Sunday
We’re up and settled in the mountains of Slovenia! We are staying in a nice little house in the village of Stiska Vas in the northern part of the country. We’re about 30 minutes out of the capital city of Ljubljana and about the same distance to the mountains around Lake Bled. There is NO cell phone signal here, however, as we are tucked back in the hills. Fortunately the internet here seems fairly stable and we hope it will be enough for Keller’s work responsibilities.
We did some research online and found a ropes course near Lake Bled that looked fabulous! However, we are right at the end of the season and today was the last day! The weather was cold and overcast, with a significant chance or rain, but we decided to trek up to Bled just in case and hope that it worked out.
The drive up was uneventful, but finding where to park is a challenge! There is a lower parking lot by the ski lift, but the lift was taken down for the season already (it is also used for the toboggan sled ride during the summer), so it would be a steep hike up hill. The gate was open, so we decided to try driving up. MISTAKE! Or rather, the first little part was fine, but it rapidly got too rocky and steep for our little rental car. I was worried about (1) getting stuck, (2) bottoming out, or (3) blowing a tire. Fortunately we stopped before any of these things happened! 😉 We ended up parking mid-way up the hill, about as far as we were willing to drive, and hiked up the rest of the way. It wasn’t busy, so we knew our car wouldn’t be in the way. I wouldn’t say it was in a parking spot though! I will say the car had a lovely view anyway!
We put on our jackets and scaled the hillside. About half way to the top it started raining and hailing on us. Oh no! We hurried to shelter under the awning of a closed building until the rain passed. We could see the ropes course and the employees. After the rain stopped, we talked to the staff to see what our options are. They said the course was too wet to open and they could not let us do it. However, he said there was another private group coming on Wednesday, so we could join them and come that day instead. While they would be “officially” closed for the season, we could still do it.
So we hiked back down the hill to our car and drove down the mountain again. We thought about going to the castle on the hill, but there was no parking left in the lot and there were a lot of tour buses there. Instead we opted to have our picnic lunch in a nearby park and hope the weather cleared off. Fortunately the rain did stop. We were still hoping that the adventure park would re-open for the day, so we wanted to stay close by. We went back up to the castle and this time found parking and bought tickets.
It was a small castle, but it had stunning views of the valley and over the lake. The sun started peeking out through the clouds too, so the light was lovely.
One of the coolest things in the castle is a replica of the Gutenburg printing press. You can purchase a souvenir pressing too, where they use the press to put your name on a piece of handmade paper with a wax seal and everything. Both kids decided they wanted one and got to help work the press and stamp the sealing wax. They thought it was pretty neat!
I called the adventure park and was told they would not be open the rest of the day, as the course would still be too wet. Out of ideas, we decided to drive up to Austria for the afternoon … because why not?! Austria was only about 30 minutes away and included a long tunnel through the mountains.
But first, we stopped at a local bakery in Lake Bled for some dessert. We just ordered one of each “specialty.” 😉
The drive through (and under) the Alps was simple and opened up into stunning views of Austria! The weather was perfect on this side of the mountains.
Keller found an observation tower near the town of Klagenfurt, called Pyramidenkogel. It has spectacular views for 360* with mountains in every direction! Keller said it is the most beautiful place he’s ever seen and quite the view! Even better, there is a slide built into the tower that you can slide down from 9 stories up on a felt mat. Unfortunately, Caden wasn’t tall enough to do it. =( Unlike Croatia, Austria is a stickler for rules and wouldn’t let Caden slide. Kamy and Daddy did it though and thought it was very exciting!
After the tower we drove back toward our apartment in Slovenia and stopped for dinner at Francobollo in Saint Jakob in Rosental. It was really busy and we were disappointed at first because they said there were no tables available for an hour and a half. HOWEVER, there was a table that had been reserved that was a no-show, so if they still were not at the restaurant in the next 15 minutes we could have that table instead. We were happy to wait and we did end up with the table!
The food was fabulous and one of the best restaurants we have experienced this trip! Everything was wonderful, from the rollantino pizza rolls to the steak with herb butter to the pizza to the desserts. Everything was exceptional and reasonably priced! We were all stuffed by the time we hit the road back to Slovenia.
Less than an hour later we were back in Stiska Vas and heading to bed. While not what we had planned for the day, particularly due to the rain, we made the best of it and still had a fun time.
Monday
Today we drove down to Ljubljana! Rick Steve raves about the city and we were looking forward to exploring the town. We bought a Ljubljana card for 48 hours which essentially gives you access to all the museums and many tours in the area. We started with the 2 hour guided tour of town. Our guide, Urbain was very good, if a bit long winded at times. He definitely gave us some additional context to why things are what they are in Ljubljana, though we were all ready to be done by the end of the tour.
The cathedral was beautiful inside — it was incredibly ornate and was much more elaborate than you might expect from the exterior.
We got our tickets for the funicular ride up to the castle and then ate lunch at Julija. It was pretty similar to French cuisine in its use of herbs and flavors. It was good, but not as special as Francobollo. From lunch, we headed to the Museum of Illusions. It was included in our museum card, so the kids were definitely interested. Several common illusions were set up in the museum, but the kids enjoyed them — particularly the “floating head” and the endless mirrors. I don’t think it would have been worth the price of admission if we had to pay for it outright, but since it was included in our ticket it was easy enough to stop by for 45 minutes or so.
Ice cream was next on the list — with a stop at Gelateria Romantika. It is artisan gelato, and while we can appreciate what they were trying to accomplish, I’m not sure any of us were crazy about what we picked out. Caden chose strawberry basil (which was VERY basil-y), while I had coffee (which tasted like black espresso). Kamy and Keller finished their gelatos but didn’t need any more. Oh well!
Next we headed up to the castle. We rode the funicular up and then got our tickets to visit the various exhibits and climb to the top of the tower. The castle has been recently rebuilt and now functions as an event space and vantage point.
The kids enjoyed the little exhibit on dragons, the mascot of Ljubljana.
A calligrapher was set up in the castle’s chapel and offered to create bookmarks for a donation. The kids were fascinated by the calligraphy and the beautiful lettering.
After the castle we picked up our rental car from the parking garage and headed back home. With a little pit-stop for poffertjes for a snack!
We ate dinner at the apartment and the kids played outside with their new friends way past dark.
Tuesday
Today we returned to Ljubljana to explore more! Our Ljubljana Card is good for 48 hours, so we came back to visit a few museums and have lunch.
First up was visiting the Joze Plecnik Museum. Plecnik is a local architect responsible for a vast majority of the public building projects in the 20th century. He designed everything from bridges to palaces to the national library. He had a unique style that was heavily influenced by classical design but updated with modern materials and design. The Museum is in his former house, of which he designed an addition for his personal living space. The museum is essentially a time capsule of what it looked like when he passed away.
As we were the only visitors at the museum, we received a private tour of the home. Our guide spoke excellent English and did a great job interacting with the kids and answering their questions. The tour wasn’t too long but it gave us a good idea of who Plecnik was and how he lived.
After the museum, we stopped at the John the Baptist Church next door. Plecnik designed the bridge that is across the street from the church as well as some of the chapel’s interior renovations.
We also visited the National and University Library, also designed by Plecnik. The windows are designed to look like open books and the inner staircase of dark marble was very impressive. Unfortunately we were not able to go inside the reading rooms, as it is reserved for students and patrons.
Next we stopped for lunch at OnThai — our first chance for Asian cuisine since Split. It was a tiny little place but we were lucky enough to get a table for four. They were only serving menu items from the wok (no curry or appetizers), so we ordered two pad thai dishes and one fried rice. They were all quite respectable! I think all our expectations have been adjusted a bit. 😉
The National Gallery was our next destination and it was quite a pleasant surprise! It was just the right size and we spent about 2 hours in museum. We were able to see everything that we wanted to without getting overwhelmed by a ton of content.
My favorite section was the religious artifacts — statues, paintings, and copies of Slovenian frescoes. The docent responsible for the rooms was incredibly knowledgeable and spent a solid 30 minutes answering our questions and educating us about some of the unique aspects of the pieces. She taught us about the difference between pre-Gothic and Gothic crucifixion depictions and why they are different.
Kamy’s favorite piece was a long fresco depicting people of all classes ultimately dying and it was one of the only pieces at the time showing royalty, women, and beggars together.
Upstairs was a small exhibit of artwork created by local graduate art students who recreated and re-imagined famous works of art. The kids found them fascinating and loved looking for similarities and differences.
After the National Gallery we peeked inside the Saints Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Church across the street. The inside was stunning and totally unexpected! The colors were so vivid and vibrant, despite the low light levels. Caden bought a taper candle to light.
From there we walked back to the car, stopped at an Asian grocery store for curry paste and coconut milk, and then drove back home. Klara and Rok came home later that evening and the kids played together for nearly two hours in the dark.
Meanwhile, we were all able to appreciate the stunning sunset. There is no editing on this photo at all. #nofilters
Wednesday
Today we returned to Lake Bled to do the adventure park! The weather cooperated and we were good to go. We drove up the gravel road part of the way and then hiked up the steep hill the rest of the way. Man it’s steep! The other group was already there, so by the time we were ready for the safety course, they had moved onto the regular course and it was just the four of us. We started with basics and learned how to stay safely attached to the course. The kids practiced twice to make sure they had a rhythm and would go step by step.
From there we moved to the first course! This one is designed for younger kids, so Keller and I watched and coached Kamy and Caden through the course. Easy-peasy, no problem. Both kids were having a blast and were ready to go up in difficulty! Yellow course? Check!
Next up was the orange course. We sandwiched the kids, so I went first, followed by Caden, then Kamy, then Daddy. This way we could keep an eye on the kids as they navigated the course. This one was a bit challenging for Daddy because he was so tall! It was still designed with kids in mind, so the lower cables often were in Keller’s way. He worked it out though! I found the hanging rope loops and the hanging wooden steps the hardest to navigate. It sure takes a lot of upper body strength to support yourself while your feet swing every-which-way! Orange course? Check!
Green was the third level and the highest Caden was allowed to do. He was not tall enough to reach the cables on the fourth level. Green was pretty similar to the orange course, but a little longer, a little higher, and with a few new tricks! It’s getting easier for Keller since the cables aren’t impeding his progress anymore. After this course we took a short water break and then split up.
Kamy and Daddy headed up to the blue course, the fourth level. This course was really high up in the trees! Still some similar challenges but new ones like a cargo net you had to work across and longer zip lines. It was definitely pushing some of Kamy’s limits, but they worked together and did it. Good job guys! Blue course? Check!
Meanwhile, Caden decided he liked the orange course the best, so the two of us did it again! This time Caden went first and had no trouble with any of it. He also did the longest zipline. Caden doesn’t weigh quite enough to reach the end, so he had to pull himself hand over hand to the end of the line. He decided that was too much work to do it again! So, he did the orange course again but with me watching this time.
After Keller and Kamy finished the blue course, we all did the long zip line. Keller gave both kids a good push to get them started and that helped them make it to the end of the line. It was fun!
For our last round, Keller and I did the RED course! The kids watched, took photos, and encouraged us from the ground. Man, the course was hard! The wind made it trickier too — as the wind picked up, the entire course would sway with the trees. Mentally I sure was glad that I was strapped to the cables! I found the very first challenge the hardest — crab stepping across a series of 7 hanging poles that were not attached together. By the end of the first challenge, I was exhausted and my arms were super tired. Two options presented themselves at that point — go back and go down, or go forward. But there was no way I was going back across it. Onward we go!
The hardest section for Keller was a long line of posts that were suspended vertically. You were supposed to step on the center of each post and shift your weight forward to the next one. I was hanging onto the side cables to support most of my weight. It was tricky too!
Ultimately we made it all the way across and down the course. We were both worn out! By now the other group had already left and we’d been on the course for about 3 hours. We all did the long zip line one last time and then headed down the mountain. We literally were the last people on the ropes course for the year!
Both kids had a great day! Caden said it’s his favorite day of the entire trip! We all stretched out of our comfort zone and completed the challenge. What a fun day!
We found a little park to eat a light picnic lunch and then drove back home. Some downtime, dinner, and playtime with the neighbors rounded out the day. We were all tired and worn out by bedtime! Another beautiful sunset capped off a lovely day. Slovenian lore calls these kind of sunsets “Santa’s baking cookies.”
Thursday
Today we planned to drive into the mountains and visit the town of Idrija! The entire town is marked as a UNESCO World Heritage site, as it was the second largest site of mercury mining in the world. The drive up was beautiful, but the highways sure are steep! Keller’s doing an amazing job driving on all these twisty steep roads in a manual car. Thanks to some construction, we came sliding into the museum right on time. Keller dropped me off to buy our tickets while he parked the car.
The tour started with a 20 minute video explaining the Idrija mine and how the town grew up around it. Over the centuries that the mine was active, more than 150,000 tons of mercury were removed from the surrounding mountains. The tunnels span over 15 levels and more than 420 meters deep! The entire industry was a marvel of engineering and technology for its time.
After the video, we put on hard hats and light jackets and followed our tour guide into the mine! There was a large school group, but we were the only other guests, so we had a private tour. Our guide was great and the kids got to ask a lot of questions. It was sobering to think about the conditions in which the miners worked and how it took a toll on their health over the years.
We also got to hold a container of mercury and see how much heavier it is than the same volume of water. It’s amazing! We were all a bit surprised.
We drove down to the river side park for our picnic lunch and then let the kids run around on the playground. Meanwhile, Keller and I explored the massive waterwheel system just up the hill. The wheel acted as the water pump for the deepest section of the mine. It was the largest water powered wheel in Europe — with a 44 foot diameter! Unfortunately we didn’t plan in advance in order to arrange a tour and guide, but the building was neat and we were able to puzzle out some of how the elements worked.
Then we drove back to our sleepy little town, ate dinner, and the kids played with Klara and Rok. The weather was kind of stormy and very windy, so they played inside and watched part of a movie. Kamy and Caden have had so much fun playing next door this week — they will miss their new friends when we leave!
Friday
For our last day in Slovenia, we went back down the hill to Ljubljana. We wanted to check out the market, cross the Dragon Bridge, visit a museum, and have lunch at the Open Kitchen!
We went to the Slovenian Ethnographic Museum. It was small, but well curated for what it had. It mostly focused on the ethnic heritage of the region — farming tools, culinary choices, furniture and clothing, and cultural holidays. The kids were most interested in the little A -> Z childrens exhibition.
Spring, summer, and fall, Ljubljana hosts an “open kitchen” in the square next to the church. It is essentially a pop up food market, staffed and run by local restaurants. According to our guide book, the locals use it as both a culinary and social event! This was the last “open kitchen” for the year, so we were glad our schedule lined up for us to attend.
We ended up with a smorgasbord of options for lunch! We ate in phases, starting with dumplings and egg rolls, then pad thai and red curry. Round two was fried chicken and mashed potatoes and thinly sliced steak. Round three was mussels for the kids. Round four was a “pita” with local meat. For dessert, Keller and the kids chose flash frozen ice cream in After Eight and Ferrer Rochere. The ice cream was a hit!
Both kids picked out t-shirts as souvenirs. Caden chose a red shirt with Ljubljana and a dragon, while Kamy chose a blue shirt with Slovenia and a white horse. I think they’ll be perfect souvenirs that will get a lot of use.
Back at “home,” we did some downtime and worked on packing until our friends were available. Kamy and Caden went next door for a few hours while I finished up laundry and packing. After dark I went next door and visited with Klara and Rok’s dad for about an hour before we all said goodbye and came back. A quick dinner of leftovers to clean out the fridge and our time in Slovenia was almost over!
We’ve thoroughly enjoyed our time in Slovenia! Ljubljana was quite a surprise and Keller was very impressed with the area. Everything feels very livable and relaxed, without losing functionality and productivity. That can be a tricky balance! We’d love to return to Slovenia again at some point and explore more of the country — both urban and rural!
