Sleepless in Slovenia

I arrived in Ljubljana after taking the night train from Milan and was thoroughly exhausted when I arrived at 6am. I tried to check into my hostel, Hostel 24 but they weren’t accepting check-ins until 2pm (rookie mistake).  Luckily I was able to leave my main bag in the storage room and decided to explore a little bit before 2pm came around. A quick espresso, the Italian stuff had spoiled me and I couldn’t understand the difference in quality considering how close Italy and Slovenia was!  

First stop was the stunning Llubliajna Castle and surrounding woodlands; they didn’t open til 10am though so I settled for a look from outside and returned later.  Next stop was into the square to observe a rare weather phenomenon, the spot where there are lots of tourists wondering how it’s raining in one spot and sunny in the other, for the answer... just look up. The “weather system” may be a let down but watching the other tourists for a while is priceless.  

I also rented a bicycle since it was only about 10:30 and had a journey down the river and through the main park. 

I had a lovely bit of lunch at the Arena Project and would recommend the pastries at the bakery next to the weather phenomenon.  I checked into the hostel by the time I’d explored the entire city. 

I needed a plan for the following day and I’d read about a series of waterfalls nearby that sounded interesting.  I jumped on the bus and headed for the national park and wasn’t disappointed.  They were stunning and powerful and involved a really good walk. Eventually I ended up stumbling across the majestic Lake Bled which had a gorgeous castle in the middle and honestly looked like something pulled out of a fairytale. I met a guy called Tomaz on the walk through the waterfalls and convinced him to home a row boat into the centre of the lake with me; both of us did not anticipate how much effort this would need.  

After a some food and beers in a bar next to the lake, Grajsa Plaza, I headed for the bus back to the hostel. 

Next on to Maribor, where I’d managed to secure student accommodation which was vacant during the summer holidays. I should have realised that this would make Maribor a ghost town with no students, but there was something unique and charming about Maribor that would make it an amazing place to live. 

Be sure to check out Espekeriment for some amazing twists on normal drinks.  To take advantage if even more quiet, you could take a walk in the nearby woods which has a hydroelectric plant and an amazing artificial waterfall.