2. Finding our feet in Slovenia - Exploring the less travelled north eastern region

So we’ve arrived in Slovenia, and it’s VERY hot! We were expecting higher than UK temperatures, but not 30+ 🥵 Chatting with locals it seems that these temperatures are unprecedented, and have been all summer - takes us back to our travels in Italy last year when they too were struggling with extreme highs. Wondering how we’re going to cope 🤣

Our first destination was a specialist mountain biking hotel, high up in the mountains at Jamnica, on the edge of the Karavanke mountain range by the Austrian border. Run by a really friendly and helpful young family, they have developed a beautiful natural biking park and eco hotel in the middle of nature. Great for us that they welcome camper vans to stay in their beautiful orchard - and with full use of all the hotel facilities 👍

Our camp at the Ekohotel

View from our camp at the Ekohotel

Dave got out on his bike a few times to explore the trails in the forest - I stayed back at base to chill (and get the blog on the go!) 😎 The place they had developed from an old farm was beautiful, and the views over the surrounding landscape stunning. It really was a bit too hot to be doing much at all though, so relaxing in the cool swimming pool felt like heaven 😃

Bliss 🤣

Lovely place to relax at the Ekohotel 

After a couple of days we decided to move on. We’d had a really lovely introduction to Slovenia, and our hosts had been so friendly and welcoming - setting us off on our way with maps and tips of good places to explore and hang out in other parts of their beautiful country ❤️

We were keen to explore the Logarska Valley, a beautiful glacial alpine valley, and not far away from Jamnica. We’d heard that the devastating floods in this part of Europe last winter had particularly affected this area, but that the valley was still accessible and open for business 👍 After a hair raising drive across the mountain range, only @25k in-total (but felt like an eternity), navigating huge bulldozer machinery and non paved roads, we eventually arrived at the Tourist Farm Ambrose-Gregory just outside of Solcava. The farm too had been affected by the floods (we had been warned), but was still managing to still operate as a business 😃 The devastation in this region is horrific, and just shows the power of uncontrolled water flow 😢 There’s so much reconstruction underway to try to rebuild roads, houses, other infrastructure, and re establish safe routes for river water flow.

On route to Logarska Valley 

Devastation caused by the flooding 😢

 

Anyway, once safely parked up, we set off on our bikes to explore the Logarska Valley, the valley entrance being only 3k away. From the entrance (free for cyclists, €7 for a car), we cycled the 7k to the valley head, from where there is a 15 minute walk to the Slap Rinka - a beautiful 90m drop waterfall of natural spring water, the second highest in Slovenia (and designated a natural heritage feature). Interestingly, as soon as the water hits the ground it actually goes underground, and reappears further down the valley in a river formation. This explains why all the river beds at the start of the walk were actually dry - and we were sceptical as to whether there would actually be any water falling when we arrived at the site 🤣 Its hard to make sense of the water flows in the region, and back at the cafe at the start of the walk up to the waterfall, there were notices up apologising for the presence of heavy bulldozer machinery and a sense of devastation - it transpiring that the area had been seriously flooded twice in the past few weeks, and seems that the valley has only been reopened a few days ago. 

Setting off to explore the Lorgaska Valley 

Rinka Waterfall 

Cafe perched by Rinka Waterfall - known as Eagles Nest

Stopped for coffee and cake on the return leg 🤣

It’s becoming obvious to us that English is very widely spoken here (very helpful for us 🤣). Everyone who has served us in either a shop, cafe, petrol station, park attendants etc have spoken fluent English. Turns out that around 57% of Slovenians are fluent in English, this being taught in primary school onwards, with some lessons actually being taught in English. We weren’t expecting this, but again are very grateful 🙏 Been finding out more about the political situation here, and are struck by some of the similarities with the UK. Back in 2022 a new centre left government was voted in, taking power from a right wing populist party. Two years later the country has a relaxed and positive feel. Here’s hoping for something similar back home 🤞😃

Leaving the Logarska Valley we decided to head east - the less visited part of Slovenia. Distances are not huge, and there were a few places we were keen to explore. Our first stop was Ptuj, the oldest town in Slovenia, yet one with a young and arty feel to it. We arrived at the main Ptuj camping site, a couple of kilometres outside the city. Linked to a thermal aqua park (not our scene 🤣), it was an easy cycle ride along the Drav river into the centre. Slovenia is extremely bike friendly, with even a bike only bridge crossing the river into central Ptuj, with the centre also being entirely car free. Temperatures were still very hot, around 33 degrees, but we ventured in on bikes. The centre is beautiful, majestic old buildings, the imposing castle above, and a beautiful monastery. After a bit of essential sightseeing, and a delicious gelato (compulsory 🤣) we headed back to camp to chill. Take away pizza and a bit of relaxation rounded off the evening 😃

Ptuj with the castle above

Old gateway of Ptuj

Ptuj over the rooftops from the castle 

Central Ptuj

Delicious 🤤 

Pizza delivery man 🤣

Before leaving in the morning (and after our 4k run 🤣), we tried to view a couple of ancient sites of sun worship.  Dave was fascinated by the discovery of a religion he had never heard of - Mithraism - an ancient religion worshiping the Sun God. Unfortunately the sites were only open to tourists at the weekends, so we were out of luck! But we did manage to peer through the iron grills covering the windows to get a glimpse 🤣 

Mithraic Temple - photo courtesy of the internet 
What we glimpsed through the iron grill 😊

Moving on, our next destination was a few kilometres further east - the Lutomer wine growing region - hailed as perhaps the most beautiful wine growing region in the country. Although only a short distance, our circuitous route in search of a river, actually took us over the border into Hungary. We joked at how easy it was to cross the border (in fact a sign in English saying Free Passage), within the context of Orban, quite controversially trying to keep foreigners out - the barbed wire fences seemingly symbolic 🤣

Safely back in Slovenia, and unfortunately having no luck finding a river, we arrived in Jeruzalem, the wine growing centre of the region. The area is quite small, but before long we were immersed in rolling hills of cultivated vine terraces, tractors bringing in the grapes, and welcoming signs inviting wine tasting and local delicacies every which way we looked - what’s not to like 🤣 It was amazingly beautiful, and so reminiscent of Tuscany and Umbria. 

Lutomer wine producing region

Our camp for the night was at a local wine producer, Tourist Farm Puklavec. Although offering hotel type rooms, the farm also provided space and facilities for 6 campervans, €20 per night, with the most amazing views over the vines and gently rolling hills - awesome 🤩 

Our camp view for the night 

Loved their clever use of old wine barrel for our water supply 😃

But perhaps most importantly, there was the most stunning outside terrace and restaurant, all set up to sample their own wines and home cooking delicacies. We were in heaven 😃 Spent a very pleasant evening chilling and watching the sun set over the vines, along with their wonderful Sauvignon and Rose, as well as a delicious robust Pinot Noir. Dinner was a set menu, clear beef & noodle soup (a typical Slovenian dish), followed by roast chicken, pasta and salad, finishing off with apple strudel. Extremely tasty home cooking, and all for €20 each (not including the wine 🤣). 

Perfection ❤️

Enjoying the dinner 

A delicious Pinor Noir

Our first taste of Slovenian strudel 

Watching the sun set over the vines

Only one other couple were camping that night - was great to share stories and travel tips 👍 Couldn’t leave though in the morning without purchasing some of the wines 🍷🥂 It was a really special place to stay, and we would love to have stayed longer, particularly as there were some well marked cycle routes taking in a number of different wine producers, but it was just far too hot! 🥵 Still way over 30 degrees, and with no river water close by, for Rubes and for us, we sadly decided to start our journey back to the west side of the country where we had a camping reservation coming up soon 😃 But before we left we called at the (one and only) tourist shop in Jeruzalem and bought some of the pumpkin seed oil and pesto, so famous in this region. We’d seen fields and fields of huge orange pumpkins (allotment envy 😂), with huge mounds by the roadside, or beautifully laid out for ornamental display. Can’t wait to try it with some pasta 😃

Pumpkins on display 

Our pumpkin seed oil purchases

We hadn’t known when we set out on this trip if we would travel to the eastern side of the country, but we are so glad that we have. There are some really special places to visit, and while not inundated with tourists, still enough people travelling around to necessitate a tourist infrastructure. Interesting though, still not come across any UK travellers or seen any UK registered vans. Think this will all change in the coming days as we head back west 🤣

We’re definitely enjoying our introduction to Slovenia. The country is beautiful, seems calm and peaceful, the locals are extremely welcoming and friendly (and speak English), there is a huge environmental eco emphasis, a strong biking culture, amazing opportunities for outdoor activities, and delicious home produced wines - what’s not to love! Still a way to go though with being won over with the local cuisine 🤣

We’re certainly connecting with the country tourism logo      I FEEL SLOVENIA ❤️