If there was one image of Slovenia that I was familiar with before I planned my trip there, it was of the famous church on an island in the center of the clear aqua waters of Lake Bled. One simply does not go to Slovenia without visiting Lake Bled, and that included me.
As I planned my time in Ljubljana, I knew I wanted to spend at least one day outside of the city exploring Lake Bled and the scenery it promised. After a little bit of research, I quickly found a small group guided full-day tour which would to take me to Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj, and visit the Vintgar Gorge.
After grabbing a quick breakfast at my hotel, I set off to walk to a neighboring hotel to meet my small group for our day long tour. I quickly found my fellow travelers, all from the U.S.; a group of four who had spent the past two weeks biking around Europe and a couple from California who were native Bosnian's but had lived stateside for 40 years, having left what is now Bosnia when it was still Yugoslavia. We got along easily and hopped on the van when our driver and tour guide for the day, Miha arrived. Miha provided fantastic commentary along the way sharing information regarding the history of Slovenia and the areas we would be visiting. While now, months later as I write this (I really should try to write my blogs a little closer to my actual travels...#blogginggoals), I remember Miha sharing that a fun fact about Slovenia that they are something like third in the world in the number of agricultural tractors that are owned by residents. Farming and agricultural is a large part of their country and as we passed yet another tractor on our journey towards the lakes and mountains, it quickly became like a game of "punch buggy" each time we saw another tractor. You never know what fun, but perhaps useless knowledge you'll learn while traveling, right? And now you know, too.
Our first stop was the small town of Skofja Loka nestled just before the Julian Alps begin. Miha took us on a walking tour of this quiet, yet charming little town sharing some of it's history while we took in the sites. Since it was a Monday, there were few people around, save for another small group of tourists. After a nice break, we got back into the van and began our journey into the mountains.
To say the views were stunning along the way is an understatement. As we climbed into the mountains, Miha stopped a few times for us to take in the views. First, at this incredibly picturesque view of the valley below including the small village of Zgornja Sorica that honestly looked so stunningly beautiful it might have been straight from a painting or postcard. That statue is of a famous painter if I remember correctly. Clearly he had quite the views to paint as his subject. We snapped the essential photos that could not even begin to do the views justice and headed further into the mountains stopping again to take in a very clear view of Mt. Triglav, Slovenia's highest peak. The views just did not stop as we continued on our journey.
As we made our way through Triglav National Park, we made our stop at Lake Bohinj, the lesser known of the two major lakes in this region of Slovenia. Located in a glacially formed basin, Lake Bohinj is beautiful, serene, and provided incredibly clear waters that just looked untouched. We were given some time to walk around, dip our toes in the lake (it was COLD!) and wander the small area around the "touristy" part of the lake. It was peaceful and yes, just simply stunning.
Next up was the stop we are were waiting for...Lake Bled. Miha took us for a drive around the lake, providing glimpses of the famous church on Bled island in the center of the lake. As we were nearing the area, he provided us with choices and options given the time we had there; to visit the castle, to wander the town, to take the man powered row boats, pletna's, to the center of the lake. All of us opted to visit the castle and I decided to also take the row boat out to the church in the center before making my way back to town for a late lunch. The castle, while a bit touristy provided incredible views of the lake below. At the top, there was a beautiful courtyard area where weddings and other events could be held. Along a lovely restaurant/cafe and museum.
We then made our way down to the lake where I boarded the "Tina," my pletna boat and transportation to Bled island. Fully man-powered where our "oarsman" stood and used two oars to smoothly guide us across the lake, it was a peaceful ride for us but clearly a lot of work for him! Once I arrived on the island, I climbed the 100 steps to the top where the church and a small courtyard area was located. Tradition states that if a couple wants to get married at that church, the groom needs to carry his bride up the 100 steps. After a walk around at the top, I grabbed an ice cream cone and took in the view before descending the steps wandering the path that encircles the island below the church. After making my way back to shore, it was time for a leisurely late lunch before we headed to our final stop of the day.
If I had not already figured out that Slovenia is just stunning everywhere I'd been thus far, Vintgar Gorge confirmed that once again. As we made our way down into the gorge and then back up again, our 90-minute trek took us to quiet, peaceful walks along the Radovna River that cuts through the center. We walked along the mostly man-made boardwalks that parallel the river deep in the gorge with only the sounds of nature. It was a perfect end to a day full of all the beauty Slovenia has to offer!
Now, months later as I reflect on my time in Slovenia and go through the pictures to add to this post, it still amazes me how beautiful the world is. Slovenia was virtually unknown to me a few years ago. A tiny country that that I knew little about until I decided I wanted to visit before my time in Croatia two years ago. While I still have a bit more to write about this charming, stunning (yes, I keep using that word) country; I can honestly say it rocketed high on my list of places I know I'll return to again and again.
"There's no time to be bored in a world as beautiful as this." -Unknown