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SB14: Škocjan Caves Park, Slovenia

May 20, 2014

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After our morning in Ljubljana (still David’s birthday!), we drove 50 miles southwest to Škocjan Caves Park. The caves are on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The visitor center was under construction, so our tickets were discounted. Also due to renovations, part of the caves were closed, but we got to see a different section that wasn’t usually part of the tour.

We piled into an elevator that took us down the hill closer to the entrance of the cave.

The caves were carved out by the Reka River:

We followed a trail of stairs up and back down a section of the caves. I think the tour guide said it was around 100 meters high where we stood. It was cool inside the cave, but not as cold as I thought it might be. Photography wasn’t allowed inside, but David accidentally took this one:

It was interesting to see the structures and ledges the early explorers used. There was a super old bridge high above where we walked. Amazingly, very few people died exploring the Škocjan Caves. Young boys did a lot of the initial explorations. They were good at squeezing through tight spots and climbing the walls.

You can see a 360 degree virtual tour on the cave’s website.

After the caves, we walked to a lookout point that had a fantastic view of the valley:

We love to explore a balance of both city and nature when we travel, and we really liked the caves.

After a few hours at Škocjan Caves Park, we drove back to Croatia. Our lack of pre-planning caused a few troubles in Krk…

Here’s a recap of the trip:
» Day 1 & 2: Zagreb, Croatia
» Day 3: Bled, Slovenia
» Day 4: Ljubjlana, Slovenia
» Day 4: Škocjan Caves Park, Slovenia
» Day 5: Krk, Croatia
» Day 6: Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
» Day 7: Split, Croatia

SB14: Ljubljana, Slovenia

May 15, 2014

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After our afternoon in Bled, we drove 35 miles south to the capital city of Ljubljana. (One of my Slovakian students who lived in Slovenia for a while attempted to teach me how to say it: “Layub-laya-na.”)

Where we stayed
We stayed one night at Hostel Tivoli and highly recommend it. It wasn’t a very big hostel, but it was super affordable, modern, and in a great location. (With a towel rental and free breakfast, it cost €11 per person a night.) We were in the 8-person room. It worked great for our group of six, and there was one other lady in the room with us. The room was really tall and the bunks stacked three high. There were individual storage drawers with keys and the hostel was very, very clean. (One of the cleanest I’ve seen in a while!)

Where we ate
After we settled into the hostel, we walked to the downtown area for dinner. It was around 8pm and we had issues finding a place that was open. We finally came across Vodnikov Hram. It was near closing time, but they let us in anyways. The food was so, so good. They had tasty soups and an awesome cheese plate. David got a beef medallion dish and I got pasta. One of our friends had these amazing pumpkin puree rolls.

The next morning (David’s birthday!), we walked back to the downtown area. We really loved this city:

Everything felt so relaxed here. Our group split up for the morning and we all did our own thing. David and I found a cafe along the canal and had a cup of coffee.

We poked our heads into a few shops and browsed the outdoor markets. Spring was in full bloom!

After some shopping, we found a grocery store, grabbed a few goodies, and found a spot to sit in the park.

Some cheese, crackers, prochutio, and chocolate made for a great birthday snack!

After our morning in Ljubljana, we drove to Škocjan Caves Park!

Here’s a recap of the trip:
» Day 1 & 2: Zagreb, Croatia
» Day 3: Bled, Slovenia
» Day 4: Ljubjlana, Slovenia
» Day 4: Škocjan Caves Park, Slovenia
» Day 5: Krk, Croatia
» Day 6: Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
» Day 7: Split, Croatia

SB14: Lake Bled, Slovenia

May 12, 2014

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After our first two days in Zagreb, we picked up a rental van and drove about two hours northwest to Bled, Slovenia. Our first stop was Bled Castle. See it in between the houses up on the cliff?

Sadly, the castle was less than impressive. Part of it had been converted into a museum. The museum didn’t have much worth seeing, and I was disappointed how heavily renovated everything was. The interior didn’t feel authentic at all.

But the view? So worth it.

If we had extra time, we would have checked out this alpine slide:

The castle overlooked Lake Bled and Bled Island:

After a while at the castle, we drove down to the lake. We rented a rowboat and took it out to the island. (If you visit, give yourself at least 2 hours to row out, explore the island, and row back.)

Lake Bled is a natural lake formed from glaciers. There were a couple of buildings on the island with the main attraction being the church.

Though the sanctuary was small, the inside of the church was ornate. There was a rope near the front you could pull to ring the church bell.

We really liked the gift shop here. And it was so peaceful to sit outside and enjoy the scenery.

After a row back to shore, we headed into the capital of Slovenia Ljubljana for the night!

» Read about day 1 and 2 in Zagreb here.

Here’s a recap of the trip:
» Day 1 & 2: Zagreb, Croatia
» Day 3: Bled, Slovenia
» Day 4: Ljubjlana, Slovenia
» Day 4: Škocjan Caves Park, Slovenia
» Day 5: Krk, Croatia
» Day 6: Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
» Day 7: Split, Croatia