Slovenia

Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and the Adriatic Sea to the southwest. It covers 20,273 square kilometres and has a population of 2.07 million. One of the former states of Yugoslavia, Slovenia is a member of the United Nations, the European Union, and of NATO.

We are so happy we decided to add Slovenia to our trip, Ljubljana is Slovenia’s capital and a beautiful small city, it has plenty of green spaces, including the expansive Tivoli Park. The curving Ljubljana River is lined with outdoor cafes, bars and markets, it divides the city’s old town from its commercial hub, it is a vibrant, cyclist-friendly oasis, teeming with cultural activities, culinary delights, and architectural splendour. Ljubljana Castle is a castle complex standing on Castle Hill above downtown Ljubljana. It is a key landmark of the town. Initially a defence structure and since the first half of the 14th century the seat of the lords of Carniola, today is used as a major cultural venue.

Our Airbnb was in a great spot in the old city centre we stayed here for 3 nights then drove out to Lake bled for 4 nights.

Lake Bled wow what a picturesque place. The main attraction is a single island, home to Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church. It has a fairy-tale feel about it. We did some great hikes here. Ojstrica and Mala Osojnica are the hills which rise above the west shore of Lake Bled. The hike is easy and present a delightful alternative or addition to walks along or around the lake. You are rewarded with one of the best views of Lake Bled, the island, castle and Karavanke mountain chain in the background. Another day we took a small boat out to the island in the centre of the lake to visit the church and to ring the bell. We had a very nice coffee in the restaurant on the island. In the afternoon I went to the small beach on lake bled and got in for a swim. Water was lovely.

Another hiked that is a must is Vintgar Gorge is a 1.6-kilometer gorge in north western Slovenia in the municipalities of Gorje and Bled, four kilometres northwest of Bled. Carved by the Radovna River, it is the continuation of the Radovna Valley. The sheer canyon walls are 50 to 100 meters high, with a total slope measuring about 250 m. The stream has created many erosive features such as pools and rapids, and terminates in the picturesque 13 m Šum Falls, the largest river waterfall in Slovenia, we continued the hike from the gorge up to St Catherine Church, we had a lovely lunch here.

We had two wonderful meals at Sova restaurant on the banks of lake bled, best food we have had for a while, so definitely worth a visit.

Geographically Slovenia would be a great place to live as it is only an hour’s drive to Italy, Croatia, Austria and Hungary. It would be perfect to live here for six months of the year and the other six months in Australia, how wonderful would that be.