Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia, a beautiful country east of Italy and a former Yugoslavian state. The city – known as the Dragon City – is very small for the capital of a country. On the map of the city, they have their tallest building labeled “Skyscraper.”The quaint city center was a nice break from the bustling metropolitan cities we have been to so far.
Our first day in Ljubljana, we explored the old part of the town, but unfortunately, a lot of places were closed because it was a Sunday. Our hostel was only a five-minute walk from the main part of town, just across the Zmajski Most (Dragon Bridge).
A View of the City Beyond the Dragon Bridge
City Center and the Triple Bridge
Postojna Caves
Later that afternoon, we took an hour-long train ride to Postojna, Slovenia to see the Postojnska jama – the longest cave system in the country, discovered there in 1818. The caves are one of Slovenia’s most popular tourist attractions. Although we would have preferred to visit the Škocjan Caves, which are a UNESCO world heritage site and among the most important caves in the world, they are harder to access without a car. The Postojna caves were definitely a tourist-filled attraction, but still beautiful nonetheless. The entrance cost, 16 euros for students, was expensive for the mediocre tour provided at the caves, but the sight alone is worth it.
The caves were only discovered very recently, but they were formed over 3 million years ago. The enormous stalagmites and stalactites that form in the caves only grow one centimeter every couple hundred years when rain water drips down into the caves. Judging by the size of them in these pictures, you can only imagine how far back they date.
Before leaving Postojna, we stopped at a local craft and food festival where we tried samples of local products, including olive oil and honey alcohol. We were glad to stumble upon the festival because it was a lot less touristy than the caves and showed us a ton of the local character.
Lake Bled
Our last stop in Slovenia was the picturesque town of Bled, situated on a lake and surrounded by mountains and forests. In the middle of the lake is Bled Island, the only natural island in Slovenia. Though the town is known to be a popular tourist location in Slovenia, it was not crowded when we went, making it a nice, relaxing destination on our whirlwind tour of Europe.
View of Bled Island from the Castle
The day started out cloudy with a chance of rain, putting a damper on our arrival in this beautiful town. But, by the time we climbed the steep hill to the Blejski Grad (Bled Castle), the sun came out and we had an amazing view of the entire lake and the surrounding scenery.
Blejski Grad
At the castle’s wine cellar, you could bottle your own wine in the old Slovenian fashion for 12 euros, so we decided to take the opportunity and get this awesome souvenir (although now we have to carry it for the rest of the trip!). After putting in the cork, you seal the bottle with hot beeswax and then stamp the castle’s seal in hot wax on the bottle.
The Finished Product
Next on our list was to make it out to the island in the center of the lake. There were two ways to get there – pay 12 euros each to take a ride on a gondola-like boat with other people, or rent our own row boat. (I guess you could also swim to it, but Dan and I weren’t up for that challenge!) We decided to rent the row boat, so we could take our time to explore the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary and then go swimming in the lake after.
Dan Working Hard
At the church on the island, you can ring the bell inside and make a wish that will supposedly come true.
Church on the Island
Out of all of our stops in Slovenia, we decided we liked Bled the best! If you’re ever planning a trip to Slovenia, make sure to stop in Lake Bled for a few relaxing days.
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