Ljubljana is the largest and most populous city in Slovenia, as well as its capital. It is certainly a city on a human scale with a historic center completely closed to traffic and many green areas surrounding it. It holds the title of "Green Capital of Europe", a well-deserved award for having managed to reduce private car traffic and increase circulation via public transport or pedestrians.
We visited it in autumn and the colors of nature left us speechless but the impression is that it is a journey that can be done at any time of the year, to always discover new colours.
Our bridge, 1250 km long, lasted 5 days. If you are curious to find out more, here are the stages it was made up of.
Day 1: Historic center
We left in the late morning, the early part of Paolino's classic first day of travel, not yet getting into the holiday mood. After 5 hours on the road, greasy sandwiches in the car, songs out of tune and the usual roadworks in progress (I think the same ones we found 5 years earlier to go to Croatia) we arrive at our destination and it is already dark.
Tips for Trips: To drive on the motorway in Slovenia it is necessary to purchase the vignette, a square-shaped sign made up of two parts, a tag which must be removed and kept and an upper, adhesive part which must be displayed clearly visible on the windshield. This can be found both in petrol stations in Slovenia and in neighboring countries and has different durations, we opted for the weekly vignette. The validity of the six-monthly, monthly and weekly vignette is indicated by a perforation which will be applied to the vignette by the retailer himself.
Our room is in the center, a few steps from Dragon Bridge, symbol of the city. From the window we look out onto the outdoor tables of the restaurants in the street below us (despite the unforgiving climate they are packed with people and festively lit). The river Ljubljanica it flows a few meters away and in front you can see the characteristic Central Market beyond the Butchers' Bridge adorned with modern sculptures but also with padlocks tied to the balustrades (it seems to have been awarded the title of "Bridge of Love" by the local kids).
Day 2: Vintgar Gorge, Šum Waterfalls and Lake Bled
Ready to go we move from Ljubljana, there are some wonderful excursions that we cannot miss, natural beauties that close their gates to tourists in November, so let's make the most of these last days of October.
First stop, 50 minutes from Ljubljana, is the Vintgar Gorge. With its 1.6 km length, it winds between the high vertical walls of the Hom and Boršt mountains and is carved by the Radovna river, forming waterfalls and rapids. The gorge is crossed by a pedestrian path on wooden bridges. It goes without saying that, with the overpowering and intense autumn colours, the landscape leaves us speechless... we immerse ourselves in nature and not even the cold seems so biting anymore.
At the end of the route, about 1.5 km from the entrance, we find a majestic single-arch stone bridge: this is the Old Railway Bridge in Bohinj, 33.5 meters high and 65 meters long. Built between 1904 and 1905 and today the largest stone arch railway bridge still preserved in its entirety in Slovenian territory.
Once we pass the exit turnstile we find ourselves in front of the bar. In the back there is a steep staircase leading down to a small valley. At the bottom of the stairs there are signs for the spectacular Šum Waterfall: it is the same stream that crosses the Gorge which flows impetuously and continues its path. Under the waterfall there is also a small hydroelectric power plant which, however, is not visible.
From here there are two different routes to return to the entrance. If you proceed beyond the Šum waterfall, in a south-eastern direction uphill on Mount Hom, you can arrive at the picturesque church dedicated to Sv. Katarina above the village of Zasip. From here you can enjoy a splendid panorama of the Karavanke chain, the Julian Alps, including Triglav, and the Bled valley. The second route (or continuation of the first) passes through the town of Blejska Dobrava. Turning left past the Šum waterfall and crossing the bridge you proceed along a steep staircase which quickly leads upwards to the village of Blejska Dobrava. Continuing along the asphalt road past the houses to the end of the town you reach a path in the woods that takes you back to the log cabin at the entrance to the gorge.
Hours: Every day. Weekends and holidays in April: from 9.00 to 17.00; April on weekdays: from 10.00 to 16.00; 1 May – 26 May from 9.00 to 17.00; 27 May – 23 June: from 8.00 to 18.00; 24 June – 15 August: from 7.30 to 19.00; 16 August – 10 September: from 8.00 to 18.00; 11 September – 8 October: from 8.00 to 17.00; 11 October – 31 October: from 9.00 to 16.00.
For lunch we move on Lake Bled, in the south-west part, the closest to the island of the same name. As soon as you arrive, a real postcard landscape opens up in a fairy-tale atmosphere. In the center of the lake is the little girl Bled Island, the only natural island in Slovenia which is said to stand where a temple dedicated to Živa, the pagan goddess of life and fertility, once stood. There are several buildings on the island including the baroque Church of the Assumption and the Provost's House, currently used as a museum. Furthermore, on the southern bank there is a long staircase of 99 steps: according to a popular tradition, on the wedding day, the groom must walk up it holding the bride in his arms to ensure that the marriage is successful.
I loved the story of his birth: In ancient times, on the point where the lake stands today there was no water but a grassy valley and a mound with a rock around which, at night, the fairies danced. In that valley the shepherds grazed their flocks around the fairy rock. The fairies asked the shepherds to fence off the area where they danced, so that soft grass would never be missing. The shepherds ignored their request, until one day the youngest and most beautiful fairy, while dancing, tripped and broke her foot. The fairies, furious, called upon all the mountain streams which rushed into the valley and flooded it. In the center of the lake only the mountain with the rock remained, on which, from that moment on, the fairies could dance undisturbed. Thus Lake Bled was born.
After wandering around the lake, we couldn't miss the trekking route to reach the panoramic point Ojstrica (there are actually three panoramic points – Ojstrica, Mala Osojnica And Velika Osojnica – but the compromise was to choose one… with all due respect to Paolino I chose the most difficult one).
The route involves a climb of approximately 35 minutes up to Ojstrica, the top of a mountain at 610 meters above sea level, from which you dominate the lake, the island and the entire valley. The path is number 6 and starts from the long lake, about 100 meters from the campsite. The path is all uphill, but inside the woods. The main stretch is wide but a little rough due to the many stones present. A sign indicates a deviation to the right, for the final ramp on the rocks, where a metal rope has been installed to help you in the most complicated point. After this last effort you reach the top from where the view of the lake and the surrounding mountains is superb.
To the north of the lake, perched on a rock about 130 meters high, is the Bled Castle, one of the oldest fortresses in Slovenia whose origins date back to the Middle Ages. The castle can be reached via various pedestrian paths that start from the center of Bled and wind through the woods up to the summit or by car via an asphalt road. We read a few reviews, not all positive, and decided to skip the visit to enjoy the relaxation of the lake a little longer.
Day 3: Predjama Castle and Postojna Cave
Even today we wake up early, we have a 50 minute drive ahead of us to get to Predjama where, nestled in the rock, there is the Predjama Castle, the largest castle in the world built inside a cave, nestled on a spur belonging to a 123 meter high rock face.
Legend has it that the castle became the hideout of the brigand knight Erasmus of Predjama who resisted the sieges of the imperial army of Frederick III of Habsburg for a year and a day. He exploited the network of underground tunnels that connected the Castle to the Lokva stream to move secretly, escape and receive supplies during sieges. AThe army finally managed to strike Erasmus thanks to a tip from a corrupt servant who gave the signal to the enemy troops to hit him with a stone pellet just as he was sitting on the toilet. Erasmus was buried under the Predjama square, next to the small 15th century church where an imposing lime tree planted by Erasmus' beloved in his memory still grows today.
The interiors of the castle are very simple and the rooms are arranged on several levels and furnished in the style of the time. We visit the chapel, the prisons, the torture room, the latrine where Erasmus was killed according to legend, the knight's rooms, the armory and the “Erasmus' Lair”. The latter is the most evocative part of the castle, it is located in the upper part of the structure, and was used as a refuge and as a shelter for storing food. It was also an excellent observation point over the valley and the village below.
Unfortunately we have to give up visiting the caves under the castle because in the winter they become home to hibernating bats and are therefore closed to the public, who can only access them from May to September.
We move at Postojna Cave for the “Through the three Caves” trek, the most awaited stage of this journey.
In the period between the First and Second World Wars, when the territory of Postojna belonged to Italy, three caves of the Postojna underground system were connected by artificial tunnels: the Postojna Cave, the Black Cave and thePivka Abyss. This long complex of artificial tunnels ensures easy passage from one cave to another.
The trek lasts about 3 hours and has a low level of difficulty. Part of the route is done with the special train that leads to the heart of the Postojna Cave. We visit the spaghetti room, so called because white and almost transparent calcite tubes that look like spaghetti hang down from the ceiling. Through an artificially dug cave we move to the Black Cave and go up it until we emerge on the surface. We cross a path in the woods and then descend into the heart of the caves from the Pivka Abyss. We return to the Postojna Cave. We move on to the White Room, which owes its name to the white calcite and admire the Brillante, a five meter high column that has become the symbol of the caves. We arrive at the concert hall, one of the largest rooms in the cave system and used for several years for concerts and finally we enter the conference hall.
Upon exiting you can visit the Vivao Proteus where we meet the famous mascot of the caves: the proteus, the small dragon, the only vertebrate animal in Europe to have such a close link with the underground world. It is considered a neotenic animal, that is, it retains the same physical characteristics it has as a puppy even as an adult. It's adorable!
Day 4: Tivoli Park, Ljubljana Castle and Metelkova
Today we dedicate the whole day to Ljubljana. Even if during the evening walks we explored the center quite a bit, a wider route around the whole city, strictly on foot, cannot be missed.
Let's start with the famous Tivoli Park, the largest green area in the city, created from various parks surrounding the Podturn castle and Chekinov Grad palace. The park extends over approximately 5 km2 and is divided by three chestnut avenues. The main feature of the park is its suggestive nature Jakopic Promenade (named after the Slovenian impressionist painter Rihard Jakopič and redesigned by Plečnik in 1934) which hosts exhibitions of large format photographs that can be visited outdoors every day of the year.
The walk leads to the seventeenth century Tivoli Castle, guarded by four dog sculptures, which today houses the Tivoli Gallery – International Center for Graphic Art. The park complex then has a pond, a small botanical garden, designed in 1880 and an Olympic outdoor swimming pool, built in the 1930s together with sports fields, a children's playground and a sports hall.
We walk through the park with its geometric paths, tree-lined avenues and gardens embellished with numerous statues and fountains and we stop to play with some local animals (it took a while but, to Paolino's great joy, we made friends).
We move towards the center, now as if we were locals (about...) and just outside we walk around the Miklošičeva cesta, a street in which there are several Art Nouveau buildings with unusual shapes and decorations. Standing out among these are the Vurnikova hiša, the most famous and unmistakable building with the pink facade and geometric decorations in the colors of the Slovenian tricolour, the Grand Hotel Union, elegant in its soft shapes and theHauptmann House decorated with colorful tiles in geometric patterns.
And here we are Prešeren Square, crossroads of a river of people with an irregular shape and always lit by music. It is dedicated to the greatest Slovenian romantic poet, France Prešeren (1800-1849). His poem, Zdravljica (“Toast”) provided Slovenia with the words to its national anthem. The poet's statue, erected in 1905, is surrounded by Art Nouveau facades and Franciscan Church of the Annunciation, in Baroque style, built in 1646-1660.
In front of us is the Triple Bridge which bypasses Ljubljanica, the nerve center of Ljubljana, where street artists and musicians enliven the days of tourists. This bridge, now completely pedestrian, was initially a simple stone bridge but, due to the increase in traffic, two other pedestrian bridges were added alongside the existing one.
We cross the bridge and follow the road for 200 meters until we reach the Civic Square, the heart of the ancient center of Ljubljana and dotted with elegant buildings: the Haman House, where the Mestna Galerija(Civic Gallery), the refined Lichtenberg Palace and the city Hall, which dominates Piazza Civica, with the Clock Tower. In the centre, in front of the town hall, stands the obelisk of the Fountain of the Carniolan Rivers (1751), baroque work by the sculptor Francesco Robba. The three statues holding the vases from which the water flows represent the three Carniolan rivers: Krka, Ljubljanica and Sava.
A few steps from Piazza Civica stand the two towers and the green dome of the St. Nicholas Cathedral. The cathedral, designed by architect Andrea Pozzo, stands on the remains of a Romanesque basilica and contrasts the linearity of the external part with the internal baroque style, in pink marble and rich in frescoes, sculptures and white and golden decorations. Among the works inside, noteworthy are the paintings by Giulio Quaglio which concern the life of Saint Nicholas, the sculptures of the four bishops of Emona by Angelo Putti and the angels of the altar by Francesco Robba. Finally, note the extraordinary bronze portal with the history of Slovenia and the side one with the faces of the bishops of Ljubljana sculpted.
Lunch time arrives and we find ourselves at the very famous one Central Market, a meeting point for Ljublians, which includes the open-air market on Vodnikov Square and Pogacharjev, the covered market between the two squares and the covered market of Plečnik along the Ljubljanica River. The open-air market is very characteristic and full of intense colors and scents. You can find typical Slovenian products, flowers, meat, fruit, clothing and many classic souvenirs for tourists. The Covered Market under the Plečnik Colonnades (designed by the architect Plečnik) is divided into two floors. Upstairs there are restaurants and shops selling typical Slovenian products. Downstairs there is a fish shop with a small restaurant and the DobraVaga art gallery.
Hours: Central Market (outdoors): Monday - Friday from 6:00 to 18:00; Saturday from 6:00 to 16:00. Winter from 6:00 to 16:00. Closed on Sundays and holidays. Covered market (Pogačarjev trg): Monday - Friday from 7:00 to 16:00; Saturday from 7:00 to 14:00. Covered market under the Plečnik colonnades: Monday - Friday from 7:00 to 16:00; Saturday from 7:00 to 14:00.
We are ready, backpack on our shoulders and leave for the Ljubljana Castle…but with the funicular! The castle can also be reached on foot, with a route of about 800 meters uphill starting from the Dragon Bridge, we enjoy it but downhill.
The castle, in medieval style, dominates the Slovenian capital from the top of the hill. Built on the site of a Roman fortified camp, it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1511 and then rebuilt. It was the seat of regional power and then a prison. The current castle, with the exception of the Gothic chapel (1489), is a late reconstruction of what it once was but offers, from the crenellated tower, a wide panorama of the city and the surrounding mountains. A view like this cannot be missed.
Hours: Castle: every day from 10:00 to 18:00. Funicular: January - March and November from 10:00 to 20:00; April - May and October from 9:00 to 21:00; June - September from 9:00 to 23:00.
We go down on foot and enjoy a small piece of woods. Let's move on to the very famous Dragon Bridge, which crosses the Ljublianjca river, and we stop for some ritual photos. The bridge, made of reinforced concrete, was built in 1900 to replace the older one Butchers' Bridge, Wood. At the entrances to the bridge, one on each side, are the four ferocious-looking winged dragons (made of copper) placed at the entrances to the bridge. The dragon, symbol of the city, is due to the famous legend of Jason who, once he took possession of the golden fleece, killed the dragon that lived in the swamps around the mouth of the Ljubljanica river. The dragon is also present on the city's coat of arms.
A few minutes walk from the center of Ljubljana it has taken up its space Metelkova, born from an abandoned military barracks and occupied in 1993 by the Rete per Metelkova group. It was an association of artists and intellectuals who transformed it into the free, self-managed and constantly changing area still active today. Metelkova it is a very characteristic autonomous cultural center. Rich in graffiti, colors, particular structures and artistic installations. Here you will find art galleries, designer studios, bars, clubs, music clubs with concerts of music from all over the world and exhibitions. In the neighborhood you can also stay in a very particular hostel, the Celica Hostel obtained from a converted former military prison where each "cell" is particular and different from the others..
We arrive after Halloween evening and find it practically deserted but we still manage to appreciate its eclectic style. It is certainly an alternative destination that is worth a visit.
We return to the center and after this long day we treat ourselves to a good dinner in a typical restaurant. After dinner you can't miss a walk along the river and a digestif in one of the outdoor rooms (with a chair attached to the stove, of course).
Day 5: Return
Today we return, we have a bit of a road ahead of us but we break the journey with a stop in the Venice area to have lunch in a very characteristic farmhouse. Main topic: a tour of Slovenia in summer, there are lots of itineraries surrounded by greenery that intrigue us!