Over Spring Break I took a road trip through the tiny country of Slovenia. If you had told me years ago that I would one day spend Easter on a mountain in Slovenia, I would have laughed. Or maybe shot a very confused expression. I had never even heard of Slovenia until I moved to Central Europe. Now I can honestly say that it is one of my favorite countries.

My trip started on Thursday, April 2nd, and ended on Tuesday, April 7th. Spring break in Europe falls around Easter, and in Hungary it awkwardly falls midweek, Wednesday to Wednesday. After an agonizing hour at Enterprise, in which we fiddled with a Ford that didn’t start, Meret and I drove off in a sweet little VW. We set off early on Thursday morning, and headed for the Hungary-Slovenia border.

I wish that I could describe the drive in more detail. Meret rightly declared that the highway scenery in Hungary resembles our Midwest; flat, brown farmland as far as the eye can see, with grey skies overhead. We were ecstatic to cross the border, where the sky seemed to clear up right away, and the landscape instantly transformed into green rolling hills with a horizon of snow-capped mountains.

Ljubljana
Our first stop was Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. We spent two days and three nights there. Tivoli Hostel was excellent, and we immediately made friends with our roommates. On the second day we signed up for a free walking tour of the city. Our Slovenian guide was very enthusiastic and knowledgable. I learned a great deal about this little city.

My favorite sights were the Franciscan Red Church, the Dragon Bridge, and the Open Kitchen market. We stopped for lunch in the market after the three hour tour, and I had delicious Slovenian/Serbian food. It was some of the best food I’ve had since I’ve been in Europe.

Next we set off to find the famous Metelkova district of the city. This is a former Yugoslavian barracks that hipsters took over after the fall of communism. It is now a mecca of wild graffiti and creepy sculptures. I loved it. Meret and I had fun taking too-cool-for-school pictures.

When night fell, we embarked on a ridiculous pub crawl through the city with Ljubljana Pub Crawl. We were joined by our new friends Molly and Zulieka. We also met a great group of US soldiers, who were visiting from their base in Italy. By early morning, we had been to three pubs and two clubs. It was a memorable night with an excellent group of people.

The Coast of Piran
On Saturday morning, we said sad goodbyes to Ljubljana, and set off for the coast of Slovenia. Our destination was Piran, the Venice of Slovenia. Molly and Zulieka joined us, as we offered to drop them off in Trieste afterwards. It was the only rainy day of our trip. Luckily, the coast still had a quiet beauty about it. It was just nice to see the sea, after being in a landlocked country for so long.

The Mountains of Boveč
After dropping off Zulieka and Molly at the Trieste train station, Meret and I headed for the mountain area of Boveč. The route took us through Italy, and we ended up getting quite lost. Luckily, we found the car’s built-in navigation system just in time for nightfall. We never would have made it to Boveč without it. Shoutout to Meret for driving up the curvy, treacherous mountain roads by moonlight!

Waking up the next morning, I immediately saw mountains from my hostel room window. It was a beautiful day, and we prepared for our first hike. This had been the number one goal of our trip; to hike up a mountain in the Julian Alps. Our wonderful hostel directed us to the best hike for hikers of our experience level. They pointed to Mount Svinjak, an impressive stone peak that looked more like a volcano than a mountain suited for the Alps.

It was a fantastic hike. The uphill route was rocky, slippery and overall challenging, and the views of the town and the surrounding mountains were spectacular. By the time we reached the top, we felt invincible.

About halfway up, there was a route to Čelo, an outdoor museum of a WWI fortification. Built by the Austro-Hungarian forces in defense against the Italians, the stone-walled trench lines the first ridge of Svinjak, and overlooks the deep valley below. There are tunnels and caves built into the mountain as well, to house the poor soldiers who were based here. WWI is my favorite subject in history, and I was geeking out.

A Hike Along the River Soča

Despite suffering from exceptionally sore legs, Meret and I decided to do a second, longer hike along the river. We had both seen pictures of the River Soča long before we moved to Hungary. This is a famous river that runs from Austria through Italy and Slovenia. It is well-known for its incredibly beautiful blue-green color. It is called the Emerald River, though Meret and I decided that it is more of a turquoise.

Our hike was 10km long. It was a great adventure- complete with moss-covered trails, and swinging bridges over the river. I thought of Middle Earth constantly. We lost the trail a couple of times, and we were relieved when we finally reached the gorge. Since we were then utterly exhausted and miles away from our car, we opted to hitchhike back. Neither of us had ever done this before, but we ignored our fears, and stuck our thumbs out. We were soon picked up by a lovely Italian couple. The man spoke a little English, and we had a pleasant conversation on the drive home to the hostel.

Lake Bled
The trip came to an end with a short drive to Lake Bled. Well, it should have been short, but we accidentally drove alll the way up a mountain to a closed road. The main road from Bovec had been closed due to a recent rockslide. Our hostel had warned us of this, but we of course forgot. I was driving, and I therefore had to drive allll the way back down and then allll the way up a different road. It worked out well though, since we then got a close-up view of the mountains. Snow piles lined the road as well, which is a sight that I haven’t seen since I left Michigan.

When we arrived at Lake Bled, we were somewhat underwhelmed. After spending days in the mountains, nothing could ever compare. But, the lake was beautiful nonetheless. The water was a deep blue, and an impressive mountain stood tall and proud at its edge.

We were back in home sweet home Budapest by 5 pm. I cannot express how much I loved this trip, and how much I love Slovenia. Not one complaint could be made. The people were friendly, smiley and eager to talk with us. The land was wild, free, and untamed by consumerism or tourism. I also made new friends in Ljubljana that I hope to see again one day soon. All in all, it was a trip that confirmed my newfound love for Central Europe. There is a vibrant energy here that simply can’t be found anywhere else.

Thank you to Meret for being the perfect travel buddy, and to the country of Slovenia for a wonderful journey.