SLOVENIA
Julian Alps
Lake Bled Logar Valley
Ljubljana
SLOVENIA
N
o sooner do the summer holidays start than we head to the mountains, packing up the car and driving to the French Alps for two relaxing weeks of walking, swimming and gorging on gooey cheese and fresh baguettes. It’s an easy, relaxing and always enjoyable holiday but, in truth, it has become a little same-y and last year we decided we wanted to try somewhere new. After chancing upon a great deal with British Airways using our Avios points, we chose Slovenia. Cheap flights aside, this central European country had long been on our travel wish list, if only to visit the tongue-twisting capital, Ljubljana. Half the size of Switzerland and smaller than the island of Sicily, over 50% of Slovenia is covered in trees and 70% is made up of hills and mountains, so it seemed like the ideal alternative for the family that loves spending summer outdoors and is always up for new experiences. We arrived in mid-August, flying into Ljubljana where we stayed for two nights. While the mountains were our ultimate goal, we reasoned that we couldn’t visit Slovenia without seeing some of the country’s other highlights. Our Ljubljana base was Hostel Celica, a former military prison turned colourful hotel with artist-designed rooms fashioned from old cell blocks. Set in the city’s Metelkova Mesto district, which is know for edgy street art and quirky sculptures, the hostel is also close to the old town, so the location was perfect. Ljubljana is just the right size for easy wandering: a medieval centre scattered with Baroque and Art Nouveau buildings, and pedestrianised streets lined with buzzy cafes. Running through the middle is the green-gold Ljubljana River, fringed with a handsome row of chestnut trees and criss-crossed by 17 bridges. Of these, the Triple Bridge is the most famous; a trio of elaborate walkways that has linked the raspberry pink Church of the Annunciation in central Prešernov trg - Prešeren Square - with the Colonnade Market Place since 1842. We spent a day exploring the pocket-size city, admiring fierce, minty-green dragons on the aptly named Dragon Bridge, and gazing out over the city’s red-roofed houses and church spires from the 16th century hilltop castle. For lunch we ordered štruklji: traditional steamed dumplings served with walnut and tarragon. Then at dinner we joined the queue for Baščaršija where, after a friendly waiter helped to
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