Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Hey Adventurers, let’s twist it up a bit! Today’s episode on the Art of Adventure is a new type of episode which features our week trip in Slovenia. Moving forward, we will be featuring places/countries that we have visited for the first time so you too could discover amazing countries for your next big adventure.

Slovenia is a country in Central Europe known for its unique terrain, ski resorts, and magnificent lakes. Since we are currently living in Croatia, my wife and I decided to take a week off to travel and relax. We were presented with several options of places to visit but we decided to go for Slovenia – and we make an excellent choice!

On this episode, I will share our exciting trip in Slovenia:

• The road trip to Slovenia
• Our stay in Ljubljana
• Places we visited in Slovenia
• Activities, cafes, hotels to experience
• The castle of Otočec
• Slovenian culture
• Must-visit tourist attractions
• Breathtaking views

Bled,

we went for a walk around the village we stayed (Bohinjska Beka) in the Julian Alps in Slovenia.
Many of the houses are built right into the rock (including our @airbnb – the shower was in a cave!)
There is an area for rock climbing, a waterfall, and a series of ladders up a slot canyon to get to this viewpoint on a 200 ft tall pillar of rock.
There were helicopters flying everywhere because apparently there is a military training grounds up the valley.

Castle Grad Otočec

Castle Grad Otočec

Eleonora greeted us as we arrived at @castleotocec…
We fell under her spell – she is a beautiful singer and lute player.
She told us that she lives in a different castle 1 kilometer away and invited us there for a visit.
It’s really cool to see castles still in use.
When I was 8 or 9 my family went to England and I remember playing in all the ruins.
But castles don’t become have to turn into ruins.
Otočec Castle is a Slovenian treasure and by operating it as a hotel and event space, they effectively preserve their heritage.
I recently read about Italy doing something similar – they are giving away castles and chateaus for free if you turn it into a business like a restaurant or hotel.
Would you rather live in a castle or a modern home?

It really blows my mind to think just how much prosperity we have.
You have access to more than emperors and kings from days gone by: you can get your meals cooked for you at a restaurant – no need for a staff of 400 chefs, you can read all night if you want- no need to spend a fortune on candles, you can learn anything you want – no need to buy a library of books, you can text someone at anytime-no need to write a letter and wait weeks for a reply.
No matter how you look at it, you are one of the richest people in history!

The food here at castleotocec has been amazing!
The manager of the hotel was telling me that everyone here has a vineyard no matter what their occupation. Yes, he has one too!
I saw some gypsies catching fish and cooking them right on the side of the river – the river is so clean you could just walk out your door catch a fish and cook it up!
One thing we have noticed here in Slovenia is the amazing quality of ingredients. With fresh ingredients- good Veggies, meats, and herbs, you are well on your way to an incredible meal.

Our room at Otocec – they even put a crib in there for Axel!

Otocec is the only water castle ( on an island) in Slovenia. The castle was built in the 1200’s and has been slowly expanded over the centuries. It burned during WWII, and was rebuilt in the 50’s, and was remodeled as the five star hotel that it is today in 2008.

We took advantage of saunas and pools at the nearby Hotel Sport