THIS IS S(LOVE)NIA – Part one
Ok, here’s a simple guide to having a wonderful time just 4 hours from Munich. World class golf combined with a fantastic time in a country with incredibly friendly people and extremely good cuisine. Now, everyone thinks I must have to get on a plane for this. Surely that must be far away? No! Many people think that Slovenia is a transit country that you pass through when you want to get to Croatia or the Mediterranean. Do yourself a favour and visit this little paradise!
It may sound a bit high-brow, but I’m going to introduce you to a few places that are sure to inspire you. After about three hours from Munich, you will pass the Slovenian border. 25 minutes later along the motorway heading south you will come to the Bled exit.
You will have two options on arrival. Either drive straight to the course and play golf or do as we did and head for the coast before returning to Bled. What! Slovenia has a coast? Yes, even if it is only a small piece between Italy and Croatia (about 20km of coastline) but it is very, very beautiful.
A place to see Slovenian life and to meet their friendly people is Piran. An idyllic little coastal town right on the border with Croatia. My recommendation for a place to stay is the Boutique BnB Hotel Memento. It is lovely and extremely atmospheric, nestled in the winding streets of Piran. The host is not only an extremely cool guy but also has a really cool feeling for design and interiors. For anyone who likes individualism, this is the best recommendation. 10 rooms and each one is unique, plus the fact that you can walk to everywhere from the hotel. The breakfast, which is included, is served every day in a small coffee shop called Theatro, right on the promenade of Piran. The breakfast at Theatro is not only visually amazing… you can choose between sandwiches, breakfast bowls and of course, a good americano or cappuccino. A highlight for all those who want to start the day healthy and young. #bowls #sandwich #smoothie #salad everything you need. The day could not start any better.
After a sunny day at the beach or maybe in the salt pans of Sečovlje (a pretty cool exclusive day spa in an active salt pans with relaxing massages) it’s time to have dinner in one of the many small restaurants. To name a few good names: the Pirate, Fritolin Pri Cantini, or Ladja Podlanica. My tip in the evening is the Pirate but, be warned, reservations are required!! Pirate is quite formal, but if you want the casual option then head for Fritolin Pri Cantini, almost street food, but delicious.
From Piran it’s a stone’s throw to Ljubljana, 90 minutes by car to be precise. When my Slovenian connection told me how great the city was, I just thought, yeah, whatever. And once again I was surprised to the max. Ljubljana is charming, has delicious restaurants such as Pops Place Pizza and a good range of nightlife and culture.
My recommendation for accommodation is the Cubo Hotel. The location is perfect, the rooms are modern and generally the design of the rooms is state of the art. But the really cool thing about the hotel is the Cubo Golf Course, 25 min from breakfast to the first tee!!! Now, that’s what I call a city and golf break.
Before I write a few words about the Cubo golf course, I have to mention the breakfast at the Cubo hotel or, WAIT, the hashtag #amazing hits it 36793%. You might think I am obsessed about breakfast, but I like to start the day right!
I liked the course a lot and it was totally in shape for the European Ladies Amateur Championship. Check out the link to the blogpost about Cubo golf.
We were only in Ljubljana and the Cubo hotel for two days but we left knowing we can always come back and we will come back. I highly recommend Cubo = #design #golf #culture #foodporn
From Ljubljana, we continued to my ‘so called’ heaven, Royal Bled. 40 minutes by car and you are standing on the best maintained course in the alpine region of Europe. That may be cheeky to other courses, you may think it’s too expensive at €150, you may have played it five years ago, STOP, it’s the best. Bled has become one of the best courses in the last few years through a lot of effort and investment. It is worth every euro. I don’t know if Steven Chappel, the head greenkeeper, means anything to you, but this guy is a luminary. Having prepared the 2014 Ryder Cup course at Gleneagles, his life is now in Bled. And Bled is lucky!
The panorama and the clubhouse are just top. I am the biggest fan of Bled. Come and play and I dare you to tell me you didn’t enjoy it 👊🏻. Bled keeps improving too. Next to the designer clubhouse there is a new guesthouse and a pool. To use a few hashtags again #golf #chill #goodlife #elite #inshape just perfect.
Royal Bled is only 10 minutes away from Lake Bled. Bled is a reflection of paradise. A top sightseeing spot located on the edge of Triglav National Park. It’s a tourist gem with a spectacular lake and its iconic island.
What should you do here? A rowing boat ride to the island. Ring the bell in the little church three times and carry your bride-to-be up all 100 steps to the church. If you don’t make it, you have a problem, and not only with your future wife. Now you must be hungry. As I wrote at the beginning of this blog post, Slovenia is a hidden gem when it comes to good food. My recommendation for Bled: Pension Berc Bled.
I’ll just say it #worldclass. I think the pictures say it all.
So your checklist ‘must do’ is stay at the Kings House at Royal Bled, play as much golf as possible, visit the lake, have dinner at Pension Berc Bled. Such is life, not everything is perfect. There was one slight disappointment, which came from perfection. We had dinner one evening with our Slovenia connection in Kranjska Gora in a restaurant that really is second to none. However, our first impression was of a shabby place, strange interior, young weird guys as waiters, the hitgh tech wine cooler with extremely good wines in this old dusty alpine hut seemed like an alien from another world. When the waiter / owner asked us how many courses we wanted to eat (3 / 5 / 7 or 11) we got scared. And then BAMMMM the first surprise came – a Barlauch soup from heaven. Unbelievable, I still remember how good this soup was, I can still taste it. Then a pulpo and some kind of fish paste accompanied by an excellent wine.
We were back 2 days later for a birthday menu. By far the best meal ever combined with an unique ambiance. Now ask yourself why this was disappointing. Simply because Milka (the name of the place) had to close down shortly after our visit and they had to give up the building. A big loss! !!! UPDATE !!! He is now cooking at Restaurant Mama Marija 😍😍😍
I know I will definitely be back to Slovenia. What a beautiful little country, with so many cultural and geographical differences that you can explore in such a short time. A pure dream. Get in the car and go and explore Slovenia.