From Salzburg we took a train south to Slovenia. Before I talk about Slovenia I need to talk about this train ride. This route was was everything I had hoped for when I imagined riding trains through Europe. We wound through narrow mountain passes with crystal clear rivers running beside the tracks. Then the view would open up into scenic valleys sprinkled with picturesque alpine villages.

Lake Bled

The beauty of that train ride was a hint of what was to come when we arrived at one of our loveliest destinations: Lake Bled.

Lake Bled looks like something out of a fairy tale.  Wooded hills surround the crystal clear turquoise lake while a castle perched on a mountain looms over one end. In the middle is a little island with a small stone church, complete with bell tower.

And providing the backdrop to this already stunning scene are the rugged peaks of the Julian Alps.

We came to Lake Bled for my birthday and it was a true vacation within our travels.  We rented an apartment right across from the lake and spent our days swimming, sunbathing and paddle boarding.  Apparently there is good hiking in the area as well but after several hectic cities with a lot of walking we were ready to take it easy.

In addition to its breathtaking scenery, Lake Bled is also famous for a cream cake that was supposedly invented here.  I will never forget buying my slice of birthday cake from a little snack stand right on the lake and then eating it with this incredible backdrop.

Ljubljana

After a perfect long weekend at the lake we hopped on a bus to Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana.  With 280,000 residents Ljubljana is Slovenia’s largest city but it still has a small-city feel to it. We stayed a little ways outside the center but it was easy to get around by bus or taxi.  The city center itself is closed off to all vehicle traffic which I loved.

We took an awesome free walking tour of the city where we learned a lot about Slovenia’s history.  Slovenians have existed as an ethnic group for hundreds of years but Slovenia has only existed as an independent nation since it split off from Yugoslavia in 1991.  It was amazing to hear how the Slovenian people maintained their unique ethnic and linguistic identity over centuries of outside rule.

Ljubljana doesn’t have a ton of must-see tourist attractions.  The main ‘sight’ is just this city itself.  It has all the beauty and charm of the bigger and better known European capitals but at a much more manageable size and with a fraction of the crowds.

There is a castle on top of a hill above town.  We took the cable car up to check it out but were disappointed as there’s not much to see or do in the castle itself. We much preferred the little row of bars and cafes at the castle’s base. These offered the perfect place to enjoy an espresso by day or a glass of wine at night.

On our last day in Ljubljana we ventured outside the city center to catch a glimpse of the city’s contemporary creative side.  Metelkova is a former military barracks that was taken over by artists in 1993.

Since then the squatters have transformed the area into a contemporary cultural center and often host exhibits and performances.  Amazing contemporary art works surround the buildings and it was a really fun area to explore.

After the hustle and bustle of Vienna and Budapest, Slovenia was a great place to relax and slow down the pace of our travels.  This tiny nation has enough natural beauty to keep outdoorsy types occupied for months while Ljubljana provides a surprisingly vibrant urban scene.  I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to get slightly off the beaten path on your next European vacation.

Special Announcement!

We are back in the United States! Thank you to everyone who has been reading this blog and keeping up with our big adventure.  I still have quite a few posts to catch up on so I hope you’ll keep checking back here for new content.  I’ll also be writing about overall tips and takeaways from our nine months on the road and about our transition back to the real world – stay tuned!