Wonderful Waterfalls. Majestic mountains. Beautiful rivers and lakes. Slovenia in early June was a scenic delight.

Spontaneous Itinerary

When we arrived from Croatia,  the office manager of the Sixt car rental agency in Portoroz Slovenia was somewhat surprised to be renting to tourists from the US. He inquired about our planned itinerary, and since we could barely pronounce most of our tentative destinations, he jotted down his favorite “off the beaten track” waterfalls and list of “must-eat” treats. We gratefully took the list, put his ideas into our google maps, and off we went.

Walking to Waterfalls

Our first stop was the Tolminska Korita area, where we hiked to a dramatic gorge. This steep canyon trail led to a deep fissure among giant rocks.

The trail was a bit slippery due to some morning rain, so we were very thankful that we’d brought out our handy walking sticks for extra traction. (Ed noticed that his physical therapist would be happy with two more points of contact while hiking.)

During our visit, we saw many other waterfalls, including the Boka Waterfall, the “highest waterfall”  in the country (dropping from 136 meters, directly from an underground karst.)

And the Rinka Waterfall, a skinnier one in the Logar Valley. The force of this fall could drench an unsuspecting visitor. While we were there, a group of school kids was also visiting. The teacher had a loud whistle, which he blew when a kid got too near. All the kids understood this not-too-subtle command, and they stepped back immediately.

A Roaring River in Southern Slovenia

The Soca River carves its way through the Soca Valley in Southern Slovenia. It was the site of the Italian Front during World War I, which is immortalized by Hemingway in A Farewell to Arms.

Water danced on the rocks and the sun shimmered on the leaves. The rivers (and rainfall) keep the scenery verdant and lush.

A Luxurious Lake

Lake Bled boasts that it is the top tourist attraction in the country (after the capital, Ljubljana). Since no motorized boats are allowed on the lake, the charming island in the middle can only be accessed by rowboat. We joined a jolly group from Austria for this journey on a traditional pletna boat, a man-powered craft, similar to a gondola.

   

 

Other folks opted to row their personal boat to practice sculling in their Olympic-sized course on the lake. We learned that several Olympic medal winners train on this course.

Lake Bled, with its picturesque island, was beautiful — and looked right out of a fairy tale.

Majestic Mountains of Slovenia

The Virsc mountain pass passes through the border with Austria, where we dipped in for a few kilometers. This pass included 50 switchbacks (each with its own number). We were surprised to note quite a few bicyclists pedaling up and down this incredible climb. We “assumed the position” at the summit.

And felt like we were literally among the clouds.

A charming Russian church blessed one of the switchbacks.

The Logarska Dolina Did Not Disappoint

We ended up in Logarska Dolina (the Logar Valley). The view from our room in a farmhouse in the Logar Valley was breathtaking. From our porch, we watched a rainstorm dance around the valley and were thankful to be under the awning.

The Julian Alps beckon hikers from all nations. We only took a day trip but saw other hikers embarking on a hut-to-hut journey. Perhaps next time.

Fabulous Food in Slovenia

Our splurge stop in Slovenia was at Hisa Franko near Kobarid. Here we had booked an 11-course extravaganza dinner. Not only did we have 11 courses; we opted for the wine pairing of 7 Slovenian wines plus champagne to start and an extra red with the optional cheese course.

The flavors were delicious, and the presentation of each morsel was exquisite. Each course–made from local ingredients–was presented with a sense of place and a sense of humor–especially this shrimp course.

Luckily we had also booked a room in the Inn upstairs, so we were able to climb upstairs and fall into bed after this incredible dinner. When we arrived home, we learned that Hisa Franko was just rated #48 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Quite memorable!

More Food To Try

To continue our food odyssey through Solvenia, we tried the  “kremma rezina” at Villa Bled, overlooking the lake–another recommendation by our Sixt Car rental agent. Delicious, but not low cal.

On the island in the middle of Lake Bled, we tried “potica”, our second dessert of the day. Potica is the traditional Slovenian dessert that the Pope asked Melania Trump if she served it to POTUS during their Vatican visit. The Pope is reported to have asked, “What do you feed him…Potica?” when he noticed Donald’s imposing bulk.

Not to be outdone, local food entrepreneurs honor Melania with some treats named after her:

 

And New Beverages as Well

In the new food and drink category, we also tried Orange Wine (like rose, but orange) which has become quite popular in Slovenia. According to All About Orange Wine Slovenia has a long history of orange wine making. It was delicious!

In Bled, we dined at a small restaurant that had an interesting claim to fame — Sir Paul McCartney also loves it! 

We found Slovenia to be an unexpected pleasure. No traffic or crowds. We highly recommend it to fellow adventurers.