Arrivederci Italia. Dober dan Slovenia?

Piran, Slovenia

When we sailed into San Remo, Italy last June, we never imagined that Berkeley East would be in Italy for an entire year. It was an incredible time. There is still so much to see in Italy, but it was time to move on. Our next stop was the tiny country of Slovenia.

If someone had asked us where Slovenia was a few years ago, we would not have had a clue. Wedged between the Alps and the Adriatic, bordered by Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, Slovenia has a long, bland history as part of various larger empires. Until 1991, it was the smallest and most affluent of the six republics that made up Yugoslavia. It was the first of the republics to break from Yugoslavia in a simple and virtually uncontested conflict that lasted just 10 days. Today, Slovenia is a beautiful, prosperous country with a strong economy, little crime and an atmosphere more akin to Austria.

We knew we could only spend a few days in Slovenia, and the country has a very small coastline, so we parked Berkeley East in Piran and hired a tour guide to drive us inland and show us the best of Slovenia in just one day. In hindsight, we could have used several days to really get to know the country.

We drove north through green hillsides to the country’s capital, Ljubljana. Often likened to Salzburg, it is a casual town with a mountain backdrop, and riverfront promenade that feels much smaller than it really is.

Listed as one of the 12 most beautiful lakes in the world, Slovenia’s Lake Bled is simply breathtaking. With panoramic views of the Julian Alps, a medieval castle and picturesque church on a tiny island, Lake Bled turns historic surroundings into a charming holiday resort.