I didn’t know what to expect from Slovenia, I had chose to go there because it was fairly easy for me to get there from Italy and I had heard good things. After arriving at Bergamo airport, I took a Flixbus to Trieste and stayed one night and then took another bus directly to the capital city of Ljubljana.
Ljubljana is just darling, not a word I usually use but I can’t think of a better word, maybe magical. Once inside the old city center, it’s like being transported to some modern day fairytale with a castle looming high above on a hill, ornate buildings and dragon bridges! I really had to keep asking myself “is this place real?’.
Dragon’s Bridge in Ljubljana, Slovenia
Ljubljana with Castle above
While the city is small and you could probably see everything within a day, I decided to stay for 3 days. I had prearranged several tours of the city and a traditional Slovenian dance dinner.
On my first night in Ljubljana I went to the Traditional Slovenian Evening at a local restaurant. The evening included a traditional Slovenian dinner along with folkloric dancing and music. I was greeted just outside the entrance of the restaurant by the musicians and dancers who served us a traditional liquor and dried fruits. The restaurant had a rustic old timey feel, with wood tables, chandeliers, and old wood doors on the ceiling. After an appetizer of traditional meats and cheese, the dancers and musicians came out. There were 4 couples; each couple was wearing a different costume for different regions of Slovenia which they described to us and told us which region it was from.They danced a couple of songs and then played a game of pass the hat. The dancers came out after dinner again and danced some more and we played musical chairs. It ended with a broom dance where the person with the broom taps a person on the shoulder and then you follow them-a folkloric conga line if you will! Many of us joined the line and weaved our way through the restaurant. The line then breaks into couples dancing. The evening lasted about 2 hours, it was definitely touristy but I enjoyed watching the dancing and hearing the music. I even found myself wishing there was more.
Traditional Slovenian Evening
The next evening I took a Music Walk with Ljubljana Guides. My guide, Alenka, met me at my hostel and off we went on our walking tour. After the first stop, we were joined by Bruno, my private violinist for the evening to serenade me through the streets of Ljubljana. We wound our way through the city making stops at locations that had musical significance; Alenka would tell me stories of music in each place and then Bruno would play a song or two in reference. It was freakin’ awesome! To be able to hear a story and then hear the music that goes along or came about from the story is such a wonderful experience. I won’t tell you about the places we visited or the stories but if your in Ljubljana, take this tour! One thing I was thrilled to hear is that Slovenia puts music in high regard and more than 70% of Slovenians play a musical instrument. At the end of the evening the three of us sat in a cafe and ate snacks and wine before one last serenade from Bruno.
Music Walk Tour with private violinist
On my last day I had arranged a food tour with Ljubljananjam. I met our guide, Iva, and the rest of the group in a central location in the city. Iva took us all around Ljubljana stopping at markets, restaurants, breweries and cafes. The tour and food was fantastic and it was fun to eat and drink our way through the city. It felt more like hanging out with a bunch of friends for the day and I enjoyed learning about (and eating) the cuisine of Slovenia. The food is very tasty and of high quality. I don’t think I ate a bad meal in Slovenia, certainly not on this tour.
Yum, Sausage! This was not included on the tour (I don’t want to show you that food so as not to give it away) but I did eat it!