While I was in Slovenia, I twice ventured outside of the capital city to get a bit of dirt on my shoes. I found the countryside a much needed breather from city-life...
An hour and a half north of Ljubljana, on the cusp of the mountains lies the scenic Lake Bled. It certainly doesn't skimp on the majesty. First there is a castle on a cliff overlooking the blue-green lake. Then, in the middle of the lake is a small island with a large cathedral that is only accessible by rowboat. To complete the picture, in the distance one can see the snowy Alps. In addition to the photo above, check it out from every other angle at my albums.
If you set out for an hour or so in the opposite direction from Ljubljana you'll reach Postojna Caverns, one of the largest caverns in the Europe, if not the world. The site is heavily visited, so at times it was a bit hokey, but the rock formations were awesome, and the tourist train ride through the tunnels of the cave, when stalactites were ready to take off your head at every turn, was very enjoyable. Plus at the end they had a dinosaur! ...skeleton.
Trekking the Slovenian Nature = Wicked Cool
Uncovering the secrets of the Dragon Code
Yugoslavia, the Republic of Southern Slavs, broke apart into several countries in the early 1990's. The most North-western region bordering Austria and Italy became the Republic of Slovenia, a small country of only 2 million people, with a distinct language and culture that can be described as a blend of Slavic and Mediterranean traditions. Travel eleven hours south from Prague by train and you will reach the small but beautiful capital, Ljubljana. Although it is not the most popular tourist destination it has quite a vibrant down-town, and because of the university, a youthful population. The historic area is centred around an emerald green canal which lined by Neoclassical, Baroque, and Succession style architecture. My favourite sights were the street market, designed after a Greek Agora, and the bridge lined with wicked cool Dragons (the aptly named the Dragon Bridge). By day, you can shop for fresh fruit, oils, cheeses, flowers, and clothing at the large outdoor market, or climb to the top of the Castle and walk through the park grounds. By night, bars and restaurants serve delicious Balkan foods, and cheap and flavourful Slovenian wine. I'm sounding like a travel magazine. Let's switch gears. Check out the lampshades:
One night in the city we stumbled upon a decommissioned army barracks that had been converted into a complex of alternative bars and clubs. Weird sculptures and bright colours lined the buildings, and in the centre was a hostel/gallery converted from a prison. We wandered into a club just in time to catch Larvae, a Slovenia Lesbian Punk band, and then Edie Sedgwick, two Americans signing vocals with a DVD player blasting out one minute long electro tracks with short looping video clips. Pretty much the greatest thing ever.
The town was amazing, and if I ever have the means, I'll go back. After all I was never able to decipher the Dragon Code. What was really nice though, was that from Ljubljana we were able to take short bus rides to a few other cool places in Slovenia. More on that later.