It’s always fun taking a little trip down memory lane. Even though it was only a couple of months ago that Mom and Becky were here and we traveled with them and Trent & Sandra to Slovenia, it is still enjoyable looking back at the photos and remembering the beautiful scenery and funny moments. We had decided to drive down to Slovenia because it is relatively close to us here in Austria (about 6 hours) and none of us had really spent any time there before (we’d driven through it once on our way to Croatia with Troy after Trent & Sandra’s wedding, but didn’t stop for anything).  We had always heard about how beautiful Lake Bled was, and seen pictures online as proof, so we decided it would be a fun weekend trip.

Our first stop was the castle overlooking the lake. Appropriately named “Bled Castle”, this fortification commands a spectacular view across the lake from high up a large cliff. The first mention of the castle dates back to 1011 A.D. when a German King named Henry II gave one of his buddies the Castellum Veldes, or “castle on the cliff”. (I think I need to find new friends, I have yet to be gifted a castle). The castle itself is interesting, with a small museum, a neat wine cellar with a guy dressed as a monk selling wine (and smelling of wine), and a small souvenir shop and cafe. One doesn’t visit this castle for the history though, one visits it for the views. And they do not disappoint! Even with foggy weather, we were still impressed with the gorgeous view afforded from that clifftop citadel.

After visiting the castle we went down to the lake and took a leisurely stroll around its entirety. It took a few hours, but it was a great walk with benches scattered about so one could enjoy the views of the castle, watch the Slovenian national rowing team practice (apparently they are pretty decent), or simply soak up the atmosphere. We also got rather lucky, because the sun came out burned most of the morning fog away, leaving us with wonderful views. In the middle of this walk we also took a short boat trip out to the island in the middle of the lake. It is on this island that the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary was built (long name, I know). This church sits on the site of what once used to be a temple to Zica, the Slavic goddess of love. According to tradition, if you carry your wife up all of the steps from the lake shore to the church you will have everlasting love. I gave it a try, but Kathy is quite squirmy, so I guess we’ll have to come up with a different approach to finding everlasting love 🙂

We finished our walk around the lake by stopping at one of the many cafes in the small town and trying out the famous Bled Cream cake. We walked off a bunch of calories around the lake, so why not pack them right back into our faces??

Our next stop in Slovenia was Ljubljana, the capital of this small, beautiful country. We spent a few hours meandering through the old town (one of the quaintest I’ve seen in Europe) visiting little shops and trying out the local cuisine at one of the many rustic restaurants in that area.  We also spent a few hours visiting the castle that overlooks the city, a majestic fortress built around the 11th century. It was the home to the lords who ruled over the lands of Carniola (part of present day Slovenia) before it was conquered by the Austrian Habsburgs. The Austrians rebuilt the castle in the 16th and 17th century to serve as one of the main defenses against the expansion of the Ottoman empire. We took a guided tour of the castle where different actors and actresses dramatized events and stories from the various time periods of the castle. It was a bit cheesy at times, but interesting and informative nevertheless.

We were pleasantly surprised by our experience in Slovenia. It is a beautifully mountainous piece of eastern Europe that deserves more attention than it gets.