Euro Trip with a Toddler- Slovenia! (Part II)
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| the Majestic Lake Bohinj |
Depart from Verona, we were doing a bit cross-country to Slovenia on the 6th day of our Eurotrip.
Basically, traveling with a child means being very lax with the schedule. Waking up late, going places in the afternoon, and retiring for the night too early. Plus, whenever and wherever we saw a playground, we had to stop for at least 30 minutes, if possible.
It was a very different experience for us compared to our previous itineraries during our pre-baby days. Across 18 days of Eurotrip, we usually spent at least 2 nights minimum if we wanted to explore a city properly, while 1-night stays meant we were just transiting and only had several hours for dinner and breakfast.
We chose minimum 3-star hotels only because we wanted our daughter to have more space to roam around the room, and the hotel had to be located within 1 km from the central station. It was because we brought luggage and a stroller and didn’t want to spend money or energy on unnecessary trips. Yes, the consequence was more expensive hotel rooms. But trust me, it was cheaper than spending money on taxis.
Since we wanted to explore Ljubljana the most, we spent 3 nights there. We took a FlixBus near Verona Porta Nuova and spent 6 hours on the road to reach Ljubljana. The trip mostly passed through toll roads, stopping briefly in Venice and Udine. Amazingly, while we were on the bus, it rained all the way from Verona to Ljubljana. Later, we heard that during the same time, there was a snowstorm in most northern parts of Slovenia.
Ljubjana-Slovenia
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| Dragon Bridge in the background |
If I am being honest, our next destination was our second most favorite place during this year’s Eurotrip. It was our first visit, and our main reason was the infamous Lake Bled. Previously, I saw a video of a tiny island in the middle of the calm Lake Bled and instantly put it on my wishlist.
When we arrived at Ljubljana Central Bus Station, it was already late afternoon. We were hungry and wanted to pee very badly. We thought there would be a brief stop at a rest area (usually FlixBus did that—maybe for other destinations).
Before that, how did my daughter thrive during a six-hour bus ride? Actually, it was her first time on a bus ride that long. She handled long train rides and flights just fine, but she’s a very active girl, so I was a bit anxious since the bus legroom wasn’t really spacious.
My formula is still the same, informing our next schedule to her at the previous day. I kept informing her about the bus trip, how long it would take, and what her schedule would be like. Thankfully, she was very obedient that time. She spent the ride snacking, having lunch, and then sleeping until we arrived in Ljubljana. A small blessing for me.
Then we arrived in Ljubljana and decided to try a Thai restaurant just across the station. Gratefully, the chef was an Indonesian living in Ljubljana. What a coincidence — or if I must say, something really magical, since I believe not many Indonesians live there. And the funnier thing was, there was also another Indonesian family (though they had already moved to Australia) having lunch there. It was such a funny coincidence. Anyway, the food was delicious. It was authentic Asian food!
We stayed at an Airbnb near the station. There was also a Lidl nearby, and we instantly knew it was time to cook rice for dinner! Actually, during our 3-day stay, we cooked dinner at the apartment, so we didn’t really have time to enjoy much local food. Yes, it was a shame, but our schedule was so packed.
Our second day in Ljubljana was spent exploring the city. We walked again to the Dragon Bridge area, which connects to the old town. Our first destination was Ljubljana Castle. Actually, visiting castles in Europe is one of my favorite things to do. I love reading about the history and, moreover, enjoying the view from the castle. As you know, castles were usually built at the highest point of the city for defense and visibility advantages.
We took a funicular to the castle. Since we arrived early, it was almost empty and there was no queue. We brought a stroller, though it wasn’t really necessary inside the castle. We used it later while exploring the city. There was an elevator in the castle, but we still needed to take the stairs to reach the watchtower.
The castle has been heavily renovated after surviving wars, fires, neglect, military use, prison conversion, and finally modernization. That’s why it feels very different compared to castles in other countries — more curated, modern, and less medieval. It’s probably also why not many people highly recommend visiting the castle.
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| View from the Castle |
But actually, if you miss visiting the castle, you miss out on one of the most beautiful views in the city. From there, we could see one of the best Alpine city views — the Julian Alps as a backdrop, with rows of red roofs stretching along the streets below the castle.
From the castle, we decided to have lunch then strolled around the old town and felt the atmosphere was somewhat like Prague, but less crowded. What I mean is not that the buildings were as Gothic as Prague’s, but rather that the city had a more fairy-tale-like atmosphere.
Speaking of the buildings, I am no expert, but I felt they looked much closer to Austrian cities like Salzburg. Later, I found out it was because Slovenia had been part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for centuries. Although a major earthquake in 1895 damaged most parts of the city, Ljubljana was rebuilt afterward. That is why the city now has such a mix of architectural styles.
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| The Triple Bridge |
Then, we decided to explore the city from the river’s perspective. We felt that the Ljubljanica River was the main artery of the city, and it would be exciting to see Ljubljana from that point of view.
We took a boat and spent about 45 minutes sailing through the river, passing Triple Bridge, Dragon Bridge, Butchers' Bridge, gardens, and finally the outskirts of the city where houses with riverfront views lined the banks.
Actually, I was expecting the journey to be much longer, like in Stockholm. But silly me — comparing a river to the sea.
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| a very cold ride |
Moreover, we felt that Ljubljana was much colder during those days, and the boat ride became a bit challenging because the wind picked up heavily. We wrapped ourselves in blankets, but it was still quite chilly, so I decided to move into the cabin afterward.
But just as we thought, although it looked like a very touristy thing to do, the boat ride offered a beautiful perspective of Ljubljana from the river.
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| The Franciscan Chuch of the Annunciation |
Then, we decided to look for a playground since we didn’t see any near the Airbnb or the old town. There was a playground inside a school area, but unfortunately we couldn’t enter it. We walked around 1.5 km to Tivoli City Park and found a very big and almost empty playground. My daughter spent more than an hour playing there while we rested for a bit.
The next day, we woke up early and joined a tour to Triglav National Park. Beforehand, we checked that taking a bus to Lake Bled would not cost much less than joining a tour. So we reserved one via Klook and rode in a minivan with five other people.
Our itinerary was originally centered around the Kranjska Gora area. Unfortunately, there was a big competition happening there, and if we insisted on going, we would have faced heavy traffic and huge crowds. So instead, we made a detour to visit another part of Triglav National Park — and yes, it was absolutely beautiful.
Maybe because the tour leader felt guilty about changing the itinerary, our schedule became packed: Vogel Ski Resort, Lake Bohinj, Lake Bled, Bled Castle, and finally Radovljica.
The trip from Ljubljana to the Vogel cable car was only around 75 minutes long, but it felt like entering an entirely different universe. After passing Lake Bled, the road wound through dense forests, tiny alpine villages with old churches standing on higher ground overlooking the green valley, and of course, mountain backdrops everywhere.
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| a small church along the way |
Honestly, it gave the feeling of stepping into the world of Van Helsing, not in a horror way! but in a mystical, Eastern European folklore kind of atmosphere. Adding to the magical feeling, the guide told us the fairy tale of Zlatorog, a mystical white mountain goat with golden horns.
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| View from the Cable Car |
After passing Lake Bohinj, we finally arrived at the station of Vogel Ski Resort. Again, I did not have any expectations since I had never even heard about it before. However, once we ascended from around 570 meters to 1,535 meters above sea level, we entered yet another universe! Slowly, Lake Bohinj disappeared behind the dense forests below, while an entire Alpine world began surrounding the cable car.
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| Vogel |
The snow was abundant and fluffy. Of course, it wasn’t artificial snow! The guide said there would be a large crowd in the ski area since it was the last weekend for skiing, but no, it was not crowded at all. Maybe for citizens of a city with a population of 300,000 people, her definition of “crowded” is a little bit different from mine.
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| One of our favorite photo |
We were only given 60 minutes to explore the area, so my husband and I decided to divide the tasks. I had brunch with my daughter at the small café in the cable car station while he explored the area, taking photos, and scouting the best viewpoint for us. Half an hour later, we switched roles. There was not much time to properly explore the area yet perhaps that was what made the scnenery ever more magical. We liked the surprise effect of the scenery’s transition. Just like in Alp de Suisi, we felt like we were enjoying spring and winter at the same time.
After descending the mountain by cable car, we continued our journey to Lake Bohinj — the most beautiful lake I had ever seen in my lifetime. It was a 10-minute ride from the cable car station.
When I got out of the car, the cold wind greeted us sharply. Yet the air was crisp and fresh. My lungs almost ached trying to take in all that freshness at once. We walked around the lake and saw the statue of Zlatorog before finally arriving to the shore.
There was a medieval church across the stone bridge overlooking the lake. I couldn’t take many angles because while I was busy taking pictures, my daughter decided to walk into the lake water :) She got wet from her shoes and socks to her trousers. Still, even without the distraction (or maybe it is just askill issue) my pictures didn’t do justice to the beauty of the church.
The lake was almost empty. Maybe it was too chilly, or maybe it is usually like that. But it added to the serene and magical ambience. The lake water was turquoise and crystal clear, shaped by Alpine glaciers (though Slovenia’s last glacier melted several years ago).
I wish I could paint this dreamy fantasy land. The Alpine background gave Switzerland vibes, yet the calmness and raw, untouched feeling were so different. I understood when people said this national park is a place where fairy tales are born. Additionally, it would not be surprising if we could see a fairy or two flying in the darkest night with the Milky Way in the background. If only I could save this feeling and memory in a Pensieve so I could revisit it whenever I needed to slow down in life.
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| a Dreamy Alps picture |
Again, we had only less than an hour to explore the area. So I silently promised myself that I would come back to Lake Bohinj in the future.Soon after, we continued to my most anticipated place, Lake Bled.
From afar, the lake slowly emerged with a castle perched high above the hills and the Alps stretching behind it. Unlike Bohinj’s bright turquoise tones, Lake Bled shimmered in deep blue and emerald shades, almost like the sea.
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| the postcard perfect |
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| Look at the Oarsman |
Yet, the journey to the tiny island in the middle of the lake felt like it took forever. We shared the boat with 17 other people, and somehow the wind blew so strongly that the lake became much rougher than I expected. The pletna boat, a traditional wooden boat, was rowed by a single oarsman using two oars while standing, a technique that requires remarkable balance and strength. What made it even more fascinating was that the profession had been passed down through generations for centuries.
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| Us, in Lake Bled |
The tiny island in the middle of the lake has been home to a Baroque church since the 9th century. We climbed the 99 stone stairs to reach the church. Surrounding the church were several viewpoints to enjoy the postcard-like scenery of Lake Bled. I sat near three sleeping ducks by the dock while quietly taking everything in. My ears, eyes, and even my lungs were enjoying the treat. The sound of water crashing gently against the stones, the chilly wind carrying impossibly fresh air, and of course the view that only several months ago I could only admire through my phone screen.
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| The view from the tiny island |
After enjoying vegan gelato that was not really to my taste, we explored Lake Bled like any other tourists in the world: eating Bled cream cake while sitting by the lake.
While Lake Bohinj gave off an untouched and serene atmosphere, Lake Bled felt more modern and tourist-friendly, yet still undeniably beautiful.
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| Josipina monument at Linhart Square. Radovljica |
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| Viewpoint in Radovljica |
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| Interior of St Peter's Church |
We explored the main area for no less than an hour and were too tired to explore any further. Afterwards, we boarded the car and drove back to Ljubljana. Our journey finished around 6 p.m. that day.
We decided to return to our Airbnb and have dinner. We went to bed early because we needed to move to another city the next day.
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| Grand canal |
Our next journey brought us to Florence, but before that, we had several hours of transit in Trieste to switch from a FlixBus to a train. We activated our Italy Pass that day to cover the trip.
As we arrived on the outskirts of Trieste, the sea suddenly emerged behind the hills. The bus followed a winding road down toward the city, with the deep blue sea stretching along our left side.
We left our luggage at the station and walked through the Grand Canal area. It was a Sunday around midday. Most of the shops along the route were closed, and the streets felt unusually quiet. But once we reached the canal and the square, it felt as though everyone in the city had gathered there.
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| Typical street at Trieste |
Trieste is located near the border between Italy and Slovenia. The city has long been considered a melting pot of Italian, Slovenian, and Germanic cultures because it was once the most important seaport of the Austro-Hungarian Empire rather than part of Italy itself. That is why Trieste feels far more Central European than typically Italian.
Yet the photogenic Grand Canal reminded me a little of Venice. But do not imagine a long and winding canal like those in Venice. The Canal Grande was built in the 18th century mainly to allow small merchant ships to enter the city center and unload goods near the markets and warehouses. At that time, Trieste was rapidly growing as the empire’s main seaport.
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| The Square facing directly to the sea |
Full of energy, we continued our walk toward Piazza Unità d'Italia, one of the largest sea-facing squares in Europe. The piazza felt grand yet strangely relaxed, framed by elegant Austro-Hungarian buildings with the Adriatic Sea opening wide before it. At the center stood the imposing city hall, while cafés spilled onto the square.
Illy was founded here in Trieste, and the city’s coffee culture was impossible to miss. So it was no surprise that the cafés were packed. We even had to put our names on a waiting list just to have lunch.
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| The City Hall at the Square |
Afterward, we walked to the pier just in front of the square. We spent a while daydreaming alongside other locals—or at least people who looked like locals while watching ships pass in and out of the port.
But we could not stay there for long because the wind was blowing so fiercely that my daughter almost fell over. Interestingly, Trieste is famous for the “Bora,” a powerful cold wind that can become strong enough to push people while they are walking.
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| The sea, the hills and the building |
We only stayed in Trieste for about four hours, which was nowhere near enough time to try the famous Trieste–Opicina Tramway or visit Miramare Castle, which we heard was beautiful. After lunch, we boarded a train to Venice before changing trains again for Florence.
My next post will continue our journey through the Tuscany region and down to Naples.
So far, we felt incredibly grateful to have visited Slovenia. It truly felt like an underrated gem. The accommodations were cheaper, as were the meals, and the calm atmosphere combined with its fairytale-like scenery made us feel as though we had discovered something special.
As for my toddler, since she is sensitive to cold weather, she started developing a runny nose while we were in Slovenia. I tried searching for allergy medicine for her in Trieste, only to discover that I needed a doctor’s prescription first. Since it was Sunday, I had no idea how to book a medical appointment there.
In the end, I only bought some vitamin D supplements that I had foolishly forgotten to bring from home. Thankfully, she felt much better once we reached Matera and the runny nose disappeared completely. So if you are traveling long-term with a toddler, do not forget to pack vitamins.
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