slovenia travel: wtf just happened
…and then i was like WAIT is that a REAL CASTLE on an island in a lake?? like i wasnt even drunk yet (ok maybe a little hungover from the night before) and i just stared at lake bled for like 10 min straight with my mouth open like a total dumbass. and theres this FKIN CHURCH on the island too like what is this a disney movie?? 🏰🌊
so basically i went to slovenia cause it was cheap af and honestly best decision of my life?? idk maybe second best. but still.
ok so ljubljana (good luck pronouncing that lol i called it loo-blee-ahna the whole time which is apparently wrong but who cares) is the capital and its TINY like u can walk across the whole damn city in 20 min. the river has these cute cafes everywhere and theres a dragon bridge which sounds epic but honestly the dragons look more like angry lizards 🐉 but still cool idk. the castle is on a hill and u can walk up or take the funicular thing which costs like €6 or something idr
OH WAIT that reminds me. the food is AMAZING. i had this thing called burek which is like a flaky pastry with cheese or meat and its like €2 and will change ur life. FOR REAL. i ate one every damn day. also theres this thing called kremšnita which is like a vanilla custard slice and its from bled specifically and omfg its so good i dream about it. sorry rant over lol
triglav national park is where u go if u like mountains n shit. i went hiking and almost died like 3 times but the views were WORTH IT. waterfalls everywhere, like wtf slovenia calm down with all the waterfalls. one was like 78m tall or something i dk i didnt measure. saw some goats being absolute CHADS climbing rocks that no human could ever climb. made me feel weak as hell. 🐐
the water in lake bled is like… emerald?? turquoise?? some shade of blue that doesnt exist in real life i swear. u can rent a rowboat for like €15 for an hour and row to the island. i did that and threw up a little cause i was hungover and the boat was wobbling. romantic. 10/10 would barf again.
postojna cave is this MASSIVE cave system that goes on for like 20km or something insane. theres literally a TRAIN inside the cave that takes u through it. i felt like i was in a movie. stalactites n stalagmites everywhere and some fish that look like tiny dragons called the olm or “human fish” which is fkin weird name. theyre PINK and have no eyes. evolution is wild man. 🐟👀 (wait no eyes lol)
slovenia is so much cheaper than like italy or switzerland which are right there btw. like u can get a meal for €8-10 and a beer for like €2.50. i stayed in hostels for like €20/night. honestly cheaper than my rent back home which is depressing but anyway…
ok wait i forgot to mention the people are SO nice. like genuinely friendly. i was lost in ljubljana at like 2am and this old dude walking his dog literally walked me to my hostel. and i barely even understood him cause slovenian is a WILD language. its like someone mixed russian and italian and threw in some random letters. they have like 20 words for “to go” or something. fuck learning that.
Lake Bohinj is less touristy than bled and honestly maybe even prettier?? dont tell anyone i said that. it fees more raw and natural, no castle just pure nature. i swam there and the water was FREEZING but it felt like a religious experience or something. jesus christ my balls shriveled up so bad. 🥶
if ur planning a trip heres my honest chaotic advice:
– 3-4 days in ljubljana (u can see everything in 2 but stay longer just for the vibes)
– 2 days at lake bled (unless u want peace then go to bohinj)
– 1 day for postojna cave (combine with predjama castle which is built IN A CAVE WALL i forgot to mention that – shit that place is insane)
– like 2-3 days in triglav for hiking
– bring GOOD shoes i wore vans like an idiot and regretted it so much
– learn to say “hvala” (thanks) and “dober dan” (hello) and ppl will love u
– drink union beer not lasko… actually both are fine idk i drank everything
– the buses are actually decent which surprised me
– bring cash cause some places dont take card especially in smaller towns
– weather changes like every 20 min so carry a jacket even when its sunny
you know what i just realized i havent mentioned the cars??? slovenians love their small cars and the roads are these beautiful winding things through valleys and forests. driving there must be unreal. i didnt drive cause im broke and dumb but i hitchhiked once and the guy had a dog in the passenger seat and it licked my face for an hour. BEST. HITCHHIKE. EVER.
theres also this thing called the soca river which is the most INSANELY beautiful color ive ever seen. like blindingly turquoise. i saw pictures and thought it was photoshopped. its not. the water is so clear u can see every rock at the bottom. i sat there for like 2 hours just staring at it like a complete moron. ABSOLUTELY worth it.
oh and ljubljana has this huge open market every morning near the river where u can buy fresh fruit honey cheese n shit. i got a massive bag of strawberries for like €3 and ate them all in one sitting. my stomach hated me but it was worth it. 🍓
honestly slovenia is like if nature was like “hold my beer” and created the most beautiful place ever but nobody told anyone about it. its not overrun with tourists like venice or prague which is 1 hour away. u get all the beauty without the chaos. ngl thats the best part.
idk im maybe biased cause i had a really good time?? like genuinely happy memories from there. met cool people at hostels, got lost in forests, ate too much burek, almost drowned in a lake (long story), made friends with a stray cat that followed me for an entire day in bled… CAT NAMED BLEDI i still think about him 🐱
oh wait i should probably menton the weather. in summer its hot af like 30°c but it rains randomly. like perfectly sunny then BAM thunderstorm. then sunny again. pack an umbrella and also a swimsuit and also a sweater cause u will need all 3 in the same day.
the nightlife in ljubljana is actually decent. metelkova is this area with like alternative bars and clubs all covered in graffiti. feels like a punk rock wonderland. i got so drunk there that i thought i could speak slovenian. i could not. the bartender was very patient with me.
ok im running out of steam and this is already way too long so im gonna stop here. just go to slovenia. its cheap, beautiful, the people are nice, the water is absurdly blue, the mountains are everywhere, the food is amazing, and its not ruined by instagram tourists yet. GO. NOW. what are u waiting for.
actually wait one more thing – the sunsets at lake bled are SPECTACULAR. like sit on the western shore around 8pm and watch the sun go down behind the mountains. cried a little. not ashamed. 🏔️💛
ok bye
Real travel thoughts. No polish.
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