In some countries, it’s a lot easier to book accomodation in bigger cities than trying to find small bed and breakfasts in local towns. Slovenia is one.
Since I wanted to visit Lake Bled, I knew I would have a hard time finding a hotel or hostel at a reasonable rate in the summer (busiest season). I opted to stay in the main city of Ljubljana, and take a bus instead.
I stayed three days in Ljubljana, one of which was spent at Lake Bled and the Julian Alps. Slovenia is not the ‘obvious’ place that comes to mind when when you think of the Alps but this pocket sized country in central Europe has a mountain scenery that rivals the likes of Austria and Switzerland.
I was picked up by a local bus in Ljubljana at 7:00 am to avoid crowds once at Lake Bled. With an exact arrival time of an hour and a half (8:30 am), I was able to explore Lake Bled minus a sea of people and noise. It was truly so magical. Pictures do not do the place justice.
To thoroughly visit the Alps, I decided to book a tour: the Emerald River Adventure – it began at 9 am. I chose this tour as I did not have a car, and the Trenta Valley/Julian Alps are MASSIVE. I would simply get lost, and wouldn’t know where to start! Going on a tour enabled me to see and do things at a much more organized pace. I was a little hesitant at first – as this tour was 12 hours, but it was definitely a highlight of not only the trip, but also my travels across Europe.
The Soča is known as Slovenia’s emerald river due to its astonishing turquoise-green color. It is one of the most beautiful bodies of water I have ever seen. It contrasts nicely with the beautiful backdrop of what the surrounding area has to offer. The tour group was also quite small, which was nice and personalized. I was picked up by a small van, and drove up to the top of the Julian Alps. Despite using a van ‘for 12 hours’, we were only in it to transfer between sites – mostly everything was done by foot. We hiked our way through the mountains, while also stopping for views, and a traditional lunch mid way. Our first stop was at Kranjska Gora. Here we got to take pictures with a goat from a strange myth, along with admiring what was to come. Just around the corner, we hiked up to Slovenia’s highest pass, Vršič.
The views from this place were spectacular.
Full of rugged peaks and limestone mountains carpeted in forest, this area is close to the Italian border and was the third largest front in the First World War. You can still see the old bunkers!
Around the corner we carried on, while clinging to cables as we scrambled along a rocky cliff to reach the other side of the Soča river deep inside a cave. After a lunch break in a small town called Bovec, it was time to see the river up close, while white water rafting! The jade water was so clear, that you could see right down to the white pebbles on the river bed. Despite how refreshing the water looked (it was 30+ degrees that day), it was freezing – even in a wet suit!
One thing we realized up in the Alps, was that the weather can change drastically within minutes due to altitude and winds. Right after white water rafting, it started to hail with unbelievable winds and rain. Despite the heavy down pour, we carried on our hike to the Kozjak waterfall via a SUSPENSION BRIDGE over the Soča. I DO NOT know how we survived this hike. At this point, there was hail the size of a good snowball being whipped at us, while the bridge was also swinging due to heavy wind. I LOVE rides/roller coasters, but this was extremely terrifying. I still can’t believe we all survived – with minor cuts/scratches!
Once we began to get close to the bottom of the alps, the storm stopped. We then boarded the van once more, to go to the Most na Soča. Here, there was a 10 meter high bridge that people could jump off of. Every year, there is even a jumping competition that happens in August.
Journeying back to Bled was no less interesting. In order to avoid backtracking we took a shortcut, right through the mountains. To do this we put our van on a train, and the train chugged along. Pulling us behind as it snaked alongside the river, past Alpine villages hidden in valleys, all before plunging into darkness. The total darkness lasted about seven minutes, as we cut through the rocks in Slovenia’s longest tunnel.
Our final stop was a brief visit to Lake Bohinj, Bled’s larger, quieter neighbor.
Overall, the day was one of the most memorable experiences of ALL of my travels in Europe thus far. Considering I am writing this two years later – I would definitely recommend seeing the natural beauty that Slovenia has to offer to all my friends/family. Even though it is not a ‘hot spot’ like France, Spain, or Italy, there is PLENTY to do, especially if you love the outdoors, adventure and being active. Slovenia is a must!
