Tag Archives: winter in Slovenia

A Slovenian Winter’s Tale!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Bohinj, Hiking, Slovenia blog, Slovenian mountain huts by

Regular readers and followers of my blog will know that I have been faithfully posting blogs on a weekly basis for around 5 years now.

And now, all of a sudden, it seems to have gone a bit quiet on the Adele in Slovenia front! So this short blog is by way of an explanation to those concerned and loyal readers and followers out there, some of whom, from as far afield as the USA and New Zealand, have even been kind and concerned enough to contact me to inquire about my well-being due to my going AWOL – thank you, sincerely!

The main culprit, in addition to my crazy workload, has been the – for me at least – long, seemingly never-ending, harsh and difficult winter this year, which hasn’t been conducive to much in the way of outdoor activities worthy of blogging – other than those about which I have frequently written previously.

So, my Slovenia Winter’s Tale…. It began with early snow in last November, there was a respite in the second-half of December and first half of January, then February saw 18 days out of 28 of snow, March brought a week of extreme polar-like temperatures, followed by a week of rain, followed by more snow! And that brings us almost to April, and it’s still cold out there! We are being promised warmer temperatures for Easter, hmm……!

Rest assured, however, I haven’t turned into a couch potato, god forbid, I’ve still been out there, gritting my teeth and bearing the winter, since this year there has been little choice. So I thought I’d briefly share with you a few photos of my hike last weekend up to the Komna plateau and onwards toward the Bogatin hut (not open!), above Bohinj lake. Omg, there is a LOT of snow up there – around 3.5 metres!

Although I would still rather it was all lush and green, I have to admit, it was fairytale like and I was lucky enough to catch a few hours sun before it clouded over in the afternoon. The early bird and all that…

No doubt you are thinking ‘What is she moaning about, it looks gorgeous!’. Well, yes, it does, but, believe me, after months and months of it, the novelty soon wears off!

Anyway, according to the calendar at least, spring is here, and this morning I saw these little beauties in the forest as proof!

I would also like to mention here, for those of you planning hiking trips in Slovenia this year, that currently there is double the average amount of snow in the high mountains, so please do take this into consideration, as it will be well into early summer before many places are snow-free.

So, dear Adele in Slovenia readers and followers, you can expect more from me during the course of the year, I promise, providing the weather plays ball and providing I can get away from my computer and from translating, which is, after all, what pays the bills!

© Adele in Slovenia

 

Festive (and Boozy!) Škofja Loka in the Snow!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, adeleinslovenia, Castles in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Julian Alps, Poljane valley, Poljanska dolina, Selca valley, Selska dolina, skiing, Skofja Loka, Slovenia, Slovenia blog, Slovenian handicrafts, Visit Skofja Loka, Zelezniki by

Winter arrived this year before winter even began – the official start of winter, that is! For many (myself not included, I hasten to add!), this adds to the festive atmosphere at this time of year, and Škofja Loka, with its quaint medieval old town centre, is no exception.

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Photo: Simon Primožič

On Saturday 2nd December the first of this year’s ‘Loka in the Snow‘ festive events will take place from 9am – 1pm in the old town centre. The event is a combination of the 20th Meeting of Vinters, St. Nicholas’ Fair (Miklavžev LUFt), and ‘Windows of Imagination‘ (Izložbe Domišljije), all of which provide a great opportunity to try, and to buy, some unique gifts for friends, loved ones, and, of course, yourself!

Photo: http://www.skofjaloka.si

Take a walk through the town to see the shop ‘Windows of Imagination’, a group sales exhibition of local arts and crafts.

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There will be around 80 stalls where you will have the chance to meet vintners from around Slovenia and taste their wines, and the sommelier Gašper Čarman will be on hand to provide advice!

To ensure you have something to ‘soak up’ the wine, chefs from the ‘Open Kitchen‘ will be cooking up dishes, and to add to the pleasant atmosphere there will be live music and entertainment.

And don’t miss a visit to, or at least a stroll up to, the imposing Loka Castle.

Rezultat iskanja slik za skofja loka v snegu

Photo: Sašo Kočevar

And, since we are talking about snow, it’s been an early start to the skiing season this year with many of the country’s ski resorts open or about to open, and both of Škofja Loka’s 2 ski resorts will be open soon!

The Stari vrh ski centre, which I visited earlier this year (https://adeleinslovenia.com/2017/02/01/sunny-skiing-stunning-views-and-romance-on-stari-vrh/) in located in the middle of the Selca and Poljane valleys, just a ten minute drive from Škofja Loka. Its proximity to Ljubljana makes it a popular destination; in winter for skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports, and in summer for hiking and cycling.

Stari Vrh offers 10kms of slopes (1km difficult, 5kms medium, 4kms easy), together with a snowboard park, night skiing, a toboggan run and a children’s snow playground.

Alas, I’m not, and will never be, a skier, but that doesn’t mean I can’t visit to watch others and enjoy the views!

The Soriska planina ski centre is located on the edge of the Julian Alps and can be reached from several directions; from Škofja Loka via Železniki, from Bohinjska Bistrica; or from Most na Soči via Baška Grapa. You can read more about the ski centre and the nearby village of Sorica, which is well worth a detour, in a previous blog from earlier this year here (https://adeleinslovenia.com/2017/02/20/sorica-super-skiing-and-slovenias-most-beautiful-mountain-village/).

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Facilities at the Soriška planina ski resort consist of a two-person chairlift, 3 drag lifts, a children’s drag lift, a snow park, a sledging track, cross-country ski trails and a restaurant.

For more information about Škofja Loka’s ski resorts and other winter sports venues, click here for the Visit Škofja Loka website.

Highlights of the other events taking place in Škofja Loka during the festive season include:

  • A Christmas Carol Concert on 14.12 at 7.30pm in the Sokolški dom
  • A(nother) Christmas LUFt market on 22nd December from 5pm-10pm with a visit by Father Christmas and performances by the Ana Mraz international street theatre,
  • A concert by Help! – A Beatles Tribute Band on 29th December at 9pm in the square beneath the castle
  • New Year’s Eve celebrations from 9pm with the group Joške vn in the square beneath the castle and the old town centre

© Adele in Slovenia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas 2016 in Slovenia – Christmas Markets, Food and Traditions

Posted in adeleinslovenia, Christmas, Festivals in Slovenia, Food, Hiking, ifeelsLOVEnia, Kranjska Gora, lakes in Slovenia, Ljubljana, Maribor, Potica, Radovljica, skiing, Slovenia by

In February next year I will have been living in Slovenia for 10 years – gosh how time flies! My first Christmas here in 2007 was a bit of a culture shock as, at that time, Christmas wasn’t, or at least to me didn’t seem to be, such a big deal – no roast turkey and all the trimmings, no crackers and wearing of silly paper hats (though some might say that’s a bonus!), no shops crammed with Christmas merchandise in September and blaring Christmas jingles for months on end, and just a few low-, or at least lower-key Christmas markets.

Well, things have definitely changed and Christmas is most definitely here in a big(ger) way! With an increasing number of people choosing Slovenia as a destination for a short-break over Christmas/New Year, this blog has a run down of just some of things you can see and do.

Christmas in Ljubljana, Photo: http://www.slovenia.info

As in many other countries in Europe, the evening of the 24th is when most families celebrate and get together for a special meal, to exchange gifts and/or attend midnight mass. It’s worth noting that many restaurants are closed on Christmas Eve, or close earlier than usual. Shops are usually open on the 24th but close a little earlier than usual. All shops are closed on the 25th and again this is a family day, often for some recreational activities perhaps skiing, hiking or visiting relatives. The 26th is also a public holiday, Independence and Unity Day, and therefore again many shops and business will be closed although these days most of the larger ones are open, at least for a few hours in the morning. No Boxing Day Sales – hooray!

Christmas markets take place in all the major cities – the largest being in Ljubljana, where there are numerous markets throughout the city, the main one being alongside the banks of the Ljubljanica river. The festivities kick-off on 25th November with the official switching on of the lights at 5.15pm. There are also numerous concerts and other events taking place throughout the festive period. More here – http://bit.ly/2eBfQhk

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Christmas in Ljubljana, Photo: http://www.slovenia.info

My home town of Radovljica, one of the three best-preserved historic towns in Slovenia, has a small Advent Market and also looks magical! More information here – http://tinyurl.com/zxczvsg

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The cute little Alpine Village in the ski resort of Kranjska Gora is a winter wonderland. More information here – http://tinyurl.com/jbntrpl

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Slovenia’s 2nd biggest city, Maribor, switches on its Christmas lights on Friday 25th November. The Christmas programme includes a Christmas market, St. Nicholas fair, Artmar fair, city ice-rink, concerts and parties. More information here – http://bit.ly/1I8qXL0

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Festivities in Bled begin on 2nd December. A Christmas market takes place on the promenade at the south end of Lake Bled. If there’s snow, the island looks even more fairy tale-like! More information here – http://bit.ly/2eDpZZj

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Bled Island, Photo: http://www.slovenia.info

There are also Christmas markets in Celje and Portorož, as well as smaller local ones in many other towns throughout the country, though these tend to only be open for a few days rather than for the entire advent period.

Throughout Slovenia you will find a host of other festive events and activities, where you can be a spectator or join in, including live nativities, outdoor ice-rinks, parades and concerts.

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Outdoor ice-rink in Maribor – Photo: Produkcija80

The last two years, Christmas has not been ‘white’. However, if it is a white Christmas, then there are a whole host of other possibilities, such as sledging, skiing, snow-shoeing, hiking etc. My parents often spend Christmas here and we have had some memorable Christmas Days, including this one below, spent hiking on the Pokljuka Plateau.

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And Christmas isn’t Christmas (and Easter not Easter!) without home-baked potica! You can read plenty more about my potica journey here – https://adeleinslovenia.com/2016/03/03/easter-in-slovenia-my-potica-journey/

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So, if you are considering Slovenia’s for a Christmas break, then rest assured, you will find plenty to see and do. You can also be safe in the knowledge that you won’t have to pull a cracker and wear a silly hat!

© Adele in Slovenia

The early bird catches the early winter of 2016!

Posted in adeleinslovenia, Begunje, churches in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia by

Winter seems to have come early this year and, though the snow might look beautiful, I can’t say I’m ecstatic about it!

The past 2 years we haven’t had any significant snow until after Christmas, but last week’s dismal weather brought quite a significant amount of snow to higher-lying areas, and even a bit of the white stuff fell in lower-lying areas too.

I’m trying to be optimistic that perhaps we will still get a (very) late autumn with some milder temperatures, though, it’s look increasingly unlikely. But ‘glass-half-full’ and all that…

So, in an attempt to once again get accustomed to winter, I was up with the lark and braved freezing early morning temperatures to head up St. Peter’s Church above Begunje na Gorenjskem, just 10 minutes drive from Radovljica.

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Though its not easy to drag myself out of bed when it’s so cold and dark, the rewards are (usually!) worth it, which was certainly the case this time, as you can see below!

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The valley was still shrouded in low cloud and Triglav and the other peaks of the Julian Alps were looking particularly majestic.

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I continued up to Smokuški vrh.

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And this was my reward. Brilliant, warm sunshine and stunning views. It was tempting to linger there for a while, alas, the pile of translating awaiting me at home was ever present on my mind. But, I’d go, and will go, again in a heartbeat, even if it means an all-to-early start to the day!

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A case of the early bird catches the worm and the early winter and all that…!

© Adele in Slovenia