slovenia

Well after a short journey out of Italy we arrived in Slovenia through the Gorizia and Nova Goriica border crossing point, well as soon as we arrived over the border we noticed that the driving had improved greatly and the roads were nearly empty so after a 2 hour leisurely drive we arrived at the capital city of Ljubljana and proceeded to our camp site at Jesica on the outskirts but still close enough for sight seeing. We stayed at the Ljubljana resort, a spacious site with good facilities and direct bus access to town.

The next morning after a restful night we ventured into the capital on the scooter and parked a short walk from the heart outside the National & University library building, from here it was a short walk via the river side with excellent views of the old buildings and the three famous bridges- "triple bridge, Dragon bridge and Cobblers bridge". from here you can eat in the café's and local restaurants which serve good traditional food, during the week there is a good market held in "Vodnikog Trg" not to be missed with Saturday being the best day and you are a short walk from the vernacular railway which takes you up to Ljubljana castle with excellent views of the city all for 2 euros. After a refreshing coffee we rode out to the "BiT" shopping centre area to have a look around and check out the prices, some good bargains to be had and also local food was on sale.

The next day we rode out to see the countryside nearby and visited the village of Skofja Loka with its old village centre all though in need of "TLC" it was good to see something as it had been for many years and the local cafe served excellent coffee and cakes at good prices. On the way back we took a detour via the back roads to Zbilije with its lake full of swans and then on to Smlednik and the road back through dark forests. On the way back we passed a tyre fitters so called into check prices as our van needed new tyres soon, surprise they were £150 cheaper than the Uk so arranged to call back in the week. After an afternoon lazing in the hot spring sun we took a short walk down the river behind the site which links up with the lake at Zbilije.

The next morning we woke to more brilliant sunshine so decided to head up into the mountains on the scooter to see the "Logarska Dolina" valley reputed to even bring the Austrians out in a smile, after a hair-raising ride over gravel tracks we arrived at Podvolovljek with stunning views of the Savinjske Alps covered in snow. After a quick coffee we rode on to the valley we had come to see and it took your breath away with its splendid Alpine meadow enclosed by high peaks covered in snow, we only managed a short way up the road due to it being blocked by snow so returned to a small village inn for lunch. Refreshed we journeyed back via the "428" to Ljubno and then the better route back to Kamnik, this road was meant for motorcyclists with its good surface and twisting road set in outstanding scenery, we were getting very attached to this beautiful country and its friendly people who all seemed to speak a little English. On our return to the campsite we had done over 100mls on good roads if a little tight for large vans but there is a good bus service covering the whole country.

On our last day in the Capital we ventured back to the market this time on Saturday and boy was it busy with the local ladies selling their fresh flowers in traditional clothes all the time smiling, we took a short ride in the river boats which gave you a different view of the old city centre buildings all the time in a safe clean environment. You could do no better than use the only camp site outside the city and spend a leisurely 5 days exploring the surrounding area, as for us well we took the fast road to the coast to explore this area in particular, the world famous caves at Skocjan but more on that later.

After a short 2 hour drive from the capital we arrived at the 47km of Adriatic coastline on the Slovenian coast, first off was Koper the only fishing port Slovenia has which is really uneventful then its on to Izola which has a picturesque port area reputed to serve excellent sea food fresh from the small harbour. Then after a quick lunch it was on to Strunjan which has a free car park alongside the pebbled beach area [very popular at weekends with locals] but not much else, then a further 10 mins drive and you arrive at the towns of Portoroz and Piran the later being the best. We chose to stay at the small site at Lucija outside Portoroz which was okay for a few days stay but was really a Slovenian site with many of the caravans taking on a permanent look [not very appealing ], still it's the only real site on the whole coast capable of holding motorhomes and it has good views of the bay and good links to the nearby towns.

Piran is the best of the two being Venetian in origin and having a excellent preserved feel about it [best to park outside and walk in] with the church and harbour being the best places, also there are signposted walks around the town well worth exploring for their views over the surrounding area especially out to Venice and the Italian Alps. After lunch we returned on the scooter back to the camper via Portoroz to try my had at fishing from the marina without much luck though-still a nice way to spend the afternoon in the excellent spring sunshine.

The next morning with the weather still on our side we took to the hills on the scooter [just as well as the very tight roads are not suited to large campers maybe a small van conversion] . We took the road to Smarje via Padna and were rewarded with views not out of place in Tuscany with olive trees and small hillside villages everywhere waiting to be explored, we stopped of at both of those mentioned and were amazed to find them untouched by tourists and being so close to the Croatia border, well worth searching out this area but don't forget a good map book and be prepared to back track up and down the steep twisting village roads .

After 3 days in this area we headed back north to Bled stopping of at the caves at "Skocjanske jame" a world heritage site part of the 7000 caves to be found in Slovenia, but with a unique underground gorge and its many chambers is not to be missed on a tour of this lovely country. There is a system of 11 interconnected chambers, collapsed dolines and natural bridges and sinkholes so its no wonder its a Unesco site, the tour takes about 1-2 hours with a professional guide who speak English very well -check tour times before going as in spring/autumn they are only twice daily and in summer every hour but then its peak holiday season and can get very crowded. There was only 12 people in our group from Holland, Japan, Slovenia and England who all had a excellent time sneaking in the odd photo when the guide was not looking, these caves are well worth seeing and are not as commercialised as the ones at Postonja. After a late lunch we headed back out onto the express way via Ljubljana to Bled our next base for a week-the distance between most major areas is only about 100mls so touring is not hard although the road is toll in sections but then there is not much option in this mountainous region.

On arrival at lake Bled we were blown away by the beauty of the setting and even though the village is only small it has all you would require , we checked into the excellent "lake Bled campsite" for the stay in this area and proceded to check out the surrounding area. The first place we visited was the Vintar Gorge only 1.5mls out of Bled and being about 2mls long with good walkways along the river its well worth seeing for a morning trip especially after heavy rain. The next day we rode down the glacial valley to "Lake Bohinji" about 25mls from Bled with its fantastic views and a sense of peace and tranquillity cannot fail to overcome you, the camp site here would be great for those seeking total peace and quiet for a few days, also there is the water fall at Savic to see being the tallest in Slovenia and the nearby my Vogel cable car offers great views of the surrounding mountains. After a blissful morning we rode back through the countryside villages taking in the Alpine pastures and mountain views a day we will remember for a long time. You could spend a week in this area walking and even taking part in the many outdoor activities that are available here without even seeing but a small part of what's on offer. For a lazy day out walk round Lake Bled to the town and catch a boat back down the lake stopping of at the church in the lake and ring the bell for good luck!!!.Well after 4 days here we departed for Austria and Bavaria and the trip back home .

To sum up our tip to Slovenia I would say see it while its still relatively unexploited by mass tourism and the best time is between May and the end of September as there is a larger selection of camp site open and the weather is better although when we visited in April we had a mini heat wave of 20-26oc for the 15 days we visited and I would allow between 10-20 days to see everything without rushing , and enjoy the local hospitality as the people really make this country a joy to explore with excellent wines and food at good prices compared to main stream Europe.