As soon as we crossed the boarder into Slovenia I could feel that we were among like-minded people. It began with the sheriff who checked our passports at the boarder crossing. Coincidentally he was the guy who we had been communicating with a few days prior about the possibility of him hosting us for a night. Being a bike tourist himself, he often hosts other bike tourists who visit his country through an online community called Warm Showers. Although he wasn’t able to host that evening, he welcomed us into his country like old friends and made sure we had water and knew which route to take. He assured us that we could camp just about anywhere we wanted and be safe.
As we pedaled our way towards Ljubljana we saw more and more cyclists and bike paths that parallel the roads. We were surrounded by the green countryside, crossing clear rivers and headed towards the mountains. Hidden in the hillsides we spotted old churches and even castles. We stopped to visit a truly spectacular Renaissance castle that was built into the mouth of a cave on a cliff.
The Predjama Castle is a wonder in architectural engineering.
To our relief, entering Slovenia’s capital at rush hour was no problem at all. The amazing network of bike paths led us the entire way through the city without ever sharing the road with cars.
It was a treat to meet up with our friend, Zala, who grew up in Ljubljana and could offer her local insight. Ljubljana is a beautiful city with baroque architecture, plenty of parks and open areas, and a motor-free old town. It was awarded the European Green Capital in 2016 for its sustainable practices and abundant green space. It even has vending machines with dairy products from local organic farms! The historic center reminded me of a mini Prague with the calm river lined with cafes running through it.
We walked around the pedestrian-friendly old town and shared an incredible dinner with delicious Slovenian wines. Interestingly, orange wine is big in Slovenia. (Orange wine is made with white grapes, only it is treated like a red wine, meaning that the juice is not immediately pressed off of the grape skins. The skin contact gives the wine an orange hue. It’s served chilled and can be refreshing like a white wine but also have big tannins like a red wine. It’s really kind of bizarre. We were able to taste several different orange wines and it was incredible how diverse they all were.
Zala once told me that Colorado reminded her of home. Now that I have visited Slovenia, I too see the resemblance. As a whole, Slovenians are environmentally conscious and outdoorsy. Compared to other parts of Europe, they dress casually and even sporty. I finally didn’t feel out of place wearing shorts, sandals and a tank top with my hair pulled back in a ponytail! Like Colorado, outdoor recreation is huge and locals spend their free time camping, mountain biking, climbing mountains, hiking and enjoying the beautiful outdoors.
On our rest day, Zala took us to one of her favorite spots for a cappuccino “with a view of the city”. It happened to be at the top of a steep 2000 foot climb (My legs still ache thinking about it!). Even on a weekday it was a popular spot for a jog or a hike to get a snack at the top. No offense to Croatians, but they are way too lazy (ahem, I mean relaxed) for this kind of thing! (They are all about enjoying a “fjiaka” state of mind!) While our touring bikes were scrutinized in Croatia, they were approved with a nod in Slovenia. Being active is a lifestyle in Slovenia and their island neighbors roll their eyes at all the unnecessary effort of exercise for fun.
Slovenia became even more beautiful and similar to home as we left Ljubljana and headed towards the Julian Alps. We were greeted with clear mountain lakes and rivers with fresh spring water. We cruised down quiet roads through little villages, while distracted by the beautiful mountain homes with white stucco and dark wooden shutters. Colorful flowers overflowed from every windowsill and on every balcony.
It seems that in Slovenia, having a bountiful garden is more important than having a nice car. People take pride in their vegetable and flower gardens and it’s part of the landscape that makes the tiny country so beautiful. Virtually every house we passed had perfect beds of spring vegetables and peas that were starting to vine up posts in the ground. Fruit trees were abundant, and this time of year ripe red cherries hang from tree branches, sometimes low enough for us to sample.
Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj are both stunning in their own way and both worth visiting. Lake Bled was far more upscale and touristy, but the glassy thermal water with a Church on an island is incomparable. There is even a castle on the hillside above the lake. It really doesn’t get much more postcard perfect. We sat at a fancy cafe and ordered the obligatory cream cake (invented in Bled). We devoured the multilayered cake in a matter of seconds. Nicely dressed people (the nicest in all of Slovenia) strolled along the paved path that stretches the 6km around the lake.
Not far from Bled is Lake Bohinj. It’s the less flashy and more rugged cousin to Lake Bled. With just a couple unpretentious bars, beach bums in swimsuits and lakeside camping, it was more low key but equally as beautiful.
My favorite section of biking in Slovenia was following the bike path from the cute town of Bohinjska through a gorgeous river valley to the laid back Lake Bohinj. Green, grassy fields and wild flowers surround a flowing river between mountains. Wood cabins with picnic tables are scattered about.
Then at the end of the serene path lies a crystal clear mountain lake that is fed by a waterfall… At times, Slovenia is so beautiful, you feel like you’re in a fairytale. The emerald green water of the Soča river is surreal, it’s no wonder that The Chronicles of Narnia were filmed there! Our final evening in Slovenia was spent next to the emerald waters in the idyllic mountain village of Bovec. It’s the ideal place for mountain biking, hiking and rafting. We followed a narrow road down, down, down to Kamp Liza on the river. The camp had a little store that sold local cheese and wine on tap for €3 per liter. That’s what I call paradise!
By the end of our Slovenian tour, our hearts were full of love for the only country with “love” in its name. What a wonderful place to visit. I honestly would have been happy spending our entire 2 month tour getting to know all the beautiful corners of Slovenia. We even talked about the possibility of moving to this ‘Colorado’ of Europe. Other than the language barrier, I think we would fit right in.
As is usually the case, however, something in the distance was calling to us. This time, it was the imposing peaks of the Dolomites. We bid farewell to the Julian Alps and pointed our wheels towards the peaks of Italy.
