Just a Peak of the Julian Alps

Slovenia is a small country, so it was only a 1 hour bus ride from Ljubljana to Bled, but don't let that fool you. The Julian Alps, as they're known, were a world away from the capital city. Sprawling lakes, zigzagging gorges, and towering mountains framed the scene of this next act.

I stayed at the creatively named Bled Hostel. There were many things I liked about it. Great location just down the street from the bus stop, feet away from a grocery store, decent kitchen, friendly staff, free laundry machines, a terrace and large common area. There were also some downsides. It was mysteriously divided into the Bled Hostel #1 and #2, adjacent but with separate entrances and apparently different quality of life. It created a slightly weird dynamic, with people sneaking from one to the other in search of better common areas or kitchens. The staff also closed the common area overnight, meaning that lively conversations moved into the hallway at 10pm, and my breakfast was behind lock and key until 8am. I didn't like being on the upper bunk, as it had gaps all around the edges and a flimsy rail. Any belongings I brought up could be easily fall over the edge, my body included. Despite all this, I extended my stay from 2 nights to 3 nights. In part because I didn't end up spending any nights deeper in the mountains, more on that later.

The first night, I stayed close to the hostel and cooked pasta Bolognese. It was the first real meal I'd cooked myself in weeks, and though it could have used some garlic, it hit the spot. I enjoyed the pay-it-forward environment of the communal hostel kitchen. I used free pasta that was left behind in the "up for grabs" section; when I cooked too much meat, I donated to the poor souls surviving on plain pasta.

After surviving the first night in the bunk, I took advantage of the free washing machine and left my clothes to dry on the terrace. A neatly organized sock abacus. Then I started walking out of town, past green pastures towards the entrance to the Vintgar Gorge. Seeing pictures of the gorge was one reason I had chosen Slovenia, so I was pretty excited. The online tickets are only valid for 20 minute intervals, so at the advice of the hostel, I arrived at the gate prior to buying my ticket online. (Don't take this approach during peak season.)

Vintgar Gorge was wide enough to accommodate a manmade walkway that served as a one-way trail. Though there were plenty of visitors, it never felt crowded. The blue water was a striking color contrast against the dark rock walls and the orange leaves that coated the pathway, and at times, the water itself. It was also amazingly clear, offering visibility to a few fish and submerged tree trunks, which reminded me of Croatia. The walkways were a fun format, and crossed the river a few times, offering different views. The path went under a stone bridge and past a waterfall before reaching the exit turnstile. It wasn't a very long hike, but still enjoyable. The return walk was a different route that went through the woods and past a historic church.

After being in Bled for a day, I finally went to see the lake. It was a pleasant scene with rowboats, covered ferries, swimmers, and the occasional crew team. The Bled Castle was perched on the steep hill near the town, while the iconic island was visible in the distance. I started the perimeter walk, but was distracted by a Lego exhibition. It featured many builds, including some official sets, but I was most interested in the original builds of Slovenian landmarks. I especially liked the model of St. Michael's church, designed by the Slovenian architect Plecnik that I learned about in Ljubljana.

Continuing the walk, each bend revealed new perspectives of the lake that merited a photo. A hundred photos later, I arrived at the trailhead for the hike to the viewpoints. I figured this would involve a modest amount of climbing to an accessible little hill, given the views' popularity. Boy was I wrong! It was essentially scaling a small mountain. Some parts were so steep and rocky that there were cables for grips. I arrived at the first viewpoint, Mala Osojnica, soaked in sweat. The island with the church was so picturesque from this view that it instantly made the climb worth it. Fun fact, it's the only natural island in all of Slovenia! (Try not to laugh, Greece and Croatia.) The hike to the second viewpoint, Ojstrica, wasn't too bad. I sat and enjoyed the late afternoon lighting for a good while, and debated staying for the sunset. But given that I was somewhat lost, I decided to continue the hike. It was a steep descent with slippery rocks, definitely a good trail for hiking poles and I saw many people using them. Thankfully the trail was indeed a loop, and returned me to the lakeside.

At the far side of the lake, I stopped to try the signature dessert of Bled - the kremsnica. A wobbly but cohesive cube of custard and cream, sandwiched between two squares of puff pastry. It was light and tasty, but I couldn't figure out the right technique for eating it. Every time I pushed my fork into the puff pastry on top, the custard threatened to ooze out sideways! Nonetheless, it was devoured quickly, and I might have scared the waiter in the process. While paying the check, he made a comment about it being a lot of calories for one person, and encouraged me to walk it off. I laughed and told him not to worry, as I was going all the way around the lake.

Later that night, I made a chicken salad and joined a movie watch party in the common area. But I had to plan for the day ahead, and peeled off to do some research from the heights of the bunk.

My day trip to Lake Bohinj was one of the most active days of the trip! Located within Triglav National Park, it was a 30 minute bus ride from Bled. I had debated spending a few nights closer to Bohinj, but the weather forecast indicated a big rainstorm soon, so I decided to see Bohinj as a day trip from Bled. This meant an earlier morning, and as I realized too late, it was before the kitchen (with all my food for the day) was unlocked. For breakfast I had a grocery store pastry and coffee on the front steps of the hostel, out in the cold. When the kitchen opened, I slapped together some PB&J's in a few minutes and ran to the station to catch my bus.

Lake Bohinj was larger and grander than Lake Bled. Bohinj was raw nature; it made Bled look like a movie set. The fog had lifted, and the morning light was gorgeous. In the distance, the three peaks of Triglav beckoned. (They say that every true Slovenian is supposed to hike to the summit of Triglav at least once in their life.)

My agenda for the day was completing two hikes that shared a trailhead. The first was a relatively flat hike along the Mostnica Gorge. The Mostnica Gorge is much narrower than the Vintgar Gorge, so rather than being inside the gorge, I was looking down on it. Beautiful blue water, and the gorge was surprisingly deep: at least 3 stories in some places, despite being a few yards across. Along the hike, I found the Elephant Rock, which totally looked like an elephant! In that section of the river, the lighter colored rock was eroded into concave pockets by the turbulent water. These wonderful bowl shapes looked like someone had carved them out with a giant melon scooper.

The hike continued into the green Voge Valley, traditionally used as autumnal grazing lands. Sure enough, there were cows! And the herd was definitely heard - each had a cowbell with a different pitch, creating a joyful cacophony as they flowed over the field. A few cows at the front bellowed, no doubt the conductors of this musical ensemble. I passed by a few small cabins, and arrived at the waterfall marking the end of the hike. As I sat below the falls eating my PB&J, I was reminded of Iceland.

Once back at the trailhead, I turned left and starting climbing towards the Vogar Viewpoint. The lighting was dramatic, with rays of sun bursting through the clouds and throwing sharp contrasts over the mountains and valleys. As I hiked up the mountain, many fit-looking hikers were going the opposite way, and I was greeted with at least 3 different Slovenian phrases, only one of which I recognized. It was steep! Nearly all the elevation gain happened in the first 1/3rd of the hike. As the clouds kept rolling in, I powered through, desperate to reach the viewpoint before any rain did. In one surreal moment, I passed a lone cabin that was blasting a Loretta Lynn song, making the little valley echo with lyrics about sunshine giving way to rain.

The view over Lake Bohinj was impressive. Unfortunately, the clouds had won the battle with the sun. I was the last person to make the ascent; there was only one other hiker still enjoying the view. As luck would have it, he was friendly and we struck up a conversation. Lulian was his name, a German nomad who traveled the world between seasonal jobs. He had even spent a few years in New Zealand overlapping the pandemic. We walked down the mountain together, and he showed me an even better viewpoint from a paraglider launch point. It was nice to have some company on the rocky descent. We returned to the small town, caught the same bus, and continued talking on the way to Bled, where I got off and he continued onwards.

My last night in Bled, I made an unusual chicken quesadilla with Dutch cheese and pickled roasted pepper in a crowded hostel kitchen. Several people I knew from the hostel in Ljubljana were now in Bled, and were also making dinner, so we ate together. But I was tired from the double hike and needed to book lodging for Vienna, so I went onto the terrace, until it also got crowded. I retreated to the bunk to look at transportation options, but the hostel's sociability left no place for an exhausted introvert to hide and plan. My roommates, a cheerful Argentinian lady and a friendly Turkish guy, both kept on trying to talk to me, and I stayed up late trying to solve my travel puzzle while fielding their questions.

The rain arrived, bringing drastically colder temperatures. The inflection point between summer and winter. I was extremely lucky the good weather had lasted this late into shoulder season. It was a good travel day, especially after hiking a total of 25 miles in past two days! I got drenched on the short walk from the hostel to the station, but quickly dried off on the ride to Ljubljana. I had a few hour layover, and nursed a few Slovenian beers at the station cafe. Fun fact, the Lasko brand's flagship beer "Zlatarog" is named for the legendary Goldhorn goat that was said to live in Triglav and guard a treasure in the mountains. Another fun coincidence was running into Lulian, my hiking buddy, and chatting for a few minutes before his bus.

My bus from Ljubljana to Vienna was delayed, both in its departure and again on the road, as someone forgot their passport and had to fill out an exception form. The passport control was surprisingly strict. The bus company went down the aisle checking everyone's passport on the Slovenian side, and at the border the Austrian police did the same again. I didn't recall anyone checking my passport when crossing from Croatia to Slovenia. After these hiccups, the journey continued with some pretty clouds at sunset, but most of the journey was in darkness.

I was fairly disoriented when I arrived in Vienna. I had enough layers to stay warm in the 40 degree cold, but my brain was fried. I stared at the subway map for a very long time before I even found the name of my stop. The info desk pointed me to the ticket machine, but didn't provide any other help. I got on a subway, only slightly confident it was the right one. I was skeptical about Google Map's suggestion that five different subway lines were all viable options, but it was actually correct and I made it to my apartment. At the front door, I typed the code incorrectly a dozen times before getting it right. It's safe to say I needed a proper break after an exhilarating time in Slovenia!

I only spent 5 nights in Slovenia, but each day was a treasure. Caves, dragons, gorges, lakes, and mountains galore! This country should definitely be high up on any nature lover's list. I hope to return someday and experience more of Triglav, including its elaborate network of huts for overnight hikes.