Picturesque Lake Bled in Slovenia

Slovenia and Croatia in a Perfect Two Weeks

When we decided to travel to Slovenia and Croatia with Steve and Sue the last two weeks of May, we developed a great itinerary that I want to share.

Flying in to Zagreb, Croatia, we picked up our Sixt rental car and drove off to the charming college town of Ljubljana in Slovenia. Staying at Slamic B&B, we walked the Ljubljanica River on Cankarjevo Nabrezje, the pedestrian street with university students conversing at the outdoor cafes. Legend has it that Ljubljana was founded by the Greek mythological hero, Jason and the Argonauts. Discover Mesti trg, Gornji trg, and Stari trg. These are historic pedestrian streets and are fun to stroll. Walk the Triple Bridge that connects Preseren Square with the rest of town. And the Dragon Bridge that is adorned with bronze dragons. Because we have to hike, we took the path uphill to the Ljubljana Castle which looms over the city. The views of the area are lovely, but you can also go to the rooftop terrace, Neboticnik, for free views or an evening glass of wine.

An hour away is Lake Bled and we loved our stay at Penzion Berc.

The Julian Alps loom high over this placid green lake that is complete with a castle perched high on a hillside, a pretty little island to visit, and numerous hiking trails.

Milena and Ludvik Berc, Jr. greeted us at Penzion Berc with wood beamed rooms that were extremely spacious. They immediately gave us hiking information and told us about the free bikes at our disposal. The morning breakfasts were delightful and sustained us through our physical activities each day.

We enjoyed a plethora of activities.

The B&B is just steps away from the lake, so we rode the bikes for an afternoon pedal around the lake, a total distance of only 6 kilometers. A pletna boat is available to access the island in the middle of the lake, but we took the swan boats and rowed ourselves the 10 minutes out to the cute church. There is a legend that whoever rings the bell inside the church will have their wish come true. So we pulled the rope cord.

For more that 1000 years, Lake Bled Castle has sat on the cliffs over the lake and it is the oldest castle in Slovenia, dating back to 1011. There is a hike to Mala Osojnica that begins on the west side of the lake. There is a bench with a small sign to mark the trailhead. Most of the time you are under cover of the trees, with wooden steps and a short scramble along the trail using chains. After a long metal staircase you are rewarded with a gorgeous view of Lake Bled. It only takes about 45 minutes unless you sit at the top bench and contemplate your beautiful surroundings.

One truly cool spot is Vintgar Gorge which is just a 10 minute drive from our hotel and is located in Triglav National Park. For a mile, you walk on elevated boardwalks along the Radovna River which is an amazing turquoise green and exquisitely clear. When you enter, you are greeted with boardwalk trails, scenic views and small waterfalls as the walk crisscrosses the river under lush green trees.

 

Slap Savica Waterfall is another fun hike on Lake Bohinj, just 27 kilometers from Lake Bled. Drive past Ukanc where the road deadends into a parking lot. Follow the market trail into the woods to the uphill walk with lots of steps, 620 steps to be exact to view the waterfall. Ludvik pointed out numerous hikes in the area that were very close so we tried one in Pokljuska Soteska that wound us through a narrow gorge high above the forest floor. We literally clung to the granite walls. It opened into a beautiful flower meadow.

Make sure to take a break to have pastries at Smon Bakery in town.

One delectable meal of pesto risotto and sea bass was at Osterija Peglez’n just a few steps for Penzion Berc and situated right on the lake. We also enjoyed fine dining at our own Penzion Berc Restaurant. Well plated and a true five star experience.

Driving 3 hours from Lake Bled, we stayed one night in Rovinj. This adorable town sits on the Istrian Peninsula of Croatia. The Italian influences were pervasive with charming winding alleys and cobbled streets. We stayed in a medieval styled apartment called Casa Garzotto. After a walk of the waterfront, we watched the sunset over the Adriatic See from Stelladi Mare where we dined on excellent lasagna. Sue and I found a cute little boutique with a lovely gentleman crafting silver bracelets. We each bought one and I still wear mine today.

 

 

The following day we drove the three hours to stay at Hotel Degenija outside of Plitvice National Park. And this was a highlight of our trip.

From lakes, waterfalls, and cool boardwalk trails, this unique destination is magic. There are sixteen lakes with water that ranges from emerald green to turquoise and the boardwalks interconnect to form lovely pathways.

We stayed the night before our jaunt into the Park and this is totally recommended. You need to be there in line for a ticket before they open at 8 am. So we did. We started at Entrance 1, took in the Cliff Views, and took dozens of photos. Every turn was a photo op. We were truly mesmerized. We did the Upper and the Lower lakes, winding throughout the trails around the Park, and left the park by 2 pm. You could spend two days there instead of six hours.,But this was truly perfect for us. Take a look at Rick Steves website, ricksteves.com, for a great map and itinerary through this spectacular area.

After Plitvice, we drove into Split, Croatia which was a drive of three hours. The roads in Croatia were new and easy to navigate.

Split is a lovely destination on the Adriatic where the Roman elite came to visit during Roman times. In fact, Diocletian’s Palace is here and is now a part of the Old Town which you wander through as you explore this waterfront city. We strolled the Riva Promenade after a scrumptious local find called Villa Spiza on Ul. Petra Kruzica, 3. We had fun parallel parking our car on the street by our Villa Stone Flower Apartment. The next morning we hiked up to Marjan Hill before a lunch of fish at Fife.

At 1:30, we boarded the car ferry for our two night stay on the island of Hvar. Brac and Korcula would also be a great islands to visit and are on our list for the next trip to Croatia. There are three car ferries each day and you need to be in line at least an hour before the departure time. Driving off the ferry at Stari Grad, we drove into Hvar Town and parked per our instructions. Coming around the hill towards the Olive Tree Apartments, we were stunned by the beauty of the Hvar harbor. Our balcony overlooked the green Adriatic bay. A perfect location and great hospitality. And we were just steps from the harbor.

 

Tonight we devoured tagliatelle with shrimp and risotto at Alviz right off the church square in town.

The next morning we hiked up to the Hvar fortress which sits on the hill before spending an afternoon on the beach. Dinner was overlooking the sunset at Hula Bar.

We read that Hvar was glitzy and very highbrow with loud bars that attracted a young crowd. We never felt that in the two days we were here, however. We loved the beauty of the bay and the stone alleys with delicious restaurants and cute boutiques. You should bring water shoes for swimming in the ocean, however. Steve stepped on a sea urchin and we pulled out forty spikes out of his heel. Lesson learned!

The next day we drove a crazy “no shoulder” road to Sucarej on the island of Hvar to catch the ferry to Drvenik back on the mainland. We motored into Mostar, Bosnia as the sun cast a beautiful light onto this devout Muslim city filled with mosques and burned out husks of buildings from the War in 1990. As we drove in, we encountered road side stands selling limoncello so we had to stop. We were warmly greeted at Villa Fortuna with wine and cappuccino before walking the town.

 

We explored Stari Most, the beautiful bridge over the Neretva River, built in 1566 during the Ottoman rule. Standing for 427 years, this bridge was destroyed in 1994 during the Croat War and was rebuilt. The stone streets of the Old Town and the Old Bazar Kujundziluk, lined with souvenir shops, is reminiscent of Istanbul. Harmonija was our dinner spot and we ordered a platter for four. There was more meat than we could eat and it was so inexpensive. We washed down the “meats” with cherry liqueur. The call to prayer from the mosques and the scent of the strong Turkish coffee were transformative sounds and smells in Mostar.

 

One night is a perfect stay for Mostar, and the next day we drove in to Kotor, Montenegro, taking the Lepelani-Kamenari ferry. This idyllic 2,000 year old town is nestled on the Bay between the mountains and this medieval village is perfect for ambling through the tangled alleys. The green mountains against the blue of the Bay was spectacular.

We received a warm greeting from Nada at our Kordic Apartments. She brought us cake and wine while we enjoyed the Bay views from our terrace.

Steps away from the Northern Gate, we wandered the Old Town and ate a delectable meal of sea bass and greek salad at Bastion. The lights were shining on the Fortress as we explored the town under the stars.

The next morning we hiked the Great Wall of Kotor – all 1355 steps – up to the Fortress of St. John for amazing views! We relaxed with a cappuccino on Paca Tripuna in front of the imposing Cathedral of Tryphon. Again, a one night stay was perfect for Kotor.

Our final stop on this exhilarating trip was Dubrovnik, the ancient, walled medieval city on the Adriatic. The hilly, narrow cream colored cobblestoned lanes with roofs of burnt orange is truly beautiful. We dropped our rental car here because we did not need it in the city.

We relished in our expansive balcony at Villa Adriatica overlooking the harbor. This was perfect for outdoor card and cribbage games over bottles of wine. Our first afternoon was spent locating the small stone opening in the old town walls to reach the famed Buza Bar. We sipped a cafe con creme as we clambered down to sit on the stones above the green, clear ocean. We dined on gnocchi and chicken at Ragusa’s in the Old Town and slurped gelato at Dolce Vita. Yum!

The next morning we were up early so we could walk the medieval walls of the city before the crowds came. We began at the Ploce Gate stairs to take tons of photos of the shimmering Adriatic and the glowing red roofs. It’s an easy walk and so scenic, and we ended with a climb up the Minceta Tower.

An outdoor lunch at Dominos Restaurant preceded a walk down a paved road and hike down 40 stairs to St. Jacob Beach. The cool of the water was a delight before we began beach games. This was a great spot away from tourists. We burned off lunch by climbing the hills of the alleys of the Old Town and walking the Stradun or main drag of the town.

Our final day was spent visiting the Treasury of the Cathedral and munching on salad and grilled vegetables at Lady PiPi at the top of the old town. Walking on the beach outside our hotel, we found booths hawking their kayaking tours. So we had to go. We grabbed the oars and paddled around Lokrum Island before stopping to snorkel at Betina Beach.

 

We flew out of Dubrovnik the next day. There is a bus stop right outside the hotel just above the Ploce Gate and at the cable car entry for the ride to the top of the mountain. The bus takes you straight to the airport.

We found that this two week driving tour of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Montenegro was just the perfect amount of time for our “andiamo” style of travel with Steve and Sue. It was an action packed adventure trip that had just the right amount of relaxation.