3 Days in Slovenia Was Not Enough

I had been dying to go to Slovenia for years, and the time finally came.  Unfortunately, due to overstaying my time in Barcelona by about 11 days,  I really cut my time short exploring the beauty of Slovenia.  And It’s official.  3 Days in Slovenia was not enough….

I took the  bus from Trieste, Italy to Ljubijana, which took about two hours.  I got pretty unlucky with the weather, especially considering I was there in mid-August.  It was raining during the bus ride, and the visibility wasn’t great, but I could still tell it was absolutely stunning landscapes.  We arrived into the capital city, Ljubijana, and I walked with a Portuguese couple to their hostel to see if they had any beds available.  We booked our rooms, and the Portuguese couple and myself began exploring the city.  It had stopped raining during the day, which was great considering the people at the hostel said it had been pretty rainy for the past week.

Ljubijana was different than I expected.  I definitely thought it would be a bigger and more hectic city considering it is the capital.  But the entire time while we were exploring the sights, the city felt more like a small-town with a very relaxed vibe.  Everyone spoke decent English, the people were extremely nice, and the food was amazing.  Also, the city is really cheap, which is always great. Highlights were the Dragon bridge, the lock bridge, the central fresh fruit market, and hiking up to the Ljubljana Castle!  

Unfortunately, I was still feeling rather sick from the epic goodbye party sessions in Barcelona, so I didn’t get to experience the nightlife there.  There was a pub crawl flyers and posters around the hostel though, and I heard it was a good time.  I was planning on staying at the hostel for two nights, but they ended up being fully booked for the next night, so I took the morning bus to Bled.  So glad I did.  When I was working as a tour guide to Italy, we had weekend trips to Slovenia.  But unfortunately, I was never chosen to guide that specific trip, so I never got to go.  It by far exceeded my expectations.

Lake Bled, Slovenia might be one of the most calming and relaxing places I’ve ever been.  I made the joke that if I were to ever sit down and write a novel, this is where I would go.  The atmosphere is so great.  There are locals fishing in the lake, families riding bikes and swimming, and quaint little shops for some souvenirs.

Definitely one of my favorite things to do was the hike to the Vintgar Gorge.  I know it’s common to do rent a bike and ride there, but I’d actually recommend doing the hike and do the full loop.  It’s a simple hike through the woods, and leads into an absolutely stunning river gorge.  Only takes a few hours, and cost around 4 euros to do it.  You’re also rewarded with views like these:

Lake Bled was definitely the highlight for me in Slovenia, butI simply did not have enough time to fully experience it.  From walking around the lake, swimming to the church in the middle (which is much farther than it looks!), and hiking to the Vintgar Gorge; I barely scratched the surface.  It’s the perfect place to relax and unwind.  Definitely need to go back there during the winter to experience the legendary snowboarding in the Slovenian Alps!

What’s your favorite part about Slovenia?  Let me know in the comments section!”