Koper- A Slovenian Surprise.

We decided to make Koper our first stop in Slovenia due to its close proximity to Trieste. We arrived around 8pm, hungry and tired. Even so, we were impressed with the clear highway signs and road surface.

On entering the city we followed the signs for our hotel and checked in. (We had decided on the hotel prior to leaving Canada.)

Our supper in the medieval style dining room tasted like manna -- we were so hungry. We enjoyed the ambience of the hotel décor. This being our first time in Slovenia, it reminded us of old style inns, quite in keeping with our imagination.

We slept like the dead and woke up to a beautiful sunny day. We decided to obtain some local currency called Tolars. Modern banks (all glass and chrome) ATM machine did not respond to our request. Inside, we explained our dilemma to the friendly bank staff, then three of them attempted to assist us, to no avail Be aware some of the digits on the keypad show the 2 in the 8 position. After cashing travelers checks and breathing sighs of relief, we walked toward the old city center, a three minute walk from the bank.

We had expected Koper to be mostly industrial; we were pleasantly surprised to find the old city center well worth visiting. We entered under the arched gateway leading into the town square. Straight across the square is the gothic Practors palace. The imposing bell towers architecture reminded me of the church and bell towers of Venice.

Small shops and cafes line the square; we decided to walk and explore the narrow cobbled streets, taking in the local flavors. We admired their sparkling whites hanging on the wash lines that crisscrossed some of the walkways.

An hour later found us at the seafront. Choosing a café with a good view of the sea, we sat. Sipping on our drinks, we observed young mothers pushing strollers, Men in beautifully tailored suits were drinking coffee and eating cake, old women were riding bikes complete with wicker baskets. Oh, how I envied them with their bike lanes!!

Later, we strolled along the seafront, looked over the Yachts in the harbour, what a beautiful view. We encountered a colorful group of raucous students celebrating the end of the term. They had painted faces, colourful t-shirts, and black mortarboards atop their heads. All were in high spirits, enjoying their day.

Alas, because of time constraints, we had to leave Koper, but we will return.

Quick Tips:

Visit the Cathedral, open 7am-12pm and 3pm-7pm. Enjoy strolling in the town square. Admire the Da Ponte fountain and City Gate.

Visit the Music school (recommended by our waiter).

Visit the ancient Venetian grain storehouse. Wander the narrow streets and chat with the friendly locals. The harbour is quite scenic with a lovely shaded park. Quite close to the city is Socerb Castle, old Istrian villages and Skocjanski natural reserve. Koper is a good base to explore the coast. It really deserves more than an overnight stay.

Best Way To Get Around:

We found Koper to be a walkable city. Taxis are evident and local buses run frequently to the coast towns, as well as other parts of Slovenia. We were not there long enough to check out timetables. However, they do have a very good information center.

This is a comfortable, modern style hotel situated a few minutes walk from the old center.

We had a moderate sized room with Queen-sized bed and ensuite shower. It was furnished simply with armchair, table and two hard backed chairs. There was satellite TV, a mini-fridge and safe. {Extra charge}

We paid 58 euros including European breakfast, which was served from 7am until 10am. Downstairs, there was a restaurant with small bar also Internet access. Unfortunately, the person on the desk did not have the access code so I couldn’t use it. The Restaurant closes at 10pm.

We found the parking lot well lit. there wasn't any noise between rooms or in hallways.
email: city@hotel-vodisek.com
www.hotel-vodisek.com

This hotel was centrally located, walking distance to all the sights.

Our room was large with a queen-size bed. Usual A/C, in room safe. A big plus was the provision of an iron and board. Coffee and tea maker, usual toilet articles. Oh! Almost forgot, a tub. {Great after a long day of hiking}

We did not have reservations but had pre-checked this hotel from reading the journals. There are two restaurants but we did not eat at the hotel, however we did have a drink in the cocktail bar.

The included breakfast was one of the best we have ever had in Europe - so many choices, served in a bright, lovely breakfast room. The price per night for two of us was $180.

Credit cards were fine. Parking was also included - a big plus, because we noticed driving through the city that most of the public parking was jammed in tight. Unable to take photographs; unfortunately, camera was out of order.

This modern hotel is situated across from Lake Bled.

Every amenity one could possibly require is available, from the beautifully furnished and spacious room to the lounge's bar and restaurant. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable regarding places to see and provision of maps.

We had a lake view room with balcony great for watching the glorious sunsets and to gaze at the beautiful scenery. No charge for that!

Breakfast and parking was included in the price. I cannot find the receipt but am sure it was around $120 US.

There are so many amenities at this hotel that, only staying one night, we did not have time to take advantage of all of them; I would say this is an excellent place to spend at least a week and to use as a base for excursions into the surrounding areas. The bus service is regular and reasonably priced.

We were tempted to cancel our trip into Austria; ah well, there is always next time.

Email: recpark@gp-hoteli-bled.si

We chose to spend a week here in Slovenia after talking with friends who were originally from this beautiful country.

They described its beauty and stressed that the problems in Yugoslavia did not touch Slovenia. I mention this because several people remarked that travel might a problem, even stating, "Why would you want to go there?" Perhaps this journal will answer that question.

For a country that is bordered by such diverse cultures as Italy, Austria, Croatia and Hungary extremes of beauty abound, From the Adriatic Sea to the Alps, Slovenia is a jewel-awaiting discovery. Soaring Alpine mountains, Crystal Lakes a turquoise River, Castles in the air and well tended farmlands.

We picked up our rental car at the airport in Trieste, making Koper {see Journal} our first stop. It was well-signed and good roads, some of the highways are tolled. {Cost depended on distance traveled} From accessing the highway to Koper from the border we paid around $7 {Canadian}.

The drivers were polite and the road signs clear.

We had the usual problems accessing parking because in Slovenia public parking requires a ticket obtainable from newsstands and gas stations, so just leave the ticket on the dash. Expect the most popular towns to have crowded conditions when it comes to parking. We often parked on the outer edges and walked into the core.

On this trip we did not pre-book hotels, simply because we didn’t want to tie ourselves down. We had no problems finding accommodations within our price range. I did check out the various hotels on line and found we paid a little less by not pre-booking.

Having the car enabled us to stop whenever we felt like it, like Gostilnas {Great for regional meals} and village cafes. We had the freedom to discover cities and towns filled with living history. Slovenia really has it all. Treat yourself, walk the old town cores, talk to local people, and you will fall in love as we did. By the way, our friends were right on about its beauty.

We tend to avoid big cities, parking and navigating can be stressful, but we made an exception in order to see this capital city. We drove in from Porec {Croatia} a bit tired from our day of sightseeing and driving.

We had not booked a hotel, but followed the signs for the hotel we had pre-selected from reading the journals.

After an invigorating shower, we set out to investigate the city, it turned out to be walk able, and armed with a street map we took a stroll along the River.

I do think this city is best seen on foot, a virtual architectural treasure hunt. We know we will need to return to fully explore its treasures, but our first impression was of awe.

Baroque facades, the magnificent hill top castle view, almost a living postcard.

We had eaten a large lunch so opted for a Vegetarian burger and beer at a pretty riverside café. I was fascinated by the different concoctions of ice cream desserts, gaily decorated with colorful strands of what appeared to be tinfoil, or topped with sparklers. I was sorely tempted to ask permission to take a photograph and regret now that I didn’t have the courage.

After our supper, we walked to the center square in the old town. {Presernov Trg.} It was filled with motorbikes. It must have been a special rally; music was playing, bikers in their leathers and not a policeman in sight. Every inch, on the steps of the Pink impressive Franciscan church steps, was filled with students and leather clad bikers.

On our way back to our hotel we lingered on the Dragon Bridge, enjoying the tranquility of the spot lit green river.

The next morning, after a huge breakfast, we began our day with a stroll to the open-air market. On the way I noticed school children and some adults eating ice cream {10am} I must say, I do not eat ice cream but got to think it must be something special. {Found out later I was right but that is for another entry}

Oh, what a market! Heavenly smells of fresh bread mingled with Roses and Cana lilies. The fruit and produce looked enticing, so we bought some fruit for the road, some crusty buns, and fresh cheese. We checked out lovely linen cloths all hand embroidered and so reasonable. Many stalls had handicrafts, leather purses, and shoes. I could have lingered, but we did have to see some other sights.

The market is right outside the Cathedral, so that was our next stop. This baroque church was heart stopping, filled with gold motifs, gothic Pieta and a stunning main door depicting the history of Slovenian Christianity.

From the main square we hiked up the hill to the castle {12th century}and the view was worth every minute of huffing and puffing. It was downright panoramic. Before our descent, we enjoyed a coffee on the terrace of the café, vowing to return to Ljubljana.

This city is one of the best; we have spent time in most of the major capitals, and this one is hard to top.

In the hustle and bustle of my life, an instant way for relaxation is to picture Lake Bled, our third stop in Slovenia, had it been our first it would have been difficult to leave.

Nestled at the foot of gorgeous snow tipped mountains and alpine greenery, the crystal shimmering lake seems to beckon one to stay awhile, enjoy it’s soothing effects.

This popular town is a haven for people of all ages and interests, be it hikers photographers, frazzled office workers all there to soak up the blissful surroundings. Even if you are not planning to stay overnight, or just passing through, settle on one of the many terraces fronting the lake, sip on a drink of your choice and take in the scene.

Observe the old Venetian style wooden boats, the motley dressed boatmen taking passengers to the island. , Enjoy the lulling sounds of his rhythmic rowing; contemplating this tranquil scene will remain in your memory forever. We drove from LjubLjana intending to have lunch then continue on to Austria, after gazing at the hypnotizing scene we decided to stay overnight. We were on the terrace of the Park Hotel. Good news a room available overlooking the lake, off we went to check it out. Good size best view.

After checking in, decided to walk; following the easy trail, this traverses the entire lake. Because we continually stopped to take in the view from different parts of the lake, ice cream breaks and photographs, the hike took us two hours.

Met many walkers and cyclists of all ages; the day was sunny, around 20 deg ideal for those activities. As we returned to the hotel, we saw a few kids on skateboards and roller blades. Shades of the outside world, infringing on our Eden.

We joined a group for the gondola ride to see the pilgrim church on the island. {$10} The church is situated in a very pretty woodland setting, amidst trees and fragrant shrubs. This church has a romanesque apse well worth seeing. I enjoyed just wandering around the little island.

Returned to the terrace for lunch. Soup and Pizza, then ice cream and cake, after all we were on vacation and calories don’t count.

Next on our "to do list" was the castle, perched on top of a steep cliff. It was not an easy climb, we were a bit tired from the earlier walk, however we were rewarded by the dazzling view of the lake and the surrounding countryside. From that area, one can see Slovenia’s highest peak. Triglav . There is a legend that claims Triglav is the home of a three-headed Deity, this Deity rules the underworld, sky, and earth. We spent a full day exploring only a small part of Bled, and ended it by having supper on our balcony, taking in the scene, sipping good Slovenian wine. It was the perfect ending to the day. To summarize there are so many activities in and around Lake bled, boat and bicycle rentals, many of the hotels have pools and saunas, we were told the nightlife is lively, our Hotel was putting on a cabaret that night, other hotels seem to have entertainment. A week would not be too long in this gem of a place.