Slovenia
Slovenia is such a diverse
country; hardly anywhere else can you find so many natural and cultural
attractions in such a small area. I have visited one of its most famous resorts
– Lake Bled set amongst the Julian Alps and deserves a blog of its own; and
stayed a few days in its capital Ljubljana. Due to Ljubljana’s central
position, it is a perfect base for exploring and within an hour or so, you can
reach the coast, high mountains, several adjoining countries and many of Slovenia’s
other attractions. I have been lucky enough to see a few of these and been astounded
by its breath-taking scenery, its history and its culture. Leaving Ljubljana
early morning, we were soon in the mountains, which the locals visit at weekends
for an afternoon, to ski, hike or rock climb – anything that involves being
outdoors.
Our journey took us into the Soca Valley, home to the aquamarine ‘Emerald River’. The scenery was becoming more dramatic the further we got into Triglav National Park – named after country’s highest mountain. The first stop was Kranjska Gora; where we saw Lake Jasna, aka Clarity Lake. What a fabulous sight it was, with the mountains behind reflecting in the clear turquoise water.
The statue of Zlatoreg, a mythical horned chamois that roamed the slopes of Mount Triglav, now guards the lake.
From here, we headed up into the forest, along a road that is renowned for its 50 numbered hairpin bends; the pass is only open for half the year as it is impassable in the winter months. Ten thousand Russian Prisoners of War built this mountain pass in the First World War; and on March 1916, an avalanche killed over 300 prisoners and guards.
At
bend number 8, a wooden chapel, Ruska Cesta, has been built as a memorial to
them. It was a difficult journey through
the pass, but luckily our driver took it very steady and no-one was sick!
Finally, after bend number 50, we reached the summit of the Vrsic mountain pass
– at 1611 metres it is the highest pass in the Julian Alps.
You could see for miles around, but I wasn’t that impressed. There were a couple of wooden shacks selling refreshments - it is the starting point for many hikers and climbers. Downhill from here, through the alpine meadows of the Trenta Valley, we stopped at the Small Soca Gorge – to see where the river has made pot holes in the rocks.
This gorge is only 100 metres long, and we just viewed it from the bridge. The next gorge, The Great Soca Gorge is 750 metres long and we walked along the rugged pathway following the brightly coloured water below. The scenery was absolutely beautiful, the pale rocks, the white shingle, the aquamarine water and a clear blue sky – it could not have been any more perfect.
You did need to watch your footing though – as the path was quite dangerous in places. The 138 km long Soca River is renowned as one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe and it is an important national treasure to the people of Slovenia. I had not been expecting such wonderful scenery and was so impressed. Sixty five percent of the country is still forested, and inhabited by bears, cats, boars, deer and snakes – as well as wooden huts built in the forest for hikers.
We made a short stop at Bovec, a small alpine village that is very quaint and so clean and tidy. The houses in this area have steep roofs to encourage snow to slide off; there is so much snow here that these communities are cut off for months at a time through the winter.
All the windows are small and there are several layers of shutters to keep out the bad weather as well as thousands of logs surrounding the walls. From here you can go fishing, kayaking or rafting on the rapids of the Soca River.
We had an hour in the town of Kobarid, which has stood in these mountains since the Copper Age, prospering in Roman Times, but is more famous for the Battle of Kobarid in WW1. The museum here tells the story of this battle and of other historical events from this area, with exhibitions in various languages.
You can have a guided tour of the museum and see a documentary film. The entrance hall is rather symbolic with displays of ammunition and WW1 battlefield maps. The town itself was larger than any other we had seen for hours, it has a Tourist information centre with free toilets and several shops and restaurants around the town square.
There is a statue is of the poet and priest Simon Gregorcic who predicted the Great War - years before it happened. This town was so quiet, with hardly anyone about; it was immaculately kept, not even a leaf left unswept on the road.
Walking trails, rock climbing groups, biking tracks and even paragliding courses start here. The town is visited by tourists, staying a night or two, or passing through on their way to or from Italy, Austria and Hungary – none are very far away. It was a short walk from town to reach Napoleon Bridge; the old bridge was built in 1750 and became known as Napoleon’s bridge when his troops marched over it. On the first day of WW1, it was blown up by Austrian soldiers, and later rebuild by the Italians.
The picture of the bridge as we walked down the hill towards it was so dramatic – the mountains behind it, the water running below it and the sun shining through the arch – made a beautiful picture. If you had just crossed it in a car or bus, you would never have been able to appreciate it.
Continuing along the Soca river, we arrived the start of the walk to Kozkak Waterfalls. Hiking through the forest, we came to the 52-metre-long swing bridge that connects both banks of the river which was built in 1998. The bridge sways when lots of people are on it, so anyone with vertigo needs to take it very steadily.
Through the forest, over streams, past caves and along wooden walkways, until you end up in a cavern described as “a kind of underground hall”. To reach this part, you have to walk along a very narrow and slippery rock face, climbing upwards with a metal rope attached to the wall to hold on to.
At the top, you arrive at a wooden ledge that only has room for 4-6 people; this is where you get the best view of the 15-metre-high Kozjak Waterfall which thunders into a pool below. It is really quite dark in the cavern, and with limited room on the ledge; I didn’t stay any longer than just to take a quick photograph.
Walking back, the sunlight was shining through the trees and reflecting off the stream, and I found that more picturesque that the waterfall. Crossing the swing bridge and the Emerald river for one last time, we headed back to Ljubljana.
What a fabulous day it had been! I felt like I had
seen and experienced the true Slovenia, it had been nothing like I had expected
– it was amazing.
Another of Slovenia’s top tourist sites is Lipica Stud Farm; 80km from the capital, it is world renowned for its classical riding school, and was the first stud farm to breed Lipizzaner horses. It was established in 1580 by Archduke Karl, as a place to breed horses for the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.
The stud has suffered greatly in its past; they were evacuated to Hungary during Napoleon's time, divided by the Italians and Austrians during WW1 and seized by the Germans in WW2. As we arrived, there were many foals grazing in their paddocks; most were black or dark grey - they only turn white when they reach about 6 years of age.
It was a magnificent sight to see so many together. At 5pm, the gates are opened, and they all run back to their communal stable block (a large building that is not sectioned off). We were shown around the luxurious stables, the small chapel, a museum that tells of the history and the evolution of horses and of course we saw the horses themselves.
There were about 350 horses there when I went, mares for breeding, youngsters that are being trained, and the stallions - even the retired ones. From the age of 4 the stallions start training, and by 7, they are ready to perform agile routines that delight audiences worldwide; and they continue to perform well into their 20s. The vast estate is remarkably elegant, with spotless well-tended grounds and fields, and white fenced paddocks.
After a guided tour we went to the indoor riding school to watch a training session by a top teacher from Vienna. That was quite an experience; 8 Pure Lipizzaner’s being put through their paces; watching them learning to jump with all 4 feet off the ground at once.
A thoroughly enjoyable morning. After a short drive through the beautiful Slovenian countryside, the next stop was Postojna caves, which were first discovered in 1818. Railway lines were laid in the cave in 1872 to provide a train for tourists, and a few years later electricity was used to power these locomotives.
We boarded the train and descended several kilometres underground; this journey took about 10 minutes during which there was a significant drop in temperature.
Postojna Caves are a network of 20 kilometres of passages, galleries and chambers; and after whizzing through the exceptional ballroom cavern with its huge chandelier; we disembarked the train and headed on foot up the path of The Great Mountain. The first caves were the best; the Spaghetti hall, the White hall (which was like a winter wonderland) and the Red hall were truly remarkable.
We crossed a bridge and saw calcite formations, stalactites and stalagmites in a variety of shapes, colours and ages. The most famous stalagmite called The Brilliant is a 5-metre shiny white limestone formation that certainly lives up to its name.
Although the cave is very dark, there is one strange creature that lives in these conditions, a Proteus – a salamander species with no eyes, and can live without food for many years - we only saw the one in the aquarium. The walk ended at a huge hall where special concerts are held, and then we boarded the train again to be taken back to the surface.
The last kilometre of tunnels is particularly dark with blackened walls, due to a fuel fire in WW2. Not far from here is Predjama Castle built under the rocky arch of a towering cliff; it was first mentioned in 1274, although most of what is standing now is 16th century.
It is home to a huge cave and secret tunnel system; where the knight Erazem of Predjama would set out on his plundering expeditions – returning to store his loot safely in this castle. For more information on this castle see:- https://www.postojnska-jama.eu/sl/predjamski-grad
Our journey took us into the Soca Valley, home to the aquamarine ‘Emerald River’. The scenery was becoming more dramatic the further we got into Triglav National Park – named after country’s highest mountain. The first stop was Kranjska Gora; where we saw Lake Jasna, aka Clarity Lake. What a fabulous sight it was, with the mountains behind reflecting in the clear turquoise water.
The statue of Zlatoreg, a mythical horned chamois that roamed the slopes of Mount Triglav, now guards the lake.
From here, we headed up into the forest, along a road that is renowned for its 50 numbered hairpin bends; the pass is only open for half the year as it is impassable in the winter months. Ten thousand Russian Prisoners of War built this mountain pass in the First World War; and on March 1916, an avalanche killed over 300 prisoners and guards.
You could see for miles around, but I wasn’t that impressed. There were a couple of wooden shacks selling refreshments - it is the starting point for many hikers and climbers. Downhill from here, through the alpine meadows of the Trenta Valley, we stopped at the Small Soca Gorge – to see where the river has made pot holes in the rocks.
This gorge is only 100 metres long, and we just viewed it from the bridge. The next gorge, The Great Soca Gorge is 750 metres long and we walked along the rugged pathway following the brightly coloured water below. The scenery was absolutely beautiful, the pale rocks, the white shingle, the aquamarine water and a clear blue sky – it could not have been any more perfect.
You did need to watch your footing though – as the path was quite dangerous in places. The 138 km long Soca River is renowned as one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe and it is an important national treasure to the people of Slovenia. I had not been expecting such wonderful scenery and was so impressed. Sixty five percent of the country is still forested, and inhabited by bears, cats, boars, deer and snakes – as well as wooden huts built in the forest for hikers.
We made a short stop at Bovec, a small alpine village that is very quaint and so clean and tidy. The houses in this area have steep roofs to encourage snow to slide off; there is so much snow here that these communities are cut off for months at a time through the winter.
All the windows are small and there are several layers of shutters to keep out the bad weather as well as thousands of logs surrounding the walls. From here you can go fishing, kayaking or rafting on the rapids of the Soca River.
We had an hour in the town of Kobarid, which has stood in these mountains since the Copper Age, prospering in Roman Times, but is more famous for the Battle of Kobarid in WW1. The museum here tells the story of this battle and of other historical events from this area, with exhibitions in various languages.
You can have a guided tour of the museum and see a documentary film. The entrance hall is rather symbolic with displays of ammunition and WW1 battlefield maps. The town itself was larger than any other we had seen for hours, it has a Tourist information centre with free toilets and several shops and restaurants around the town square.
There is a statue is of the poet and priest Simon Gregorcic who predicted the Great War - years before it happened. This town was so quiet, with hardly anyone about; it was immaculately kept, not even a leaf left unswept on the road.
Walking trails, rock climbing groups, biking tracks and even paragliding courses start here. The town is visited by tourists, staying a night or two, or passing through on their way to or from Italy, Austria and Hungary – none are very far away. It was a short walk from town to reach Napoleon Bridge; the old bridge was built in 1750 and became known as Napoleon’s bridge when his troops marched over it. On the first day of WW1, it was blown up by Austrian soldiers, and later rebuild by the Italians.
The picture of the bridge as we walked down the hill towards it was so dramatic – the mountains behind it, the water running below it and the sun shining through the arch – made a beautiful picture. If you had just crossed it in a car or bus, you would never have been able to appreciate it.
Continuing along the Soca river, we arrived the start of the walk to Kozkak Waterfalls. Hiking through the forest, we came to the 52-metre-long swing bridge that connects both banks of the river which was built in 1998. The bridge sways when lots of people are on it, so anyone with vertigo needs to take it very steadily.
Through the forest, over streams, past caves and along wooden walkways, until you end up in a cavern described as “a kind of underground hall”. To reach this part, you have to walk along a very narrow and slippery rock face, climbing upwards with a metal rope attached to the wall to hold on to.
At the top, you arrive at a wooden ledge that only has room for 4-6 people; this is where you get the best view of the 15-metre-high Kozjak Waterfall which thunders into a pool below. It is really quite dark in the cavern, and with limited room on the ledge; I didn’t stay any longer than just to take a quick photograph.
Walking back, the sunlight was shining through the trees and reflecting off the stream, and I found that more picturesque that the waterfall. Crossing the swing bridge and the Emerald river for one last time, we headed back to Ljubljana.
Another of Slovenia’s top tourist sites is Lipica Stud Farm; 80km from the capital, it is world renowned for its classical riding school, and was the first stud farm to breed Lipizzaner horses. It was established in 1580 by Archduke Karl, as a place to breed horses for the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.
The stud has suffered greatly in its past; they were evacuated to Hungary during Napoleon's time, divided by the Italians and Austrians during WW1 and seized by the Germans in WW2. As we arrived, there were many foals grazing in their paddocks; most were black or dark grey - they only turn white when they reach about 6 years of age.
It was a magnificent sight to see so many together. At 5pm, the gates are opened, and they all run back to their communal stable block (a large building that is not sectioned off). We were shown around the luxurious stables, the small chapel, a museum that tells of the history and the evolution of horses and of course we saw the horses themselves.
There were about 350 horses there when I went, mares for breeding, youngsters that are being trained, and the stallions - even the retired ones. From the age of 4 the stallions start training, and by 7, they are ready to perform agile routines that delight audiences worldwide; and they continue to perform well into their 20s. The vast estate is remarkably elegant, with spotless well-tended grounds and fields, and white fenced paddocks.
After a guided tour we went to the indoor riding school to watch a training session by a top teacher from Vienna. That was quite an experience; 8 Pure Lipizzaner’s being put through their paces; watching them learning to jump with all 4 feet off the ground at once.
A thoroughly enjoyable morning. After a short drive through the beautiful Slovenian countryside, the next stop was Postojna caves, which were first discovered in 1818. Railway lines were laid in the cave in 1872 to provide a train for tourists, and a few years later electricity was used to power these locomotives.
We boarded the train and descended several kilometres underground; this journey took about 10 minutes during which there was a significant drop in temperature.
Postojna Caves are a network of 20 kilometres of passages, galleries and chambers; and after whizzing through the exceptional ballroom cavern with its huge chandelier; we disembarked the train and headed on foot up the path of The Great Mountain. The first caves were the best; the Spaghetti hall, the White hall (which was like a winter wonderland) and the Red hall were truly remarkable.
We crossed a bridge and saw calcite formations, stalactites and stalagmites in a variety of shapes, colours and ages. The most famous stalagmite called The Brilliant is a 5-metre shiny white limestone formation that certainly lives up to its name.
Although the cave is very dark, there is one strange creature that lives in these conditions, a Proteus – a salamander species with no eyes, and can live without food for many years - we only saw the one in the aquarium. The walk ended at a huge hall where special concerts are held, and then we boarded the train again to be taken back to the surface.
The last kilometre of tunnels is particularly dark with blackened walls, due to a fuel fire in WW2. Not far from here is Predjama Castle built under the rocky arch of a towering cliff; it was first mentioned in 1274, although most of what is standing now is 16th century.
It is home to a huge cave and secret tunnel system; where the knight Erazem of Predjama would set out on his plundering expeditions – returning to store his loot safely in this castle. For more information on this castle see:- https://www.postojnska-jama.eu/sl/predjamski-grad
I hope I have inspired you to
visit this remarkable country, it has so much to offer; and I haven’t even
touched upon its coastline yet. Don’t forget to check out my Lake Bled and
Ljubljana blogs -
Thanks for stopping by,
Lynne
Lynne
Please check out my other blogs -
Beautifully explained article. I'm really interested on reading this. Please feel free to read our travel guide blogs.
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