Did you know that SLOVENIA is the only country that has LOVE on its name? Yes, S-LOVE-NIA! There’s so much to love about this country and the name fits it so well. As a lover of nature and beautiful scenery, I fell in love with Slovenia the first time I laid my eyes on her. However there is more to Slovenia than just beautiful sights. That’s why their tourism slogan is “I Feel s-LOVE-nia!”
Imagine a scene from a fairy tale movie, perhaps you might think of castles, dragons, medieval buildings, mountains, lakes, forest, stories and legends and the list goes on. All of these you can find in Slovenia. Exciting right?
Let’s start with the breathtaking views. As soon as we entered Slovenian territory, we saw beautiful landscapes, greeneries, rolling fields and even a church on a hill. These were only some of the delightful sights we enjoyed while cruising the countryside.
Old Town Ljubljana – Graffiti, Cathedral, Bridges, Dragons and Castle
We arrived in Ljubljana the capital of Slovenia at around 3 o’clock in the afternoon. After getting settled in our hotel, we were given a walking tour of the Old Town by a local guide. As we started walking towards the important sites of the city, I’ve noticed the different graffiti’s all over the place. In fact it was the first thing I noticed while on the bus as we entered the capital.
The City of Graffiti and Hanging Shoes
The countless graffiti in the city might not give a good impression to some tourist. But for those with artistic inclination, they regard this as a form of art. In fact the different graffiti we saw became famous tourist attractions in the city.
Another weird thing that the city has are the hanging shoes. If you stroll along the streets of the Old Town you will see wires with shoes hanging on them. According to some of the locals, it started as a mystery because hanging shoes on a wire was never a tradition back then. However, according to some stories, the hanging of the shoes began when a shoe maker near the Shoemaker’s Bridge first hung a pair of shoes. After doing so, her shop got regularly visited by many customers. The second pair were hung by a lawyer and the next day he got his first job. The third one by a ballet dancer, and the rest followed. When people got hold of these stories, the wires began appearing in the city with multiple pairs of shoe hanging on it. Perhaps the belief that this would bring good luck is the reason why people hung their shoes. Until today the hanging of the shoes continues.
Dragon Bridge
One of the famous landmarks in the city is the Dragon Bridge. The bridge crosses the Ljubljanica River and connects Kopitar Street and Ressel Street. What’s interesting about the bridge are the dragons who guard it and the legend behind them.
There is a legend that Jason was the founder of Ljubljana, and he and his Argonauts killed a dragon. This is one of the four dragon statues in the bridge. According to local legends, when a virgin crosses the bridge, the dragons will wag their tails. Some local people have nicknamed this structure “mother-in-law” because of its fiery nature.
Dragon Bridge
Cathedral of St. Nicholas
the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, also known as the Ljubljana Cathedral, was originally a Gothic Church. It was replaced by a Baroque building in the 18th century. Today some of the decors and frescoes remain original.
Triple Bridge
People in Ljubljana back then must have been very fascinated with bridges. The city has many bridges and the most famous of them are the Triple Bridge which is a group of 3 pedestrian bridges that connects the historic and Medieval Old Town and the modern city of Ljubljana. So why settle for one bridge when you can have 3 in the same place.
Butcher’s Bridge
Restaurants along the Ljubljanica River and the Butcher’s Bridge.
Because Slovenia is a country of LOVE – couples and lovers of all sorts are free to express their love and secures it by hanging their love locks at the Butcher’s Bridge. As for me and my husband, we don’t need any love locks to secure our love for each other. True love doesn’t need anything to prove it, it will remain strong no matter what and it will last forever.
View of the Ljubljana Castle from the banks of Ljubljanica River
Due to time constraints we were not able to explore the Castle Complex. However, if you have extra time in Ljubljana, make sure to visit it. The views from the top are amazing and it’s really worth your time.
Lake Bled and Legends
From the capital Ljubljana we traveled for approximately 45 minutes to the town of Bled. The place is known for its fairy tale sights. It is surrounded by mountains and forest and a Medieval castle can be seen on top of a cliff overlooking the lake.
The place is truly breathtaking. I must say it was one of the best sights I’ve seen during our 11 days Eastern Highlights Tour with Expat Explore. It’s just a shame that we only spent less than an hour in Bled. Although we were lucky enough to see the place since it was not included in our tour itinerary to begin with. But still seeing Lake Bled up close and personal was a great experience and I can finally tick it off my bucket list.
The lake surrounds Bled Island (Blejski otok). The island has several buildings, the main one being the pilgrimage church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary (Cerkev Marijinega vnebovzetja), built in its current form near the end of the 17th century, and decorated with remains of Gothic frescos from around 1470 in the presbyterium and rich Baroque equipment. The church has a 52 m (171 ft) tower and there is a Baroque stairway dating from 1655 with 99 stone steps leading up to the building. The church is frequently visited and weddings are held there regularly. Traditionally it is considered good luck for the groom to carry his bride up the steps on the day of their wedding before ringing the bell and making a wish inside the church.
The Legend of the Sunken Bell
Once upon a time there lived a young widow in the castle of Bled. Her husband was killed by robbers and his body was thrown into the lake. She was so inconsolable that she gathered all her gold and silver and cast a bell for the chapel on the island, in memory to her husband. But the bell didn’t arrive there. The bell, the boat and boatmen sank during a terrible storm. The desperate widow sold all her property after this accident. She offered the proceeds for the construction of a new church on the island. She left Bled and lived the rest of her life in Rome as a nun. After her death the Pope had heard of her misfortune and of her good deeds during her life as a nun, so in memory to her he decide to make a new bell. He said that anyone that rings the bell three times and believes in God, his or her wish would come true.
Slovenia is truly magical. Given another opportunity I would definitely visit this country again and explore more.
References: Wikipedia and The Island Bled (www.bled.si)
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Such a lovely place. Slovenia is indeed the country of LOVE. 😊
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You’re right Johnny. It can definitely rival France 🙂
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That’s so true. Love to get to SLOVEnia!
But then our little red dot has the word ‘sing’ in it. We love to sing! lol
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That’s a good one. Joking aside, if given the opportunity, we will again visit Slovenia and the rest of the Balkans in a heartbeat 🙂
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We can see why!
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So glad you liked my home country, you should definitely go back and explore some more 😉
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We will for sure. Hopefully sooner than later. Thanks for the comment 🙂
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Fabulous photos of Slovenia and a very informative article. Those hanging shoes are amazing – how do people reach that high, perhaps with a ladder!
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Maybe. Not quite sure how. But the story behind it is quite interesting. Thanks for dropping by 🙂
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I wanna go there! Somehow, when I think of traveling Europe – eastern part comes to my mind. People are more easy going compared to my Scandinavia. That looks like a better place to have rest.
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Eastern Europe and the Balkans is almost a mystery to most people I know. But they have some nice places to go to and Slovenia is definitely one of them. Thanks for the comment Alex 🙂
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When I saw the photo of Lake Bled I thought “wow that looks like a fairytale” and sure enough that’s what you said! I love that you incorporate all the folk tales of the area. It helps bring it all to life.
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Lake Bled is one of the most (if not the most) scenic spot in Europe. Would have definitely stayed longer there given the chance to eexplore it more. Thanks for the comment Ann 🙂
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I am planning on going to Slovenia next year, so reading this post was really helpful. I LOVE that their tourism slogan is a pun on the word love. Your photos are all stunning, but I think I would be most exciting to see the dragon bridge. I like anything to do with dragons!
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I’m excited for you Stella. I’m quite certain that you will enjoy Slovenia as much as we did. Happy travels 🙂
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Such a beautiful country to explore. I wanna go here and take beautiful photographs!
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If that is the case, then make your travel plans now. It such a lovely country and you will definitely not regret visiting it. Thanks for dropping by 🙂
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Oh this place truly looks straight out of a fairy tale, i can stroll through those streets all day staring at graffiti images, it feels so vibrant and colourful and I find those shoe hanging stories bringing in good luck rather amusing, sometimes strange beliefs just make us sail through..
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Ljubljana is really one great green city. It’s not just lovely but its also very clean. hope you get to see it one day. Thanks for dropping by 🙂
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I thought Lake Bled was a highlight of the region….not so? If you were to return, how many days would you say you need there? 1, 2, 3? Looking forward to visiting Slovenia for sure!
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There are quite a number of interesting places to see in Slovenia. It would take maybe at least a week for you to be able to explore all of them. Hope you get to see Slovenia soon. Thanks for the comment 🙂
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I must confess that I knew near to nothing about Slovenia, except its name, before I read your post. Now I know a little better. Both Ljubljana and Lake Bled seem like amazing places to visit without the tourist rush that usually accompanies such places these days. Nice photographs.
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Thanks for the compliment… Hope you get to see Slovenia yourself. Its a really nice place to visit 🙂
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What a beautiful country. The sceneries are stunning and the countryside is breathtakingly beautiful. A lovely place to visit and definitely on my list now
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Hope you get to see it soon. Thanks for dropping by 🙂
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Dito po pala yung hanging shoes. Hehe. Ang ganda. Lalo na yung rolling hills. Sarap sa mata. 😍😍😍
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Hi Krishel… Ganda talaga dyan sa Slovenia. Sana makabalik nga kami kasi marami pa kaming gustong puntahan dyan sa bansa na yan 🙂
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Question po. Do you make an itinerary or do you have tour guides or spontaneous yung mga trip niyo po?
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Nagbayad kami ng isang travel agency na naka based sa UK for our European tours. 🙂
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Ay ok po. Ang saya. Mukha namang worth it sya 😊😊😊
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Its worth it naman talaga. Sila na kasi bahala sa lahat. Transpo, accommodations, at tours. Sa totoo lang baka mas lumalabas mas makakamura ka pa in the end. Very convenient pa sya 🙂
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The cathedrals always look like architectural masterpieces. Sobrang ganda, Ate! ❤
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Both Ljubljana and Bled are really pretty. Specially in the flesh. Sana makapunta ka rin dito sa mga lugar na ito 🙂
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So the hanging shoes means good luck? Wow! In the ‘hood, it shows that some one has died and is being mourned. That’s a vast cultural difference! Thanks for sharing.
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That is interesting… 🙂 Thanks for the comment Vox 🙂
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Eeeeep I will be heading to both these places in July and absolutely can’t wait!
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That’s great. I’m quite sure you’ll enjoy Slovenia as muchas we did. Happy travels 🙂
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Eeeeeep I’m visiting both these places in July – absolutely cannot wait! ❣️
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Awesome! I’m sure you will love the place. Happy travels! 🙂
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Your photos are absolutely amazing! I got to visit Ljubljana last year but now you’ve got me wanderlust-ing over Lake Bled! Looks like I’ll have to make another trip back to sLOVEnia 😉
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Thanks for the compliment Taylor. Hope you get to see Bled soon. Happy travels 🙂
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I feel the sLOVEenia. I heard so many wonderful things about it and I can’t wait to go there someday 😍
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Hope you get to see Slovenia sooner than later. Thanks for the comment 🙂
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Wow! The inside of that cathedral is just stunning! It always amazes me when original artworks somehow manage to remain preserved for hundreds of years!
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Ljubljana’s old town has quite a number of sites to behold. Its both interesting and historical. Thanks for dropping by 🙂
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I grew up in a city with a ton of bridges- Chicago- so I love that aspect of it. These bridges remind me more of what I saw in Venice though, but still, it looks like a neat city to explore and super pedestrian friendly too!
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You’re right Sophie. Ljubljana is a such a great cityy to explore. Everything is walking distance. Thanks for the comment 🙂
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Despite growing up right next to Slovenia in Hungary, I never visited the country. Such a shame as I think I would really like it. I love nature and adventures, and seems like Slovenia has it all! It is now on top of my list to visit! 🙂
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If that is the case then it might be time to buy train tickets and visit Slovenia. You’ll not regret it. Thanks for the comment Eniko 🙂
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What a beautiful country. I LOVE IT! everything is beautiful and it really does seem like a postcard fairytale. The countryside is incredible and all of the colors are amazing. I love that you added all of the legends into this post as well.
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Hi Christina Slovenia is indeed a beautiful country. Hope you get to see it for yourself. Thanks for the comment 🙂
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haha thats a brilliant fact – I didnt even think about the ‘LOVE’ before now. That love bridge looks far more organised that the one in Paris where the bridge nearly fell down!
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Hi Nicky. Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, could actually rival Paris as the city of love in Europe. Thanks for dropping by 🙂
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Stunning photos! I love the interior of Cathedral of St. Nicholas. Amazing post indeed
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Thanks for the compliment. Hope yu get to see the cathedral for yourself. 🙂
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Well you’ve sure sold me. What a stunning city. Beautiful photos and descriptions- thank you for sharing!
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You’re welcome. Hope you get to see it too and soon. Thanks for dropping by 🙂
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