Men all over the world are crying – or so says ELAN!

Posted in Begunje, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia, Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

So, that’s a rather strange title for my blog this week, isn’t it? I bet you’re curious what on earth it means! Let me explain.

These days watching, and listening to, the news is usually pretty depressing, I’m sure you’ll agree. So, when last week I saw the headline for the launch of Elan’s new women’s skis, it made me chuckle and I decided to find out more. Well, a bit of humour never goes a miss!

The reason why men all over the world are crying, it seems, is because they would love to get their hands on Elan’s new Delight women’s ski – the lightest ever produced – using patented Slimshape technology that dramatically reduces the weight of the skis – but, alas, this time they can’t, since they’re just for the ladies!

As I wrote in a blog post just 2 weeks ago – http://wp.me/p3005k-1fl – the Elan factory, in Begunje na Gorenjskem, is just minutes from where I live and I often pop into the shop – not for skis I hasten to add! – to browse the range of outdoors clothing and equipment. I had hoped to also see the skis up close but they are so new that they are not yet even in the shop, but will be in a fortnight or so, so not long to wait! In the meantime do take a moment to watch the video and find out who else is crying https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGPpOD1wMkY or you can read more on the website – http://www.elanskis.com/

The advert features some of the legends from the world of extreme skiing, including Davo Karničar – the first man to ski from Everest.

I had the pleasure of meeting Davo at his home, the Davo Karničar Mountain Lodge, in Jezersko. Read more here – http://wp.me/p3005k-5Q

Amongst others, the video also includes World Champion and World Cup Winner in Ski Cross Filip Flisar (SLO), Olympic and World Cup medallist alpine skiing Christian Mayer (AUT), and extreme skier Glen Plake (USA),

Talking of skiing, did you know we actually have a small ski slope here in Radol’ca? It’s in Kamna Gorica to be precise, and despite the wonderful spring-like winter that we have been experiencing of late, whereby there is barely a flake of snow lower than 1500m, the operators have been performing wonders to keep the slope open for local children to enjoy.

Apparently, though, some snow may be headed our way later this week, which will delight all the skiers out there!

25Jan2016

Stories of Slovene Success: Dali Šport – Dressing the Best!

Posted in Okusi Radol'ce, Radol'ca, Radovljica, skiing, Slovenia, Taste Radol'ca, Tourism Radol'ca by adeleinslovenia

Two weeks ago I wrote the first in an occasional series of posts entitled ‘Stories of Slovene Success’. That post, which you can read here http://wp.me/p3005k-1fl was about the success of Elan and Peter Prevc.

This week the story is in a similar vein, since the company Dali Šport, based in Lesce, make the clothing for some of Slovenia’s top sports stars, as well as for sports people from numerous other countries competing in, amongst others, skiing, ski jumping, rowing, equine and aerial sports.

I popped in for a nose last week and was lucky enough that during the time of my visit 3 of the Slovenian ski jumping team were there, having come to pick up their new apparel, during a brief lull in training. Below you can see, from left to right, Matjaž Pungertar, Leon Šarc and Anže Lanišek – oh and me of course!

In addition to the firm’s headquarters in Lesce, it also has a shop in Bled which sells off-the-peg sportswear for hiking and other outdoor sports, as well as outfits for your four-legged friend!

Dali Šport, a family run company, has been making made-to-measure and off-the-peg clothing for over 25 years, including the outfit worn by Peter Prevc when he won silver at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

And for the ski jumper Robert Kranjec too!

LOOKING AHEAD: It’s not long now until the annual Radovljica Carnival Ball (Pustni ples) with Taste Radol’ca. This year the event will take place on Saturday 6th February at Tulipan Inn in Lesce. Tickets are now on sale at the Radovljica Tourist Information Centre. The theme of this year’s ball is ‘The Radovljica Olympics‘ and prizes are up for grabs for those who come up with the most creative outfits. More information (in Slovene) here – http://radolca.si/kaj-poceti/dogodki/pustni-ples-z-okusi-radolce/83/724/

On the same day, at 2pm in the afternoon, the annual Carnival Procession will take place through the streets of Radovljica ending in Linhart Square in the old town centre. More information here – http://www.radolca.si/en/what-to-do/events-1/carnival-procession/83/381/

4Jan2016

New Year in Radovljica / The Dornk Excursion Farm

Posted in Begunje, Gostilna Kunstelj, Okusi Radol'ce, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Restaurants, Taste Radol'ca, Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

This year I chose to spend New Year’s Eve (very) close to home at Kunstelj Inn in Radovljica, which is just walking (stumbling!) distance away! The family run Kunstelj Inn has a long tradition and is popular with both locals and visitors to Radovljica and is one of the participating Taste Radol’ca restaurants.

The New Year’s Eve menu consisted of a buffet of cold starters including these tasty cheese bite-pops, followed by a hot starter of pureed spinach and potato with egg.

The main course included probably one of the tasty pieces of duck I’ve ever eaten. It literally fell of the bone and I have no idea how they got it that succulent. The only time I ever tried cooking duck I ended up smoking out the whole kitchen!

And the best bit, of course, the dessert buffet and home-made walnut potica. I was too stuffed to try it all – not like me I know – but took some potica home to try the next day, all in the name of research of course!!!

Meanwhile, in Radovljica’s old town crowds gathered to see in the New Year with live music from the Avsenik House Ensemble from Begunje na Gorenjskem.

Last week I visited the Dornk Excursion Farm (Izletniška kmetija Dornk) in Mlino to see the nativity scene exhibition and museum collection. Wow, this place is a goldmine, crammed to the rafters with every kind of collectable imaginable, and more! The nativity scene exhibition, housed in the stable (note – it’s not heated so wrap up well!), contains over 100 nativity scenes of various sizes and made from various materials. I was also shown around the over 240-year-old house, run by three generations of the family, which still retains its original features including a black kitchen.

The nativity exhibition is open for viewings daily from 12noon – 6pm until 6th January, then every weekend until the end of January, so there’s still plenty of time. The museum collection is also available to view year-round, by prior arrangement for groups.

The other barn contains an extensive ethnological museum collection which also includes an amazing collection of handmade needlework – embroidery and crocheting – made by the family’s grandmother.

The farm has an extensive orchard and the owners prepare all their own juices, spirits, tea etc. which you can sample, as well as delicious homemade food such as potica, strudel etc. in the cosy snug. Find out more about Dornk here – http://dornk-bled.com/?page_id=325&lang=en

According to my annual report from the nice people at WordPress, where I host my blog, the number of readers of this blog in 2015 came from 123 countries around the world and equated to selling out 19 concerts at the Sydney Opera House – isn’t that an interesting fact! Thanks to each and every one of you!

28Dec2015

Reflections & New Year in Slovenia

Posted in Brezje, Christmas, Ljubljana, Okusi Radol'ce, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Restaurants, Slovenia, Taste Radol'ca, Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

If someone were to ask me what would be your ideal weather for Christmas, my answer would have fitted exactly what we had. I couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas present than the perfect cloudless skies and warm winter sunshine we had last week. My parents were here from the UK for Christmas and the three of us sat outside having a picnic lunch on Christmas Day. Who’d have thought that possible!

However, not all the country were so lucky as many places were, again, shrouded in fog. This is the view on Boxing Day looking down from Možjanca, near Preddvor.

During my parent’s visit we packed in plenty of sights including a trip to the Christmas market in Ljubljana.

A visit to Kranj to watch the very popular annual Christmas tuba concert (tuba božički) – to get us in the festive mood.

On Christmas Eve we went to see the preparations for mass at the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Brezje – http://www.radolca.si/en/brezje-basilica/

On Christmas Day we visited a tourist farm (more about that next week), visited friends, watched the Ana Snežna street show in the old town of Radovljica, and finished the day with a meal at Kunstelj Inn in Radovljica.

If you haven’t already decided how and where to see in the new year, here are some ideas of what’s on in Radovljica and the surroundings and also further afield.

On 30th December there will be a pre-New Year’s Eve party for children at 4pm in Linhart Square, whilst on New Year’s Eve the merriment will take place, also in Linhart Square, with live music from the Avsenik House Ensemble. More information here – http://www.radolca.si/en/what-to-do/events-1/festive-december-in-linhart-square/83/110/

If food, and of course drink, is on your mind, then look to one of the Taste Radol’ca restaurants, though hurry as some are already fully booked. Amongst others, Kunstelj Inn is offering a 4-course menu of local food for 33 euros, Grajska gostilnica is offering a 6-course New Year’s Eve menu for just 37 euros per person and Gostišče Tulipan has a 4-course menu with live music for 28 euros per person.

Further afield, the capital, Ljubljana, is a popular destination to spend New Year’s Eve, with plenty happening all over the city or, if the weather is fine, spending New Year’s Eve in one of Slovenia’s many mountain huts can also be a magical. One year I walked up to the Sankaška hut above Begunje, from where, on a clear day/night, there are fantastic views and I was able to enjoy watching many fireworks displays across the valley. So, if the weather plays game and that appeals, don your hiking gear and a head torch and head on up there. More information here – http://www.radolca.si/en/st-peters-trail-begunje/

I have now been writing this blog for exactly three years. In that time it has had over 90,000 views from all over the world and this year I was delighted and proud that it was also officially recognised by the Slovenian Tourist Organisation and now also features on the homepage of their website – http://www.slovenia.info/en/Blog-Adele-in-Slovenia/Adele-in-Slovenia.htm?adele_slovenia=0&lng=2

People often ask me how I come up with so many ideas for what to write about and if I ever run out of ideas. Actually, sometimes I still have too many ideas so, if you keep reading, I’ll keep writing, and may the journey continue to make 2016 an even more successful year for Adele in Slovenia!

I wish all readers a very, very Happy & Healthy New Year!

30Nov2015

Let the Radovljica festive season begin!

Posted in Radol'ca, Radovljica, Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

In Radovjlica the Christmas tree, decorations and lights are up in the old town centre, the cafes and bars are serving mulled wine, and we’ve even had a bit of snowfall to add to the festive feel – so let the festive season begin!

The official switching on of the lights will take place on Friday 4th December at 4.45pm, so come and join the fun! It looks especially magic at night.

There’s a full programme of events taking place throughout the festive season, with particular emphasis on entertainment for all the family.

In December the Advent Market will take place every Friday from 3-8pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-8pm. As in previous years there will be stalls selling a variety of hand-made local handicrafts and products which make ideal gifts for friends and family – http://www.radolca.si/en/what-to-do/events-1/festive-december-in-linhart-square/83/110/

Some of the other highlights include:

A visit by St. Nicholas (Miklavž)
Fairytale Horses for Children
‘This Happy Day’ with Bernese Mountain Dogs
A visit by Grandfather Frost (Dedek mraz)
Various concerts and performances featuring singing, dancing and street shows

New for this year, from 4-31st December, families can also take part in ‘Finding Grandfather Frost’s Postbox’ (Poišči nabiralnik Dedka Mraza). Start your visit at the Radovljica Tourist Information Centre in Linhart Square, where you can collect a booklet with instructions and tips about where to search. Then, just follow the markers to discover the treasures of the old town centre and complete the tasks at the seven points along the way. What a great way to discover more of Radovljica – for the young and the young at heart! More about this here (Slovene only) – http://www.radolca.si/kaj-poceti/dogodki/poisci-nabiralnik-dedka-mraza/83/1083/

Preparations are now underway for the Taste Radol’ca closing party at Joštov hram, which takes place this Friday, 4th December, starting at 8pm and once again the chefs are putting their heads together. This time its will be a simpler affair – more finger-food style – but I’m sure it will still be equally delicious! Tickets are available from Tourism Radovljica. http://radolca.si/kaj-poceti/dogodki/okusi-radolce-zakljucna-zabava/83/1023/

Here are some of the winners of this year’s Taste Radol’ca photo competition, which rewarded those who sent in their photos of their meals at one of the participating restaurants. Congratulations to the winners and see you at the party!

@AdeleinSlovenia 2015

23Nov2015

Yummy Stories of Slovene Food (in the snow!)

Posted in Food, Gostilna Kunstelj, Okusi Radol'ce, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Restaurants, Taste Radol'ca, Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

Autumn came to an abrupt end on Saturday when, after an entire month with no rainfall, it instead SNOWED! This was accompanied by a marked drop in temperatures; in some places on Saturday morning the temperature was in the mid-high teens, by the afternoon it was just 1 degree; on average around 20cm of snow fell.

Though I’m really not a fan of the white stuff, I have to admit that Radovljica did look quite pretty when I went out for a walk on Sunday morning. Mind you, to me, Radovljica looks lovely come rain or shine (or snow!).

Walking through the virgin snow in the forest towards Talež early on Sunday morning.

As is usually the case in Slovenia – other than in times of particularly heavy snowfall – the roads were cleared quickly and efficiently and there was no major disruption to my journey on Saturday from Radovljica to Ljubljana, where I had been invited to be one of two ‘guest speakers’ at Njam Zgodbe 2015 (Yummy Stories) – a foodie/blogging event. The event was a mixture of talks, workshops, networking, and, of course, yummy food.

Though my blog is not a food blog per se, as regular readers will know, I do love food (especially chocolate!) and write about it often, and even more so in the winter when my outdoor activities are somewhat curtailed due to the weather. In the 8+ years I’ve been living in Slovenia, the food scene has come on leaps and bounds, not only due to the vast number of new restaurants offering cuisine from all over the world, but also due the ever-growing importance and recognition of locally sourced and produced ingredients and fresh, seasonal food; this is also reflected in the increasing number of food-related blogs.

It was for this reason that I decided to dedicate part of my talk to Taste Radol’ca as, being from Radovljica, it is something close to my heart – not to mention my stomach!

After my presentation the event attendees were able to try some of the goodies from Radol’ca’s restaurants; the famous cake-pops (grizike) from Kunstelj Inn, ‘tepke‘ pears in chocolate from Vila Podvin, and chestnut and pear tarts from Grajska Gostilnica. I think it’s fair to say that they went down well with the attendees, all of whom certainly know their food!

There’s just one week left to try out the special menus at the Taste Radol’ca restaurants as, on 30 November, it all sadly ends for this year. Well, not quite, as this year, for the first time, there is also a closing party to look forward to. Tickets are now on sale for the party at Joštov hram in Podnart on Friday 4th December; those who collect stamps by visiting at least 4 of the restaurants also have a chance to win free entry. More information here – http://www.radolca.si/en/taste-radolca/

14Jul2015

New Culinary Experiences & Cycling Tours in Radol’ca

Posted in Begunje, Brezje, cycling, free guided bike tours, Gostilna Kunstelj, Guinness Book of Records, Jelovica, Julian Alps, Kamp Sobec, Lesce, Maribor, Mosnje, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Taste Radol'ca by adeleinslovenia

There’s lots happening in the Radol’ca area right now so here’s a round up of the latest news.

NEW: ALL DAY BREAKFAST- Gostilna Kunstelj in Radovljica is now serving an all-day breakfast!

The breakfast is not your usual fry-up, but instead the focus is on homemade and/or locally produced food and drink, typical of the area, and includes; cold meats and cheeses, homemade bread with butter and honey from a local beekeeper, apple juice and honey liqueur, eggs baked with home-grown herbs and more.

Weather permitting, breakfast may be taken outside on the terrace with wonderful views of the Julian Alps, the Jelovica plateau, and in the cool beneath the small Wine Square area which is home to a descendant of Slovenia’s oldest vine – located in Maribor – which is over 400 years old and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records – http://maribor-pohorje.si/the-old-vine–the-oldest-vine-in-the-world.aspx

In addition to the new all-day breakfast, Gostilna Kunstelj have now prepared a special area for private picnic dining for up to 8 people in a shaded area, again with the wonderful views mentioned above. By prior arrangement, buffets, finger food, or traditional Slovene menus can be served. See here for more information – http://www.kunstelj.si/

NEW: FREE BIKE TOURS – If you are visiting the Radol’ca area this summer, are staying in accommodation within the Municipality of Radovljica, and would like to see more of the area at a leisurely pace by bike, you can avail of new FREE guided bike tours. The guided trips begin from the Šobec Camp, or can also be joined at Lesce Railway Station, and en-route visit Radovljica, Mosnje, Brezje and Begunje. More information is available here – http://www.radolca.si/en/free-guided-cycling-tour/

NEW: FRESH THURSDAYS IN THE SQUARE – Every Thursday in July there is live entertainment in Linhart Square, the heart of Radovljica’s old town, in the form of street theatre and live music. Last week we were entertained by the Šugla Street Theatre and later the Krško Big Band. This week there’s more from the Šugla Street Theatre to be followed by music from Marko Hatlak & Funtago. Everyone welcome!

14Apr2013

It’s Spring and Radovljica is Alive!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, adeleinslovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Ljubljana, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Radovljica Chocolate Festival, Visit Radol'ca by adeleinslovenia

Winter seems to have finally lost its vice like grip and spring has courageously battled through and taken over – yippee! Walking around Radovljica this week has been a pleasure – seeing people sitting outside cafes for their morning coffee, children (and some adults too!) eating ice-cream, people playing various sports in the sports park and generally people emerging from the long winter spent cooped up indoors – much like bears awaking from their winter hibernation – and enjoying feeling the warmth of the sun. Never have I been so pleased to see that large, round, yellow, warming object in the sky on Tuesday – it’s got some making up to do so let’s hope it’s here to stay. I also hope it will get to work on melting some of the metres and metres of snow in the mountains so I can get up high hiking again asap.

Although I’m not entirely adverse to winter walking in the fresh snow during the winter ‘proper’, by this time of year the novelty of walking in the snow has long since worn off am I’m longing to be able to start walking to some of the higher lying areas. However, in the meantime, its time to get resourceful and find places to walk which are a little lower and south facing, where the snow has already begun to melt. I co-wrote a guidebook about Slovenia some time back and from the time when I was researching it and gathering information, I have a folder full of brochures and leaflets which, at times like these come in very handy. So a rummage through the folder led me to deciding on walking the Ostroverhar Trail on Saturday, and a good choice it was too!

The circular trail starts in the village of Podgrad, near Ljubljana and leads over Kašelj hill (Kašeljski hrib) and past the remains of two medieval castles, both of which were a part of the Osterberg property, home of the Ostrovrhar knights. The Old Castle (Stari grad) is thought to date back to 1256 and first belonged to the Spanheim family. Over the years it has had numerous owners but since 1930, it has been the property of the Kansky family, manufacturers from Podgrad. Another interesting feature of the path is the millstone quarry beneath the castle. Here, since the Middle Ages until production ceased, millstones were cut (like the one I’m sitting on below), with a diameter of about one metres and a thickness of 20 centimetres, and you actually still see where they were cut from the rock. The path is well-marked and it took about 2.5 hours to walk the entire trail.

Sunday was a beautiful, warm, spring day so it was time to dust off my bike and get the cogs turning once again. I haven’t cycled properly since October so it was a tentative start but as they say, you never forget how to ride a bike, and once I got going it felt great. I cycled to the Završnica valley where, at the start of the valley, there is a small reservoir. This is also the start point for many hikes in the surrounding Karavanke Alps – more about which I will be writing as soon as the snow has melted!

Preparations are in full swing for next weekend’s Festival of Chocolate in Radovljica – if you are anywhere near the area, don’t miss it, it’s sure to be a delicious weekend! Last year’s event was so popular that this year it has been extended to two days. This year, there will be a new system in place whereby coupons can be purchased which can then be exchanged for tastings of the chocolate goodies on offer at all the stalls. More information about the festival can be found here – http://www.festival-cokolade.si/ As probably the world’s biggest chocoholic, I will definitely be paying a visit!

18Mar2013

A rude awakening!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, adeleinslovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Skofja Loka, Visit Radol'ca, Visit Skofja Loka by adeleinslovenia

I couldn’t believe my eyes this morning when I woke up and looked out the window to see a thick blanket of fresh snow, which is still falling heavily now as I write. It seems even the forecasters hadn’t seen it coming as rain was forecast rather than snow. Those that know me well, and any regular readers, will know that I am not a big fan of the white stuff and especially now when there has already been so much of it this winter. It’s a particular shame as Saturday was a beautiful sunny day and I was revelling in seeing the many spring flowers which had been rapidly appearing from the undergrowth during the past week – what a welcome sight- but now once again buried under heavy snow. I for one hope the rain will appear soon to wash it all away so spring can really get on with springing! For the skiers out there though, its going to be a very long ski season so they are certainly happy.

Despite the less than favourable weather, there has been quite a lot happening in the Radovljica area this past week. On Monday at dusk, the tradition of floating handmade models, made by local children and illuminated by candles, in the streams in the villages of Kropa and Kamna Gorica took place. This age-old iron-forging custom, takes place annually on the eve of St. Gregory’s Day. The models, which are a mixture of unique art creations made from paper, cardboard and wood with candles affixed either on the exterior or interior, create a colourful effect against the dusk setting. This custom dates back to the era of manual iron forging, before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582, when the name day of St. Gregory was considered the first day of spring. What a shame that once again this year the spring gods didn’t appear to be listening or taking any notice but it is nonetheless a magical scene to watch the faces of the children as their colourful creations float off along the stream.

On Wednesday the new bookshop in Radovljica played host to the great Slovenian alpinist, author and expedition leader, Viki Grošelj, who came to give a short talk (and of course book promotion) and I was lucky enough to be able to go along and listen to him recounting some of his experiences and recalling anecdotes. Viki is one of the few alpinists in the world who has climbed the ten summits of over 8,000 metres in the Himalayas, including Everest and K2, and has written numerous books about his experiences. We in the audience only got to hear a fraction of his tales but undoubtedly he must have a lifetime of stories to tell, of jubilant triumphs, extreme conditions, harrowing successful and less successful expeditions – some of them tinged with sadness – as inevitably friends and colleagues have fallen victim to the might of the mountains and the elements along the way.

On Saturday, it was a crisp but beautifully sunny day and I decided to take a little trip out to the town of Škofja Loka. Škofja Loka boasts one of the three best preserved medieval town centres in Slovenia, the other two being Radovljica, where I live, and Ptuj, where I’m ashamed to say I still haven’t been, though it’s definitely firmly on the list of places to go! Škofja Loka was actually among one of the places I considered living when I moved to Slovenia. Like Radovljica, it has a lot of history and many places, buildings and natural features of note, is surrounded by pristine nature, offers a mulititude of walking and cycling paths and is also convenient for getting to Ljubljana. However, in the end I plumped for Radovljica, a decision I don’t regret.

Škofja Loka has several castles, two of which I visited. The newer of the two, the impressive and imposing Loka Castle (Loški grad), was originally built in the 13th century but was completely renovated following an earthquake in 1511. The castle stands on a small hill just above the town centre and also houses the Loka Museum. The remains of the Old Castle (Stari grad), shown in the picture below, stand a little further and higher away and can be reached on foot, approximately 30 minutes walk away from Loka Castle, by following the signs for the Loška Nature Trail.

Incidentally, Radovljica also briefly got its own castle this winter, albeit a snow castle!

3Mar2013

An icy dip

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, adeleinslovenia, Begunje, Hiking, ifeelsLOVEnia, Karavanke, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia, Tourist farms in Slovenia, Visit Radol'ca by adeleinslovenia

Brrr… it makes me shiver just thinking and writing about it but some hardy folk braved the ice cold waters of Lake Bled last week for the Bled Winter Swimming Cup 2013, which since starting in 2010, has now become an annual event – ice permitting.

The water temperature on the day of the swim was a balmy 3 degrees and the air temperature 0 degrees. The event attracted 67 competitors from far and wide: Australia, Croatia, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Russia, UK, USA and of course Slovenia.

All the men’s events were won by Slovenes whilst the women’s events were won by a Slovene, a Germany and an Australian. The shortest event was 25 metres and the longest 50 metres. However, one brave chap, from England no less, where we’re not exactly famed for our tolerance to the extreme cold, then went on to swim the ice mile in 37.23 minutes, hats off all round to him I say!

This year, although there have been record levels of snowfall, the air temperature hasn’t actually been as low as last year and therefore, fortunately for the competitors, the lake hasn’t frozen over. This time last year it was completely frozen over with a very thick layer of ice and for the first time since moving here I was able to walk across the ice to the island and the church in the middle of the lake. What a strange and slightly unsettling experience (as you might gather from my facial expression in the photo below – that and the fact it was freeeeezing!). However, I certainly wasn’t alone, there were plenty of others walking and skating on the ice too so I decided to put my apprehensions aside and join them. And it was worth it for my first chance to reach and explore the tiny island and so I can finally say I’ve been there.

Fortunately, living in Radovljica, which is just 7km from Bled, I am able to walk and run frequently around Lake Bled – I couldn’t possibly count how many times I’ve done so in the past 6 years and it still hasn’t lost its appeal. Bled has been a popular tourist destination since the 19th century and is probably most known for its island in the middle of the lake, home to the Church of St. Mary which was originally built in the 8th century and renovated in the 15th and 18th centuries. The stairway which leads from the lake up to the island has 99 steps and dates from 1655. The island can only be reached by boat and visitors can either rent a boat and row themselves or use one of the traditional Bled ‘pletna’ boats whose oarsmen will do the hard work for you.

Alternatively, a walk, or even a run, around the lake as I do is a very popular activity year-round. It’s approximately 6km around but the time passes easily whilst admiring the beauty of the island, Bled Castle and the backdrop of the mountains of the Karavanke Alps.

Since I love being up in the mountains rather than just looking at them, and since Friday brought some much needed and long awaited warm sunshine, I went for a walk with a friend to the Roblek mountain hut (Roblekov dom) which at 1657m is the highest of the huts on Begunjščica, a part of the Karavanke Alps. It was so sunny and warm up there, we could have stayed all day, alas we had to get back so we’d didn’t have much time to linger but just long enough to feel some of the sun’s rays and take a few photos.

Roblekov dom is named after Hugon Roblek, who was born in Radovljica. He was a successful pharmacist and one of the fighters who defended the northern border in the Austrian Koroška region. In 1920, whilst staying in the National Home in Trieste, Italian fascists set fire to the home and Roblek fell to a sad death when trying to jump out of a window to save his life. In his will, Roblek left all his assets to the Radovljica branch of the Slovene Mountain Association who built Roblekov dom using his legacy.

Adele in Slovenia

My life and adventures in Radovljica and throughout Slovenia

Category Archives: Radol’ca