wanted to see a totally different side of Slovenia. We hit the road, and drove down south, to wine country! Wine country? In Slovenia? “But I’ve never had a Slovenian wine,” you’re thinking. I know! Me neither! Turns out, they make wine, and the grapes are grown on beautiful rolling hills, very Tuscan-esque. We arrived in Dobrovo, an incredibly quaint little village, and home to the largest winery in Slovenia, Klet Brda. We quickly found it, and parked the van in front – it’s time for a wine tasting!

Inside, we went to the little shop and asked about the wine tasting. The young lady, Nina, who worked there was so nice. She explained that the tasting is self led and costs €12, and that people often stay for an hour or hour and a half! We followed her into the tasting room. In the banquet room next door, through a temporary wall, we could hear the chatter of some kind of party. Nina gave us a bit of an overview of the winery and its history, and handed us the tasting notes for each wine. “All ten wines are for sale in the store,” she said. Wait a minute. Ten wines? She smiled and left the room. We found ourselves in the tasting room, on our own, just Michael, me, and ten wines to taste. Ohhhh dear.

The sparkling wines…

We started with the two sparkling wines, served straight out of the bottle. We sat near the big, picture windows, and looked out over the rolling Slovenian hills. Gosh, this countryside is stunning, and so, SO different than the mountainous, rocky, and extreme Triglav National Park from where we just came. As we tasted the sparkling wines, the party in the banquet room next door, sang a Slovenian drinking song! We joined them in raising our glasses and cheers’d each other.

The whites…

We moved onto the whites, the six whites (!), that were served from a machine. Each bottle was connected to two buttons with an icon next to each button — one was a half full wine glass, and one was a full wine glass. Guess which button we chose. We pressed the button once, twice, three times. We read the tasting notes of each wine, and half pretended to follow along. I have never been that good at tasting the notes and nuances in a wine, and today was no different. Sure, after I read notes that the wine smells like kiwis and tastes like wood, the wine smells and tastes just so, but until I read it, it really just smells and tastes like wine. Every time an employee walked through the room, we stuck our noses deep into the glasses and made something up about tannins, the subtleties, and the tones.

The reds…

By the time we moved onto the reds, again served in bottles, we were happily pouring very healthy portions. The first red was delicious, and I opted for a second ‘taste’ before moving onto the last wine. Surely, we thought, those who spend an hour and a half in a tasting room must be crazy people, but, there we were, two and a half hours later, stumbling into the wine shop. We paid for our wine tasting, and bought a few big bottles of our favourite wines. As we left the winery, we knew that after a wine tasting like that, neither of us could drive. The responsible thing to do would be to wait, and so we went for a hilarious, drunken stumble around the vineyards.

We arrived back to the van after an hour or so. There was a big, flat parking lot across the road, and it looked like a decent place to sleep. So, because neither of us was fit to drive, we pushed the van across the road into our perfect little parking spot. The beauty of having your bed with you at all times is that after having way too much wine, you can just fall right into it. Thanks for the epic wine tasting, Slovenia!

Check out the Klet Brda website here!

Like wine as much as I do? Read a story about bicycling around wine country in Rioja, Spain!

Europe, Travel Stories

The Perfect Day in Lake Bled, Slovenia

June 24, 2018 Beth 1 Comment

If you’re visiting Slovenia, chances are you are going to be in Ljubljana, and if you’re in Ljubljana, chances are you will take a day trip (or maybe a longer trip) to Lake Bled. We weren’t sure if we wanted to go to Bled for two reasons: Lake Bled is very popular among tourists so we expected that it might be really busy, and because of the prolific tourism, we figured that the prices of everything would be way out of our normal daily budget. We really try to avoid ‘tourist traps’ and worried Bled might be just that. That being said, we also really try not to let our dirtbag cheapskate lifestyle get in the way of experiencing everything a country has to offer, so we decided to go! On a Sunday…

We drove in to town and were stopped in standstill traffic. That’s when I realized the day of the week and did a facepalm. We had mapped out a parking lot offering free 2 hour parking on the other side of the lake, but at this rate it would take another two hours to get there! A sign caught Michael’s eye: the coveted, much beloved international sign for ‘campervan parking.’ We turned off the busy road and followed the signs. We came to a parking lot full of vans and RVs — our people! — with a sign posted indicating €10 parking for vans and RVs. Dang! I checked the map again to see if there were any other free parking lots nearby when a couple, maybe my parent’s age, driving a van with a Dutch licence plate, came over to offer us their parking ticket. They had paid for 24 hours and their ticket was good for another six! Score! Thank you, lovely Dutch couple, you’ve made two cheapskate Canadians very happy today.

We threw open the back doors of the van and pulled out our folding bicycles. We unfolded the frames and locked the hinges into place. Let’s hit the road! We quickly found the lake from the parking lot, and it was very clear why Lake Bled is so popular: it’s totally spectacular. The lake is quite small and is surrounded by steep, treed hills and crazy steep cliffs. On one side, the castle of Bled is perched high up on a cliff and in the middle of the lake is an island with a church and a bell tower built in the middle. All around the water is a 6.5km long walking path! We began bicycling. The beginning of the path was very narrow and with all those Sunday lake-goers crowding the path, our ‘bicycling’ ended up as more of a ‘walk alongside a bicycle’, but no bother: the sky was blue, the lake was beautiful — nothing could get us down!

We arrived at the other side of the lake from the town, where we found the trailhead to take us to the viewpoint of Ojstrica (not to be confused with Mala Osojnica!). We locked up the bikes and began our ascent. The way up to the viewpoint is about 600m, from the road, and straight up a hill. The sign told us it should take only 20 minutes. Ok, sign, that seems like a really quick climb, but we’ll take your word for it. We walked up and up. I couldn’t help but be a little sad, for my hair looked so cute and Instagrammable before the climb, and once we reached the top, the sweat had done its worst. From the top of Ojstrica we could see the entire lake, the church island in the middle, the castle of Bled, and in the distance, the peaks of the Julien Alps of Slovenia. Thank goodness for the bench up at the point, for my knees became weak at the majesty of the view. Here we enjoyed the lunch we packed: tuna wraps with cheese, cucumber, corn, and red pepper. We were joined by quite a few other groups of people, but way less than I expected based on the number of people on the walking path around the lake. People came, took pictures, and left. We took multiple pictures for other couples who were trying (and failing!) to capture the view with a selfie, and we had someone take our picture for us. It really was quite the view.

We walked back down, collected our bicycles, and continued on our way. Bled is famous for a few things: the church on the island in the lake, the castle on a cliff, and the real reason we all come to Bled, the Blejska Kremsnita, the Bled cream cake! We found the most perfect, quaintest little cafe, with a killer balcony, and a cream cake that looked unmissable. We ordered a slice to share, and a dark local beer to wash it down: the perfect combination! The cake is not too sweet, but so creamy and delicious. I wouldn’t even call it cake, it’s really just a slice of cream, but well deserved after our bicycle ride, and our 600m climb!

To finish our perfect day around this perfect little lake, I wanted to rent a rowboat and have Michael row me around the church island — how romantic! When we arrived at the boat rental shop however, the romance died. To rent a boat for an hour would cost €20! I was super disappointed, but there was just no way we could justify that, not even for the epic pictures and videos we could take with the drone! We hung our heads and left the shop. But wait! The sky was still perfectly blue, the lake was still incredibly beautiful, nothing could get us down! We continued to cycle along the path until a rope swing caught Michael’s eye! There was nobody around. We pulled over, locked the bikes, and headed down to the water’s edge. Michael changed into his swimmers and took a beautifully long dip in the water. He had a few turns on the rope swing, too. Some good, old fashioned, free fun.

The time on our parking pass was coming to an end, so we bicycled back into town towards the van. We arrived back right as our six hours finished. I’m so glad we came to Bled. I’m so glad we ignored our worries. We were able to have a perfectly cheap day in a super touristy town, find the secret spots off the beaten track, and have a really wonderful time!

Some tips if you’re heading to Bled:

The cake is amazing and you must try it. We went to Caffe Peglez’n where the cake was €4 and a big beer was €3.

%xvXkuS1Q2ajbhTPOhgZDg — How cute is this place?!

Whether or not you have an Instagram account, you really should go to the viewpoint of Ojstrica. Don’t confuse it with the viewpoint Mala Osojnica! That viewpoint is higher, harder to get to and doesn’t have views that are nearly as nice!

Bicycling is a fun way to get around. After the first stretch of path by the casino with all the people wandering about, the path widens and becomes a bit more bicycle-friendly. You can rent bicycles in Bled! Or just walk the path. I imagine if you walked it, you would find even more secret swimming spots with rope swings!

Rent a boat!(?) I read a blog that said they rent for €12-€15, so maybe we just happened to find the most expensive guy. If your travel budget is bigger than ours (let’s face it, everyone’s probably is), then I say splurge for the boat! Maybe even buy the cream cake to go and enjoy it on the middle of the lake! You do you.