Considering Trip to Slovenia & Croatia - Any Suggestions?

[Butch]

So, I've only been on one trip since I've been living in Frankfurt - a fantastic trip to Paris.

Now, I'm getting itchy to take another trip. I'd been planning to take 1 long weekend a month, and I'm woefully behind. Anyway, now I'm considering taking 8-10 days in early October to travel to Ljubljana and Zagreb and surrounding areas - if possible.

Has anybody been to either city? Any suggestions for places in and around the cities to visit?

I travel alone and am perfectly content to relax and read a book or take photos in idyllic environs - I don't need to be constantly entertained.

Edit: Oh yeah, I don't anticipate renting a car, but I would consider it if there were something really fun to do and no way to get there via public transportation . . . however, I don't drive a stick (one of the negatives of growing up in Manhattan and not being around cars too much).

[Kevster]

You might also like Ireland. That's an quick flight on Ryan Air or Easyjet. Dublin is a cool place, but traveling the countryside and seeing Ireland is what it's really all about. :)

[Butch]

You might also like Ireland. That's an quick flight on Ryan Air or Easyjet. Dublin is a cool place, but traveling the countryside and seeing Ireland is what it's really all about. :)

Yup! Totally plan on taking a good trip to Ireland and Scotland, as well. However, I have a couple Scottish & Irish friends, so I'm hoping they'll be able to come out from the US to join me for that one.

I've got such a long list of places to go, it's almost paralyzing to choose places and make concrete plans. I don't know how, exactly, I arrived at Ljubljana and Zagreb for this one . . . probably the NY Times travel section had a large part to do with it . . . I've also been lucky enough to make my way around Western Europe quite a bit in the past, so I wanted to venture outside the normal tourist destinations.

[johnnymk]

Wow, what a life!! To go to all of those places you are considering at your age must be fantastic....and not be pressured by time constraints....Wow!!

[Butch]

Wow, what a life!! To go to all of those places you are considering at your age must be fantastic....and not be pressured by time constraints....Wow!!

Without a doubt, I've been extraordinarily lucky - I'll be the first to admit that - I just hope the luck continues. :)

[zippyjuan]

I actually rode through part of that on a bicycle- started near Nuremburg. From Germany you can go through Milan and Verona (I loved Verona) and Treiste before you hit what was Yugoslavia when I went through. The coastline along the Adriatic there is very hilly but very pretty. Ljubjlana is also a very nice city- great places to eat along the river that goes through the middle of it. I didn't make it to Zagreb. I had broken my collar bone a few days earlier and was also trying to meet up with my parents in Garmish Partenkirchen so I swung north from there. I can't think of the name of it, but there is an old fortress a little further down the coast from Ljubjlana worth checking out. Napoleon avoided attacking it because he felt it was too beautiful and it also avoided attacks in WWII but was damaged in the Bosnian conflict.

[Butch]

Back from my trip to Ljubljana and Zagreb - I'm sure I was terribly missed . . . ;)

Both places are quite lovely, but Ljubljana was just particularly beautiful. Slovenia, in general, is gorgeous! I would highly recommend a trip for anyone. Ljubljana has a ton of energy, and it has a very young population (average age is a little over 30). Also, since Slovenia is not yet on the Euro, it is still quite inexpensive. You can live like a king there for what would get you a pauper's treatment in any major Western European city.

Spent Saturday through Monday enjoying Ljubljana. Went for a daytrip to Bled & Bohinje in Slovenia's Julian Alps on Tuesday, and spent Wednesday through Saturday morning in Zagreb.

Was lucky enough to meet some very nice people along the way. On the train from Ljubljana to Zagreb, I shared a compartment with a very nice German waitress who was going down to Bosnia (Sarajevo) to learn the language. I've wanted to visit Bosnia & Serbia, so I may head down for a visit sometime in the next few months.

I may post a few photos a bit later if I get the energy to knock them down to a manageable size.

[zippyjuan]

I enjoyed Ljubjana. It is a beautiful place. I remember the dragons on the bridge in the middle of town and I had a really good and cheap pizza at a place right next to the river that runs through the town. There seemed to be lots of culture and happenings going on there too. I just remembered visiting a neat cave at a place called Postojna that was interesting. I regret that I did not take many pictures in Yugoslavia (which it was then) as I rode my bicycle through. I look forward to seeing some of yours!

[Butch]

Alrighty . . . a few photos . . . I love Flickr . . . they re-sized the photos for me ;)

Click the photos for larger versions . . .

Ljubljana
Ljubljana's Franciscan Church and greatest Slovenian poet (the statue w/muse)
http://static.flickr.com/27/55198579_9633e58a23.jpg (http://static.flickr.com/27/55198579_9633e58a23_b.jpg)

Some Window Art
http://static.flickr.com/33/55189623_d807a8580f.jpg (http://static.flickr.com/33/55189623_d807a8580f_b.jpg)

Ljubljana's Castle and some Riverside homes
http://static.flickr.com/33/55196961_92666b6ee9.jpg (http://static.flickr.com/33/55196961_92666b6ee9_b.jpg)

Some doorways
http://static.flickr.com/33/55186160_755fcf742d.jpg (http://static.flickr.com/33/55186160_755fcf742d_b.jpg)

Sidecar
http://static.flickr.com/24/55190020_a95a7d2e0d.jpg (http://static.flickr.com/24/55190020_a95a7d2e0d_b.jpg)

Riverside Cafes (from across the river)
http://static.flickr.com/32/55197997_5341a2edc2.jpg (http://static.flickr.com/32/55197997_5341a2edc2_b.jpg)

Musical tastes at a flea market . . .
http://static.flickr.com/27/55189778_dd692885f4.jpg (http://static.flickr.com/27/55189778_dd692885f4_b.jpg)

[Butch]

Bled & Bohinje

Bled Monastary in a lake
http://static.flickr.com/31/55203291_84bfbfb6ed.jpg (http://static.flickr.com/31/55203291_84bfbfb6ed_b.jpg)

Bohinje Landscape
http://static.flickr.com/24/55211702_d711d44cf1.jpg (http://static.flickr.com/24/55211702_d711d44cf1_b.jpg)

Bohinje Church
http://static.flickr.com/28/55210014_e01140cb72.jpg (http://static.flickr.com/28/55210014_e01140cb72_b.jpg)

Zagreb

Facade
http://static.flickr.com/25/55236525_0264008c59.jpg (http://static.flickr.com/25/55236525_0264008c59_b.jpg)

Main Square @ Night (I need to practice night shots much more)
http://static.flickr.com/28/55233532_14e0b777b8.jpg (http://static.flickr.com/28/55233532_14e0b777b8_b.jpg)

St. Mark's Church
http://static.flickr.com/25/55238846_5020146523.jpg
(http://static.flickr.com/25/55238846_5020146523_b.jpg)

Sage advice at a bar
http://static.flickr.com/32/55241083_18006fd953.jpg (http://static.flickr.com/32/55241083_18006fd953_b.jpg)

[esme]

[QUOTE=Butch]Bled & Bohinje

Bled Monastary in a lake
http://static.flickr.com/31/55203291_84bfbfb6ed.jpg (http://static.flickr.com/31/55203291_84bfbfb6ed_b.jpg)

Bohinje Landscape
http://static.flickr.com/24/55211702_d711d44cf1.jpg (http://static.flickr.com/24/55211702_d711d44cf1_b.jpg)

Bohinje Church
http://static.flickr.com/28/55210014_e01140cb72.jpg (http://static.flickr.com/28/55210014_e01140cb72_b.jpg)

those 3 are just amazing!! beautiful landscape!! :wavey2:

[Butch]

I enjoyed Ljubjana. It is a beautiful place. I remember the dragons on the bridge in the middle of town and I had a really good and cheap pizza at a place right next to the river that runs through the town. There seemed to be lots of culture and happenings going on there too. I just remembered visiting a neat cave at a place called Postojna that was interesting. I regret that I did not take many pictures in Yugoslavia (which it was then) as I rode my bicycle through. I look forward to seeing some of yours!

The dragon bridge was pretty cool . . . apparently it has something to do with Jason & The Argonauts (though, the exact link escapes me right now). I think I ate at the same pizza place, too . . . still delicious!

I would love to go back . . . met some really nice people there who I will try to keep in touch with and see again.

[Grimm]

I love the sage advice. ;)

[zippyjuan]

Those tall square towers with the spire on top seem to be in every town over there. Yep- that picture of the cafe along the river looks very familiar! The bicycle by the doorway - is that just a couple of blocks off the main downtown? Thanks for sharing your great photos! I wish I had taken more myself! A good picture of the Dragon Bridge: http://www.slowtrips.com/photo/showphoto.php/photo/6696/cat/3054