The Karavanke

Posted in Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

On Wednesday last week, before the snow made a(nother) re-appearance, and for the first time this year, I walked one of my favourite paths in the Karavanke mountain range. Radovljica, where I live, is ideally situated for lovers of hiking since it is surrounded by the Karavanke to the north and the Julian Alps to the south – so we are spoilt for choice!

The Shepherd’s Trail (Pastirska pot) begins in the Draga Valley (689m), which is reached via the village of Begunje na Gorenjskem. The path then climbs steeply up, crossing a stream in several places and with one short section of climbing, to the Preval pasture and mountain hut Koča na planini Preval-a (1311m). From here there are a number of choices of route onwards – the Shepherd’s Trail follows the mountain road uphill until it meets another path (cez Roža) which traverses the slopes of Begunščica, passing the Roža brook, until finally reaching the Roblek Mountain hut – Koča na Robleku (1657m). The path is narrow and in places somewhat exposed in a few places when crosses gulleys, but otherwise presents no problems; but a good hiking boots and a pair of walking poles are needed. What I particularly like about this path is that a) its circular, b) the views when crossing Roža are fantastic and c) I seldom meet many other hikers (perhaps I should keep quiet about this path so it stays that way!).

At 2060m, Begunščica is the 2^nd highest mountain in the chain that forms part of the Karavanke. The Karavanke form a natural border between Slovenia and Austria and are 120km in length. Most hikers visiting Slovenia tend to head for the more Julian Alps, particularly the area around the 7 Triglav Lakes valley, and Triglav itself, Slovenia’s highest mountain. The Karavanke are in general less known and therefore less walked than the Julian Alps, which for me is an added bonus. There are numerous mountain huts and because they are often lower and more easily accessible, there is a wide choice of day walks or walks that can be combined to make a longer trip. Many parts of the Karavanke remain untouched and are free from commercialism – no huge ski resorts, no main roads and therefore no crowds.

Before I moved to Slovenia, when I was just visiting for holidays, I bought myself a copy of the Cicerone book ‘The Julian Alps of Slovenia’. Now I’m pleased to say they have just launched a new book ‘Walking in Slovenia – The Karavanke’. I’ve walked many of the routes in the book but there are a few that I haven’t and so they have been added to the ‘To Do’ list and no doubt I’ll be writing about them some time in the not too distant future, when the sun puts its hat back on! – http://www.cicerone.co.uk/search/?keyword=slovenia&submit.x=0&submit.y=0

The highest mountain in the Karavanke is Stol (2236m) and I’m fortunate enough to be able to see it every morning when I wake up and look out of my bedroom window. Stol is definitely up there too on my list of favourite walks, so as soon as the snow completely melts you can be sure I’ll be up there too. The route to Stol, both from the Slovene and Austrian side, is also described in the book.

The weather was fairly atrocious last weekend. It was even snowing in some of the higher lying places in the valley, above 800m. Fortunately Radovljica itself escaped the snow but it was back to winter clothes, including gloves and hat, for a chilly, wet weekend.

Unfortunately the weather meant the opening of the new ‘Path of Poljane Treats’ in Škofja Loka was cancelled and has been postponed until September. Still, that’s something to look forward to! However, the Radovljica Pottery Festival still went ahead as we are fortunate in Radovljica to have the beautiful Mansion House (pictured above) where events can be held if the weather is bad. The festival included exhibitions and demonstrations, a pottery craft fair, an international potter’s competition, culinary fare and children’s workshops. A great feature was the offer to buy your own handmade bowl and then go into one of the restaurants or cafes in the old town and have it filled with a traditional stew or ice-cream. Under normal circumstances, I might have plumped for the ice-cream but it was so cold a hearty stew was the order of the day!

Upcoming events for this weekend include a flea market (boljšak), which takes place on the first Sunday of each month in the old town centre of Radovljica – outdoors if weather permits or in the Mansion House otherwise. More information about this, and other events in Radol’ca, can be found here – http://www.radolca.si/en/what-to-do/ Also on Friday this week it’s the final of the Na Zdravje programme on Slovenia’s TV1 and it will also be the final of the search to find the best song from each town and region in Slovenia. The heats took place some while ago and the Radovljica song is through to the final. So, if you’re in Slovenia make sure you vote for us and you can listen to the song here – http://yourlisten.com/channel/content/16938978/Radolca

21May2013

A Celebratory Weekend

Posted in Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

It was a busy but highly enjoyable weekend. My parents and brother arrived on Friday and joined me and some friends for a meal at the Lake House Inn (Jezerska hiša) at Bled Golf Course – http://lake-house-bled.com/index.html. I chose this venue as it is a beautiful setting and the food is always great too. It was a lovely evening with great food, cocktails and company – so thanks to those that came to help me celebrate and hope you enjoyed it!

After torrential downpours all day on Friday, fortunately the sun shone all day on Saturday and we made the most of it. My family were staying at the Lectar Inn in the old town centre of Radovljica – http://www.lectar.com/_en/index.html. Since Saturday was an open day for all museums in Slovenia, they took the opportunity to visit Šivec House (Šivceva hiša), which is directly opposite the Inn. Šivec House is a mid-sixteenth century building with its front dominated by a fresco portraying a Good Samaritan, and comprises a gallery and museum with a permanent collection and regular exhibitions by Slovene and foreign fine artists – http://www.radolca.si/en/radovljica-sivec-house/

Following this we walked to the adjoining town of Lesce where a celebration of 130 years of the Radovljica Beekeeping Association was being held. There were stalls, a huge marquee, music and much merriment. The previous day a new honey beer (medeno pivo) had been launched, so in the interest of research we each had a little taster!

Next we drove to Škofja Loka for a stroll through the medieval old town centre and a walk up past the castle. We sat outside one of the many cafes enjoying the sun and people watching as there was a Slovene style stag night (fantovščina) taking place which made things lively, but pleasantly so. Next it was off to Kranj for a quick look in the museum and to the viewing platform at Pungart over the Kokra river and then for dinner.

On Sunday morning the sun was still just about shining so we went for a walk around Radovljica and by the Sava river. The heavens opened in the afternoon and then it was already time to drive my family back to the airport. So it was a short visit but lovely for us all to be together as my brother is so busy, it’s rare that we all get together so I appreciated him taking the time out of his hectic schedule to come and visit his little sis!

I have a feeling the next weekend could be equally busy too as there is lots happening. On Saturday its the Radovljica Pottery Festival, where there will be various ceramic exhibitions, a sales fair, pottery display, a concert and more – http://www.radolca.si/en/what-to-do/events-1/pottery-festival-radovljica/83/132/

Also on Saturday it’s the Moon Festival (Lunin Festival) in Visoko in Škofja Loka –http://www.skofja-loka.com/domov/luninfestivalnavisokem.aspx. The main theme of this children’s festival is the playing of traditional games, that some of us who are slightly older may remember from childhood. In addition to the festival, and what for me will be the main attraction, is the opening of the new Path of Poljane Treats. This is a food trail which leads through the Poljane Valley, with the emphasis on the valley’s farms where a wide variety of home-grown and home-produced products can be bought direct from the farms.

There was rather more than a dusting of snow on the mountain tops again this morning and sounds like there’s more to come later this week too. Let’s hope it doesn’t dent my plans for the weekend. So much for my statement a few weeks back about summer having arrived – think I had better leave the forecasting to the experts!

13May2013

Appreciating Radovljica and Mozirje in bloom

Posted in Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

After a cold and wet weekend, there’s a light dusting of snow on the mountain tops this morning. However, the sky is blue and the sun is now shining once again, which is a promising start to the week.

Last weekend I went to visit some English friends who recently moved to Slovenia. I actually met this couple at the Roblek mountain hut (Roblekov dom), where I often walk, whilst they were here on holiday some years back and we have since then kept in touch. They had long dreamt about moving to Slovenia but it has taken some years for them to be able to realise that dream and finally make the move.

They have moved to a tiny village where there is little other than a handful of houses and a church. The nearest town is Mozirje, which is the largest town in the Upper Savinja valley and most known for the Mozirski gaj Flower Park, which is at its best at this time of year when the flowers are in full bloom. The park, which is open daily from the middle of April to October, is crammed full of interesting sights and exhibitions – not only flowers but also traditional Slovene beehives, a watermill, a blacksmith’s forge and the oldest house in Mozirje, which was moved to the park last year. Here’s a link to the website, although it’s currently only in Slovene but I’m on the case and hope to have that rectified very soon! I will then post the English link (and some more photos) as soon as its available – http://www.mozirskigaj.com/

Whilst in Mozirje, I took the opportunity to have a walk (of course) and followed a short part of the Benedikt Path (Benediktova pot) alongside the Savinja river. On returning home I discovered that this is a pilgrimage path which is 90km long in total. Pilgrims used to walk the path in three stages – starting in Austria (St. Paul – Lavam) on Fridays then walking to the Slovene town of Slovenj Gradec for mass. The second day they continued to Mozirje, where they visited the Mozirski gaj and attended another mass. On Sunday they continued their journey ending in Gornji Grad.

Anyway, back to my friends which I mentioned above. The problem is, he is fine but she is feeling very isolated there in the middle of nowhere and finding life difficult with no friends or outside interests. She doesn’t speak any Slovene either which of course doesn’t help. I’m writing about this because being with them reminded me how lucky I am to live here in Radovljica where there is always something happening, here or nearby, and where everything is to hand – cinema, swimming pool, doctors surgery, shops, museums, restaurants etc.

This weekend was the 41^st International Day of Minerals, Fossils and Environment (MINFOS) in nearby Trzič. This event, which is one of the main mineral exhibitions of its kind in Europe, features over 70 exhibitors from around the world. It attracts over 5,000 visitors who come to view the exhibits, join in discussions, exchange opinions and meet experts – http://www.minfos.si/index_eng.php

The next event to look forward to here in Radovljica is the new and much anticipated Pottery Festival taking place on the weekend of 25th May. Also, on Saturday 18th May in Lesce (at the Gorenjska Beekeeping Centre), there’s a Beekeepers celebration taking place with the introduction of a new ‘honey beer’ plus music and a host of other bee related things.

From now on, I’m going to endeavour to write not only about where I’ve been and recommendations for where to go, but also about forthcoming events so here are couple of other events taking place this weekend elsewhere:

18th May – Museum Open Day (free entrance to museums throughout Slovenia)
18/19th May – Zelefest in Zali Log – The Suša Run, Oopening of the new Suša Path, Live Music….
19th May – Magic Day in Bled – family event

Meanwhile, my parents and brother are arriving this Friday for the weekend so I’m looking forward to taking them out and about exploring – more about that next week!

6May2013

Rainy day activities in Radovljica

Posted in Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

It seems I have finally found a silver lining to the long, ghastly (well at least for me!) winter. As it went on so long, spring lasted all of 2 weeks and the past week it felt like summer was here already, yippee, shorts and t-shirts all round! However, one mustn’t get too carried away as the view out of my window today is distinctly more spring-like than summer (hopefully it’s just a temporary hiccup), but who cares, as long as its not snowing!!

This past week there were two public holidays – the 1^st and 2^nd of May. On the eve before the 1^st of May Labour Holiday, it is a tradition in Slovenia to hold bonfire parties (kresovanje). Most towns and some villages have a bonfire – either somewhere in the town or many are also held atop a hill or at mountain huts and people gather in their masses to socialise and raise a glass (or two) beside the bonfires. In Radovljica, the bonfire party is always held next to the SPAR supermarket, at the entrance to the town, and there was live music to accompany the festivities. One of the biggest events is held on the Rožnik hill in Ljubljana (which I wrote about in the post entitled ‘A change of scenery’), where up to 40,000 people attend. On the 1^st May numerous other events, such as organised walks, also take place across the country. Today’s weather got me thinking about the problem of what to do on rainy days when on holiday. Therefore, I thought I might add a new section to my blog entitled ‘Rainy Day Activities’. If you are visiting the Radovljica area, from abroad or from elsewhere in Slovenia, there are still things to do even on wet days and therefore through the course of my blog, I will aim to provide some ideas for rainy day activities as well as of course ideas for hiking and other outdoor activities. By the way, if anyone in the local area has any activities, ideas etc. to add to this list, please do get in touch. I’m open to ideas and willing to add additional links to my blog.

So let’s begin with museums – they are always a good rainy day activity aren’t they?! Although not a large town, Radovljica and its surroundings, have more than their fair share of museums. In Radovljica itself, in the old town centre, there is the Museum of Beekeeping (Čebelarski muzej), the Town Museum (Mestni muzej) and Šivec House (Šivčeva hiša). In nearby Begunje there is the Museum of Hostages (Muzej Talcev) and in Kropa the Blacksmith’s Museum. (Kovaški muzej). I have added links to all these museums in the Tourist Information section of this blog.

If you are fortunate enough to be in or near Radovljica on Saturday 18^th May, you could visit any of these museums (and also elsewhere throughout Slovenia) for free to mark International Museum Day.

As the snow gradually melts, I’ve been able to start to walk a little further and higher. This week I made my first trip of the year to the Preval mountain pasture (Planina preval). From home I cycled to the start of the walk from the Draga valley. However, Preval can also be reached from other directions too. Although I didn’t visit it on this occasion, the mountain hut Koča na planini Preval-a, reopened this week after the winter closure. The Preval pasture lies on the 1311m high Preval saddle between the Draga and Šentanska valleys and was originally the property of the Lords of Kamen. The hut serves delicious food (try the štrukli!) and is always very popular during the summer months.

Here’s a bit of interesting history about the Preval hut. According to the first written sources, the first herdsmen’s hut on the Preval pasture was built in 1808 and stood on the sunny side of the slope, approximately 300 metres from the current hut. Due to the ever present danger of avalanches, the co-owners of the pasture built a new hut during the period from 1936-1938. This new hut was subsequently burnt down just before the end of World War II and in 1952 the hut was restored to its original design.

There are a number of options for walking onwards from Preval, especially to Begunjščica (2060m). However, on this occasion I didn’t go any further because at this time due to the snow, it is sensible to wait a little longer before making trips higher into the mountains (unless you are very experienced and well-equipped for winter hiking conditions).

1May2013

From Radovljica to Kamnik and Beyond…

Posted in Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

After the excesses of last weekend’s Festival of Chocolate in Radovljica, I was planning to be virtuous this week, and on the whole I was but I’ve never professed to be a saint and never intend to – I like my food too much! Fortunately I also love hiking, running and cycling – activities which allow me some indulgences!

It was a rather soggy start to last week, but since Tuesday afternoon it’s been beautifully warm and sunny. I’ve been taking full advantage of this and have been on my bike a few times and have also done a couple of walks – once to Valvazor and also to Smokuški vrh.

At the weekend I did another walk, which I have been meaning to do for a while, and can now finally say that I’ve done it. After driving to Kamnik, about 40 minutes from Radovljica, the path (Koželjeva pot) starts from Iverje (although I failed to locate this on my map and therefore parked a little further away and walked to the start) and continues to the source of the Kamniška bistrica river and the mountain hut Dom v Kamniški bistrici (600m). The path undulates through the forest, at times right at the water’s edge and occasionally climbing higher into the forest. It is pleasantly shady and cool by the water so would probably be an ideal walk on a hot summer’s day when shade is sought. In places some of the bridges have certainly seen better days and it was a little precarious however I’m told plans are afoot to repair these.

The most fascinating part of the walk is at the bridge, less than a kilometre before the mountain hut, where the Veliki (big) and Mali (little) Predaselj gorges are found at the narrowest section of the Kamniška bistrica riverbed. My photos don’t really do it justice as the depth and narrowness of the gorge made it difficult to photograph – so best you go and see it for yourselves!

I couldn’t believe my luck when I discovered the Kamnikbus, which would return me to the car, was due in 5 minutes – what luck – although it left little time for taking photos and exploring – but rather that than a 3 hour wait for the next bus or a long walk back again! The source of the Kamniška bistrica river is a typical karst spring and is springs to the surface from beneath moss covered rocks creating the stunning, clean colour of the small lake opposite the mountain hut.

The Kamnikbus runs along the length of the valley, is such a great idea, it’s a shame there aren’t more services like this in the beautiful mountains valleys in this area. It would be great to encourage people to leave their car behind and take the bus, which would result in less traffic, less pollution to the environment and a more pleasant experience all-round.

On the way back, I stopped at the Arboretum in Volčji potok. I didn’t actually go into the park on this occasion, but stopped for a look around the garden centre which is huge and well stocked. It took me back to many a rainy Sunday in England spent wandering around Garden Centres for want of something to do!

Now is the perfect time to visit the Arboretum as its spring flower show means it is even more awash with colour – http://www.arboretum-vp.si/lang/index.php/en

To compensate for all that activity, a good dinner was in order and I certainly found it at the Lake House Inn (Jezerska hiša) at Bled Golf Course. There are 2 restaurants at the golf course and the Lake House Inn is the less formal of the two. The meal was delicious and in fact I enjoyed it so much, I’ve just booked to have my birthday celebration there later this month!

© Adele in Slovenia

22Apr2013

A Choctastic Weekend in Radovljica!

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

Well, it’s been quite an eventful week all in all! After one of the longest, snowiest winters ever, this week saw temperatures up to 25 degrees and Thursday was the warmest day for over 7 months and although it’s cooled down a bit now and is raining, the fine weather looks set to return later this week. It’s so great to be able to be outdoors more and to be dressed in light clothing again, no more being buried under layers and layers of thick clothing!

I changed the tyres on my car this week, well not me obviously, but I took them to be changed – not every exciting but necessary. In this part of Slovenia, by law you have to have winter tyres between 15^th November and 15^th March. However, with the long winter this year most people, me included, waited longer than usual to be sure that we have really seen the end of the snow (surely we have now!) before changing to summer tyres. It can be a bit of a faff having to change the tyres twice a year, not to mention the cost, because also it means having to have 2 set of tyres and these have to be changed every 5 years, regardless of the profile or how much you drive. Even if you had your car in the garage for 5 years, you would have to buy new tyres. Still, it’s all just a part of life here!

Last week Radio Slovenia International visited Radovljica to do a live broadcast and I was interviewed. I was asked to give an insight into life here as a foreigner, what is great about Radovljica and the differences between life here and in the UK.

The long awaited and much anticipated 2^nd Festival of Chocolate took place this weekend in Radovljica. It was of course my duty to attend and taste as much chocolate as possible in order to be able to blog my findings! After last year’s unexpectedly high turnout, this year the event was even bigger and better and also spanned across 2 days. It took place in Linhart Square (Linhartov trg) in the old town centre and in the Radovlijca Mansion House (graščina).

There was every kind of chocolate product you can imagine – from the more tradition to some highly unusual and unique flavour combinations such as dried figs with basil coated in chocolate, chocolate with pumpkin seeds, chocolate with aniseed and quince chocolate cake. In order to sample the products, tasting coupons are bought, which cost 0.50 cents each then it’s a case of wandering from stall to stall deciding which of all the delicious things on offer to taste – decisions, decisions, and as you can see from the pictures below, I managed to amass quite an impressive collection!

It would be impossible to pick a favourite, since I generally love anything and everything chocolate related, although I have to confess I’m not a fan of bitter dark chocolate, but other than that I love it all! Among my favourites was the Preseren’s Cylinder dessert, the speciality of the team at the Lambergh Chateau and Hotel in Dvorska vas. It consists of a chocolate waffle, Parisian cream, dried figs marinated in cognac and chocolate syrup. They had prepared miniature versions especially for the event but I hope to go and taste the full size version some time soon! The students from the Radovljica School of Catering and Tourism (SGTŠ Radovljica) also prepared some delicious cakes and biscuits and the chocolate cocktails from the Lake House Inn (Jezerska hiša) also went down rather well!

In addition to the stalls, there were also loads of side events taking place including cooking shows, workshops for adults and children, street performers, a chocolate themed fashion show, a cocktail mixing show and a theatre improvisation performance. After the success of this event, it’s sure to become a regular fixture on the Radovljica Event Calendar – http://www.radolca.si/en/ – and I would definitely recommend a visit whether you are a chocolate lover like me, or for any chocolatiers, from both Slovenia and abroad, who wish to showcase their products to a large audience.

The next day for the diary is the Radovljica Pottery Festival, the main events of which will be taking place on the 24^th/25^th May. More information can be found here – http://potteryfestivalradovljica.weebly.com/

After all that indulgence, it’s time to get running/cycling/hiking again. It is now possible to get up to around the 1000 metres mark before encountering snow, although in shady areas there is still snow lower than this. However, above this the snow is still deeper than I am tall and unfortunately it still not safe to go hiking high in the mountains right now.

An illustration of this is the report I heard on the news this week about how workers are working 10 hours a day to try and clear the snow from the Vršič pass. At 1611m, Vršič is Slovenia’s highest mountain pass. It crosses the Julian Alps and is usually closed over the winter due to the snowfall and high susceptibility to avalanches. This year, with the extreme amount of snowfall, it is taking longer than usual to clear it and in some places, due to avalanches, there is up to 8 metres of snow – unbelievable but true! Although it provides a vital link between Gorenjska and the Soča Valley, the Vršič pass is in itself a tourist attraction and one about which I shall definitely be writing more in the weeks to come.

© Adele in Slovenia

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!

8Apr2013

A Change of Scenery: Radovljica – Ljubljana

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, adeleinslovenia by adeleinslovenia

I love nothing more than discovering somewhere new to walk and force of circumstances i.e. the ongoing bad weather, meant I did just that on Saturday. Radovljica offers endless possibilities for outdoor activities when the weather is good, hence why I like living here. However, with the current conditions i.e. still over 3 metres of snow in the mountains and a week of non-stop rain making the ground that isn’t snow covered completely sodden, by Saturday this week I was feeling pretty desperate to get away for a change of scenery and walk somewhere ‘normal’.

Since the completion of the motorway, it now takes only around 40 minutes to drive from Radovljica to Ljubljana, or around an hour by train. Once a month when I work in Ljubljana I often go for a stroll in Tivoli Park. I usually park in the same place and walk the same way in and out of town as although its far from a big city, I find the layout of Ljubljana somewhat confusing and seem unable to mentally link together the different areas, despite others saying Ljubljana is really more like just a big village. Whenever I walk around Tivoli, I have often wondered where the many paths, which branch off every which way, lead to – but haven’t ever, until now, taken the time to go and explore them. Now I have, it feels like I’ve unearthed a whole new side of Ljubljana which I previously wasn’t aware of and I certainly didn’t know there was a skiing jumping centre in the middle of the woodland slap bang in the centre of the city – a revelation indeed!

The regional park, which comprises the areas of Tivoli and the Rožnik and Šišenski hills, extends over an area of 5km² and is a favourite place among locals for all kinds of recreation; walking, running, cycling and even ski jumping! The ski jumping centre is part of the Mostec Recreation Centre, a great place for a picnic and there’s a fitness trail which involves lots of torturous looking jumps, lifts etc. and looks pretty hardcore, not the usual run of the mill poor attempts I’ve seen elsewhere! Rožnik hill is the highest part of the park and from the top, where there’s a café and a church, there are great views across the city. Ljubljana Zoo is also within the boundaries of the regional park on the southwest side of the Rožnik hill. I didn’t actually go into the zoo on this occasion but there’s more information about it here http://www.zoo-ljubljana.si/index.php?id=1&L=2 and here is a photo of the bronze statue of the bull, which stands at the zoo entrance, by the renowned Slovene sculptor and painter Janez Boljka.

It struck me this morning what an awful job it must be being a weather forecaster at the moment. They must get accosted every time they walk out the door by people asking “What on earth is going on?” The strange phenomenon that is this year’s weather in Europe has meant that so far this year there has only been the equivalent of 6 days of sun here and whereas last year’s temperatures at this time of year were above average, this year they are well below. Winter is still stubbornly refusing to bid farewell yet Iceland seems to be getting all the sun as I read they have had far more than usual! It’s all quite bizarre and can it can only be hoped that it is just a one-off occurrence.

I’m constantly amazed by the number of people from all over the world, who have found and read my blog. It’s fascinating to see where in the world people are reading about little old me and my life here and hopefully gaining more recognition for Radovljica too. I’ve received compliments from far flung places as well as from several locals too. Last week I was even interviewed for the local paper – due out next month!

1Apr2013

Fresh Beginnings and Long-Forgotten Discoveries

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, adeleinslovenia, Begunje by adeleinslovenia

And it’s still snowing! Need I even write that anymore? Just take it as a given unless I write to the contrary! Last Monday, 25th March, was the coldest, windiest, snowiest late March day in Slovenia in over 50 years with burja winds in the Primorksa region exceeding 140kph. In some areas of the country over 5 metres of snow have fallen this winter. However, its of little comfort to know that its not just Slovenia, many countries in Europe seems to be suffering the same fate. Suffice to say that unfortunately once again I have no exciting trips to report but do bear with me, I promise as soon as it’s possible, I’ll be out there roving and reporting!

The one place I’ve been walking to, since it can easily be reached on foot from Radovljica regardless of the weather, is the village of Mošnje. In the dry months the walk to Mošnje from Radovljica via the Forest Nature Trail (Gozdna učna pot) is particularly pleasant though with the current conditions I have been going by road via the villages of Vrbnje and Gorica. The small village of Mošnje was, until 2006, a fairly unremarkable traditional farming village. However, an important archeological find was made, the remains of Villa Rustica, a Roman country dwelling dating from the 1st-4th centuries which had been until 2006, hidden deep underneath layers of earth. Since then, the local tourist organisation have created the Mošnje Archeological Path, a 1km path starting at the Cultural Centre, which leads visitors through the important sites of interest in the village to the site of Villa Rustica.

Last week I was invited to the re-opening of the Lambergh Chateau and Hotel in the village of Dvorska vas, near Begunje. The hotel, which is now under new ownership and management, comprises a modern new 4 star boutique hotel with the 11th century renovated Renaissance chateau. The new management have grand plans for the hotel and are keen to stress their intentions to be “in it for the long term.” They put on an impressive spread and invited members of the local community, who they are keen to emphasise, are very much a part of their future plans which include arranging events such as culinary evenings, wine tastings, picnics in the park etc. I met with the Marketing Manager, Helena, and we exchanged some other ideas too – an English Book Club, theme nights etc. so I’ll keep you posted on news about these, or if you’re interested in having a nose just pop in for a drink and taste their new cakes (yum!) or you can also keep an eye on their website – http://www.hotel-lambergh.com

The hotel also features a wellness area with a pool, saunas and fitness, all of which can also be used on a day basis by visitors and meeting/conference rooms which are available for hire. The hotel has beautiful grounds, including the Castle Park, and it is no surprise that they already have several weddings booked for the coming months – the wedding photos, with the Alps in the background, will no doubt be stunning. The village of Dvorska vas is just a short drive from Radovljica and Bled and the surrounding areas are ideal for all kinds of activities such as cycling, hiking, panoramic flights at the nearby airport, or just relaxing breaks.

Elsewhere in Slovenia, politicians are once again making the headlines for the wrong reasons. In what surely must be a historical first, a minister in the new coalition government, which was formed on Wednesday last week and began work on Thursday, had to resign after just 2 working days due to a scandal over an (alleged) illegal building issue (this is an issue which seems to frequently rear its ugly head here). Does anyone else have any stories to beat that one – I’d be interested to hear them?!

I spent the Easter weekend in Vienna with a friend who had flown over from the UK. As I’ve previously mentioned, that’s one of the definite advantages of living in a country that is bordered by other countries, and Vienna can be reached either by car (approximately 4 hours), by train (5-6 hours) or by plane (50 minutes) – I plumped for the latter! It was a very easy, smooth journey and with the modern fast CAT trains from the airport to the centre, you can reach the city centre within 15 minutes of leaving the airport, meaning that it’s perfectly feasible to go from Slovenia just for a day or two. There’s a lot to see and do in Vienna however the unseasonably cold weather did somewhat hamper our plans though not dampen our spirits and we nonetheless managed to see all the main sights and it was lovely to spend some time with my good friend Helen.

24Mar2013

More sporting success

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, adeleinslovenia by adeleinslovenia

The problem with starting to write a blog during the winter, especially this long harsh winter, and especially a blog aimed at extolling some of the beauties of this region of Slovenia, is that frustration is now beginning to set in. I’m yearning to be able to write and post photos about all the beautiful places I’ve been walking, cycling and visiting. There are so many places I can’t wait to revisit once the snow, ice and winter conditions have subsided. For a few days this week it felt like spring had sprung but it soon sprung off elsewhere again and, at the moment, winter seems somewhat reluctant to bid farewell. Therefore I, and you (and in that sense I mean any readers out there!) will have to be content with just local walks and information though I endeavour to continue reporting about happenings around Slovenia, even if I don’t actually get there myself and promise, as soon as the weather improves, to be posting plenty of ideas for trips, walks etc. and photos too!

I did manage to walk to Talež twice this week (see blog – Sporting Slovenia, February 2013) though Tuesday’s walk was I think the hardest one of the whole winter yet as the snowfall on Monday brought very heavy, wet snow which made for a really arduous trudge. As I write it’s snowing once again…………

It was another big sporting weekend in Slovenia with the finals of the Planica World Cup Ski Jumping Finals in Rateče, near Kranjska Gora. This is one of the biggest annual sporting events in Slovenia and attracts around 20,000 visitors from all over the country, together with thousands more from neighbouring countries and from further afield. In 2012, over 55,000 visitors attended over the 3 day event. There’s always a huge party atmosphere, but even more so now as expectations were high – the Slovene men’s ski jumpers, both individually and as a team – have been achieving record results this year. The Planica event, which has been running since 1934, attracts the cream of the world’s ski jumpers who come to try and secure victory and break the world record. To date over 60 world records have been set at Planica.

On Saturday, the team event, the Slovene team certainly didn’t disappoint the rapturous home fans by taking victory ahead of Norway and Austria. The icing on the cake came in Sunday’s event, when once again the Slovene men did their nation proud with Jurij Tepeš winning the individual event and Peter Prevc taking third place.

In addition to the competition, there’s always plenty going on in and around Planica during the weekend, especially the Open Air Planica party in the ski resort of Kranjska Gora, which is a mix of live music, dancing and generally lots of merriment.

Slovenia entered another new era this week when it got a new coalition government with the first ever female PM in the history of the country. She’s promising great things (don’t they all?), so everyone will be waiting with baited breath to see if this new government can deliver and lift the Slovene economy which, as with so many other EU countries, has been and continues to be in the doldrums. One area however which is riding the recession is the tourism industry, as more and more people discover this small but diverse and inviting country. I hope, by writing this blog, to play my part, albeit small, in continuing this upwards trend by providing ideas and inspiration about what to do, where to go etc.

In homage to the weekend’s sporting achievements, here I am, admittedly the photo is a few years old, at the ski jumping centre in Žirovnica, near Radovljica where I was a spectator at the mountain bike race, which takes place annually in May – as you can see, it’s a pretty steep course!