Slovenia

Continuing inland from Zagreb, we arrived in Slovenia. A long-time member of the EU, it’s evident the instant you enter it that Slovenia is the best-off of the countries we visited on our tour (i.e., Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina).

The vibrant capital Ljubljana was rebuilt after an earthquake in 1511 with a number of Baroque buildings and again after an 1895 earthquake with many Secessionist structures, resulting in a delightful jumble of architectural styles. St. Nicholas Cathedral is a brightly lit and sumptuous example of the former; the Dragon Bridge (aka the “Mother-in-Law Bridge”), Union Hotel, and, right across the street, the People’s Loan Bank classic examples of the latter. High on a hill hulking over the city center is medieval Ljubljana Castle, accessible by a quick funicular ride or a brisk 15-minute uphill climb.

                                                                      Lake Bled

 We finished our tour in Bled, a lovely lakeside town in the midst of Slovenia’s ski country. The feel was definitely that of a Swiss ski resort, though it was too overcast to ever see the Julian Alps rumored to be surrounding us. Bled Castle perches dramatically on a precipice overlooking the lake and Bled Island – the views both of the castle and from the castle are marvelous. The little castle chapel retains colorful frescoes in a remarkable state of preservation and a small museum does its best to make the most of a few actual artifacts with glitzy audio-visual presentations and startlingly life-like mannequins.

After a brisk but very scenic 6 km walk around the lake and a soak in Bled’s fabled thermal mineral waters, we celebrated the end of our trip with a surprisingly good banquet and I bid my fellow travelers a very fond farewell.

Mimi Santini-Ritt 2011