|
Emphatically not to be missed while you're in Ljubljana is a visit to the Postojna Caves - easily managed either as a day-trip from the capital or en route south to Slovene Istria, to Croatia or to Italy. A lower-key alternative to the cave stopoff is Lipica , where the celebrated white Lipizzaner horses are bred, or Predjamski Grad , near Postojna, an atmospherically sombre castle high above a cave entrance in the midst of a dramatic landscape. Close to the borders with Italy and Croatia, the towns of Slovene Istria have long been popular tourist resorts, although through all the crowds, concrete and tourist settlements, the region has managed to retain some charm and identity. The basis of this is Italian, coming from the 400 years of Venetian rule that preceded the region's incorporation into the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and eventually into the Yugoslav federation. There's still a fair-sized Italian community here although many of the Italian speakers left Istria after World War II, afraid of what might happen once the communists took control. Even so, Slovene Istria remains one of the most Italianate parts of the entire region: there's a steady flow of traffic to and fro across the border, Italian is fairly widely spoken, and road signs are in Italian as well as Slovene. Along the coast, diminutive towns like Piran , with their cobbled piazzas, shuttered houses and back alleys laden with laundry, are almost overwhelmingly pretty. Koper , too, is worth a look, more port than resort and a good base for exploring northern Istria. To the northwest of Ljubljana, and within easy reach of the capital, are the mountain lakes of Bled and Bohinj , Slovenia's number-one tourist attraction. The Soca valley , on the western side of the Slovene alps, is much less touristed, although small towns like Kobarid and Bovec are excellent bases from which to indulge in rafting and walking. East of Ljubljana on the main route to Hungary, Ptuj is Slovenia's oldest town and one of its most attractive.
Your Tip for Beyond Ljubljana
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Beyond Ljubljana - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Beyond Ljubljana - visit the main Beyond Ljubljana forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Beyond Ljubljana webguide section below! Thanks.
|
