Imagine a country with wholesome natural beauty, lots of castles, charming town centers, and you have Slovenia. A seven hour drive and well worth the trip. Usually takes 5.5 hours, and should have, but I forgot to deselect “Avoid Tolls” on Waze so it took 7 hours. Sometimes I am an idiot!
Ljubljana
The Slovenian Capital is one of the most quaint and cleanest (not a single piece of trash on any street!) cities you can visit. Ljubljana has everything from castles, a picturesque old town and tons of shopping. Being a small city, everything is within walking distance, and we indulged in delicious truffles, crisp olive oils and lots of local Red and White wines. Slovenia is part of the EU, and uses the Euro, so the prices are higher than Serbia, and reasonable compared to Washington, DC. Fun Fact: cannabis is legal so we enjoyed some gummies and had relaxing sleep!
The Shop keepers on the narrow cobble-stoned streets have vibrant flower displays and are so welcoming when you enter their shops. We visited Ljubljana Castle, enjoyed the city overlook and surprisingly liked the Puppetry Museum. This city reminded me of Split (Croatia) where at night the city really comes alive. Everything is lit-up and perfect for strolling after dinner and honestly is a great long weekend escape. Leaving lovely Ljubljana, we made our way to Bled to enjoy the great outdoors.
Bled
Bled is where you go for hiking, mountains and scenic vistas. We spent two days in the Karavanke region (Kamniško-Savinjske Alps mountain range). If Slovenia was allowed only one picture to represent the country, I think it would be “The Church of Mary the Queen, or Our Lady of the Lake.” The entire lake is ringed with a walking trail, and stoney beaches dot the perimeter. Tourists and families alike spend the day swimming, boating and sun worshipping. Having a car was such a help, as Bled is spread out and you really need to drive to get anywhere. We spent the day strolling around the lake, no, we didn’t take a boat to the church as the views were better from shore, and we did go to Castle Bled. The lake region is so peaceful, and while in the Castle we had a chance to visit a 15th century Print Shop. The shop is fully functional and still prints today. We figured “Why Not?” and printed, using a real Gutenberg Press, our own souvenir (bottom right).
Day two was all about hiking and enjoying Trenta. Trenta is in western Slovenia near the upper Soča River in the Goriška region. Driving this region is exciting because the the Vršič Pass is over 876 m (2,874 ft) high and the road has more switchbacks, clothespin turns and narrows than you can count. The Tiguan drives beautifully in the mountains and had no problem navigating the twists and turns. While hiking in the mountains we stumbled across a random flock of sheep in one of the high valleys. I was really tempted to take one home for the wool and of course fresh lamb chops; yum! Weather in the mountains changes dramatically. At sea level, it was 26 C (79 F) and very humid, but in the mountains the temperature dropped to 17 C (62 F) with a brisk wind. We weren’t expecting this, so we were cold for some of the hike and will prepare better for next time! After our Bled adventure, we traveled to the southwestern coast of Slovenia.
Piran
Piran is located on the Adriatic Sea and is so close to Venice Italy that they run a water ferry between the cities. When you ask a Piran resident where they are from, they are likely to say “Istria” rather then a specific country. After the end of World War II, Istria was ceded to Yugoslavia, except for a small part in the northwest corner that formed the provisionally independent Free Territory of Trieste. Trieste was under Yugoslav administration and after the de facto dissolution of the Free Territory in 1954 it was also incorporated into Yugoslavia. After Yugoslavia broke-up, Istria was divided between Croatia and Slovenia in 1991; even today Croatia argues about the borders.
<<< You quickly learn in the Balkans that history runs deep and nothing is forgotten >>>
Piran architecture reflects the Venetian influence, and there is a vibrant artistic community. We really liked how they supported street art, and there are numerous examples all over the city. Seafood is king and we dined like royalty. Also, you have to love a wine and truffle tasting tour that ends with an hour of wine, olive oil and truffle sampling. We shopped a year’s supply of truffle oil, salt and honey. From the Church of St. George (overlooks Piran) we could see the shores of Italy, Austria and Croatia.
Koper
A perfect way to end the trip. Koper is a botique version of Piran and we spent the day exploring the various alleys, shops and eateries. The Town Square is smaller than Piran, and has a “Trapped in Time” feel to it. Again, the Italian influence is evident everywhere, as Venice is only 3 hours away by car or one hour by fast boat. There was no rush, nothing to do and no reason to run about. A true holiday sipping drinks, eating gelato and people watching.
Restaurant of the Week – Capra Restaurant and café
Koper, being on the Adriatic Sea, is known for its seafood, so it was no surprise that we ordered fish for dinner. Everyday the local fisherman supply the restaurants with fresh caught goodies. The Capra Restaurant and café is part of the Grand Koper Hotel and came highly recommended. Inside and outside are gorgeous and we dined al fresco with a calming sea view.
We started our meal by sharing the Black Truffle Pasta, loaded with intense truffles, prawns and olive oil — most delicious pasta dish ever! I should also mention the fresh bred and local wines, as both paired well with the pasta and fish. Koper exports Sea Salt, and like the Portuguese, the traditional method of cooking fish is to encase the fish in a sea salt sarcophagus and slow roast until succulent and juicy. Presentation, deboning and plating all happened table side, and the end result was mouthwatering Sea Bass. Service was exceptional and we ended up talking to two ladies from Canada, who were originally from Croatia. They were jealous that they didn’t order their fish the same way. That is what I like about travel, you never know who you will meet. Dessert was a perfect sunset.
Final Thoughts
We continue to be thankful for this amazing journey, and really enjoyed visiting Slovenia. Our thoughts are beginning to turn to the fall, and I can’t help thinking about Thanksgiving. Our next trip is to Romania and Transylvania to enjoy the Christmas Markets Bran Castle (the Castle that inspired Dracula) respectively, in late November. We miss you all and hope you had a great Summer.