Lose yourself in fairy tale like Slovenia: Day trips from Ljubljana

I can hear the water gushing as I walk towards the railing. It’s a chilly October morning and I’m glad to be equipped with a jacket and boots. As I peer down at the Rodovna river , I am in awe of the crystal clear water, reflecting the greenery all around. Walking down to the narrow bridge, I can see a part of the walking trail up ahead, along with some vertical rocks.  I remember reading about the gorge running across rocks of the Hom and Bort hills. My senses are just soaking  in all the stunning natural beauty around. “The trail is about 1.6 kms long”, says our guide. “But people generally take about 45 minutes to walk across if they keep stopping for pictures and admiring the views.See you on the other side.” I see her walk back towards the car and some people setting out on the trail, while two others decide to get coffee first to warm up. I am still at the center of the bridge, feeling the serenity and calmness around while my heart beats faster in excitement.  This place looks enchanted. It looks surreal. I am at Vintgar Gorge and this is just the beginning of exploring fairy-tale like Slovenia.

 

Was just awestruck at Vintgar Gorge while visiting Bled,slovenia. Such clear water and scenic beauty all around! Are you a nature lover too? Share your pictures with #shareTravellersTales ! – – – – – #slovenia #igslovenia #vintgar #bled #beautifulworld #hikingadventures #naturephotography #naturelover #naturegram #river #outdoors #letsgosomewhere #explorer #fairytale #surrealistic #beautifulview #europetrip #europediaries #girlslovetravel #wearetravelgirls #igerseurope #nakedplanet

A post shared by Menorca@EuropeDiaries (@menorca_c) on Oct 13, 2016 at 11:36am PDT

 

Slovenia in Day Trips: Bled, the Karst and the Coast

You hear the Radovna before you see it. The path down from the road bends through beech trees, the noise of the river grows, and then the bridge appears with the water racing underneath, so clear that every stone on the bed looks close enough to touch. It was October, cold enough for a jacket and boots, and I stood there long enough that the rest of the group had already started walking.

That was Vintgar Gorge, and it set the tone for four days in Slovenia: a small country with an improbable concentration of places that look drawn for a storybook. Based in Ljubljana, I had time for a gorge, a lake with an island church, a cave system, a castle in a cliff face and a town on the coast.

1. Day one: Vintgar Gorge and Lake Bled, with Bled Castle if the light holds.
2. Day two: the Skocjan Caves, Lipica Stud Farm and Piran on the coast.

Both work as day trips from the capital, which makes Ljubljana a practical base as well as a pleasant one.

Vintgar Gorge: 1.6 kilometres that take 45 minutes

The trail through the gorge is about 1.6 kilometres long, and our guide warned us that most people need 45 minutes because they keep stopping to take photographs. She was right. The path crosses rocks belonging to the Hom and Bort hills, with vertical walls on either side and the river running green and glassy below. Every few steps offers another view worth delaying for, which explains how a short walk becomes an afternoon.

The gorge is roughly 60 kilometres from Ljubljana, and it finishes at Šum Falls — the name means noisy falls — the largest river waterfall in the country.

Lake Bled: an island, a bell and a cream cake

About five kilometres further on sits Bled, the town that appears on every Slovenian postcard. The lake holds an island in the lap of the Julian Alps, and the views are only part of the appeal: there are old legends here, and a cream cake that deserves its reputation.

The island's history goes back further than the church you see now. The ancient Slavs built a temple here to Živa, goddess of love and fertility; a Gothic church dedicated to Mother Mary stands on the same ground. Inside hangs a golden bell, and the story goes that ring it three times and a wish will be granted. The legend behind it is a sad one: a young widow whose husband was killed by robbers and drowned in the lake used all her gold and silver to have a chapel bell cast. A storm caught the boat carrying it across the water and the bell sank with the boat. She sold her property, spent the rest of her life as a nun in Rome, and when the Pope learned her story after her death he had a bell made in her memory and sent to Bled. On dark nights, people still claim to hear a bell ringing from the bottom of the lake.

To reach the island you row, either in a pletna — the traditional wooden boat — or on a stand-up paddleboard if you prefer. The climb to the church is 99 steps, or 100 depending on who is counting, and local weddings come with a rule of their own: the groom carries his bride up the whole way for luck.

If you have the time and the weather, walk up to Bled Castle for the view over the water. Bled is about 54 kilometres from Ljubljana, roughly 45 minutes by road.

The Skocjan Caves: a river underground

With limited time I had to choose between the Skocjan and Postojna cave systems, and I chose Skocjan. It is further out and less visited, and the walk through it was one of the most impressive hours of the trip. The stalactites and stalagmites have been growing for several million years, and the system counts as one of the largest underground river canyons anywhere, with the Reka River surging through in rapids and waterfalls.

Photography is not allowed inside, to protect the ecosystem and to prevent accidents, so the sight stays with you rather than on your phone. A Skocjan guide leads you along the two kilometres of trail open to the public out of roughly six kilometres of passage. The lowest point lies about 200 metres below ground and opens into the Dead Lake. The word karst itself comes from the Kras, the plateau this region is named after.

Claustrophobia is worth considering before you book. I spent the descent close to the railing because the slope was muddy, and I made a mental note about how my mother would cope if she ever came here.

Postojna remains on my list for another visit, partly for the five-kilometre trail ridden in a cave train, and partly for the creature known locally as the human fish. The olm, or proteus, is a rare salamander with an elongated body that makes people think of a dragon. It has never been seen in the wild, breeds only about once a decade, and two of them hatched in the Postojna caves earlier this year. Researchers say they take around 15 years to reach full size and may live for a century.

Dragons in Ljubljana

Dragons turn up again in the capital. Statues of them guard the Dragon Bridge over the Ljubljanica, and the creature appears in the city's coat of arms, where it stands for strength and courage. One explanation traces it back to the legend of Jason and the Argonauts. For a city of its size, Ljubljana has plenty else to fill an evening; there are more things to do in Ljubljana than I had time for.

Piran and the coast

The second day went south to the Karst and the sea, taking in the Lipica Stud Farms and the coastal town of Piran, close to the Italian border. It is startling how little driving separates Ljubljana from Italy, Croatia and Austria. Piran is a historical old town of narrow streets that draws visitors for its coastline and its weather; neighbouring Portorož feels more like a resort. If you like sitting by the water watching the horizon, this is a good place to lose an hour or two over food and a little history.

The main square is named for the violinist Giuseppe Tartini, and his bronze statue has stood there since 1896. I bought a small souvenir there — a lighthouse with a ship's captain peering through binoculars — for my father, who spent more than thirty years sailing the world.

Where to stay in Ljubljana

I usually move between neighbourhoods and types of accommodation to get a feel for a city. On this trip the base was Hotel Park, a certified green hotel that takes its environmental commitments seriously, with meeting rooms, wellness and fitness facilities, a restaurant and the Champion's Lounge sports bar. It sits about two kilometres from the Ljubljana Conference Centre, and a bus stop nearby puts the centre about ten minutes away. Roundabout Travel collects guests at the front door, which matters when you have an early start.

The hotel invited me to stay, and the welcome made a difference to how the days began. The private jacuzzi and sauna in the room were an unexpected bonus at the end of a long walk. For other budgets, Hostel Celica is the name I would look at first.

Practical notes

• Vintgar Gorge: about 60 km from Ljubljana; 1.6 km trail; allow 45 minutes or more.
• Bled: about 54 km from Ljubljana, 45 minutes by car; 5 km from Vintgar.
• Skocjan Caves: 2 km of trail open, guided only; no photography.
• Piran: on the coast near the Italian border, easily paired with Lipica.

Ljubljana is pronounced lyoo-BLYAH-nah, which is worth knowing before you ask for directions. The city's own tourist board is a good source for what is on, and the Skocjan park website explains the cave system in more detail.

I travelled with Roundabout Travel, who arranged the routes and the transport, and the city of Ljubljana helped with information. Thanks also to Austria Trend Hotel Ljubljana for hosting me. All views are my own.

Four days was not enough. I left with a list of what I had missed — Postojna, the Bohinj valley, the Julian Alps proper — and the sense that Slovenia rewards the kind of traveller who keeps adding one more stop. If you have been, I would like to know which part stayed with you.