Guest Post – Visiting Ljublijana and Lake Bled
Guest post by Sophie McGovern from the travel blog Heading There.
If Slovenia were a story, it would most definitely be a fairytale. One of the old ones I mean, by the Brothers Grimm or Anderson, where there is tragedy, beauty and magic in equal measure. Deep dark woods, turreted castles, caves, lakes and mountains, Slovenia’s landscape is what bedtime stories are made of.
One of the most forested countries in Europe and the only one to have a native population of bears, Slovenia has a wildness that outshines the rest of the continent.
And, beyond the mountains and the deep dark woods, there is magical city…
Ljubljana
Compared to Madrid or Paris, Ljubljana is a walk in the park; you can quite literally walk from one side to another in 45 minutes. Banish all notions of what you would expect from a European capital. Instead think meandering lanes, art nouveau architecture, a gentle pace and extensive park land that’s perfect for picnics. Plus, there’s a small town feel and friendly local attitude to go with it.
Buy an ice-cream and walk along the river admiring the elegant bridges, listen to the traditional accordion tunes echo through narrow streets, and climb to the top of the Castle Belvedere Tower for views over the gingerbread rooftops.
Whilst exploring, you’re sure to catch glimpses of the city’s quirky, off-centre scene. Independent communities are abundant, there is a free licence for street performers, and the city hosts outdoor concerts and theatre performances throughout the summer.
Hostel Celica, a converted prison, was one of the most memorable stays on our European inter-rail tour. At neighbouring Metelkova squat we found lives bands, a kaleidoscope of decorations and graffiti, and a community cafe serving great quality, low priced food.
Lake Bled
Central to this fairytale is the emerald Lake Bled, where a baroque church stands on a small island. Only an hour’s journey from Ljubljana by bus, this is the perfect place to explore when you’re done in the city.
Arriving there, we couldn’t help but feel that we had walked onto the pages of a story with the scene conjuring up the Arthurian legend of the Lady of Shalott and her enchanted island.
Hiring a rowing boat is loads of fun. We took a couple of beers and a pack of playing cards and drifted around the lake all afternoon. Alpine forest scenery and a hilltop castle ensure that you’ve always got an amazing view. Rowing over to the island, we rang the church bell and made a wish!
Bled’s hillside castle manages to nobly compete with the island for the prize of ‘most outstanding fairytale features’. Moat, towers, shadowy cellars and ivy-covered ramparts, why, there is even a monk selling local wine is the cellars. Ooh, and did I mention the spiral staircase?
Be sure to sample the local cream cakes in Bled when snack time comes around, and head out for some traditional Slovenia fare in the evening: beef and noodle soup in an edible bread bowl, that sort of thing. If you’re vegetarian, be prepared to eat a lot of pizza!
For a city break with an element of wilderness, the Ljubljana-Bled combination is perfect. But this is a tale of the traditional kind, and those seeking nightlife and shopping won’t find the area that exciting. For those who are looking for charm, natural beauty and magic, though, Slovenia could easily become their favourite European destination.
Be sure to check out Sophie’s own blog Heading There and follow along on Twitter for all her travel adventures as she continues to delve into fairytale wonderlands.
Category: Europe
We have been wearing out our jandals (Kiwi slang for flip-flops) on our travel adventures around the world since 2009. We love all types of adventures that make us step outside our comfort zone, in comfort, including surfing, skiing, snowboarding, diving and cruising on our bikes. You can find out more 
Loving this post – I’ve been reading so much on Slovenia lately, I’ve yet to hear a bad word said about the country! Lake Bled looks gorgeous. Also I knew Ljubljana was small, but didn’t know that you could walk from one end to the other in 45 minutes?! That IS small – but I guess that’s part of the city’ appeal
Thanks, Tom! Ljublijana is really cute and doesn’t feel like a capital at all. Slovenia in general is stunning and I could have spent much longer there…I look forward to reading about your experience if you do make it
A brilliant post! Loved the short descriptions and the accompanying capture!
It surely seems a captivating land!
Cheers, Arti! Slovenia is particularly easy to write about…it really captured my imagination.
That part of the world is sadly over-looked, unfortunately…and it’s all like that…fairy-tale, pristinely untouched countrysides shrouded in mists, legends and history. I lived in Bulgaria for over two and a half years and traveled to many of the Eastern European countries but never made it to Slovenia…these pictures remind me of Serbia and Bulgaria….and I’m sad I missed Slovenia. Next time I head back I’ll have to check it out.
Great stuff!
I really do love that part of the world. Amazing that you lived in Bulgaria for a couple of years! I remember seeing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as a kid and getting a rather strange view of the country
Serbia, too, is on my wish-list. I will check out your blog for recommendations.
I’ve heard such good things about Slovenia! And the more I read about it, the higher up it crawls on my list of places I want to go to NOW!
Hey, Ali! I have a similar list that just gets longer and longer
Good luck with you travels and making it out there!
Thanks for sharing this, Slovenia looks very beautiful. That castle on the hill is so picturesque with those sheer stone cliffs, like something straight out of a Disney movie.
Hey Lawrence! The castle is a like something out of a movie, yes. It’s incredible how many places in Slovenia have that magical quality.
We’re here right now house-sitting and loving it. We know that these 2 locations (and the caves) are pretty much what draws the tourists. So needless to say in summer months the crowds are pretty crazy. But hanging out with locals we are getting the true inside tips and there are so many untapped gems that we are finding and looking forward to sharing.
I look forward to reading your Slovenia posts, Pete! A week wasn’t nearly long enough and I hope to go back and do more exploring one day. House sitting is something else I really want to try. How long will you be there?
Slovenia is a newly added country to my places I want to go. Heard only good things and I’m all for a good fairy tale story. Was wondering if it’s as enchanting in the winter, say November?! Would you recommend it?
Hey Kieu! The visit I have written about was in summer, but I know that Slovenia has fairly cold winters. You are likely to get a bit of rain in November, and will need your warm clothes. I don’t think the weather will stop it from being enchanting, though. The tourist sites will be a lot less crowded and the landscape still beautiful. I look forward to reading about it if you do decide to go!
Completely love both of these places. Was there in the summer of 2009 whilst interrailing and was so pleasently surprised by how much I loved Ljubljana as a city. And my day trip to Lake Bled was breathtaking!
The Bled Castle looks truly stunning. I’m a fan of breaks that combine culture and luxury and am surprised I have never before considered Slovenia. Great Post!