Mr & Mrs Break - Ljubljana
This autumn we decided to visit the beautiful city of Ljubljana in Slovenia for a couple of nights. With direct flights available from Gatwick and Stansted we opted with the latter due to the flight times along with making sure we could drop the kids off at school before we headed to the airport.
Arriving into Ljubljana I had pre-booked our private transfer as I think it’s always reassuring to have this in place where you can. Not only is it the quickest way from the airport to the hotel but also means there are no extra costs involved and somewhat often higher taxi rates when booking there and then. 25 minutes later and we were at our hotel checking in. I had opted for the City Hotel which was a in a great location of the city with literally everything at our doorstep.
For our first night we headed out to a local restaurant as it was early evening time. I always think a city looks extra special in the evening, whether that's the lovely smells coming from the restaurants or the vibe I'm not sure, maybe they come hand in hand. After sampling some local Slovenian dishes and in particular a favourite of mine which was Lamb Goulash we headed out across the local landmark of the 3 bridges and spent some time browsing in the lovely boutique shops that are dotted around. Whether it was the designer shops or local shops there was something for everyone, I always like to add to our Christmas tree so picked up a couple of locally built wooden decorations that look amazing.
The next day we had planned in to go and visit Lake Bled which took up most of the day. We used the local bus service which was a 5-minute walk from our hotel. At a cost of €14 return we hopped on the bus and headed out to Bled, the journey took around an hour and a half. The sights along the way were beautiful from local villages to the mountains. We mentioned to each other how nice and relaxing it would be too live out here and in particular in the mountains. Maybe one day....
On arrival into Lake Bled we were struck with how calm it was. Naturally a popular landmark for Slovenia and we straight away realised why. A lovely huge lake where the water stayed calm and flat surrounded by the mountains, a perfect place to relax and unwind.
After walking around the lake, we decided to visit the little island that is in the middle of the lake. It cost around €14 return and was worth every penny. The boat that took us was like a gondola you would expect to see in Venice. Going back to the calmness of it all, it was nice that the boats were manually rowed as opposed to any electric motor, so we sat back and enjoyed the short journey over to the island. The man rowing the boat for us, who must be very fit doing this all day, explained a few things about the island and was keen to tell us that you can actually get married on the island. What an amazing experience and setting that would be! It took around 20 minutes to get to the island and although the weather was sunny no one was swimming in the lake. I imagine during the peak summer months that this would be very popular in the designated area.
We had 45 minutes to explore the island which literally consisted of a church, small restaurant and gift shop. The views from here though were amazing! No photos I took would do it justice. We climbed the church tower and had a walk around taking lots of photos. It would have been rude not to have an ice cream which tasted delicious. Having a sweet tooth, I know my ice creams well, and I can honestly say that these were one of the best, if not the best, I have ever tasted!
When we returned to the mainland, if you want to call it that, we had another walk around and a drink whilst again taking in the spectacular views of Lake Bled. We decided to head home late afternoon, so we could do some more shopping.
That evening we again headed out across the 3 bridges and found a lovely restaurant, you know those that have pretty lights and portable heaters which make the setting perfect. That night consisted of finding some more boutique shops that were hidden down the cobble streets. Going back to my sweet tooth, we decided to stop off at a coffee and cake shop before bedtime. I am a big fan of such establishments and Ljubljana didn't disappoint. A great relaxing setting eating some cake with coffee. The only problem was deciding which cake to go for as they all looked delicious!!
Our final day was spent hiring out some bikes directly from the hotel. Ljubljana is very much a bike heaven, perhaps not as big as Amsterdam, which can only be a good thing if you don't want to crash, but by hiring the bikes we got to explore the city even more. There was also a hidden agenda of burning some calories from the past couple of days might I add!
We also took a visit in at the castle which offered great views of the city and was a perfect picturesque moment.
Before our flight home we decided to take lunch at the local food market. Wow is all I can say about this. From local cuisine to around the world cuisine, there was something for everyone. The only problem, what to choose? My wife opted for the Thai dish where as I went with the ribs and coleslaw. If you are foodie, you will really like this!
Taking our pre-arranged transfer back to the airport from the hotel we were somewhat downbeat that the days had flown by but also naturally excited to see the kids. Ljubljana is only a small airport and much smaller than I had imagined. I quite like that though, a quick dash through security with no wait is always a good sign.
We both really had a fantastic time here. Of all the city breaks we have been to Ljubljana is definitely up there for one of the best we have visited. I think mainly due to the size of the city. Everything is walkable, and the vibe is brilliant. The food is amazing, and the locals were friendly and accommodating.
What more can you want?