The Polhov Gradec Hills

Posted in Uncategorized by

Many of Slovenia’s ski resorts opened this past weekend, at least in part, with others due to open during the course of this week. The main and largest ski resorts are at Kranjska Gora, Krvavec, Maribor Pohorje, Vogel and Cerkno, but there are also many others too such as Golte, Stari vrh and Soriška planina, to name but a few.

Sadly Kanin, Slovenia’s highest ski resort, remains closed and looks likely to be so for the foreseeable future. Personally, I cannot understand how this can be allowed to happen without the government, or someone, stepping in to offer assistance before it is too late; to allow what was the ‘crème’ of Slovene skiing to be left to rot taking with it the business and livelihoods of no doubt countless people in the town of Bovec, and the surrounding areas, where there is little work other than tourism. Let’s hope it won’t come to that and the resort will be revived to its former glory.

Sunday was a glorious day; very crisp and frosty but with brilliant winter sunshine, so I made the most of it with a trip to the Polhov Gradec hills, also known as the Polhov Dolomites (Polhograjski dolomiti), due to their rocky appearance. The area consists of a hilly region that extends from the southern side of Ljubljana to the northern side of the Škofja Loka area. The highest of the hills is Tošč (1021m) follow by Pasja Ravan at 1019m. It is interesting to note that Pasja Ravan was previously the highest however approximately 10 metres of its height was lost during the setting up of a rocket base there by the then Yugoslav Army. My favourite peak in the range is Grmada. At just 898m it is far from high but one really has the impression of being in the high mountains as the views from the top are simply stunning and far reaching in all directions.

There are a number of paths, leading from various directions, to reach the peaks. Many locals start from the visit of Topol, also known as Katarina due to the name of it church or from the village of Polhov Gradec. From either of these villages the walks are well marked and it takes only around an hour and 1.5 hours respectively, to reach Grmada. However, from where I live in Radovljica, it is closer and easier to access the area via Medvode, rather than having to drive up and over the hills or around Ljubljana. I therefore started my walk from Slavkov dom at Golo Brdo, making it a longer walk but then I would always rather walk further than drive! The path leads gradually uphill, never steeply, taking about an hour to reach Katarina, then a further good hour’s walk to Grmada.

Below are some photos of my walk beginning with the beautiful sunrise I was treated to as a reward for my early start and the view looking back towards Katarina.

CIMG6892  CIMG6902

One of the signs I encountered en-route  – you’ve really got to know where you’re going here!

CIMG6904

Here you can see the final part of the ascent to Grmada, complete with a light dusting of snow, from the direction of Gonte, which can easily be avoided by taking the direct path up to Grmada; me at the top with Triglav in the far background and wonderful views all around as far as the eye can see.

CIMG6908 CIMG6913 CIMG6911

As I wrote in a previous blog a few weeks ago (October 2013, Christmas comes early to Radovljica), Christmas came early this year to Radovljica, but only for one day, when a commercial, for a well-known Italian product was being filmed in the old town centre. Thn town was transformed into a magical, fairytale Christmas scene. Now the advert is available on YouTube, so you too can get a glimpse, an all too short glimpse, of the beautiful town where I live – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t78uVV50pdY

A cleaner, greener Radovljica

Posted in Uncategorized by

Judging by the amount of snow I can see from my window, it seems winter has well and truly arrived. The snow, fortunately, is not (yet) at ground level but there has certainly been a lot of precipitation in the past week; rain here, snow above 800-1000 metres.

I haven’t been able to do much in the way of hiking because of the poor weather but I did at least manage one trip this week, to Dobrča, at 1478m. I took the route up from the hamlet of Slatna, which is located on the road which runs along the foot of Dobrča, from Begunje to Trzič, a mere 10 minute drive from Radovljica. The path goes up steeply through the forest, taking approximately 1.5 hours, to reach the mountain hut, Koca na Dobrči. The actual top of Dobrča, 1634m, is a further 30 minute walk and a further 10 minutes from the top is the Šentanski vrh viewpoint, which is certainly worth making the effort to reach. On this occasion I didn’t continue to the top as there was already snow beyond the hut, as can be seen in the pictures below.

CIMG6889 CIMG6888  CIMG6890

On the whole I love living in Radovljica. I love its location, the close proximity to the Karavanke and Julian Alps, Bled, Bohinj and direct access to the motorway making it easy to reach pretty much anywhere in Slovenia. I also love the wide choice of hiking and cycling routes, the good infrastructure, the medieval old town, the olympic size swimming pool and that fact that the town offers most of my needs right on my doorstop. There is, or rather ‘was’, however something that had been bothering me, something detracting from the beauty of Radovljica and its surroundings, and something, as I saw it, as a needless eyesore. I’m referring to the numerous advertising banners that were hanging from the street lights advertising the likes of Lidl 200m, Hofer 400m, Mercator 1km etc. In fact on the road from the start of Lesce to the end of Radovljica, and on some side streets too, there was almost 40 of them, bombarding us with pointless and unecessary advertising. I saw them as pointless because in the UK, where I’m from, there are millions of people and thousands of shops yet nowhere are there signs like here advertising each shop, yet people still manage to find the shops. Members of my family and several friends who had visited Radovljica, had also commented on what an eyesore they were and they really had a negative effect on the environment. Of course they provide a source of revenue for the municipality therefore in my letter to the Mayor of Radovljica, I suggested that, if advertising is really necessary, perhaps a better, less obvious, method could be sought. Imagine my delight then when last week the Mayor personally told me that since the contract had expired, he had now ordered the removal of all the banners forthright. Wow, what a result and what a huge improvement. I would once again like to say ‘Thank You’ to our Mayor. It is so good to know he listens and takes on board comments from residents and we now have an even more beautiful, cleaner, greener town. Perhaps this might inspire other areas in Slovenia to follow suit, leading to an even cleaner, greener Slovenia too.

The Christmas lights have now gone up in the old town centre and the festive season is now slowly starting to begin. The first event will be the St. Nicholas Fair (Miklavž sejem) which will take place in the atrium of St. Paul’s rectory, on Saturday 30th November at 4.30-6.30pm and again on Sunday 1st December at 8.30-11.30am. The celebration of St. Nicholas (Miklavž) on the 6th December, marks the name day of this most known of saints and is especially celebrated by children all around Slovenia who eagerly wait to see if St. Nicholas has bought them gifts to reward them for being good.

On Tuesday this week, the 26th, there will be a ceremony to officially open the new sculpture dedicated to the music of Avsenik. This traditional folk music was started by the Avsenik brothers in the village of Begunje na Gorenjskem in 1953. Their music is hugely popular worldwide, but particularly in neighbouring Austria, Italy and Croatia, as well as elsewhere in Europe, and people come from all over the world to listen to the three current house ensembles, visit the Avsenik museum and enjoy food and entertainment at the family run Avsenik restaurant. The ceremony will take place in the parking area near the Lidl store at 12 noon and is free to attend.

Also this week, on Thursday 28th, there will be a concert by the only Citar orchestra in Slovenia, from Brežice. The concert will take place in the Radovljica Mansion House, beginning at 7pm and tickets can be purchased at the Radovljica Tourist Information Centre.

Radol’ca – Taste the Best!

Posted in Uncategorized by

In my opinion the term ‘a sense of community’ is often overused these days, or used flippantly, without real regard to its true meaning. The new ‘Taste Radol’ca’ project however truly does justice to the term and is an exemplary example of how to bring a community together. In these tough economic times when many business are struggling for survival and competing with their rivals just to stay afloat, the ‘Taste Radol’ca’ project offers a fresh approach and more than a glimmer of hope to residents, business owners and visitors to Radovljica and its surrounding areas – collectively known as Radol’ca.

‘Taste Radol’ca’ was created with the aim of uniting local restaurants and producers of local food to showcase the best of what Radol’ca has to offer. In doing so the project is also suporting the local community by using only food sourced locally. Eight restaurants are included in the project and, during the month of November, each is offering a specially prepared 3 course meal for a fixed price of just 13 euros. Although this is the first year of the project, the response so far has been so positive, it is hoped it will become an annual event on the Radol’ca calendar.

So on a chilly, drizzly Wednesday evening last week, myself and a group of others invited guests, including national and local media and the Mayor, were treated to an evening of food, wine and entertainment. I must say it was one of the most memorable evenings I have experienced since moving to Slovenia. Throughout the evening I sat beaming with pride at being able to be part of such an event and in the recognition that Radol’ca has so much to offer; the historic old town centre, unspoilt nature, endless hiking and cycling routes, great restaurants with talented chefs and a wide cultural programme including concerts, festivals and other events.

The event was held at Gostilna Kunstelj, one of the participating restaurants, which is located just before the entrance to the old town centre. The photos below (apologies about the quality, admittedly not my best effort – can I blame the fine wine?!) illustrate the evening’s events. The menu comprised a combination of some of the menus available at the different participating restaurants. More information about the project and the menus can be found here – http://radolca.si/okusi-radolce/?utm_source=Turizem+Radovjlica+newsletter&utm_campaign=cab59b0d31-Newsletter_Radolca&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4ed8fe76d2-cab59b0d31-24187013

We started in the wine cellar where schnapps and the new honey beer, Zlati Ol, was available together with canapes.

CIMG6833  CIMG6834

We then moved upstairs to the restaurant for the first course – smoked tongue, smoked trout, beetroot, horseradish and wild garlic sauce – produced by Joštov Hram.

CIMG6847

This was followed by a clear soup served with a trio of filled pasta – produced by Gostišče Tulipan.

CIMG6849

The next course comprised sulec, a kind of salmon, filled with caviar and krvavica, akin to black pudding in a filo parcel – produced by Vila Podvin and Gostilna Kovač.

CIMG6854

There followed a dish of capon with red cabbage, cream of corn, barley with vegetables and a curd cheese and pear roulade – again produced by Vila Podvin and Gostilna Kovač.

CIMG6856

And now to my favourite part – dessert! Linhartov cukr, tarragon icecream (believe me, it works!) served in a brandy snap basket and chocolate cream – produced by Gostilna Lectar and Hotel Lambergh. And to finish chocolate orange cake pops – produced by Gostilna Kunstelj – at which point I too was ready to pop!

CIMG6858  CIMG6867

Each course was accompanied by a specially chosen wine from the Dolc vineyard in the Bela Krajina region of Slovenia. I’m not usually much of a wine drinker and far from a conoisseur, but on this occasion I must say their Chardonnay and the Laški rizling were right up my street being a tad on the sweet side. The other wines were the Metliška črnina and Pankrt.

The owner of Lectar, Jože, was also on hand, together with the other musicians, to provide entertainment on the harmonica and double bass. All in all it was a fantastic evening and if you live in the area, or are visiting, I would thoroughly recommend visiting a least one of the participating restaurants and supporting this worthwhile project.

We had our fair share of inclement weather this week. On Monday there were hurricane force winds which ripped through the valley causing significant destruction, particularly in the forests and villages along the length of the Karavanke range, from the villages of Begunje to Žirovnica. Locals recall it as being the worst such occurences since 1985. The following day, when I attempted to walk up to the peak Smokuški vrh, above the village of Smokuč, it was sad to see so many beautiful, old trees torn down, some of which had literally been ripped up by their roots, and I had to abandon my walk as the path was simply impassable due to the sheer number of fallen trees. We also saw the first glimpse of snow this week, though thankfully it didn’t quite reach Radovljica as had been predicted. All week the forecasts had been saying the snow line would be at around 400m above sea level, Radovljica is just under 500m, but in the event it turned out to be at around the 700-800m level. A lucky escape – though I’m sure all the snow lovers in Slovenia wouldn’t agree with me about that!

Musical Radovljica

Posted in Uncategorized by

As I mentioned last week, my parents came to visit from the UK for the weekend. They have visited Slovenia on numerous occasions since my move here over 6 years ago. They are both still very ‘young-at-heart’, active and enjoy cycling and walking. Unfortunately, this past weekend the weather was not conducive for either of those activities as it rained pretty much non-stop all weekend, torrentially at times, and was even snowing on higher ground. A few years back my parents even cycled from the UK to Slovenia on their tandem, as seen in the photo below. This photo was taken when I went and met them on their arrival from Italy into Kranjska Gora and we then all cycled back together via Mojstrana and Jesenice to Radovljica. The D2 cycle path from Mojstrana to Kranjska Gora runs along the route of the old railway line and is hugely popular with cyclists and roller skaters during the summer months. It is particularly popular with young families as it offers a safe, traffic-free route. The route also continues into Tarvisio (Trbiž) in Italy and can be combined with other routes to expand the possibilities. Just recently work has been progressing on extending the cycle route from Jesenice to Mojstrana. Until now the route has only been accessible by mountain bike as it goes somewhat up and down and off-road. However, once the new extension is complete, it is hoped it will be as good and as accessible to all as the remainder of the route.

Shoreham to Slo Sept09 005

Since the weather wasn’t suitable for much in the way of outdoors activities this weekend, we took advantage of some of the other things on offer in Radovljica and on Friday we attended the (free) concert in the Baroque Hall in the Radovljica Mansion House (Graščina). The concert was performed by three different choirs – Vox Carniola from Jesenice, Grudnov Šmikle from Železniki and MePZ from the coastal town of Koper – and was a very enjoyable evening with a mixed variety of music and something to suit all tastes.

The Radovljica Mansion House, seen below, really is a hub of activities, concerts, exhibitions etc. and the residents of Radovljica, myself included, are lucky to be able to attend the regular events held there, many of which are free, and in such a beautiful building, both inside and out, in the old town centre.

Grascina  2372_file

Next weekend there will be another such (free) event taking place in the Radovljica Mansion; on Sunday 17th the Regional Adults Choir Competition will begin with the first concert at 1pm, the second at 3.30pm, the third at 6pm and the results will be announced at 8.30pm.

On Saturday we went to Ljubljana to the Perpetuum Jazzile concert in the Stožice arena. This was the 4th time that I have been to see this fantastic Slovene vocal group who, on this occasion, were celebrating their 30th anniversary with a special celebration concert attended by 10,000 people.

I’m excited to have received an invitation to a presentation and tasting of the ‘Taste Radol’ca‘ (Okusi Radol’ca) project this week. I will therefore be writing a lot more about that next week! In the meantime here is a link to the project website for more information – http://radolca.si/okusi-radolce/?utm_source=Turizem+Radovjlica+newsletter&utm_campaign=cab59b0d31-Newsletter_Radolca&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4ed8fe76d2-cab59b0d31-24187013

Taste Radol’ca

Posted in Uncategorized by

For lovers of good food, and supporters of local food, Tourism Radovljica have prepared a new, special project entitled ‘Taste Radol’ca‘ (Okusi Radol’ca). The project includes eight restaurants in the Radol’ca area which will be offering a special menu, where the emphasis is on food sourced from the local area. The set price for each menu is 13 euros per person and the project will last the month of November. More about the participating restaurants and the menus can be found using the link below. However, this information, plus the restaurant menus, are currently only in Slovene so if you are planning to visit the area and are interested in this event, just get in touch and I’ll be happy to provide a translation for you – http://radolca.si/okusi-radolce/?utm_source=Turizem+Radovjlica+newsletter&utm_campaign=cab59b0d31-Newsletter_Radolca&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4ed8fe76d2-cab59b0d31-24187013

Last week was school holidays so I had a bit more free time than usual and used one day for a trip to Villach in Austria. I don’t go often but like to go occasionally for a change of scenery, a bit of shopping, and, well just because I can! So this week, before the snow arrives making the drive often impossible without passing through the Karavanke Tunnel, where a toll is payable, I set off. I stopped first in Kranjska Gora for a walk to Podkoren then drove over the Korenjsko sedlo pass and into Villach. There are several ways of reaching Austria from Slovenia, depending on which part of the country you are in. From me, taking the Korenjsko sedlo into Villach or the Ljubelj pass into Klagenfurt are the nearest, each taking approximately an hour and with no tolls to pay. Even after over six years living here I still get a kick out of being able to just drive so easily to another country – strange but true! During the winter, both of these passes may be closed, or driveable only with snow chains.

Also this week a friend and I walked to Lubnik in the Škofja Loka hills. There are well-marked paths up from all directions but the nearest, and for me the most beautiful, is to start from Škofja Loka Castle and walk up via the ruins of the Old Loka Castle (Stari grad) to the mountain hut on Lubnik (Koča na Lubniku) at 1025m. It takes approximately 1.5 hours to reach the top and we made the return trip via a different route which eventually rejoined the other route and returned to the castle. On a clear day, which sadly it wasn’t on this occasion, the views from Lubnik are far-reaching in all directions; the Julian Alps, the Škofja Loka and Polhograd hills and the Selca and Poljane valleys. Although the weather was fine at the start of our trip, it soon clouded over and was very windy at the top. Fortunately we were able to seek shelter and a warming cup of mountain tea in the hut where I can also confirm that they have excellent home baked tarragon loaf. Due to the clouds, I wasn’t able to take any photos from the top this time but here are a couple of pictures taken on the return trip, once we had emerged from the clouds, with views towards Old Loka and the red roofs of the old town centre.

CIMG6825 CIMG6827

On Friday 8th November, a concert will be held in the Baroque Hall in Radovljica Mansion (Graščina). The concert, is a meeting of three choirs – Vox Carniola from Jesenice, Grudnov Šmikle from Železniki and MePZ from the coastal town of Koper. The concert begins at 8pm and entry is free.

Friday 8th November is also an important day for another reason – my parents are arriving for the weekend – looking forward to that!

Christmas comes early to Radovljica!

Posted in Uncategorized by

Some while ago I visited, or attempted to, the Path of Peace (Pot Miru) in Brezje. However, although I walked on parts of the path, I didn’t actually find the entire path from start to finish so this weekend that was rectified. Actually, since I seem to know most of the paths and hiking routes better than a lot of the locals, the thinking behind the trip, thanks to a friend, was to take me somewhere where I hadn’t yet been; that for a change someone local would be guiding ‘the foreigner’ instead of vice-versa! Well, they partly succeeded as I had been there before but had failed to find the path in its entirely, so thanks! It was a lovely walk complete with warm temperatures and the autumn fallen leaves crunching underfoot.

The village of Brezje is known for its Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, one of the most known churches in Slovenia, a national sanctuary and pilgrimage centre. It is one of the 18 churches in the villages and town that comprise the area of Radol’ca (among them Radovljica, Lesce, Kropa, Begunje, Kamna Gorica, Brezje).

The path passes the Peračica waterfall. At just 4 metres in height, it isn’t the most spectacular of falls but still makes a pleasant place to stop, rest and comtemplate, among an oasis of calm in the forest in the midst of the Path of Peace. More about the path and how to find it can be found here – http://www.radolca.si/en/brezje-peace-trail/

 CIMG6809  CIMG6812

Christmas time arrived early in Radovljica this week, and what an amazing sight it was, as can be seen in the pictures below. I must admit to thinking to myself ‘Are you kidding – it’s only October’ when I saw the HUGE Christmas tree being assembled. However, when this was shortly followed by artificial snow, fir tree clad houses, hundreds of fairly lights and more, I realised something must be afoot. The reason was that a commercial was being filmed for a world renowned Italian sweet pastry.  It certainly captured everyone’s interest though, locals and tourists alike were enchanted by the scene. However, 2 days later it had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, leaving us to wait and look forward to the ‘real’ Christmas and the host of ‘Merry December‘ events, including the Christmas Market, that will be taking place in Radovljica throughout the Christmas period.

xmas1  xmas2  xmas3

In a previous blog, I wrote about the success of the Radol’ca song, which had made it through to the finals of a competition of TV1 Slovenia to find the best song in Slovenia. Unfortunately the song, sung by Simona Vodopivec Franko, didn’t win, but has nonetheless become popular among locals. During a discussion with the song’s writer, it was suggested I could translate the song into English so that an English version could be recorded and added to the Radol’ca website so tourists can also enjoy listening to ‘our’ song. So, I did it, Simona recorded it, and I will put a link to it here soon. In the meantime here is the Slovene version again, this time with a new video to accompany it – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSVg9FMNh2s

Radovljica – small but perfectly formed!

Posted in Uncategorized by

This week we have been treated to sunshine, warmth and a riot of spectacular autumn colours. Deservedly so I’d say, after the abysmal start to October. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to take full advantage of the glorious weather as I’ve been a bit under the weather myself and resigned to looking longingly out of the window wishing I were elsewhere. So this week, rather than a trip report, I will write about other subjects. However, if you are looking at this blog in the hope of getting some ideas and inspiration for what to see and do, where to walk, where to eat etc. in Slovenia, and particularly in my home town of Radovljica, and its surroundings, then take a look through some of my previous posts  – there should be more than enough – or if not, just ask!

When I moved to Slovenia in 2007 the country, and it’s economy, was flourishing. It had joined the EU and had just adopted the euro. They were prosperous times. House prices were rising rapidly, business was booming and there was a general air of optimism. However, today sadly, it is a very different picture. The economy is ailing and successive governments seem to be making, quite frankly in my humble opinion, a pig’s ear out of pulling the country, and its citizens, out of ever increasing despair. Since the aim of my blog is primarily to write about my life and travels in Radovljica, with the aim of increasing its awareness and helping potential tourists and visitors, it’s not my intention to make my blog a place to air such issues but sometimes one just needs to vent a little. So I will from time to time, but not too often, I promise!

The tourism section however is still booming and this past year has seen visitors numbers grow in Radovljica and also throughout Slovenia. Judging by the number of readers of my blog, from all corners of the world, and the positive comments I have received, there is ever increasing interest in Slovenia as a holiday destination and I hope I may, and continue to, play a small part in helping to raise awareness about Radovljica and its surroundings – the beautiful place I call home.

Though not a big town, Radovljica is blessed with good infrastructure and services for residents and tourists alike, as well as being ideally located for lovers of outdoor activities, with the Julian Alps to the south and the Karavanke range to the north, Bled just a few kilometres away and Bohinj lake a little further. In town there is the olympic-size swimming pool, open-air during the summer and covered during the winter, the cinema (Linhartova dvorana), bowling, a medical centre, library, several good-quality restaurants, numerous cafes and bars, shops, and the compact medieval old town centre which is home to museums, a gallery, church and the imposing Mansion House.

It can be so easy to take forgranted what we have around us so I try to get the best out of living here; hiking in the surrounding mountains, cycling, walking or running beside the Sava river, going to concerts, attending and supporting local events such as the Chocolate Festival, the Festival of Honey as well as the regular talks, presentations, discussions etc. held in the library. This week I also went to the cinema to watch the film ‘More than Honey’, which I wrote about in a previous blog (September 2013 – Radovljica and Beekeeping). The cinema was packed; proof that beekeeping is one of Slovenia’s national passions, and especially now when bees and their habitats are so under threat. The film was followed by a discussion with beekeeping experts and tastings of honey and honey schnapps – in my case drunk purely for medicinal purposes!

This week on Saturday in the Radovljica Mansion House is the start of the Chopin Golden Ring competition. The international competition, which takes place annually at the end of October and is now in its 9th year, will this year run from the 26th to the 30th October. In addition to the piano competition, there are concerts and events which can be attended by the public. More about the events and tickets, can be found here – http://www.chopin-goldenring.si/koncerti.html                                          

 

The Vodice Highland (Vodiška planina) from Kropa

Posted in Uncategorized by

To say the weather last week the past two weeks has been awful would be a gross understatement so best not to mention it! Fortunately, yesterday and this morning the sun finally made a brief, but very welcome return. I even managed a short bike ride this morning which was a bonus as I thought the cycling season was all but over, though I probably looked something more like Michelin Man, wrapped up as I was in copious layers.

Yesterday a friend and I made a short trip up to the Vodice highland (Vodiška planina), which is at 1118m above the village of Kropa. Vodiška planina is a popular destination for hikers and cyclists, who also like to visit the Partizan hut (Partizanski dom) for refreshments. The hut, and its predecessor which stood in the same place, have had a long history. During both World Wars it served as a gathering place for communists from the Gorenjska region and nearby, in 1936, was the location of the first partizan conference of the Jesenice district. It was also here that in 1941, that a resolution was passed for the beginning of the Gorenjska uprising and on a nearby highland the Cankar Batallion was founded. Vodiška planina and other parts of the Jelovica plateau played an important role in the formation of organisations against the enemy occupators. Every year, on the first Saturday in August, a gathering is held at the Partizan hut, in memory of the Yugoslav Front, otherwise known as the National Liberation War (Narodnoosvobodilni boj), with a memorial service and accompanying entertainment programme.

CIMG6799  CIMG6800

It is also possible to continue from the hut towards one of the highest points of the Jelovica plateau, Črni vrh (1304m). Just a few minutes further, there is a viewpoint which offers far reaching views across the broads Radovljica plains, to the east and west along the valley and to the facing Karavanke mountains and further towards the Kamnik-Savinja Alps.

CIMG6757  CIMG6759

Since living in Slovenia I have undertaken a number of things to keep myself afloat. These days I mostly work doing translating (from Slovene to English) and proofreading. However, I have also done a number of other things including, some time ago, writing a new tourist guidebook about Slovenia, ‘SLOVENIA IN YOUR HANDS‘ which has recently been published and, even if I say so myself, looks great! The book is available in English and German and will soon be on sale in the Tourist Information Centre in Radovljica and elsewhere. If anyone is interested in seeing/ordering it, just get in touch (favourable discounts may apply!).

Komshe1  Komshe3  Komshe4

 The Chopin Golden Ring competition (Chopinov zlati prstan) will soon be returning to Radovljica. The international competition, which takes place annually at the end of October and is now in its 9th year, transforms the old town centre of Radovljica into a lively, creative centre for young musicians from all over the world. This year’s competition will take place from the 26th – 30th October. In addition to the piano competition, there are concerts and events which can be attended by the public. More about the events and tickets, can be found here – http://www.chopin-goldenring.si/koncerti.html. As an event opener, there will be an introductory concert taking place this week, on the 15th October, an Evening of Spanish Music and Poetry, to be held in Radovljica Library at 19.30, entry is free.

The Slovene Coast, To Koper – Part Two!

Posted in Uncategorized by

Brrrr, it’s been freezing this week, unseasonably so. Usually this time of year can bring some nice warm days and with it some nice hikes in the mountains to enjoy the autumn colours. However, this week its been coats, hats, gloves and mugs of tea all round! I’m still optimistically hoping for an Indian summer, or at least a few nice warm autumn days – it can’t be winter, not yet!

How different to the previous week when I was basking in sunshine at the coast, more about which I promised to write this week. I packed so much into my day out at the coast there was too much to write. So if you didn’t read it, check out last week’s blog to read part one of my day out!

Slovenia only has a small coast line – 42kms to be precise. But as the saying goes ‘Small things come in big packages’ and this is certainly true. Koper is Slovenia’s largest coastal town and home to the country’s only port. It is therefore very much a working town and on first glance, looks somewhat industrial. However, it is worth a visit to the compact old town centre which has a hidden charm; narrow streets, town squares and several impressive buildings. An increasing number of cruise ships also now call at Koper.

The centre of the old town is Tito’s Square (Titov trg), which is dominated on the south side by the city hall Praetorian Palace (Pretorska palaca) whilst on the northern side of the square is the Loža (Loggia) building which was formerly used as a debating club for the townsmen but today houses a cafe and art gallery. Some of the other buildings of note in Koper are the Cathedral of St. Mary’s Assumption, the 36m bell tower opposite it (climb it for great views), and Brutti Palace in Revolution Square (Trg Revolucije).

CIMG6787  CIMG6786

Koper doesn’t have much in the way of a beach but the paved embankment area has plenty of benches, a wide paved area and far reaching views and is a great place to just sit and soak up the views before or after a stroll around the town.

CIMG6782

Numerous events are held in Koper throughout the year but the one that I always make a beeline for is the Sweet Festival – Sladka Istra – held annually in September. For someone as sweet-toothed as me, it is heaven; stall after stall offering all manner of cakes, biscuits, drinks, chocolates and other heavenly sweet delights. I spent a plesant couple of hours browsing the stalls, tasting, deciding what to buy, sitting enjoy the sun, people watching and soaking up the atmosphere.

This week a new photograpy exhibition opened in the Mansion House (graščina) in Linhart Square in the old town centre of Radovljica. The photographer, Tomaž Sedej, is my neighbour so of course I was intrigued to go along and see his work. The photos are of children, taken over a long period of time, in different situations and environments and he has successfully captured some of their unusual adventures in more informal manners. I’m no expert but the photos really are quite unique and its well worth stopping by if you are passing. The exhibition is in the Pasaža Gallery (Galeria Pasaža) in the entrance hall of the mansion house and is open at all times for free viewings from 1st – 31st October.

Whilst in the area, you might also be interested in the following events taking place in, or near, Radovljica next weekend. On Saturday 12th October, there will be a Family Activity Day in the village of Ljubno. Beginning at 10am at the football playing fields, the day will include orientation adventures, nordic walking, a market and more. On Sunday 13th October, there will be a concert in the Radovljica Mansion House, performed by the Radovljica Veterans Choir. The concert will begin at 6pm and entrance is free.

A day out – from Radovljica to the coast!

Posted in Uncategorized by

Almost five days it’s been. Five long days. I know I’m forever waxing lyrical about the beauties of Radovljica and its surroundings, but anyone visiting this region of Slovenia during the past days would be forgiven for thinking I’ve been talking rubbish since all that has been apparent to the eye for those five days has been low, white lingering cloud. Not a hint of blue sky or sunshine, not a forest or mountain in sight. So, today it was time to get wily and outfox the weather! And I did and I felt smug! It’s quite often the case that whilst there might be low cloud in the valley, if you get up high enough, you can be bathed in glorious sunshine and, looking down over the cloud.

So this morning I set off on foot from home towards Jelovica, the plateau that dominates the backdrop to Radovljica, and within a little over an hour of leaving home, I found it – the elusive sun! I continued up to the Goška ravan highland and then reluctantly began to return back towards Radovljica where, I’m pleased to report the sun, albeit briefly, peeked through the clouds and the forecast looks decidedly better for the remainder of the week, if still unseasonably cold.

One of the advantages of living in a small country like Slovenia, is the ability to be able to get pretty much anywhere in the country within a couple of hours. I’ve never been overly interested in the seaside and certainly not sunbathing, the mere thought of it bores me to tears. However, the occasional day trip to the Slovene coast is a real treat; a change of scenery, the warmer climate zone, the different flora and fauna, food etc. So last weekend, to coincide with the Sladka Istra Festival, I set off towards Koper. Wanting to make a whole day of it, I started early and stopped to walk first on Nanos, then later on Slavnik, before reaching Koper.

The vast Nanos plateau forms an extention of the Dinaric Alps and is 6kms wide and 12km long. The highest point is Suhi vrh at 1313m. However, the most often visited part of Nanos is the mountain hut ‘Vojkova koča‘, which stands a little lower at 1240m. The hut, established in 1949, was named after the national hero Janko Premrl (1920-1943), who was born in the nearby village of Podnanos, and whose statue can be seen adjacent to the hut.

CIMG6770  CIMG6769

There is a choice of routes and start points which lead to the top. I left the motorway at Razdrto, around a hours drive from home, and parked in the large parking area in the village, which is specifically intended for those visiting Nanos, such is its popularity. From here the steep path ‘strma pot‘ leads, as the name implies, fairly steeply up and involves a little scrambling and a couple of exposed section where steel cables are in place to assist. Following this path, it takes little over an hour to reach the hut. The more level path ‘položna pot‘, takes a little longer, but is more suitable for those wishing to avoid the rocky sections, or with children. Either path offers far-reaching views over the Vipava Valley and towards the coast.

CIMG6763  CIMG6772

Nanos, and the whole of the Primorska region of Slovenia, is subject to ‘burja‘ winds, hurricane strength winds, which can reach speeds of up to 200km an hour and can sometimes last for days and be very destructive. 3 of the 4 times I have visited Nanos, it has been incredibly windy and so one must always be well prepared and have additional warm clothing and perhaps an extra stone or two in your rucksack to stop you getting blown away!

From Razdrto, I continued on the motorway to the exit for Podgorje and the walk to Slavnik. At 1,028m, Slavnik is one of the highest peaks in the Istria region and a very popular destinations for hikers and cyclists. Again, there are numerous ways of reaching the top and a choice of steeper or easier paths. I chose the steep direct route up from Podgorje, which really isn’t that steep at all, and leads easily and gradually uphill, taking about an hour to reach the top where the hut ‘Tumova koca‘ stands, named after the mountaineer Henrik Tuma.

CIMG6778  CIMG6780

By the time I reached Koper, I had certainly earnt my sweet treats at the Sweet Festival! More about which, and about Koper itself, I will write next week.

On Sunday 6th October, the annual walk around the village of Otoče and its surroundings will begin at 8am, commencing at the train station at Otoče. The 10 euro fee will include around 4 hours of guided walking, 2 hours of sightseeing and lunch.