This past September, I was lucky enough to embark on a week-long road trip through three Balkan countries: Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia. (My boyfriend John handled the driving, I handled the itinerary.) We rented a car for the full week and spent ~2 nights in each of the three countries. Slovenia was my favorite of the three.
Other than seeing a couple of photos of Lake Bled on the internet, I didn’t have too many expectations for Slovenia before arriving. Once we had spent a few days in the country, I knew this was a place I would want to return to. Slovenia is a little slice of undiscovered utopia, with green fields and mountains, pine tree forests, and crystal-clear lakes. All of the locals we encountered were friendly, helpful, and gracious. In addition, everyone’s English in Slovenia is quite good – much better than my Slovenian, which was limited to zdravo (“hello”) and hvala (“thanks”).
Some other items to note:
- Slovenia is part of the European Union and uses the Euro currency
- We felt like Slovenia was fairly cheap – the most expensive thing was probably our hotel accommodation in Lake Bled
- If you are interested in renting a car like we did, stay tuned! I’ll be writing a follow-up post on how to rent a car in the Balkan countries, because we could hardly find any information to guide us ahead our trip. For now, the rental company we used was called Alamo. We picked up our car at the Ljubljana airport and returned it at the Sarajevo airport in Bosnia a week later. The car itself was pretty affordable for a 7-day rental; the most significant component of the total cost was the fee to return it in a different country.
Logistics
While in Slovenia, we spent 2 nights at Lake Bled and 1 night in Ljubljana. We flew into the Ljubljana airport, which is conveniently located in-between these two areas, and its only a short drive (30 minutes or less) to either one from the airport. We found it extremely easy to navigate the roads in Slovenia. I recommend renting a car for the flexibility, but if not, it’s definitely possible to take an Uber or public transportation to get around.
Lake Bled
Lake Bled is hands down one of the most beautiful places in the entire world. And unlike some of the other beautiful travel destinations around the globe, Lake Bled manages to keep the crowds at a minimum. While there is a small town (Bled) with a number of small hotels and bed-and-breakfasts, there are only a handful of hotels on the shore of the lake itself.
I wanted to be as close to this fairytale lake as possible, so stayed at one of the few lakeside accommodations, Hotel Starkl. This hotel was an excellent place to base ourselves for our two nights in Bled, and I highly recommend it. This boutique hotel is a little more removed from the main drag of Bled. We preferred being a little farther away from the town – it was only a 15 minute walk away and everything we needed was right by us (row boat rentals, grocery store, and a few good restaurants).
What to Do in Lake Bled, Slovenia
As I mentioned previously, Lake Bled is relatively small. All of our activities centered around the lake – eating somewhere with a view of the lake, walking the path around the lake, renting a boat to row on the lake, et cetera. We loved the opportunity to relax a little while soaking up the surrounding nature.
Walk the full circumference of the lake
It’s about ~6km in total (3.7 miles) and should take a little over an hour if you are a fast walker. This was one of the first things we did upon arriving in Bled; it’s a great way to orient yourself and take in views of the lake.
Hike to an even better viewpoint of the lake
There are a few different hiking trails that lead to lookout points of the lake. Most of these are well-labeled, with trailheads located right on the path that wraps around the lake. I ultimately chose the Ojstrica hike because the starting point was only a 7-minute walk away from Hotel Starkl where I was staying. I started the hike alone at around ~8am on a Friday and felt quite safe. The viewpoint attracts a crowd later in the day – luckily for me, I only saw one other person during my hike.
The Ojstrica hike was fairly short and culminated in a fantastic view of the lake. I’d say it took me ~20 minutes to ascend (got a little lost on the way up) and another ~15 minutes to make my way back down. Although the hike was short, it was steep, and I worked up a sweat.
Rent a rowboat
This was my favorite activity in Lake Bled, and probably my favorite activity during our entire roadtrip. In the afternoon, we stopped at the corner market and loaded up on cheeses, cured meats, and wine. We then walked next door and rented a rowboat. We relaxed (well, I relaxed – John rowed) on the lake for an hour with our own wine and cheese picnic – it was pure bliss.
Our hotel was conveniently located next to a rowboat rental shop (I did notice a few others at various intervals around the lake – ours wasn’t the only one) as well as a small food market (this was lucky, as I didn’t see any other markets on the lakefront).
While we rowed around the lake, I noticed a handful of other people docking their rowboats on the island in the middle of the lake. However, we were enjoying our private picnic so much that we decided to just stay on our boat.
You can take a boat tour on the lake in a smaller rowboat that fits 2-4 people (which is what we did), or as part of the larger group boats that can fit 10-15 people. I highly recommend renting your own boat if you are able to – the experience was extremely romantic and serene.
You can also swim in the lake in certain areas – I didn’t go for a swim, but John did. If you’re visiting in the summer, I think taking a dip would be the perfect way to cool down.
Eat like a Slovenian
I had pretty much no idea what Slovenian food would be like. It turns out it’s sort of Italian (Italy is right next door, after all) but with a heavier emphasis on meat than on pasta. Almost all of our meals featured bread with olive oil, some form of cheese/cured meats, and some sort of cooked meat as a main course (sausages, steak, pork chops, et cetera).
We really enjoyed one particular restaurant, Sova, where we stopped for lunch one day. It was empty when we sat down on the upstairs terrace but filled up astonishingly quickly.
You can’t go to Bled without eating Bled Cream Cake, which we enjoyed several times during our stay. The cake is basically a thick vanilla custard topped with whipped cream and flaky pastry. It’s supposed to be served in a precise cube, with all sides of the cake being equal lengths.
Our most picturesque Bled Cream Cake was at Cafe Belvedere, which is located at the top of a steep stairway and has a gorgeous view of the lake. We arrived at ~11am (right when the cafe opened) and were able to snag an outdoor table with a view.
Something we learned a little too late – Cafe Belvedere only serves desserts and beverages. We stopped in when we were actually pretty hungry and looking for lunch, but had to make do with Bled Cream Cake and a few scoops of gelato.
Other recommended restaurants in Lake Bled:
- Restaurant 1906
- Julijana Restaurant (in the Grand Hotel Toplice)
Visit Bled Castle for stunning views
Bled Castle is a medieval fortress located on the top of a cliff overlooking the lake. The Castle offers visitors a museum, a restaurant, and jaw-dropping views of Lake Bled.
Entrance to the castle usually costs a few euros, but is free with a reservation at the restaurant (just give your reservation information at the front desk). We had a dinner reservation at 6pm, but arrived earlier (~5:3opm) to explore.
Because we were eating dinner inside the restaurant, my view of the lake was restricted a bit. I popped back outside as the sun was setting to take it all in, and the view was absolutely breathtaking.
I will say that visiting Bled Castle is a must for the stunning views. However, I was less stunned by our dinner. The restaurant serves a set tasting menu for dinner, which featured extremally small portions and some pretty unusual ingredients (my main course was covered in “fish foam”). Weirdly, the famous Bled Cream Cake wasn’t even on the dinner menu. I think it is better to come here for lunch if you’re able to snag a reservation.
Ljubljana
After spending two nights in Bled, we set off on the next leg of our road trip to Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia. Conveniently, Ljubljana and Lake Bled are only a ~45 minute drive apart.
Some help with the pronunciation of Ljubljana for my fellow Americans out there: loo-BLEE-ah-nah. The J’s seem to be just for show.
I highly recommend our hotel, the Grand Hotel Union Eurostars, for anyone visiting Ljubljana. If you’re looking for a hotel with charm, history, impeccable service, or beautiful decor, this one checks all the boxes. The manager at the front desk informed us that myriad renowned personages have been guests of the hotel, including the former Queen of England herself.
The location of the hotel was excellent – right next to the river and all of the cafes and shops in Ljubljana’s Old Town. Even if you don’t stay at this hotel, I recommend staying in the vicinity.
What to do in Ljubljana, Slovenia
Continue eating…
Our first stop upon arriving in Ljubljana was an afternoon snack at Moji štruklji, or My Dumplings of Slovenia. I had no idea what a Slovenian dumpling was, but I did know that five different blogs had recommended this precise spot, so we had to try it.
I now know a little bit more about Slovenian dumplings than I did before, so I’ll tell you this – they can be savory or sweet, and they are unlike anything I’ve tried in the States. Pictured above, we ordered one of each (classic cheese savory, and pistachio and raspberry sweet). My clear preference was for the savory cheese dumpling, which I really can’t compare to any other food. You’ll just have to try it for yourself!
Other than snacking on dumplings, we also had an excellent dinner in Ljubljana. I had previously made a reservation for us at Julija Restaurant. However, when I asked our hotel manager if he had heard of it, he seemed unenthusiastic. We decided to ignore him and eat there anyways. Thank goodness we did, because the food was fantastic.
The entire restaurant (both indoors and outdoors) was full when we sat down to eat at 7pm. Our waiter was lovely, and I’ll continue to yearn for more of the truffled gnocchi until the day I die.
We encountered a surprising amount of gnocchi in Slovenia (I know this for a fact because it is my favorite pasta). I loved every bite of it.
Ramble around the Old Town
If you’ve read any of my other blog posts, you know I love an Old Town. I love wandering around cobblestone streets, peeking into different shops, and soaking in quaint architecture. (Dilapidated buildings in the U.S. look neglected, but in Europe they somehow manage to look charming.) Ljubljana’s Old Town is nothing to scoff at – in fact, wandering around it kept me occupied for several hours.
I went out for a morning stroll by myself at around ~8am and had all of the streets to myself. Ljubljana felt incredibly safe and no one bothered me while I explored the area and took photos.
Grab a drink at a cafe along the Ljubljanica river
The Ljubljanica river is probably the defining characteristic of Ljubljana. The river runs through the heart of the city and all of the most popular cafes and restaurants are only a stone’s throw away.
We stopped at Slovenska Hiša for a quick happy hour break. This was a super cute spot with quaint mason jars decorating the outdoor space. However, I think all of the cafes were probably relatively interchangeable. We enjoyed the opportunity to sit down and people-watch for a bit.
I also heard good things about Divine Cafe and Cafe Cokl, if you are looking for some other cafes to try.
Visit Ljubljana’s Central Market
Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of the market – we visited Ljubljana on a Sunday, when the market is closed. The space was actually set up to host a cheeseburger festival instead, which felt a little too familiar for us to partake. The Central Market is right by the river and also next to the dumpling place I mentioned above. If you’re there and happen to visit (not on a Sunday), let me know how it is!
Slovenia: In Conclusion
Slovenia does not make it onto the radar for many travelers. Instead, the country is often overshadowed by its glamorous and popular neighbors: Italy, Austria, and Croatia, to name a few. We loved our three days spent in Slovenia and will remember the food, landscape, and people fondly. I hope that reading this has encouraged you to add Slovenia to your travel bucket list!
