LJUBLJANA continued

    A Vibrant City

            I always enjoy walking tours of a new city with a local docent. It is a great way to pick up a lot of information that one might miss otherwise.   

            During the walking tour of Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital city, our guide stopped at the statue of a well known poet telling us that it is the landmark for the city’s meeting place. Turning, she pointed down a lane to show us the orange woman in a picture frame on the second floor of a yellow house. “She is Julija, and to the right of her is Hauptman House, the only structure to survive the 1895 quake.”

            There were lots of bicycles, but we noticed only a very few of them were locked and that says a lot about the crime rate in a locale. We walked down a cobbled lane until the guide stopped in front of a 1706 baroque church, saying, “This door was made for the pope’s visit in 1996. It depicts the history of Christianity and the city. In ancient times churches were built on a hill with a protective wall around them. A linden tree will always be near a church. People sit under it to contemplate and solve problems. The country’s national tree has a heart shaped leaf and is a symbol of hospitality. Tea is sometimes brewed from the leaves.”

            During WW II Italians built a 23-mile long barb wire fence around the city that stayed for 105 days.  Slovenia is a country of bee keepers. Painted bee hive panels are a popular folk art souvenir item. The country produces 50,000 liters of honey a year. Fruit brandies are popular in this part of the world and in this area the drink is made from pears.

            From the cobbled square one has a good view of the picturesque medieval castle sitting high on the hill. It looked imposing. The   fortress provides a panoramic view from its vantage point.  The 12^th century Roman castle was added on to in the 17^th century. It fell into disrepair and was rebuilt in the 1940s and renovated in the 1970s. Two trails and a tourist train lead up to the castle/fort.

            St. George (dragon slayer) is the patron saint of the city and the dragon bridge has been the symbol of the city for years.   Several quaint bridges span the Ljubljana River flowing thru the heart of city.  The Triple Bridge with its Venetian vibe marks the half way point between Vienna and Venice, the crossroads of the Italian and German worlds.

            Everyone associates the Lipizzaner horses with Vienna, but this is the original home of the famous equines.

            Ljubljana is a vibrant exciting city, and I liked it a lot. People were very friendly. Many spoke English so language was not a problem. I had no need to play charades  which I do not do real well.

             

LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA

                                      A Charming Old City

            The drive from Vienna to Ljubljana was over a good road through pretty countryside back dropped by green mountains. Wild flowers were in bloom. Many maypoles were still standing in small villages. Pumpkins grow in the fertile areas, and apparently pumpkin oil is a big product. We crossed the border into Slovenia at noon. Officials came aboard to check passports. The European Union has opened up borders and relaxed restrictions. The only passport stamp we received the whole trip was on entry into the EU in Vienna. The Slovenia stamp occurred only because our guide had to collect all our passports at a stricter control point and the female official did us a favor by stamping them.

            Only 150 miles from Venice, Italy, the Slovenian capital city of 300,000 is a lazy old town clustered around a castle topped mountain.  Although a mid-sized European city and gateway to the Julian Alps, it maintains the friendliness of a small town, while possessing all the characteristics of a metropolis. Here, where cultures of the east and west meet, the old harmonizes with the new. Ljubljana, surrounded by hills, is in a fertile glacial valley.

            The city boomed when the railroad connected Vienna and Trieste. An 1895 earthquake destroyed the city and it was rebuilt in the then popular art nouveau style. Integrating historic structures with modern designs created a unique architectural style. Cafés, restaurants, and markets line the embankment of the Ljubljana   River that flows   through the city. Large market squares sprawl along the river’s south bank.

            I fell in love with Ljubljana. It is a city of young people and you can feel the excitement and vitality of the city. Ljubljana University brings many young people to the city----a city of culture, numerous theaters, museums, galleries and one of the oldest philharmonic academies in the world. Many cultural events take place in the Slovene capital. Top quality musicals, theater and fine arts performers, as well as alternative and avant-garde performers can be discovered in 14 international festivals.

            I learned that 85-88 percent of the country’s two million people are Slovene. The country is 55 percent forested. Mushroom picking and chestnut roasting are national sports. Biking and hiking are popular past times. Karst covers 28 percent of the land accounting for the many caves. Vineyards abound and wine is a popular drink. We learned local beers and wines are everywhere with each community having its own facilities. I cannot speak for the beer, which everyone said was good, but the wines, mostly white, were excellent.

            The city goes back to the 6^th century. During medieval times the country’s first settlement was in the large marsh lands that cover 53 square miles just outside of the city.  The two million year old marshlands are protected.  Now hops are grown in that area. The bitterness of the hops off sets the sweetness of the malt and is what makes beer so good. The city experienced earthquakes in 1895 and 1905.

          More about this lovely city next time.

PREDJAMA CASTLE

                                           A Cliff Hanger---literally

 Predjama (pred-YAH-mak) Castle, hangs and clings dramatically onto the side of a mountain. It is one of Europe’s most scenic castles. The current one was built in the 16^th century, but ledgers date to hundreds of years earlier.

            We stood mesmerized looking at the castle and wondered how in the world anyone could have built it, especially over five hundred years ago!

            In the 15^th century nobleman Erasmus killed the emperor’s cousin in a duel. He then spent years imprisoned in the castle nursing a grudge. When released, he used the castle, buried deep in the cave above the present one, as a home for Robin Hood antics. Peasants hated noblemen, so they didn’t mind that he kept the spoils for himself. The castle is 400 feet up the cliff, and  there are eight miles of tunnels!

            Soldiers from Trieste laid siege to the castle that lasted a year and a day. The only way to reach Erasmus was through a cave in the valley below and then  follow an extensive labyrinth of caves and tunnels. Soldiers starved and froze while Erasmus’ men sneaked out for supplies. They tormented the soldiers below by dropping leftover food on them. Eventually the soldiers formed a plan. They waited until Erasmus was using the latrine, which by design was on the outside of the castle. With a signal from a spy within, they blew him off the throne—literally--with a cannon ball. He is buried in the parking lot under the huge linden tree which his fiancé planted in 1484.

            We walked through a good part of the castle which was surprisingly comfortable. I didn’t venture very far into the large cave; once the daylight was gone so was I.

During the tour with a local guide we had a chance to view the 67-foot deep dry well that was used for punishment. Being thrown down that required no further punishment!

LAKE BLED

                A Picturesque Alpine Village 

Lake Bled is surrounded by the Julian Alps (after Julius Caesar). The Alps start in France, run across Central Europe ending in Slovenia. In the center of the lake is an island with an old church on the top of a hill.

            Alpine villages and soaring peaks dominate the resort area. Dense forest and small ski resorts mingle with the many hiking paths.  The natural beauty and healing hot springs have attracted tourists for centuries. A peaceful alpine village, built around a quaint baroque steeple, is around every ridge
Arriving at Lake Bled we took a pletna ride to the island. A pletna is likened to a Venetian gondola. It has a bench on each side of the boat so people face each other rather than sitting thwart to thwart. The boat is propelled by a boatman standing on the stern using double oars. The boatman has a specific rhythm to his rowing. It was a lovely slow ride. The lake was mirror calm. The boats are passed down to family members. A stranger  cannot arrive and set up a business.

            Most of us tackled the many stone steps up to the church at the top. The steps are not very steep but not real even either. There is also a path in the back that leads to the top.

            Sweeping alpine panoramas and the fairy tale island is very romantic. To prove the groom is worthy of his bride, it is tradition for the groom to carry his bride up the 92 steps from the pier to the Church of Assumption, sitting high on the hill.

      The 17^th century church, with its Venetian and Baroque flair, is the 5^th to occupy the spot on an islet in the middle of lake. The first was an 8^th century pagan temple dedicated to the Goddess of Love.   Legend says that if one rings the 1534 wishing bell, in the separate tower, the wish he makes will come true. Pulling the bell is not as easy as one would think!

            The church’s Madonna has the face of Maria Theresa.  Gothic frescoes decorate each side of the altar. In 1970 medieval graves were discovered around the church.  

            The return boat trip was longer as we went to the city rather than the dock. The lake covers 1.7 square miles and is 100 feet deep in some areas. It is 3.5 miles around the 1.5 mi long. lake. We had a chance to view the 800-year-old castle clinging to the rocky cliff. One peak of the Julian Alps reaches 9313 feet high.

            There is a lovely lakeside promenade. The area is known for its fantastic desserts to which I can attest! 

UNUSUAL SIGHTING

Postojna Cave's Albino Salamander

In Slovenia Postojna (pohSTOYnah), is a 20 kilometer subterranean labyrinth, making it the largest cave in Europe, but only five kilometers of the cave is open to the public. There are over 8000 caves in Slovenia with only 25 are open to the public. Like all caves, this amazing place was carved and shaped by water millions of years ago. Some of the abundant colorful stalagmites and stalactites reach one hundred feet. Translucent curtains of rock and skinny spaghetti stalactites were gorgeous.

The human fish—a long skinny salamander with fingers and toes, is the world’s largest cave dwelling animal. It can survive seven years without eating. The albino creature has both lungs and gills. They can grow to be 12 inches long and can live 100 years. Because of the total darkness this salamander is an albino. The live specimens are not fed for the four months they are on display in the cave.

The crowds were thick with many older school children. We started the tour of the cave on an electric train which took us five kilometers into the cave and then we walked another mile on well kept paths. The cave opened in 1819 and electricity arrived in 1820. The first push train was replaced with the miniature electric one in 1959. The lowest point in the cave is 163 feet below ground level. Thank goodness for electricity! The temperature in the cave is a constant 55 degrees so it was pleasant walking about. We picked up an English speaking guide when we left the train and before starting our walk.

Colors in the cave come from various elements. Red comes from iron, grey from magnesium, and green from algae.

The cave itself was gorgeous, and the albino creature added even more interest to this fantastic place.