Day Three: Bled and Radovljica

 
A full day in sumptuous Bled, the most beautiful place in Slovenia — and thankfully the weather cooperated! A cloud-streaked blue sky made for a bright teal lake and magical photos.

 Coming down to the shore, this was my first view of Bled Castle across the water.

 Next came the ultimate view of Lake Bled: the church-topped island with the castle in the background.

Kurentovanje Ptuj, Slovenia

 But Ptuj is worth visiting at almost any time of year. One of the many excellent museums in Ptuj Castle gives an excellent overview of the Kurent tradition, with a full room of masks, costumes and other ephemera from various centuries.

Other museums tell more about the history of Ptuj, which was settled in the 5th millennium BC. During Roman times, the city was bigger than London.

Ann Abel (to be continued) 

Ptuj, Slovenia Kurentovanje

 It was perfect weather for a street party, one with hundreds of costumed dancers and thousands of spectators. Tradition holds that women tie scarves or ribbons onto the staffs, and are spun around in a dance in return. I felt a bit dizzy by the end.

 It was all terrific fun, and I’m grateful to Ursula Kordiš of Wanderlux Journeys for taking me there as a post-script to days of exploring the Slovenian Alps in winter.

Ann Abel (to be continued) 

Kurentovanje, Ptuj, Slovenia

 As one might imagine, it originates in paganism; a centuries-long belief that masks could be used to connect with the spirit world. In this case, they were used to perform fertility rituals and to drive the fading winter away. (Understandably, the Catholic Church wasn’t thrilled with all of this, and the festival became part of the Carnival-Lent-Easter religious season.)

The cowbells certainly make quite a clanging, even though when I visited on an unseasonably warm February weekend, winter was nowhere in sight.

Ann Abel (to be continued) 

Ptuj, Slovenia

 It’s hard not to fall a little bit in love with a town where men dress themselves in sheepskins, giant masks, ribbons and cowbells and dance with strangers on the main street. Perhaps that’s an oversimplification of a centuries-old cultural tradition that’s part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. But it’s not wrong

Ptuj, the oldest town in Slovenia, has become famous for its carnival. (What? You thought the sheepskins and cowbells were an everyday thing? ) The dancing, sheepskinned men are called Kurenti, and the celebration is called Kurentovanje.

Ann Abel (to be continued) 

Slovenia Road Trip Bled

 From the Skocjan Caves, the two of us drove up to Bled, home to Lake Bled, one of the most famous sights in all of Slovenia. 

The accommodation for the night was at Garden Village, a green resort just a short walk from Lake Bled. I was absolutely blown away by this resort.

 

It was beautiful, natural, and the accommodation was a mixture of treehouses and luxury tents. It had a “swimming pond” that was built into the landscape and its own stream in the back. They grew so much of their food, including several varieties of mint for mojitos.

And look at their dining tables! That is GRASS!

Day Two: Škocjan Caves and Bled

 A second shimmy through the mountains brought us to the Skocjan Caves, Slovenia’s second World Heritage Site.

These caves are gargantuan, spooky, and an absolute must-visit if you’re traveling through Slovenia. I’ve never seen a few caves before (and even swam through one in the dark), but none of them have been as impressive as the Skocjan Caves.

 There’s also an excellent viewpoint on a trail behind the caves’ visitor center. Don’t miss it.

 Adventurous Kate (to be continued