Slovenia: Mountains & Wine & Food, Oh My!
- Lauren Smith
- Oct 13, 2021
- 5 min read
What to do on a weekend in Munich? Perhaps catch a movie, or hit a biergarten, or maybe take a road trip to a new country! The border of beautiful little Slovenia is just four hours south of the city (3.5 if you're cruising on the Autobahn), so Rachel, Felix and I decided to check it out.
We left early Saturday morning, reaching Triglav National Park around 11:00 (after quite a few euros in tolls- be warned!), just in time for a picnic lunch on the gorgeous Lake Bohinj. Lacing up our hiking boots, Rachel and I then prepared to take off on an 8-mile hike into the Julian Alps.
*Please, do not ask me how to pronounce any of these Slovenian words.
Though Felix had to sit this one out due to an injured ankle, Rachel and I were eager for our first taste of Slovenia. That first taste unfortunately involved a 3 euro charge just to get on the trail... Slovenia knows what they're worth, I suppose. We followed along the edge of the Mostnica Gorge for miles, admiring the crystal-clear water that poured and flowed over mossy green rocks, cascading between the deep rock walls (reaching 20 meters deep!). And, when I say "crystal clear", I mean C-R-Y-S-T-A-L. You couldn't tell where the water stopped and the air began at some points. Our trail took us through Voje Valley, an elevated grassland framed with mountain peaks, each of which were blanketed in trees already changing color with the seasons.
The trail ended at Mostnica Waterfall, where water cascaded down into the mouth of the Mostnica Gorge to begin its journey down the mountain. On our hike out of the mountains, we ran into a little trouble with some cows in the valley. I just got a little too close to a bull, and he let me know it with a casual brush of his horns. Message received.
Rachel and I met back up with Felix and we drove out of the national park towards our Airbnb, located in a quiet village just outside of Bled. We dropped our stuff in the quaint guest house, then headed into Bled for the evening.
The picturesque town features a castle perched above the pristine Lake Bled, and a historic church located on a tiny island in the center of the lake. It was all straight out of a fairy tale. We walked along the lake, taking in the sites as the sun set, and chatted with some friendly folks at a local artisan market. Their friendliness certainly paid off, because Rachel and I walked away with 4 pairs of earrings in total, all of which were skillfully hand-crafted from local material. We had dinner at Ostarija Peglez'n, a lovely Slovenian-Italian restaurant, enjoying a traditional trout dish, elaborate risotto, and deliciously dense buckwheat bread. We finished the evening with drinks at a local bar and then called it a night, preparing for our next full day.
On Sunday, we drove 45 minutes south of Bled to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. This little city proved to be quite unique, showcasing the empowering history of the country through a creative and fierce public art scene. The interesting sculptures and murals offered us glimpses into Slovenian culture, forged through years of fighting for recognition and independence from Yugoslavia.
We started our day with a stroll up to the castle which overlooked the red roofs and cobblestone walking streets of old town. From the top of the castle walls, we could spin in a full circle to take in the range of mountains that protectively wrapped around the city limits. The castle itself was an impressive fusion of preservation and modernization, building around the crumbled remains of old stone walls and pillars with modern glass and steel design.
Back down in the town, we had our first bite to eat at Moji štruklji Slovenije, a popular "dumpling house", ordering bowls of the traditional cabbage and barely stews, spoon bread (just like it sounds), and 4 Slovenian dumplings. Despite Felix’s concerns, the meal proved to be plenty for the three of us, given that the dumplings were each the size of my fist and came packed unique flavors. The comfort food fit the setting well, as the rain had just begun to fall.
While waiting the weather out, we headed over to the Ethnographic Museum, which happened to have free entry on the first Sunday of every month (today). We toured through artistic and engaging displays that demonstrated the rich history of Slovenian culture, offering us more insight into what made the country what it is today.
Just as the rain began to lighten up, we walked back into old town, taking a path along the beautifully clear river. Slovenia has been recognized for both their green landscapes and green initiatives, which could be appreciated even in the heart of their largest city as we strolled under dense groupings of trees that lined the riverbanks. Stopping to cross the iconic Dragon Bridge, we continued on to our next stop: Wine Bar Suklje. The country may be small, but they take great pride in what they have to offer, and wine is no exception. In most restaurants, you wouldn’t even be given the option of foreign wine, so we had to taste these products of Slovenia for ourselves. At the wine bar, a very friendly and very knowledgeable server provided us with flights of Slovenian wine and described to us the region, grape and style of each.
We enjoyed another glass of Slovenian wine with dinner (of course) at Julija, a local restaurant, trying their signature goulash, žlikrofi, and even more dumplings. The final stop of our night was Lajbah, a craft beer bar located just outside of old town. We had heard that Ljubljana has been developing a craft beer scene in recent years, and we simply had to support their efforts. Sipping our ice cream stouts, oat milk IPA’s and cherry porters, we enjoyed another small taste of Slovenian culture.
We drove back to Bled that evening and crashed. The next morning was a wet one that unfortunately refused to clear up. We started the day at a Slascicarna Zima, a cafe that specialized in a few Slovenian desserts we were eager to try: Bled Cream Cake and Gibanica. Both did not disappoint-- the cream cake light and fluffy, the Gibanica dense and rich in flavor-- and we left the cafe with the healthy sugar high we were looking for to start our day. Despite the rain, Rachel and I decided to seize the day and make the most of what we could, which included embarking on a slippery 2-mile hike up to a Mala Osojnica, a popular spot overlooking Lake Bled. The dense, low-hanging clouds added a mystical air to the already fantastical setting, giving us a uniquely beautiful view of the town beneath us. Due to the serene transparency of the lake below, the little island hovering in the center even appeared to be floating in the clouds. I suddenly understood how one might find inspiration for the magical fairytales that fill our children’s books.
Coming down from our hike just a little wet and muddy, Rachel and I rejoined Felix for lunch at a local kitchen, on a hunt for the one traditional dish we hadn’t yet tried: Kranjska Klobasa. This sausage has been entered into the register of protected geographical indication (PGI), ensuring that it can only be produced in-country, so we couldn’t dare leave without trying it out. The dish, albeit similar to many other smoked sausages in my opinion, was very enjoyable, and we chased it down with some local Slovenian beer. After lunch, as the rain continued to mist around us, we hopped in the car and began our drive back to Germany, winding through the picturesque mountain landscapes on our way out of this hidden gem of a country.
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