Sečoveljske Soline, or the Sečovlje Salt Pans, are located just south of Portorož on the Slovenian coast, close to the Croatian border at the Dragonja river estuary. This is a poetic landscape steeped in history, where salt has been farmed for over 1000 years. It is also an important wetland bird sanctuary and nature reserve.... Continue Reading →
Postcards from Slovenia #40: Izola
Izola is a small fishing town on the Slovenian coast, which retains much of its Venetian character. It boasts a picturesque marina affording stunning views across the Adriatic Sea towards Venice, and some great restaurants serving up local delicacies and of course the freshest of seafood! History of Izola Izola seen from the nearby hill... Continue Reading →
Postcards from Slovenia 2020: A Retrospective
When we moved to Slovenia in June, I started a new series of blog posts called Postcards from Slovenia. These are generally short, image-heavy posts with a little background history of the featured place. There is no particular order to them, though I think that together they form a diverse and interesting series, Slovenia being... Continue Reading →
Postcards from Slovenia #39: Pokljuka in Winter
Today's postcard comes to you from a true Christmas wonderland, the Pokljuka Plateau which lies at an altitude of 1100-1400m (3,600-4,600ft) high above the lakes of Bled and Bohinj. Though the ski slopes are currently closed, it is still possible to ski and sledge here, which those lucky enough to be locked down in the... Continue Reading →
Postcards from Slovenia #38: First Snow in Bled
As we are locked down within our borough at present, I sometimes worry about these posts getting a bit monotonous. Thankfully the weather is providing variety as the landscape does not look set to change for weeks to come. I could write about places I've visited in the past, but I think this kind of... Continue Reading →
Postcards from Slovenia #37: Winter Wonderland
I was surprised by how quickly winter descended upon our area as we entered the fourth week of lockdown. I've found it quite enchanting as I haven't seen a hard frost like this for years. Even in the UK before we left for Spain, 'cold and frosty mornings' were a rarity. Here, the temperature doesn't... Continue Reading →
Postcards from Slovenia #36: The Sava Bohinjka River
The Sava Bohinjka river in Northern Slovenia flows from springs fed by the Triglav Lakes Valley down the Komarca Cliff as the majestic Slap Savica then on into Lake Bohinj. From here it emerges in the village of Ribcev Laz and continues to flow through the valley connecting Bohinj with Bled, skirting the latter lake... Continue Reading →
Postcards from Slovenia #35 The Vrata Valley
The Vrata Valley is one of the most spectacular glacial valleys in the Julian Alps. This valley begins in the town of Mojstrana close to Kranjska Gora, and ends abruptly in the north wall of Slovenia's highest mountain, Triglav. Although it provides a door (literally vrata) to the highest of the Julian Alps, the valley... Continue Reading →
Postcards from Slovenia #34 Stol, 2236m
Ever since moving to the North of Slovenia, I have wanted to climb Stol. This mountain has been taunting me since June. At 2236m (7335ft) above sea level, it was out-of-bounds with no-one to look after the children. Then the snow fell and I thought I'd missed my chance for this year (I won't risk... Continue Reading →
Postcards from Slovenia #33: Autumn in Bled
The leaves have all but turned to brown or fallen by now, but what a stunning display of colour they went through in their final days. Especially delightful is the range of colour visible through different altitudes, as Autumn comes slightly earlier or slightly later depending how high up the mountainside the trees grow. I... Continue Reading →