Slovenia remains to be one of Europe’s best kept secrets, even for an avid traveller. Though many tourists prefer to drive down from Vienna to Venice, they often skip Slovenia, that is sandwiched between the two countries.
Undoubtedly, it’s a miss for them because Slovenia can definitely win them over with its medieval towns, natural bounty and Mediterranean charm.
For years, Slovenia was better known as the wealthiest province of former Yugoslavia. It appeared on the map as an individual nation, at the juncture of the Alps and Mediterranean, only in 1991. In the last two decades, it became a member of the European Union, which means a Schengen visa is good enough to explore Slovenia.
The Balkan country shares its border with Austria, Hungary, Italy and Croatia, and provides a gateway to the Adriatic Sea. The capital city, Ljubljana, is believed to have been founded by the Greek mythological hero, Jason, who had stolen the golden fleece from King Aetes and fled on a ship across the Black Sea and up the rivers Danube, Sava and Ljubljanica, all the way up to the source of Ljubljanica, where he disassembled the ship in order to carry it to the Adriatic Sea for returning to Greece. But, before his successful return, Jason conquered a monster at Ljubljana Marshes, which is now symbolised as the dragon on the Ljubljana coat of arms.
Venetian influences
Centuries later, tourists can still feel the adventure spirit of Jason when they are faced with the prospect of skiing to yachting in a single day. In the winter, Kravavec — a known ski centre closest to the Ljubljana — can provide some challenge to ski-enthusiasts in the morning from where they can drive straight to Piran on the Adriatic coast to sail, enjoy fresh fish and sip beer.
Piran, actually, is picturesque throughout the year. You can smell and feel the sea, almost, from any part of the town. If you have time, you can enter one of the alleys near the Tartini Square and take a stroll till you come to the Church of St George, which overlooks the sea and offers a perfect vantage point for tourists. On a clear day, you can clearly see Trieste and if not satisfied, you can drive straight and visit the port — it’s less than an hour away, and remember, you have a Schengen visa!
The old sea town was strongly influenced by the Venetian Republic, which was evident from the ubiquitous Venetian blinds found all over the old city. While the alleys may have the same antiquity as Benaras (but cleaner), the houses remind me of north Calcutta, thanks to those blinds, immortalised by Satyajit Ray in his masterpiece, Charulata.
If you are not much of a walker, don’t bother. Enter one of the sea-side cafes and relax with a glass of beer or a cup of coffee. The lovely café owner (or a bubbly tour guide) may indulge you further with exotic sea food, top class wine and cosy chats about the salt panes and spas around Piran and Porteroz. But if you are in a mood to explore, come back to Ljubljana and keep the next day to know more about Bled.
Often described as paradise, the alpine resort town of Bled will enchant every visitor with its emerald-green lake, fairy tale-like landscape and an imposing castle reigning on top of a rocky cliff. It was here that the Yugoslavian royal family once had a summer residence, later replaced by the summer residence of President Josip Broz Tito that can still be seen by the lake.
The lake changes its colours with the observer’s position. It’s azure blue when seen from the medieval castle, perched atop a hill next to the Bled. The castle provides a breathtaking view of the lake and Slovenia’s only island in the middle of the lake. But when you take a traditional pletna boat to ferry across the lake and visit the island, the water changes its colour to green. The little church on the island has a mysterious wishing bell, which is another attraction.
Tourism in Slovenia, however, does not end with the sea and lake. The awe-inspiring underground caves in Karst region, like the 20-km-long Postojna Cave and the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Skocjan Caves, provide a contrary view. Karst is a specific topography formed due to dissolution of soluble bedrocks, primarily limestone and dolomite.
Due to subterranean drainage, there is little surface water left, which is leading to the disappearance of lakes and rivers. Many a time, water bodies reappear inside the caves such as Lake Cerknica and Krizna Jama. Postojna Jama is a magnificent gallery of stalactite-stalagmites with distinct shapes like ‘the rooster’, ‘the chicken’ and the ‘sparkling diamond’. Since the cave is too long to walk around and water is dripping at many places, a train is available to take visitors around.
Postojna also houses the ‘human fish’ (Proteus anguinus) — the only cave-dwelling vertebrate found in Europe. Since the animals are hiding too deep inside the cave, arrangements have been made for the visitors to see these rare creatures, whose skins are similar to human skin, in their natural environment.
Just 10 km further down from Postojna stands the imposing Predjama Cave Castle, perched halfway up on a 123-metre cliff. The 700-year-old castle looks powerful, defiant and impregnable, but its Achilles heel, surprisingly, was the loo. The castle was the home for the bold, headstrong, rebellious knight Erazem Predjamski, who had a romantic relationship with a village belle.
For years, the local king could not find any way to enter the castle till he found a traitor, who informed the king about the only weak link in the chain — the bathroom. It led to the fall of the knight, but his legend lives on.
Excursions in Slovenia, particularly in the western side, have to be centred around Ljubljana. The Slovenian capital bears the personal imprint of one of the most important architects of the contemporary world, Joze Plecnik, whose oeuvre left a distinct mark on two other European cities — Vienna and Prague.
Walking around the Triple Bridge, the Central Market Colonade, Tivoli Park’s main promenade and the Cobbler’s Bridge, will douse visitors with Slovenian essence. The walk will help you soak in the city’s relaxed Mediterranean feel. And if you still long for home, an Indian restaurant, Namaste, is just round the corner where you can meet a jovial Bulgarian, who will play Raj Kapoor classics on his accordion, sitting under a maple tree.