So with covid restrictions and the (questionable) traffic system still in place, I picked Slovenia partly because it was on the green list and also because it seemed a place which wasn’t visited as much as other places in Europe.

From speaking to other people who have visited Slovenia, it seemed to have a bit of a reputation for being an underrated place. It wasn’t the sort of country that if you asked people, they would put it in a list of top 5 or 10 places on a bucket list of places to visit. At the same time, those who have been to Slovenia had nothing but good things to say about the place.

That isn’t a knock on Slovenia but if you ask people about travelling in Europe, generally the first thing that comes to mind that they will say, is places like Rome, Barcelona, Berlin, Paris and so on.

It was also a country I’ve not been to, and like anyone who loves travelling, there is always a feeling of excitement in the air when there is an opportunity to cross another new place off the list, especially ones that we don’t know too much about.                

As with my previous blog on the Algarve, I will go through day trip opportunities in Slovenia, and wow are they some good options for day trips to be had here.       

Lake Bled 

Where else to start than Lake Bled? Mention Slovenia and people will likely have heard of Lake Bled. 

Lake Bled is in the Julian Alps in the north west of Slovenia, a 45 minute drive from Ljubljana. The town of Bled is pretty small. There are options for accommodation if you would rather stay nearby the surrounding area instead of driving or taking public transport.  

You know you’ll have arrived when you come down the hill as you reach the centre with a view of the lake and Bled Castle to your right. If you’re driving the best place to park is the centre for €2 an hour. The further you go in, the sooner you notice the modest Bled Island in the middle of the lake.  

I visited Lake Bled twice. The first was the morning after I arrived. I went with Tabatha, from Rhode Island in the States. We met at the reception of our accommodation when I was enquiring about hiring a car. Tabatha was on her own extended solo trip and offered to drive us as she was planning to go to Lake Bled, and said to me to hold off hiring a car until I needed to.                                

I didn’t know what to say, I was almost speechless. It’s always nice meeting fellow travellers and what I like about meeting others travelling is that community like feeling amongst travellers helping one another whether it be tips, recommendations etc. 

Once we got to the lake we decided to take a boat to Bled Island. The journey takes 10 – 15 minutes and a return boat ride costs €15. There was one guy doing it for €12. He charged €12 as he would drop you off then head back and forth more frequently whereas the boats charging €15 would wait for you. The boats depart once they fill up (they can take 10 people) and usually you don’t wait long for it to fill up. 

I don’t know what your expectations of Bled Island would be but looking from afar, it seemed bigger than it actually was. It takes about 30 minutes to see the whole Island before you sit at the top near the Church and have an ice cream while taming in the views. 

When you arrive on boat, you’re given an hour before you need to be back to take the return journey. It’s more than enough time to explore the Island at a leisurely pace.

The only real things to note when it comes to Bled Island is the infamous 99 steps up to the Church. There is a tradition that if the bride and groom want to get married in the Church, the groom must carry the bride up all 99 steps in order for the ceremony to take place in the Church.

I can’t really think of anything that stood out on Bled Island, once you’ve seen it, you don’t need to visit again. It was good to visit but I thought it was better looking at it afar from Lake Bled. 

The second time I visited, the sun was shining with clear blue skies as opposed to the cloudy day from the first visit.  

I went with Sabrina, a Lebanese American, and Alex, from Germany. Sabrina and Alex, like Tabatha were staying in the same place as me. Sabrina spoke about wanting to see Lake Bled and Piran, and as I had the car rental, I wanted to see Lake Bled on a good day and Piran is a place to see when the weather is good.  

I saw Alex in and around the hostel and we’d have a quick chat here and there. Before setting off to Lake Bled, Alex mentioned that he was planning to hitch hike to Bled, and then hike when he arrived to Bled. He asked if he could get a lift. Hiking around Bled sounds like a mission itself without considering how long it could take to hitch hike there, so I was more than happy to help him on his journey.

Listening to Alex’s back story on the way to Lake Bled was an interesting one. The places he’s been to, working in places such as the Philippines and exploring South Korea. I’ve not been to Asia so listening about his adventures makes me want to go even more than before! 

While Alex and Sabrina took the boat to Bled Island, I took the time to have a leisurely stroll around the lake, enjoy basking in the sunshine and met back with them when they finished. 

We went to Bled Castle which you will mainly go to for the views you get of Lake Bled and Bled Island. You can go in and look around at the exhibition, we didn’t bother with it. We spent the time admiring the view which pictures will do no justice.  

It was worth the second trip for the good weather. The water is so clean and clear, I think next time I visit I’ll being some swim shorts and jump in the lake.

          

Lake Bohinj

Not far from Lake Bled is Lake Bohinj. A 30 minute drive away from Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj is the largest permanent lake in Slovenia. 

It is located in the Bohinj Valley of the Julian Alps and part of the Triglav National Park.  

There are many options for parking. As soon as you arrive in Bohinj, try to find a spot at the other end of the lake. It’s the best part of the lake for chilling and exploring.  

After parking up, it takes a few minutes to reach the lake. Cross over the bridge and you become in awe of the views. So clear and natural, the surrounding mountains. I can’t think of any words to describe what it was like. 

There’s a trail that leads you into the woods which goes from one end of the lake to the other. I walked roughly less than half the trail. People I would walk past would say there isn’t much to see after the halfway point so I turned back. The total time to walk the whole trail is around an hour depending how often you stop off.

There are some good spots to stop for views, chill and take photos. Being in and around Lake Bohinj, you feel at peace, calm and relaxed. Having done a fair mixture of walking and hiking, I was looking forward to getting back to the beginning of the trail and just sitting by the lake. 

You can hike up for an hour and get an ariel view of the lake and there is a 2 hour hike to a waterfall. I swear my legs felt heavier hearing about this and essentially begged me to say not to do it. I didn’t need much persuading to make the choice to sit down and take a moment which turned into an hour before I knew it.              

Sometimes it’s just good to sit and do nothing when you’re travelling. Taking a deep breath, savouring the moment and taking a break.  

Lake Bohinj is the ideal place for that. 

And just like that a few hours at one of Slovenia’s gems came to an end. You can easily spend a whole day and more around here.  

I preferred Lake Bohinj over Lake Bled. That’s not a knock on Lake Bled, it’s a place I would visit again, but Lake Bohinj is less touristic, it’s peaceful and the nature around here is something to be admired.  

Lake Bled has hotels, hostels and a small town centre catered for tourists whereas Lake Bohinj doesn’t have anything of sort from what I saw. You have the authentic experience when you’re in Bohinj.

Both lakes are 30 minutes apart from one another so rather than choosing to visit one over the other, visit both and enjoy the experience.      

Vintgar Gorge

So I didn’t hear about Vintgar Gorge until Tabatha had mentioned that she planned to visit. From Lake Bled it’s a 15 minute drive and is in the municipalities of Gorje and Bled. 

When you arrive on the road leading to the gorge, there’s someone helping people park on the road, but there is a car park further up ahead and it costs €5 which is the same as parking on the road.            

The 1 mile long Gorge has 2 trails, a short one and a long one. I have no idea which one we took. The directions weren’t clear but we went with the flow anyway. 

I don’t know what to say or how to describe Vintgar Gorge. I’m not even sure the pictures will do it justice even if a picture can speak a thousand words.  

The area, the place, it’s all beautiful. A place to take your time walking the trail through wooden bridges surrounded by hills, walls and rock formations. Another highlight walking through Vintgar Gorge is the Radovna River with its rapids and pools. The trail ends at the 13m high Sum River waterfall.  

There are many spots for photo opportunities. A mile isn’t long but it will take long walking the trail with the multiple times you will stop to take pictures and look around.  

The walk back s another thing. We were told it takes 15 minutes to make your way back to the start. We then saw signs that said it was 40 minutes! By this point we were starting to feel it having been on the go since the morning. Tabatha had hurt her knee cliff diving in Croatia before coming to Slovenia so it was extra stress on her.  

The walk back is through the woods, the first 15 minutes is fairly uphill but after that it gets easier and more downhill and I would say it took less than 30 minutes.                  

Don’t let that put you off, I’d like to think I’m doing my duty in giving you a heads up. Vintgar Gorge is one you should not miss when you are in Slovenia. I’m grateful Tabatha suggested coming here. It’s easy to get to from Lake Bled, and there is enough time to explore both in the one day.         

     

Pericnik Waterfalls

The 52m high Pericnik Waterfall is one of the highest in Slovenia. It’s a 30 minute drive from both Lake Bled and Vintgar Gorge. 

It’s a popular place amongst cyclists and hikers as you will come to find as you drive to the falls. Me and Tabatha got here after 5pm. As we parked up and got out, you could see the waterfalls at a distance.  

There’s a 2 level hiking trail to get closer to the waterfall. I hiked up alone as the day took its toll on Tabatha’s knee. I suggested going back to Ljubljana as it seemed unfair for her to stay by the car and wait for me while she rest up.  

She insisted I go and she wasn’t fussed about how long I took. I did my best to make sure I didn‘t take the piss by taking long. I was grateful to Tabatha for not only driving to all these places and waiting, but also for the company as we explored all these places.

The hike up to the first level takes 5 minutes. Here you get a closer view of the waterfall, in the evening time as you won’t be surprised to hear it’s pretty cold as you feel bits of water from the falls hitting your face though it’s refreshing at the same time. The closer you get to the waterfall, the more careful you need to be as it’s more slippery.  

That also applies to hiking up the two levels of the trail. The paths are uneven and probably stating the obvious but  you need your wits about you with each step considering visibility is less compared to day time hours. 

The second level of the trail takes 10 minutes to get to from the first level. And honestly it was a bit of a brutal hike. So steep, it felt like it was never ending. I needed a couple of minutes to recover when I got to there.  

The second level is more about the scenery and the backdrop rather than the the waterfall. The bonus of taking a few minutes to recover from that hike was the opportunity to enjoy the views, and the peace of being there alone. I imagine during peak hours it must be a nightmare to hike up. It worked out well coming when we did as it was empty. 

I didn’t know this until afterwards but you can go behind the waterfall. I wouldn’t have known where to go or how to get there. With visibility beginning to worsen as the evening descended on us, that idea would likely have been nipped in the bud.        

                                 

Skocjan Caves

The Skocjan Caves are one of 14,000 in Slovenia and home to the largest underground canyon in Europe and one of the largest in the world. 

What we didn’t realise after buying our ticket is you go with a huge group of people with a tour guide, You walk for 5 minutes to the beginning of the caves. There is no limit on the number of people in the tour, it depends how many buy tickets before the start of the scheduled tour. 

There must have been at least 50 people and 3 tour guides. Before going in the caves, the tour guide gave a 10 – 15 minute talk in Slovenian and English about the caves, the history etc before we are split into two separate groups and head in to explore. 

This part is something that came in during the pandemic. Pre pandemic they did group tours in the cave along with the tour guides. While the pandemic is ongoing they will continue doing it this way. 

In a way I liked the idea of listening to the tour guide before going in the cave and getting on with it. It was something new, and in this setting it worked well. And who knows, it could be something that becomes quite common on guided tours in the future.    

Before entering, we were told photos inside weren’t allowed so any photos posted on the Skocjan Cave are before and after exploring the cave. Of course there were people that ignored this and still took photos inside the cave. Without sounding all goody goody, I didn’t take any photos inside because that’s the way it should be and it just becomes a hassle if you get caught. I guess it’s having respect for the place and the people who are doing their job when they are going through do’s and don’t’s.  

In the past when I visited the Jeita Grotto in Lebanon it was the same rule on photo, and I tried ignoring it as I had my GoPro with me at the time (and wasn’t successful in that attempt). Thinking about it, it was pointless trying to ignore it, it’s a simple request and there was no excuse for doing it. 

The start to finish is about 1km long. It will likely be the slowest 1km you’ve walked because there’s all sorts to see and admire. I was in awe. The rock formations, the gorges and more. On the side of the wall over the far side of the gorge was a big stair case that wouldn’t be for the faint hearted. You’d have to be crazy to contemplate going near them. There was bits of equipment set up inside for people who work in the cave to see if there is anything they can discover. whatever they’re paid isn’t enough

After you reach the end, you can take one of two ways back, the short route which is 10-15 minutes walking but it is mostly uphill and steep, or take the longer way which is 45 minutes but not steep.  

Guess which option me and Tabatha took? 

Of course we went for the longer route. It was good to take our time, stopping for photo opportunities and casually chatting to other visitors. I don’t think any of us had a bad word to say about our visit here, it’s not easy to get to using public transport. If you get the chance while you’re in Slovenia, make sure the Skocjan Caves is included in your itinerary.  

Predjama Castle

Not far from the Skocjan Caves, just outside of the town of Postojna is one of Slovenia’s most popular attractions, Predjama Castle. 

For more than 800 years Predjama Castle has sat halfway up a 120m+ cliff and is the largest cave castle in the world.  

This will sound stupid but I haven’t heard of cave castles being a thing, or even knew a castle in a cave could exist.  

At the entrance you’re given a device with headphones, you hold it up to a sign that has the wireless icon and a number on it (for some reason it starts from number 70 and ends with 92) and you listen to 1 – 3 minute sound bites on the history, use and functionality of certain rooms and areas in the castle, items and so on. 

It made the whole experience betterr. Quick and short interactive lessons that isn’t too much for visitors and adds the fun aspect to learning. There was something similar in the Galileo Museum in Florence but having been 3 years ago, I couldn’t tell you much from memory and also I recall forgetting to press the button on the device and listening half the time. 

The castle isn’t as big as it appears in pictures. It takes an hour to look around. The usual rooms you would expect plus a whole range of replica weaponry, and a look in at the old caves and tunnels that was used to help hide Erasmus of Lueg, a renowned robber baron and lord of the castle from the threat of attack as the Roman Emperor Frederick III had commissioned the capture or killing of Erasmus.  

The roads leading to the castle and parking are quite tight so if you hire a car and plan on visiting, a compact car is ideal. If you want to make a day of it, you can also go and see the Postojna Caves which is 9km from Predjama Castle.  

This is one of the most unique castles I’ve seen. The only castle I have properly explored is Edinburgh Castle. Most castles are generally similar so I haven’t really bothered going inside them or palaces. Usually I take the “once you’ve seen one you’ve seen most” perspective, but Predjama Castle isn’t like most castles. It has unique features and a unique history.  

Piran

I drove down to the resort coastal city of Piran with Sabrina once we dropped Alex off after visiting Lake Bled. 

I have an interesting and weird story to share about my first encounter with Sabrina. 

We met at the reception of our accommodation as I was having issues with my key card and inconveniently interrupted her check in (she was a good sport about it), When I found out she lived in the States, I invited Sabrina to join me and Jake, another American I met a couple of days beforehand who had become a drinking buddy at the bar, for a drink. 

Sabrina joined us as me and Jake were talking football. I can’t remember how but the conversation shifted to our heritage and as I spoke about my Lebanese heritage, Sabrina excitedly tells us that she’s also Lebanese. 

It turns out that she’s from the village next to the one I’m from. It’s the sort of area where everyone knows everyone. We never met until she was checking in. She couldn’t possibly know people I know, right? 

Wrong! 

It turns out she’s related to people that share the same surname as me (people that I actually know!), and she has a relative who lives up the road from my grandparents. I had a couple of beers at this point and might have borderline nearly freaked out.  

We had a back and forth for a few minutes consisting of “Do you know this person?” and “Do you know that person?”.  

Spoiler alert, majority of answers was yes. 

We both rang our Mums to verify a couple of things and it turns out they both know each other and have known each other since they were kids.   

it was complicated going through the layers, basically we’re distantly related! 

Nevermind that we met in a random country like Slovenia, let alone staying at the same accommodation. Goodness knows what the odds are on that happening. I feel like I would have more chance of winning the lottery for 3 or 4 weeks in a row than a chance encounter like this. 

It was quite a surreal revelation. While all this was unfolding, Jake is looking on in disbelief. I wouldn’t blame him if he thought me and Sabrina were busting his balls. We would need impeccable acting skills to pull that off and compliant Mums on phone to keep the charade going. 

A few more beers were consumed to process all of this. 

Anyway, back to Piran because we’ve got side tracked. If you want to go to Piran without a car, the bus is the cheapest way and takes nearly 3 hours from Ljubljana. It takes an hour and a half in a car, and really, it’s just easier if you have a rental car in Slovenia. 

The first thing you notice when you arrive is stopping at the barrier to get a ticket into the city, like you would if you were entering a shopping mall car park, something that was new to me. I don’t think I have ever visited a city where I needed a ticket to enter. 

We arrived just after 4:30pm and what a day to come. The weather was good, clear blue skies and the sun shining. We picked a good day to go to Lake Bled and Piran. 

The first place we explored is Tartini square. It is the largest and main square in Piran, and named after violinist and composer, Giuseppe Tartini. From there we walked along the coast and had a look around before heading to the Bell Tower to look at the views. 

The walk up to the top of the Bell Tower is an adventure in itself, or more like a hazard. I’m not the tallest person but there are times going up where it gets pretty cosy. 

The views are worth the climb. The view of the Tartini Square from above, and the view of the old buildings leading towards the coastline. The great thing was it was just the two of us and we could take our time to savour the view and take as many pictures as we pleased.  

The only other place to go for a view of Piran is the city walls. The walls have remained well preserved by the looks of it. There are there several viewing points in the walls. Truth be told they are pretty similar, but nice to walk along them. 

Out of the two I think the Bell Tower has the best views of Piran. It is worth going to both anyway if you’re going to visit Piran. They both cost €2 to go to which is cheap compared to what you would pay to enter attractions in most places around the world.

Me and Sabrina went for a seafood dinner at a place by the sea as the sun began to set. It was a good way to end the day. It wasn’t the best food we ate and the service was ok. There are restaurants lined up as you walk along the coastline. We picked one that had a decent looking menu and allowed us to sit outside to have a direct view of the sunset. By this point we were happy to eat, talk travel, relax after being on our feet all day and watch the sunset. 

Piran is a must if you come to Slovenia. We were lucky that it wasn’t over crowded in September. We were told August in Piran can be a nightmare.

If or when I visit Piran again I would stay over the night. It’s small, it feels like you’re disconnected from the rest of the world, it’s close to the Italian border, it’s beautiful, historical, there aren’t enough words I can use to do Piran justice. But I’m sure by now you get the idea, go to Piran.

         

Soca Valley

If Piran is a must in Slovenia, so is Soca Valley in the north western region of Slovenia. 

I booked to do paragliding on my birthday. It was a choice between Soca Valley and Lake Bohinj. While Lake Bohinj would have made a good choice. I liked the idea of gliding through the mountains of Soca Valley. 

I was initially looking to go hand gliding but couldn’t find anything so I settled on paragliding. It was only me and a lady from Holland doing it. She took off first so I got to see how to take off. We were briefed on everything but listening to it and watching it is another thing. 

You’re suppose to keep running until you reach the end of the cliff and then lean back as if you’re sitting down relaxing. I was told to keep running regardless until I was told to sit back. 

I screwed up the running action, kind of stopped and then tried to compensate by running for a few seconds in the air. I’m certain my tandem sighed in disgust. I asked how I did with the take off, he said not badly but seemed hesitant saying it. I mean let’s face it, even I’m admitting it was shit but everything ended up ok in the end. 

As a self-confessed adrenaline thrill junkie, it isn’t something I would class as thrill seeking. It’s relaxing if anything, sitting down in the air, talking away with your tandem as they explain what we’re seeing. It was a good experience, watching the views of the mountains, the waterfalls and even seeing Austria and Italy far into the distance. It’s something to tick off the list.       

The landing was simple, all you have to do is keep your legs up while the tandem does the majority of the leg work. If you want to try something that doesn’t involve you doing much, this is the perfect thing.   

A popular place to visit in the region of Bovec is the Slap Virje Waterfall.  

There are no signs from what I saw so use GPS. To get there, you go past a random golf course, you know you’re nearby when the roads get tighter, it’s ultra tight driving on the road towards the car park. 

There are some information boards about Slap Virje as you walk through the woods. It takes less than 10 minutes going downhill, and there you see it, a modest waterfall in size, the area around it is peaceful. It isn’t like other waterfalls which are packed full of people.   

During spring time you can see a lot of melted snow around here. The emerald green pool looks good for swimming. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, if only I knew I would have taken my swim shorts with me.  

It’s the kind of place to unwind and reflect. A place to bring a picnic and sit for several hours. There are several spots where you can sit and be away from other visitors which is ideal if you’re a lone wolf.

Driving through Soca Valley is an experience in itself. Many places to stop off, have a wander, enjoy countless views to admire and more. You can make great use of a full day in Soca Valley. 

You could see the appeal for hikers, bikers and nature explores. It’s a popular place for to stay in, from small towns around to stay in to secluded accommodation.  

It’s easy to get to Austria and Italy through Soca Valley. Driving on the way I ended up driving through an abandoned border and spent a total of 10 minutes officially in Italy before driving up a hill and getting back to Slovenia. This is something that can happen several times when you drive on the mountains around here.  

Driving all the way through to the other side you will go past Bled on the way back to Ljubljana. I wasn’t use to driving these roads so I took my time. The mountainous roads reminded me of the ones you would see James Bond driving in his Aston Martin, well except mine was a Skoda which is nowhere near as glamourous, it shouldn’t even be considered as an alternative.  

If you meet Slovenian locals, all will tell you to visit Soca Valley. The more of this country I saw, the more in awe I became of this natural phenomenon of a country.   

Ljubljana

Which now leaves us with Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana. The city is small, you can see in a day or two if you want to take your time. 

One of the best ways to see a city is through a walking tour. Twice a day the tours meet by Ljubljana’s notably pink Franciscan Church.   

After showing our covid vaccine certificates, we were separated into groups. The turnout was so big that even the three groups we were separated into were big for a walking tour.  

Usually before setting you, the tour guide gives you a quick introduction about the city and important moments which last no more than 5 minutes. The tour guide we had spoke for about 15 minutes. I get the idea behind it with covering as much as possible but I thought it was too much. You could see people switching off. I think we were all eager to get moving and look around. 

The tour itself was good. The main thing we wanted to know was the best spots for food which the tour guide spent extra time giving us recommendations. The city is small enough that you can fit the tour in and explore everything in the day. 

The good thing about exploring Ljubljana on the Friday was the Odprta Kuhna street food market. Odprta Kuhna, which means open kitchen in Slovenian, is every Friday from March until the end of October and is open till 9pm.   

It’s lively all day long. Music playing constantly, the atmosphere is upbeat all day long. The vibe all round here will have you wanting to stay all day.         

Apart from the food, what I loved about Odprta Kuhna is their focus on sustainability. Every food stand uses recyclable packaging, wrapping, napkins, cups, you name it and they have it. It’s tidy and clean for a street food market because there are people constantly cleaning. There are members of staff who go around encouraging people to recycle after they finish. Even by the end of day the area was clean, it was impressive. Everything about how Odprta Kuhna goes about sustainability would be a good template for other food markets to follow.                                 

Being that it was the last full day I would spend in Slovenia, I made sure to try from several of food stands. I went past a Chinese food stand a few times which smelt good and realised I hadn’t eaten Chinese in a long time and all the sudden had cravings. 

And you can’t have food without having something sweet for dessert, right? There was a queue at a stand that did ice cream rolls from scratch. Seeing the making process from start to finish was pretty cool, especially seeing the staff crush and stab at the mixture like they were creating a beat to music before spreading it and curling it into rolls.  

In between visiting the Ljubljana Castle to watch the sunset, I went back to Odprta Kuhna for more. There was a burger stand that cooked rare burgers. Something I’ve never had before. I didn’t know what to expect or whether I’d like it but hey, when in Rome…Or in Ljubljana.    

I really enjoyed the taste of a tender burger, it’s something I would definitely have again. For people that aren’t a fan of having meat rare, it’s worth a try but of course there are certain ways you will like having your steaks and burgers cooked and it’s very rare (see what I did there?) for people to make sudden changes for the sake of trying something on a whim. 

There was another queue for a stand serving BBQ ribs. This was the last thing I would eat as I started to begin feeling it eating all this delicious food, and I doubt if I felt any appetite to try anything else that I would have had the time to order because it was getting closer to closing time. I took it slow, enjoyed it as the music continued to play out as the evening was among us. Done as ribs should be done, tender meat falling off the bone as you bite into it.  

Speaking of Ljubljana Castle, I went there to watch the sunset over the city.  

The castle, Ljubljana’s main attraction, is on a hill, behind the ancient walls overlooking the city.  

You can get there by either walking up hill for 10 minutes or take the funicular railway which takes a few minutes.  

Of course I took option number two and went with the funicular because why walk up a hill for 10 minutes after gorging on food from the street food market when you can get there in less time and save your legs? 

You can buy a ticket combo with the funicular which includes entry to the tower. FYI, it’s cheaper to buy when you get your funicular ticket than if you were to add the tower ticket when you arrive to the castle. 

The castle wasn’t what I expected it to be and I don’t mean that in a bad way.

The first thing I noticed in the castle was a couple of security guards at the entrance of a jazz club. 

Yes, a jazz club in a castle. If I had spare time, I would have had a look. Why have a normal castle with old weaponry and rooms when you can have a jazz club? Also in the castle are exhibitions, a museum, the old prison cellars you can see at the lower levels and a courtyard. 

I went up the tower as soon as I got to the castle. Clear blue skies, ready for the sunset, overlooking Ljubljana. Surprisingly only a few people, and we had the perfect view to watch the sunset with the mountainous backdrop. 

And that leaves us with food in Slovenia (apart from the Odprta Kuhna street food market). 

A lot of food in Slovenia is meat based though there are, as you’d expect a variety of options for vegetarians and vegans. 

Being someone who loves meat, I went with the recommendations I was given and ran with it so here’s a low down.  

Slovenia is known to have a traditional sausage, head to Klobasarna. The sausage is chopped up and served with bread, mustard and horse radish sauce. I wouldn’t usually have either sauce and after eating it I wouldn’t have either sauce again.

The sausage was good even if I didn’t get a chance to enjoy it due to a wasp that wouldn’t leave me alone no matter how often I moved. There were 1 or 2 locals giving me funny looks and one even asked me in the exact words “what the hell was wrong with me” and laughed when I told him my predicament.

Burek is a traditional pastry in Slovenia. It reminds me of manakeesh in Lebanon.

Head to Burek Olympija which is a 24 hour food kiosk which has won awards for their burek. I loved their cheese burek (they use cottage cheese). Their pizza flavoured one deserves a mention as well.

I find with pastry based food that it’s better with one main filling rather than a mixture of multiple fillings in one. Which ever you go for, for €3 you won’t be disappointed.  

Something new to me that I never heard of was Slovenian tapas. Me, Sabrina and Jake went to one of the most popular restaurants in Ljubljana, Tabar to sample some of the finest Tapas Slovenia has to offer and enjoy some wine in the process.  

According to Tabar’s website, it’s all about love, love for food, ingredients, freshness, local produce and passion for food. The ingredients are produced locally as close as possible, while being mindful about sustainability. 

We tried bear salami which was a big winner with us. Never knew of it before and would gladly eat it again. There was pumpkin which I’ve never tried. I wasn’t a fan of the taste, it’s not something I would have again though Jake and Sabrina took a liking to it. 

Grilled aubergine was ok, it’s something I could take or leave. I would probably prefer it accompanying something rather than it being a main dish.  

Lastly, there was mussels and truffle which came with a sauce on bread which got a huge thumbs up from the three of us. It tasted better than you could imagine. If there’s one thing I would recommend ordering if you go to Tabar for Slovenian tapas, it’s this one.   

One thing to know about Slovenia is their love for steaks, and they do steaks very well (I know I’m pushing my luck). 

There were two steaks I tried for the first time. There was bison steak at Spajza Restaurant. I probably sound stupid saying this but I never knew bison steak was a thing.

It had bits of game in which you could taste, and it went well with the thyme seasoning. Bison steak is more tender than other steaks, so if you’re a medium rare person, you’ll enjoy this one. 

And then there is one of Ljubljana’s most popular steak restaurants, Compa (pronounced chompa). It’s so popular that you need to book in advance. I was lucky enough to get a table for my birthday.  

Steak number two I tried was a colt sirloin steak, which is horse for those of you who may not know. It came chopped up accompanied with bread. I also had a side dish consisting of a zucchini flower filled with cottage cheese and rolled in bacon. Reading that back to myself as I type it makes me want to eat it again.  

Compa was one of my favourite places in Ljubljana. I guess it was to do with occasion but the waitress and staff in treated me so well. I felt like a million dollars from when I entered to when I left. I highly doubt they will read this post but a big thank you to them all for how good the evening was.  

In general restaurant staff go above and beyond their call of duty in Slovenia. I don’t think I went to a place where the service was below a 9 out of 10.  

Falafel is a big thing here. I thought it was a bit random, I mean you can get falafel anywhere you go but in Slovenia it seems to be a popular thing. As someone with Lebanese origins, I was intrigued to try Slovenia’s version. As a bit of a self-confessed food snob, I actually quite liked how they do falafel. The only thing I’ll say is their hummus looks more like mash potato.       

Now, if you want to have something traditional, there is kremšnita, a vanilla and cream cake.

In terms of taste, for someone who wouldn’t eat this sort of cake, it wasn’t bad. I enjoyed the vanilla flavour. If I’m being honest, it isn’t anything to shout about, but this is coming from someone that wouldn’t normally eat this so if this sounds like something you would like, then don’t take my word for it.

When travelling I’ll always make exceptions if it means trying something authentic.

I can’t think of anything else to say apart from you can’t not visit Slovenia. What a beautiful country. So clean that I envy it and I wish the UK would take note. 

Clean drinking water on demand. In and around the city of Ljubljana there are water stations for you to refill your water bottle.

People are friendly and here you feel more safer than you would in other popular tourist locations, and there is still more that you can explore apart from what you’ve read here.  

One thing I would recommend is hiring a car. It’s just easier to get around if you’re going to go anywhere outside of Ljubljana. The roads are easy to navigate through. Slovenians are impatient and a little bit on the crazy side with driving, which was a surprise considering how friendly they are. There is minimal traffic for the most part driving here. Even if you come across road works, you past them with minimal delay. Slovenia is one of the more ideal countries to rent a car.  

For those who tend to travel on a budget, it’s a cheap place to go to compared to most of Europe. It’s well located for getting around other countries like Italy, Austria, Bosnia and Croatia. Need I say more?    

I want to say thank you to Tabatha for driving around and for your company.

Thank you Jake for being my drinking buddy and trying to revive my tolerance level to alcohol! I enjoyed our football debates and look forward to more.

Alex, great to meet you and glad I could kind of help you with your hitch hiking quest to Lake Bled. It was good to hear about your travels and your background.

Sabrina, thank you for your company and it was great hanging out and chatting all things Lebanon and travel.