Travel to Slovenia – Episode 656

Hear about travel to Slovenia as Chris Christensen (the Amateur Traveler) talks about his recent solo road trip through western Slovenia as a guest of the Slovenia Tourism board. 

The trip started in Ljubljana with a walking tour of the medieval core of the city including a visit to Ljubljana Castle, the cathedral, the central market, and the triple bridge. There has been a city at Ljubljana at least since Roman times.

Booking.com

One of the two UNESCO World Heritage sites that I visited was Idrija which was a major mercury mining site in the middle ages. You can tour Gewerkenegg castle which was owned by the mining company. It is now a museum of mining. You can also learn about the lace-making tradition of Idrija in the museum. Then it is time to take a tour of one of the mines.

Franja Partisan Hospital was part of a series of secret hospitals set up by the Yugoslavia partisans in WWII. Just getting there in this scenic gorge is part of the fun. Be glad you are not trying to carry in the wounded. 

Predjama Castle is one of the most picturesque castles I have seen. It is set at the mouth of a cave. 

Postojna Cave has been accepting tourists since the early 1800s. The cave had electric lights even before Ljubljana. Nowadays you ride an electric train deep into the mountain for 15 minutes before you do a walking tour. It is a popular cave but worth a visit.

Škocjan Caves (UNESCO) was the second cave system that I visited. I honestly wanted to like Postojna Cave better, but Škocjan Caves has an underground river gorge and is simply amazing.

Lipica is the home of the Lipizzaner Horses. You can visit the grounds as well as attend a practice where the horses are put through their paces. 

Piran is Slovenia’s coast. It is a beautiful Venetian city on the Adriatic coast wedged between Italy and Croatia. While you are there you can also visit the Sec?ovlje salt ponds and a working fish farm.

Velika Planina near Kamnik is an area of high summer pasture land that is not also the home for hikers. 

Lake Bled is one of the best-known tourism sites in Slovenia. The lake is best known for the island church of the Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage. Visit the island via a rowboat or visit the castle for the best views of the lake.

Slovenia is a beautiful country with a rich history and tasty food. It is more affordable than some of its neighboring countries. This whole itinerary can be done in as little as 5 full days.

subscribe: rss feed | Apple podcasts

right click here to download (mp3)
right click here to download (iTunes version with pictures)

Sponsor

The Thing About France is a new podcast that invites American cultural figures to speak candidly on the fascinating and complicated relationships between France and the U.S.

This episode of Amateur Traveler is sponsored by The Great Courses Plus. Find online courses in a huge variety of subjects. Thousands Of Lectures. World’s Best Professors. Sign Up For Free One Month Trial at thegreatcoursesplus.com/amateur

Show Notes

What to do in Slovenia
Ljubljana
Hotel Grad Oto?ec
Dolenjske Terme Spa
Sevnica Castle
Sol?ava Panoramic Road
Travel to Slovenia – Episode 373
Idrija
Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija
Franja Partisan Hospital
Josip Broz Tito
Predjama Castle
Postojna Cave
Škocjan Caves (UNESCO)
Piran
Sec?ovlje salt ponds
Lake Bled
Secret Rooms of Hotel Jama
My Slovenia Photos

Community

Chris, love the Amateur Traveler Podcast: are there lyrics available for the song “Got to see one more cathedral….”? Some of the words get cut off and it’s driving me crazy trying to figure it out… 

 

Is there a name/artist for that song? Did you have it custom made?

 

Sorry for the strange question,

 

Brian

Brian, 

Please take our listener survey

Amateur Traveler Trips
Amateur Traveler Trip – 2019 – Africa, Kruger to Victoria Falls