Lakes Bled and Bohinj, Slovenia

I came to Slovenia for its Alpine lakes and they did not disappoint me! The most famous lake and the one that I originally came to Slovenia for is Lake Bled. On the way to Slovenia, some French girls persuaded me to also visit Lake Bohinj, which is bigger and more natural than Lake Bled.

Sorry for the cliché, but Lake Bled is postcard-perfect. The clear, turquoise, glacial lake is surrounded by hills with a castle perched on top of one of them. Furthermore, there is a small island on the lake with a church on it. I enjoyed walking around the lake and could spend an entire day just gazing at the turquoise water!

The second and my favorite of the two lakes I visited is Lake Bohinj. This lake is also glacial but has less of a turquoise color than Lake Bled. I prefer this lake more due to its natural, unspoilt beauty. Unlike Bled, Bohinj has few buildings by the lake. Bohinj also has numerous mountains surrounding its lake with plenty of hiking trails. I enjoyed my experience here so much that I could come back every summer for relaxation and rejuvenation.

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is a town that reminded of Graz, Austria. Both towns have their fair share of Baroque and contemporary architecture; a river flows through the heart of each; and there is a castle perched on a hill in each city.

Ljubljana is small enough that one can cover the sights in less than one day. My highlights included the views from atop castle hill, witnessing a traditional Slovenian dance at a wedding and wandering into the village-like neighborhoods of Krakovo and Trnovo. It’s amazing how small Ljubljana is--walk 15 minutes south of the city center and one will feel like one has stepped into the countryside.

One memorable experience was my first tasting of horse meat, which I was told is not typical Slovenian cuisine. I consumed this is the form of a burger. I actually enjoyed horse meat more than beef as it was leaner.