Part two of my late summer holiday was a trip to Slovenia! A few of my friends wanted to climb Mount Triglav, and although I’m definitely not the outdoorsy, mountain-climbing type, I was happy to go along and spend some time relaxing while they went off on their adventure. Here’s how the holiday looked from my point of view…
A few other non-adventurous friends stayed with me in an apartment located in Stara Fužina, a traditional alpine village. It ended up being a good choice, as it was just a short distance away from the lake…
I’ve always preferred towns and cities to the great outdoors, but even I have to admit that Lake Bohinj is beautiful. What’s amazing is how it looked completely different whenever we walked past, whether first thing in the morning or last thing at night.
I wasn’t sure what to expect of Slovenian cuisine, but the generous helpings of meat and dairy suited me perfectly! This bowl of salty deliciousness is jota – a sauerkraut stew which is perfect for dunking bread in – washed down with a glass of red wine, of course!
Before our friends set off on their Triglav mission, they had a full day to spend with the rest of us. We began walking around the lake…
…and found a bar! After not drinking much at all in Venice, I was very pleased to find some cider, even though it only tasted like fizzy apple juice. There’s nothing better than sharing a drink with your friends in the (late) summer sunshine.
The most outdoorsy type of shoe I own is my Converse pumps – pathetic, I know! Everyone else was in hiking boots, as you can see…
Undoubtedly the main attraction of Lake Bohinj is that building is not permitted around the lake. This means that the area stays perfectly calm and tranquil all year round, even though it gets plenty of tourists and visitors.
With a few days to ourselves as the others climbed the mountain, we decided to spend a day in Lake Bled. The main feature of Bled is the church on an island in the middle of the lake, only accessible by boat. It also has a castle, which you can see here, from view of said boat! Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to go and see what was inside…
We stopped for lunch at the Park Hotel, where I had a chicken, peanut and apple salad…
…followed by a traditional Bled cream cake! It was a huge square slice of cream, some sort of custard, and very light, delicate pastry. When in Bled…
After a second attempt at walking around the lake (with no bar to distract us this time!), a friend and I made it to Ukanc, only to find that everything had closed for the winter! We abandoned our walk and caught the tourist boat back towards Stara Fužina. Our guide told us legends and stories about the area as we made our way across the lake.
That evening, I had the most amazing garlic soup for dinner. It arrived in a giant silver bowl with a matching ladle. Complete with crusty white bread as thick as a doorstop and a glass of hot mulled wine, it was possibly my favourite meal of the holiday!
Tavern Mihovc was our favourite place, and not just because it was right by the apartment! The food was simple yet wholesome, the wine was good, and even the bar flies added to the experience! It was warm, traditional, and rustic – just perfect.
Until my friends suggested it, I never would have thought to visit Slovenia – now I would recommend it to everyone. It’s great value for money (everything is so cheap!), the food is delicious, and of course, the scenery is beautiful. Sadly, my friends stopped just a few hundred meters shy of the Triglav summit, but they’d all love to try again – so I might be going back to Slovenia some time in the near future! I can hardly wait…
