Slowing Things Down in Slovenia
Where is Slovenia, actually?
To be honest, I never thought about adding Slovenia to our trip when drawing up our travel plans. I really didn’t know much (anything) about the small, central European country. However, a close friend spent some time there a year ago and said we had to go there. Specifically, we had to visit the tiny, mountain village of Stara Fužina. I’m definitely glad we accepted that advice.
I can be excused for not knowing much about Slovenia (though much of my hometown of Cleveland’s population can claim a hereditary connection to the region). The modern nation of the Republic of Slovenia was only founded in 1991. The Romans, Ottomans, Napoleon, and the Habsburgs all had their turn at controlling what is considered Slovenia. In fact, Slovenia has changed hands dozens of times leading up to its ultimate independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. However, the region was a prized jewel of these conquering forces. Heavily forested and fertile, Slovenia also sits at the crossroads of trade routes between Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
The capital city of Ljubljana reflects the many different cultures that passed through over the centuries. It’s a medieval city full of narrow, winding alleys, gothic steeples and spires, and lots and lots of dragons. The old town rises below a classic castle on a cliff, overlooking the town since the 1100s. Ljubljana is one of those cities that just feels creepy in a cool way, even during the day. It’s as if Dracula himself is lurking in the shadows waiting to seduce you before taking a bite out of your neck. While we were only there for a day, we loved it.
We spent most of our two weeks in Stara Fužina, a tiny farming village near the shores of Lake Bohinj. Bohinj sits in the middle of a glacier-carved valley in the heart of the Triglav National Forest. Triglav is named after Slovenia’s highest peak, among the region’s Julian Alps. Frankly, it’s Europe’s best kept secret. Considering the region’s natural beauty and accessibility, we didn’t see a ton of tourists. Nearby Lake Bled gets most of the credit due to its posh hotels, clifftop castle, and island church. But, having just spent a couple weeks in Switzerland, Bohinj felt familiar if on a smaller scale. The glaciers have receded, but the resulting valley is dramatic. Cows and active farms dot the landscape, giving Bohinj a very peaceful vibe, like time slows down here.
Slow-venia
Things slowed down for us considerably when we landed in Stara Fužina. To emphasize the point, our first full day in Bohinj featured a festival celebrating the cows coming home, literally, from their mountain pastures. Watching cows walk out to the fields each morning, to return later that night, would mark the pulse of our days. Two weeks in the same AirBnB was the longest amount of time we’d spend in one place. And we scored with an amazing apartment, owned and managed by even more amazing hosts. Our place was spacious and located perfectly for hiking, biking, and paddling around the region’s many natural sites. And Ali and Scott, our hosts, became fast friends with our family, sharing meals as well as outdoor adventures.
We used this relative downtime to establish a bit of routine with the kids and our homeschooling regime. Each day we’d guide the kids through lessons and assignments provided by teachers who are helping us remotely. And most days, this sucked. It’s understandably hard for the kids to shift out of the vacation mindset we’d established over the prior three weeks. And Meg and I are learning how to best motivate and engage the kids while prioritizing the experience of our world tour. Regardless, we spent a good amount of time and energy in Slovenia in front of laptops and iPads, making a go of the whole homeschooling thing.
Everyday, however, we made sure to stay active, exercise, and explore the surrounding hills, mountains, rivers, and lakes. The jewel of the region is Lake Bohinj, which is nearly free of any boat traffic — only one motorized boat operates on the lake as a ferry. As a result, it’s glassy flat throughout the day, and crystal clear as well. Around the lake, you can see schools of trout fifty feet from the shore.
Can’t spell Slovenia without “love”
Along with our hosts, Ali and Scott, we spent a ton of time with the same friend who recommended we visit Bohinj in the first place. His travels overlapped with ours and we were given an opportunity to spend time with our dearest friends. And like our time in Switzerland, our visit to Slovenia was made special because of the people.
Good people, beautiful surroundings, and time to reflect, share, and dream. These are the ingredients for a memorable stop on our tour. Slowing down was just what we needed. And Stara Fužina was the perfect place for it.
Stuff we recommend:
Sublime Escapes: an amazing place to stay in the Lake Bohinj area, with equally amazing hosts. We can’t recommend them enough.
Gostilna in Picerija Pr’ Mihovc Bohinj: a really charming and great restaurant in Stara Fužina. Don’t ask me to pronounce the name. But the food (pizza and pasta plus lots of local Slovenian dishes) was really good. And the staff are super friendly. The place has weird hours of operation, but worth a go if they’re open and you’re in the area.
Osha Asian Bistro in Ljubljana. When we landed in Ljubljana, the first real capital city we’d been to during our trip, we wanted some international food. Turns out Ljubljana has an awesome food scene. In fact, most of the meals we ate in Slovenia were fantastic. Osha sits in the old town area, on a tiny pedestrian-only street. There are a bunch of tiny, street-food-style restaurants lining the alleys in this part of town. And we chose ours well. Osha’s cooks (it’s a tiny place with 2 cooks, one of them taking orders) were hilarious too.
Bohinj Eco-Hotel Aquapark: we had a bunch of rainy during our stay and this indoor pool and aquatic park saved the day. They also offer spa and massage treatments.
