The only thing I knew about Slovenia was the fact that it had beautiful water. My hours of trawling Pinterest had revealed dozens of photos showcasing the almost unnaturally blue waters this country had to offer. As such, I was desperate to see these natural wonders for myself. As we only had two days of good weather before we knew bad weather would strike, we were unfortunately a little rushed, but in return we had absolutely stunning weather for our short time exploring the nature. The morning we left Ljubljana we stopped at a nearby hill of mysterious shrines that we had seen from a distance and wanted to explore further. It turned out to be shrines to Mary and Jesus, although what was at the top we shall never know as we didn't venture all the way (A giant Mary and Jesus perhaps?) Curiosity satisfied, we continued on our way.
Our first stop was Lake Bled, although not to see the picturesque lake but to fill our hungry stomachs. We did so by trying the regional specialty of Kremna Rezina, a giant fluffy pastry consisting of custard and cream. Although rather excellent, I have to admit I felt a tad sick after eating mine - I would suggest sharing one between two people in the future!
After our delicious snack, we parked somewhat illegally and jumped out for a view of Lake Bled. It was rather idylic with people wandering along the promenade or sitting on the grass, there was even a little pony giving rides to the children. In the distance you can just spot the island with the pilgrimage church perched on the top in shining white.
As Lake Bled was rather built up and parking impossible, we decided to continue on to Lake Bohinj, which was the less touristy of the two lakes. Although parking was difficult we found a spot just next to the lake by this church, and were soon happily eating our picnic lunch on the shores of the Lake. Besides the rather odious smell of something rotting (I suspect the fish) it was very enjoyable.
Our next stop was at a campsite beside the Soca River, which I was rather excited about. A quick wander up the road afforded us gorgeous views of the perfectly clear, pale blue water.
We decided to head to Vintgar gorge as there was a walk there with beautiful views of the river below. When we arrived however we were surprised to see how popular it was, with large car-parks and ticket queues! I didn't realize it would cost to simply do a nature walk (Imagine the reaction in New Zealand if they tried to do that!) but it was only 4 Euros and I ultimately decided it was well worth it. If you truly want to see the river, this is the way to do it!
The walk was actually far longer than I expected, especially as it was not a loop but a there and back again journey, filled with ogling tourists standing in the way to make it that bit longer. The wooden bridges wound their way through the gorge and gave us perfect views of the beautiful river; overall it's a trip well worth taking if you're prepared for a decent walk and an overwhelming urge to push the people standing in the way into the river.
On our way down we followed the river for a time, occasionally driving across it or passing close enough to give us beautiful views of it in its many hues.
Apparently I'm a hazard. Proceed with caution!
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