Slovenia is situated in South-Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Croatia to the south and southeast, and Hungary to the northeast. It covers 7,827 square miles and has a population of 2.05 million. The capital is Ljubljana. We visited Bled, Lake Bohinj, Bovec, Kranjska Gora and Ljubljana.
Bled is an Alpine town alongside glacial Lake Bled in northwestern Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Bled. It is most notable as a popular tourist destination in the Upper Carniola region and in Slovenia as whole, attracting visitors from abroad, as well. Bled is known for the glacial Lake Bled, which makes it a major tourist attraction. Perched on a rock overlooking the lake is the iconic Bled Castle. The town is also known in Slovenia for its vanilla and cream pastry.
A small island in the middle of the lake is home to Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church; visitors frequently ring its bell for good luck. One can get to the island on a traditional flat-bottomed wooden boat (Slovene: pletna). The island on Lake Bled has 99 steps. A local tradition at weddings is for the husband to carry his new bride up these steps, during which the bride must remain silent.
We visited here in June 2012.
Ribčev Laz is a settlement on Lake Bohinj in the Municipality of Bohinj in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia. Most of the settlement consists of hotels and holiday homes.
The local church dedicated to John the Baptist stands just outside the settlement on the shore of Lake Bohinj. It is built in a west-east orientation and is surrounded by an old cemetery wall with two entrances. Its origins are Romanesque but it was rebuilt in Gothic style in the 15th century and vaulted in the early 16th century, when some of the frescos were painted by Jernej of Loka.
A second church, dedicated to the Holy Spirit, stands by the road on the way to the far side of the lake. It was built in the mid-18th century.
We visited here in June 2012 and June 2013.
Bovec is a town in the Littoral region in northwestern Slovenia, close to border with Italy. It is the central settlement of the Municipality of Bovec. Itis located 136 kilometres (85 mi) from the capital Ljubljana, at an elevation of 434 m (1,424 ft). The settlement lies in the Bovec Basin of the upper Soča (Isonzo) River, below the eastern slopes of Mount Kanin in the Julian Alps, forming the border with Italy. The adjacent Trenta Valley in the northwest leads into Triglav National Park.
It has been traditionally part of the historic Gorizia region, but today locals prefer to identify with the wider region of the Slovenian Littoral.
We visited here in June 2012.
Kranjska Gora is a town on the Sava Dolinka River in the Upper Carniola region of northwestern Slovenia, close to the Austrian and Italian borders. It is the seat of the Municipality of Kranjska Gora.
Kranjska Gora is best known as a winter sports town, being situated in the Julian Alps. It annually hosts an event in the Alpine skiing World Cup series, also known as the Vitranc Cup, for the slalom and giant slalom events. The well-known ski jumping hill Planica is located in the nearby Tamar Valley.
We visited here in June 2012 and June 2013.
Ljubljana is Slovenia's capital and largest city. It's known for its university population and green spaces, including expansive Tivoli Park. The curving Ljubljanica River, lined in outdoor cafes, divides the city's old town from its commercial hub. Ljubljana has many museums, including the National Museum of Slovenia, displaying historic exhibitions, and the Museum of Modern Art, home to 20th-century Slovene paintings and sculptures.
We visited here in June 2012.
