Why Slovenia? The simple answer for us is “why not?” At the mention of Slovenia, Lake Bled, and Bled Castle come to mind, but Slovenia is so much more than that! We chose not to visit Ljubljana because we prefer much less crowded places. We love the in-between places that are often overlooked, but when you find them, you want to come back again and again. Places like Rastoke, Jezersko, and Lake Jasna ae idyllic and unforgettable. That is not say that Lake Bled and Plitvice are not. They are definitely beautiful, but more crowded. Lake Bled was our first stop and it did not disappoint. Bled Island sits in the middle of an azure glacial lake while being guarded by the sentry of Castle Bled. We watched in anticipation as the pletna boat glided effortlessly into the dock. We then boarded and quietly glided along the placid waters to the centuries old church. Once there, we ascended the 99 steps up to it, however, we unfortunately did not get to witness the age-old tradition of the groom carrying his bride up those worn steps. The legend says that if they do this, they will stay in love and return to the island. We then returned to our B&B for our evening meal. We sat on the balcony watching the world go by. The next morning, we awoke to a magical mist rising above the still waters of the lake. It felt as if we were in the pages of a fairytale book. Bled looks different at this time of the morning, slower, quieter. People swimming their morning laps in the cold glacial waters, children excitedly riding their bikes while their parents nervously look on, and others sitting at local cafes watching the world slowly move by. Why Slovenia? This is only one of the reasons why.
Lake Bled was only the beginning of the answer why. There are so many other reasons. Jake Jasna, Lesce, and countless other in-betweens. If I had to narrow it down, I would have to talk about Plitvice. Yes, it is crowded, but if you tie it right like we did, then it is much quieter. Start at the upper lakes and make your way down. Stop and listen to the melodious bird-songs and the roar of the distant waterfalls. Take time to figure out what color the waters are and how they are so clear. Marvel at the many waterfalls that dominate the picturesque landscape. Once you’ve finished there, head to Rastoke. It is often referred to as the smaller version of Plitvice Lakes. We stayed at a B&B in the village itself. It was so peaceful to wake up to the gurgling sounds of small cascades winding down the smooth rocks right outside your door. The flora and fauna were delightfully colorful, as were the topiaries made from them. My favorite was the fairy garden with the fairy topiaries. At one point, I sat on the bench and listened to a story read to me by a lush green fairy with flowers in her hair. We left our fairy tale village of Rastoke and headed in search of the hilltop churches we were so eager to visit, when a happy accident occurred. We stumbled upon the Alps! We were near the Austrian border and did not even know it. We soon were driving down windy roads in alpine pastureland among grazing cows with shiny cowbells around their necks. We sat at the roadside picnic table, taking in the scenic alpine setting while listening to the many different sounds of the cowbells. They did not seem to mind us being in their space, more like they were welcoming us to their little slice of Heaven.