THE LJUBLJANA CASTLE & PIRAN, SLOVENIA

LJUBLJANA CASTLE PERCHED ABOVE THE CITY

MY VINTAGE HAT

This is our last day in Ljubljana and it ended on a not so good note. Early morning, before heading up to the castle, I lost my hat. It was not just an ordinary hat to me. I've had it for 25 years and it has been my hat of choice for most of those years. That's a long time for a hat and it probably would qualify as vintage and no doubt dated me some, but I didn't worry about that. To be perfectly honest it was getting a bit worn and I cannot remember ever getting a compliment on it, but it still felt good. At first I thought it was a good excuse to buy a new hat, which I quickly did at the daily central market, however, I do truly miss that old blue hat. It was comfortable like an old pair of shoes. (Fortunately, I didn't lose my old shoes.)

   

LJUBLJANA CASTLE WALLS

 Perched high above the city, on a hill, is the magnificent Ljubjana Castle, ever visible and a reminder of the area's  history. Surveys have shown settlements here as early as 1200 BC. The current limestone structures, from nearby quarries, date back to the 14th century and the lords of Camiola. Later, it was used as a penitentiary and now a tourist attraction and home to many cultural events.

Some ride the funicular to the top just for the panoramic view of the city and surrounding countryside, however, we included the time capsule tour by costumed and talented actors & actresses presenting life in the castle during different time periods. It was extremely well done. We also visited the Barbarism of Torture exhibition and other museums. At the end, we opted for a leisurely ten minute walk down to the city center on the old wooded path.

Čajna Hiša FOR BREAKFAST

While in Ljubljana we stayed at the centrally located Mescanka apartments with a river view. We had a small kitchen which we didn't use because the local food was too good and inexpensive. We also found a nearby favorite restaurant, Čajna Hiša, where Ron could have his morning omelet and cappuccino for 5 Eur. Sitting in this cozy old cafe in the mornings, watching people pass by, was a daily pleasure that I will always remember.

After a week in Ljubljana we packed up and walked one km. to the bus station with our roller bags.We then enjoyed a relaxing two and one-half hour bus ride to our next destination through lush green meadows, flowering trees, farmlands, and with quaint villages, old churches with tall steeples, and low mountains in the distance.

PIRAN

We spent our last three nights in Slovenia along the Adriatic Sea in Piran—located in the southeast corner of the country, just above Croatia. Sitting on a piece of land jutting out to sea, it is considered the most beautiful of the Slovenian coastal towns. It is across the sea from Venice and was part of the Venetian empire during the 13^th to the 18^th centuries. It is similar to an Italian coastal town or being on the Mediterranean without all of the tourists and for less cost. Italian and Slovenian are both spoken here.

WALK TO PIRAN FROM FIESA
ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH

We stayed at the Hotel Fiesa which has a great balcony and sea view. The breakfast was good and we recommend it. Fiesa is twenty minutes from the city center but the walk along the water to get there offers spectacular views and we enjoyed it. It was a bit challenging when we had to walk home one evening in the rain and wind.

Piran (pop. 4700) is a picturesque old village on the sea with winding cobblestone alleys, city walls from the 7^th century, a seaside promenade, churches with the clanging chimes, lovely harbor, restaurants and taverns. The Tartini Square is the heart of the town and behind it is a short steep walk up to St. George's Church, built in the 12^th century, one of eight churches located here.

On our first full day we took a short bus trip over to the neighboring seaport town of Izola. It's known for fishing, wine (the one winery in town wasn't open when we were there), marinas, and ancient buildings that made for a great walk.

This entire area is popular for hiking and biking which we would have taken advantage of if it didn't rain on our last day. The rain came with 34 mph winds and strong surf which was fascinating to experience because our hotel was sitting right on the water. It also gave us an excuse to stay back and relax for the day, which was probably a good thing too.

     When we left the next day it was still raining and we were glad that we had decided not to take the ferry to Venice. Instead we took a bus to Trieste, Italy and from there it was a four hour train ride to Bolzano in northern Italy. We arrived late in the afternoon; fortunately the rain stopped so we could enjoy the lively city of Bolzano before heading up to Castelrotto the next day.

Related posts:  Vintage Walks--Lake Bled & Lake Bohinj, Slovenia

                             Bridges of Ljubljana
                             Anticipating a Month in Europe

MESCANKA APARTMENTS - CASTLE IN BACKGROUND
LJUBLJANA

I LOVE THIS PICTURE - AUTHOR UNKNOWN

NOT SURE WHO CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA

MARINA
PIRAN, SLOVENIA

BEST CARNIOLAN SAUSAGE IN LJUBLJANA

DOCK IN FRONT OF HOTEL FIESA NEAR PIRAN

ROOFTOPS OF PIRAN

CALIFORNIA QUEEN IN IZOLA, SLOVENIA

SOME LOSE THEIR SHOES IN LJUBLJANA
I LOST MY HAT

IZOLA, SLOVENIA

VINTAGE WALKS--LAKE BLED & LAKE BOHINJ, SLOVENIA

LAKE BLED, SLOVENIA

I believe it was the photo of Lake Bled with its picturesque island, Gothic church, and the Bled Castle, perched on a cliff directly above, that really made me want to travel 6,000 miles across the world to visit Slovenia. I didn't even realize at the time that Lake Bohinj, just a short drive or hike away, is even more majestic.

Both are a little over an hour north of Ljubljana, where we were based for seven nights. We chose two separate days to visit, making sure the weather forecast was good. We walked around Lake Bled and along one side of Lake Bohinj. The walks were gentle and as beautiful as they get. They were good vintage traveler walks, not many hills and plenty of benches along the way. May is a good time to travel because most of the tourists haven't shown up yet, the days are long, and the weather is mild (rain is always a risk).

BLED CREAM CAKE
PARK HOTEL CAFE

Our first side trip to Lake Bled was an easy bus ride from Ljubljana with a scenic view from the front seat. Upon arrival, we walked down to start our 3.5 mile hike circling the lake. It was one of the prettiest among the many vintage walks on our month-long journey to Europe. I loved the mountain fresh air and the lush green forests and views of the snow-peaked Alps. We stopped along the way to take photos and appreciate the lake views from different perspectives. Ending at the Park Cafe which overlooks the lake, and claims to serve the best Bled Cream Cake. It was scrumptious and well-deserved after our long walk. This vanilla and custard-cream cake is popular in several central-European countries. It is commonly associated with Bled in Slovenia where they have been baking it at the Park Hotel since 1953.

When we were heading out, we stopped at the tourist information only to be informed that Lake Bohinj is even prettier than Lake Bled. With good weather in the forecast, we were on our way to Lake Bohinj the following day.

 LAKE BOHINJ 

Bohinj is an extra thirty minutes by bus from Bled and is worth the trip even if just for the scenic bus ride along the Sava River and views of the quaint villages, mountain pastures and meadows. Lake Bohinj, with steep mountains projecting straight up from the edges, is located in the Triglav National Park, and is even more serene and natural than Lake Bled. We rode the cable car to the top of Mount Vogel for a panoramic view of the surrounding Julian Alps and Mount Triglav (9,400 ft.), the highest peak in Slovenia. It is also a good starting point for hiking trails, including the Bohinj cheese trail which offers samples of the traditionally made cheese to hikers starting late June.

After the ride down, we walked along the side of the lake for 2.5 miles. It was peaceful and we could see fish in the clear water. There was just one small rowboat carrying a few tourists on the lake, and it was so quiet that we could hear their voices. When we arrived in the uncrowded village of Ribcev Laz at the southwest end of the lake, we found a restaurant where we enjoyed a plate of fresh local cheese, warm homemade bread, and freshly turned butter. It was a fine ending to another unforgettable day in the mountains.

LAKE BOHINJ

MT VOGEL

LAKE BOHINJ

BRIDGES OF LJUBLJANA

LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA     

      Ljubljana, Slovenia (pop. 280,000) is the smallest capital city in Europe and one of the most beautiful. The Ljubljana River winds through the city center providing enchanting riverwalks and interesting old bridges. The center of the old medieval city is car-free which means most of the bridges are for pedestrians only. It's not surprising that the city has been given the honor of Europe's 2016 Green Capital Award. In addition, the water gets high ratings and their recycling system is better than most in Europe and the US.

      I will be sharing photos of these special bridges starting with the Grain Bridge. The stroll along the river to view them takes about 30 minutes. 

GRAIN BRIDGE, 2010
NAMED AFTER A NEARBY SQUARE WHERE FAIRS WERE HELD
ARCHITECT: BORIS PODRECCA

DRAGON BRIDGE, 1901
DRAGON IS THE SYMBOL OF LJUBLJANA
FOUR DRAGON STATUES ADORN THE BRIDGE

BUTCHER'S  BRIDGE, 1930
THE RAILINGS ARE LINED WITH 1000S OF PADLOCKS,
SYMBOLIZING A COUPLE'S LOVE FOR EACH OTHER

TRIPLE BRIDGE,1929

TWO SIDE BRIDGES ADDED TO THE OLD STONE BRIDGE

ARCHITECT JOZE PLECNIK

LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF OLD TOWN

COBBLER'S BRIDGE
COBBLER'S WORKSHOPS USE TO OCCUPY THE BRIDGE
ARCHITECT: JOZE PLECNIK

ST. JACOB'S BRIDGE, 1915
REPLACED A WOODEN BRIDGE FROM 1824
ATTRACTIVE  VINES ON THE RAILINGS

HRDECKLY BRIDGE, 1867
NAMED AFTER  POPULAR MAYOR JOHANN NEPOMUK HRADECKY

ANTICIPATING A MONTH IN EUROPE

Studies indicate that people like to plan their vacations as much as they like to take them. I'm not so sure that's true for everyone, but I am one of those people that likes to plan. In fact, I'm probably guilty of overplanning, and I have a great time doing it. Years ago we traveled to Europe with no reservations, a Eurail pass, and one guidebook; we bounced from city to city. However, this vintage traveler now seems to need a plan that includes reservations and leisurely stops for a week or longer.

Six months ago I secured free flights using our United Mileage Plus points. We fly into Ljubljana, Slovenia, and depart from Zürich, Switzerland. The apartments and hotels were reserved through booking.com, except for one. I like to use booking.com because the reservations are cancelable, and I'm familiar with their website which also means that I am less likely to make a mistake. Ron likes the flexibility of hopping on and off trains as he pleases, so we purchased ($424) the five-day Switzerland/Austria Eurail pass when they were offering an extra day for free.

PAINTED BEE HOUSES
SLOVENIA

Now everyone is asking, why Slovenia? I've had it on my radar ever sense I heard Patricia Schultz say that it was one of her favorite places. That's saying a lot when you are the author of the bestselling book 1,000 Places to Go Before You Die. It has alps, mountain lakes, caves, castles, painted bee houses, and the old capital city of Ljubljana—sounds enticing to me. Our base is Ljubljana for the first week followed by three nights in Piran on the Adriatic Sea. Our guidebook will be Rick Steve's 2014 Croatia & Slovenia.

HAY BATHS - FIEALLO SCILLAR

From here, we are planning to take a ferry across the Adriatic Sea to Venice, then transfer to a train, and head to the Dolomites in Northern Italy. We have a reservation for one week at an apartment with a mountain view in Castelrotto, Italy. We are anticipating leisurely walks through the alpine meadows with views of the jagged gray spires of the Dolomites. Many years ago we passed through this area, and have always wanted to return. There are many small villages to explore, and I'm anxious to find out about traditional hay baths in nearby Fieallo Scillar. Fortunately, we will also be there during the annual Oswald-on-Wolkenstein Riding Tournament, a three-day celebration and parade.

When we leave this area, we're heading north to Interlaken for two nights before traveling by train to Gunten, Switzerland. Gunten is a small village on Lake Thun with two restaurants, one bakery and a fancy hotel. We have a ground floor apartment on a hillside overlooking the lake—rented through Airbnb. It looks lovely, but it may be a bit isolated for us. There is a free bus to the town of Thun (pop. 43,763), six miles away. In addition to the nearby mountain hikes, I'm looking forward to gentle walks along the lake with the Bernese Alps in the distance. I was pleased to discover that the Way of St. James, a pilgrimage route to the grave of St. James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, actually transverses Switzerland where it is called Via Jacobi. It happens to pass right by our apartment in Gunten. Perhaps, I will finally get my chance to be a pilgrim for a day.

Our final three nights will be in Constance (Konstanz), Germany, located on the scenic Lake Constance (Bodensee), the third largest lake in central Europe. It also borders Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In 2012 we stayed at in Wasserburg, which is at the opposite end of the lake and a much smaller town. (See April 27, 2012 post.) The university city of Constance (Konstanz), with a population of 80,000, is the largest city on the lake. It has colorful painted frescoes adorning the buildings that date back to the tenth century. Just a short ferry boat ride away are the spectacular gardens of Mainau Island that I will try not to miss this time. Another benefit of staying here is the direct train service to the Zürich Airport for our return to the US.

I expect we will be tired and ready to come home as usual. However, all of this anticipation makes me wonder if I could ever be ready to head back.

SWITZERLAND

PAINTED BUILDINGS - LAKE KONSTANZ