Saturday August 24, 2024
Yesterday I arrived in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. The hotel is located near the center and I could explore the nightlife of the city a bit. Very lively, nice terraces and some food festival at the Pogacarjev square near de Plecnikove Arkade. I explore the small city center, have a nice stroll along the green riverbanks, walk over the Presernov square with its “shower” in the middle, corset the three bridges, see the dragon bridge and climb the mountain, with the cable car, to visit the castle. Beautiful view and an interesting castle. A path leads down to the city again and there’s more to explore. Several churches, University buildings, some museums and the Tivoli park. The city is quite green and has really nice spots for food and drinks.
After the city I travel to the mountains and visit Lake Bled. A fairytale lake with a small island in the middle with a church on top. At the right hand, seen from Bled, a big rock with the castle on top. A beautiful sight. I hike around the lake and I run into two guys from Finland at the place where I stay. We have dinner and some drinks and talk about traveling. The next day there’s a Medieval event in the castle, with fights and dances. Quite cool. The view from the castle is also amazing. From Bled there’s a shuttle to the Vintgar Gorge. You have to book it online and get a time you can enter. The walkway in the gorge is easy and leads into the gorgeous spots with the steep rocky walls and the waterfalls. After half an hour we leave the gorge, see the big waterfall and then it’s back through the woods and mountains to Zasip and Bled. Nice hike.
The next stop is Postojna. Famous for the caves and indeed they are endless. A train takes us into the cave and then guide Anna shows us part of the caves. Nice formations, a bit crowded. The Expo tells about the history, more than 200 years tourists come to see it. The next day I visit the Predjama Castle, situated against the rocks and built partly in the caves. The most interesting part of the cave system is the animals living inside. The favorite is the Proteus Anguinus or better known as Baby Dragon. These amazing creatures live in the dark all their live, can do without food for 10 years and become a hundred years old. I feel privileged that I could see them alive.
Slovenia is a small country, but has a bit of coast, so I went to Piran to enjoy the sea. The city of Piran has lovely alleys and a beautiful view over the coast. Nice place to relax a bit.
