5 Days in Slovenia... and you can see it all!

The city of Ljubljana (yes it is spelt correctly), is a very happening place which had a artsy feel to it. It had the old style of churches, squares, castles and cobblestone streets mixed with the young vibe of the new and fresh. There is a large square where 3 rivers meet and has become a great spot to see buskers and meet friends to have a drink with.

The town of Bled, which is about an hour north from Ljubljana, is a very popular place with reason. It is nestled in amoungst the mountains, has a lake at it centre that is about 6Km in circumference. Surrounding the lake is forest and in the centre of the lake is a tiny island with a church on top. The legend tells that the church was built by a nun who lost her lover to the lake and she rings the bell outside the church eternally for his return, people today ring it to make thier wish. Atop one of the mountains is castle snuggled into the cliffedge. So all in all you have mountains, lake, island with ancient church and a castle on the hill to top it off... what is not to like! One downfall is the popularity of this beatuiful place that has seen it turn into a busy hotel town. I stayed in the old town part of Bled and that has none of the towering hotels, I had a beautiful view of the mountains from my hostel window.

I also visited down southern Slovenia on a small group tour. We headed to Predjana Castle, Skocjan Caves, Lipica and Piran all in one day. Predjana castle is literally built into the side of a cliff and it was one of the most amazing castles that I have seen on my travels just due to the difficulty of building in such a precarious spot. Skocjan Caves are UNESCO protected and head deep underground for about 6kms... not for the claustrophobic. They are a beautiful sight though, full of narrow passage ways opening up to caverns up to 30 metres wide and tall, full of stalagmites and stalagtites of various shapes and sizes. It is particularly unique due to the river that joins the caves and runs about 45 meters underfoot as you navigate along a bridge.... I didnt really like this part and had to run accross! Man made bridges.... not my thing! A magical place... bats included.

Another day was spent walking Lake Bohinj which is in Triglov National Park, the largest and only national park in Slovenia. It was a real highlight for me with its clear blue waters, streams and forests surrounded by amazing mountains.

written by  aweasel on September 3, 2009 from Ljubljana, Slovenia
from the travel blog: Slovenia
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