dominick

I just have 4 days flying on easyjet from London to Ljubljana. I see that the country is quite small- I was thinking of staying in the capital for 2 days, then renting a car to go somwhere else for a couple of days- any suggestions? How is the Adriatic coast in Slovenia? Is Ljubljana a nice city? Thanks!

RJSachs

A little off-topic, but I often wondered how "Ljubljana" is pronounced.

Is it Lie-ub-lie-ana?

Aviatrix

Ljubljana is all right, but nothing special.

The Adriatic coast (what little there is of it!) is very pretty. Last time we were in Slovenia we drove around the mountains along the Italian border which are quite spectacular.

[This message has been edited by Aviatrix (edited Feb 22, 2004).]

cmhua777

It is equally hard to write how it is pronounced but you have it close. The L is very quick and is combined with the jub (eub) to make the first of 2 syllabuls. The ljana is also very close to what you would assume it is pronounced as. Instead of lie-ana it is closer to blEana.

USAFAN

I have been near the border to Austria (near Graz)... very nice scenery, like Tuscany. It's a wine country. Graz is nice too.

Aviatrix

South of Graz is quite pretty (we have friends near Murska Sobota), but it's not what I would call spectacular.

If you want spectacular scenery you should definitely head for the mountains between Ljubljana and the Italian border.

stut

I very much enjoyed Ljubljana: it's a pleasant little city, with good food (as you'd expect from its geographical location, a mix of Italian and Balkan), and, given its large student population, a decent alternative nightlife. And, of course, the Balkan obsession of ice cream cafés. And a very interesting horse burger take-away on Trubariceva.

But it's not huge. Getting out of town is definitely a good idea. I'm not sure you'd need a car, though.

Depending on the weather, you may want to head either to Bled or to the coast. For Bled, you can drive, or get the train to Jesenice, where there's plenty of bus connections. Bled itself is lovely, with the campest of mountains, the Julian Alps, and a fairytale castle in the lake. For the coast, you can get the train to Koper (Capodistria in Italian), which takes about 2 1/2 hours. The last part of this journey, as the train winds its way down to the coast, is stunning. From there, you have some beautiful little coastal towns, and the old resorts. Definitely worth a visit.

On pronunciation... The South Slavic 'j' is like a 'y' in English, only sharper. 'Lj' sounds like the 'lli' in 'million'. I seem to remember the stress being on the last syllable, and the 'a' sounding halfway between 'ah' and 'uh'.

travelmad478

It is hard to write how the word is pronounced--cmhua777 does a good job. The "lj" sound is also like "gli" in Italian, which is often likened to the "lli" in "million" as stut notes.

If I had to write the pronunciation, I could add: "lyoob-LYAH-na". Stress is on the middle syllable, not the last.

This is a great little city, very pretty and with a lot of culture packed into a small place. Last summer, I visited friends who live there and just loved the place. I can recommend the Zlata Ribica (Golden Fish) restaurant, right in the middle of town at Cankarjevo nabrežje 5-7. They have a nice outdoor patio and the food is very good, local cuisine.

For a good grounding on what to do in Ljubljana, see http://www.geocities.com/ljubljanalife/index.htm


[This message has been edited by travelmad478 (edited Feb 22, 2004).]

stut

And, of course, you can enjoy Laško, the liquid bread...

http://www.pivo-lasko.si/eng/slo/o_pivu/tekoci_kruh.asp

epi231

Hello,

I was in Slovenia in August '03. Ljubljana is not particularly noteworthy; a day will be sufficient to visit the Castle, see the museums, and get a good taste of the city. On the other hand, Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj are marvelous (at least in the summer), and you can easily spend a day at Bled, perhaps less at Bohinj. Both are accessible by bus from Ljubljana and are 2-2.5 hours away.

Unfortunately I did not have a chance to go to the coast, but it sounds like it should be great as well.

Alex

SNA1K

I will be in Maribor this coming weekend--mainly because of family. However, my two favorite cities in Slovenia are Bled (as mentioned above) and Piran on the Adriatic coast. Piran is an old Venetian Republic city that is very picturesque; has some excellent restaurants, quaint pubs, and beautiful sea views. As most of the streets are very narrow cobblestone most vehicles must park outside of the city.

FlyForFun

Bled is my city's official Sister City. They are celebrating their 1,000 anniversary this year so lots of festivities are scheduled. Avoid April 25 through May 1 unless you want to party with a bunch of Texans.

Bled has a wonderful tourist office and a great web site www.bled.si/eng/sredina.htm
The people are warm, friendly, and hospitable. One of the best hotels is the Hotel Villa Bled - the former home of Tito. Janez, the manager, is absolutely wonderful - charming, brilliant, and quite attractive.

English is spoken very fluently by everyone under the age of 30.

Have a great time.

wildblue

I stayed at this place near Lake Bohinj several years ago. Right near the Julian Alps - I took a few good hikes around the area. Less touristy than Lake Bled. I took a bus up from Llubjlana.

http://www.impel-bohinj.si/

fastflyer

Vila Bled is indeed a wonderful place. It was one of several summer resorts used by Yugoslav leader Marshall Tito, who was Croatian. Ask for the Margaret Thatcher suite.

It is a Relais & Chateaux property, and has a delightful restaurant.

Driving down the Adriatic coast is pleasant, also. From Slovenia, a drive to the Dalmatian coast of Croatia is a nice activity for a few days.