Roaming Slovenia: Lake Bled and the Soča Valley
I am a roamer. The older I get, the less interested I am in ticking off a list of sights I have to see. I find myself drawn to smaller towns, to nature, to food, to hiking. To places and things that enable me to roam with no guilt. When I’m on holiday, whether it’s for a week or a year, I don’t want a big “to do” list. That’s the point, right? To get away from work and commitments! That’s not to say I don’t want a plan – I’ve talked about that before. But I guess I don’t want to feel obligated or guilty or have fear of missing out (FOMO is the worst!). Like I have to see that cathedral or museum, because, well that’s what you do here! By no means have I nailed that by the way, when I wrote this a few days ago I was fretting about not having enough time to get to the Abbey of Fontenay in Burgandy!
I think this is partly why I fell in love with Slovenia. It is a place that allows, no, almost insists, on you just being there. Not racing from place to place with your head in a map. It slows you down, sometimes stops you in your tracks. For lots of reasons, but mainly because it’s just so f*cking gorgeous. It’s not that it doesn’t have great galleries and old churches and museums and plaques commemorating historical events and important people and shopping and all the rest. It has all of that. It’s just that the sheer, overwhelming, stunning beauty of the environment means everything else comes a distant second. I’ve not met a single person who has been to Slovenia that hasn’t raved about it. But neither have I met that many people who have actually been! And it would be disingenuous to suggest that is not also part of the appeal.
I’ve told you about Ljubljana and Hiša Franko. Here is a little about the rest of Slovenia that I visited. I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, I will be back.
Lake Bled
Bled is probably the most recognisable and visited destination in Slovenia. It is firmly ensconced on any Eastern European tour itinerary. It’s just that it’s usually a day trip, or maybe an overnight stop, and not a lot more of Slovenia is seen. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but most of the big coaches pulling in were gone again that evening. It’s worth a couple of nights here at least, especially if you want to do some hiking.
Top Tips
- Walk around the Lake. It’s about 6km and a very pleasant walk. You can get a boat out to the island in the middle, but I didn’t bother! It just seemed like the most touristy thing possible and frankly the view of the island was better than being on it I imagine!
- Head out to Vintgar Gorge. It’s only about 4km from Bled and the main part of the gorge is about 1.6km, along and across the river which has carved through vertical rock faces towering above you. You could walk to the Gorge from Bled it if you were feeling like some decent exercise, rent a bike, drive or join one of the numerous tours. I believe there is also a bus that runs in high season. It was pretty spectacular, fast moving white water when I was there because of all the rain but the photo below from the website shows it as emerald green water in calmer times. I went in the middle of the day (stupid, rookie error) and there were a lot of tourists even in torrential rain trying to make their way along very narrow paths, so I imagine it would be jammed in summer (but at least it wouldn’t also involve umbrellas).
How it looks when it’s not raining!
Lots of white water
- Climb up to Ojstrica and Osojnica lookouts. These points are signed from the walk around the lake, near the Bled Camping Ground. You can see the different angles from the photos below – both are stunning vistas. Try and go pretty early in the morning if you can. They are decent climbs up steep hills, but certainly manageable for anyone with no mobility issues. Just take it slowly, especially if it’s been raining as the rocks get very slippery.
- Head out to Lake Bohinj. It’s the largest lake in Slovenia. If you are a hiking enthusiast, there are trails all around the lake and it’s also a popular swimming spot in summer. You can read about my Julian Alps adventure which kicked off from near Bohinj – it’s well worth considering a serious hiking trip if you are interested and have time.
- I didn’t do a lot of eating out in Lake Bled, it was a cooking and studying spot for me. But I can recommend a big, hearty feed at Gostlina Pri Planincu . It’s a bit kitch, but has a certain charm. I took my laptop into town one morning when I got a bit of cabin fever and did some study at Vinoteka Zdravljica wine bar. The gentlemen there was just lovely and I could have very happily spent many hours drinking the excellent by the glass wines available if I wasn’t driving and trying to get an assignment done!
The Soča Valley & Kobarid
Firstly, if you happen to be doing the drive from Lake Bled to Kobarid, take the Visnic Pass if it is open. It only stays open about 8 months a year for cars. It was an incredible drive. The road itself was built by thousands of Russian prisoners of war and there are several stops along the way with great information boards telling their story. This was one of those drives where you stop frequently because it’s just so beautiful!
Top Tips
- The Soča River and the valley it carves through are some of the most incredible scenery I’ve been privileged to experience this trip. The green of that water is just extraordinary. My main tip for Kobarid, apart from Hiša Franko, is to walk as much as you can. There are great trails everywhere and a hiking festival runs for a couple of weeks in September which includes free or minimal cost hiking trips guided by the National Park rangers. Mum and I did the Historical Walk, plus a bit extra along the river to walk off the 11 courses from the night before! It takes in an excavation of sites with history dating back to 4th century, the Kozjak waterfall, the Italian Ossuary church and the trenches and pathways of the First World War.
- Take a rafting or kayaking trip. Being on that water really adds to the whole experience of this beautiful valley. I went kayaking when the river was very high and fast and it was fun, but still totally manageable for a beginner. So it won’t be a high adrenaline experience, it’s more about where you are.
- For a town of 1000 people, there are a lot of great food options in Kobarid beyond the Hiša Franko experience! Fedrig does fantastic pizza in a big courtyard with lovely trees in a back street (Kobarid is only 40km from the Italian border). Hiša Polonka is a very recent addition to Kobarid and is the casual eatery and bar offshoot of Hiša Franko. Great food, several craft beers on tap and a very accessible wine list! Make sure you try the Kobarid dumplings, like a sweet wonton, divine! Great coffee in the mornings to get you started at the bar/pub on the main square…especially if you’ve done 11 courses with matched wines the night before!
Hisa Polonka
Kobarid dumplings at Hisa Polonka – do not miss these!
Deer sausage pizza at Fedrig
