Slovenia & Croatia — aroundtheworldin-definitely

Having both Australian and British passports has proved useful once again. Exiting Venice to London ,on our Australian passports before our permitted 90 days were up we returned a few days later on our British passports for a further 90-day stay. As yet we haven’t tested the system and don’t know what happens if you overstay your welcome. Perhaps a slap on the wrist, a flagged passport or fine? But fyi, the Venice passport stampers weren’t at all interested in our previous stamps which was a bit annoying given our diligence.

It took just 2 hours to drive from Venice up towards the Austrian border before swinging a right into Slovenia. Slovenia is a small country that shares its borders with Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. It joined the EU in 2004 and became part of the Schengen zone in 2007. Initially recognised as a Slovene-speaking territory of southern Austria, it was one of six countries that formed the Federation of Yugoslavia in 1945, along with the republics of Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Macedonia. Today, it’s debatable as to whether or not it is a Balkan State, but due to its long historical ties with the Balkan Peninsular I have included it in this section. Under a “relatively relaxed” communist regime, Slovenia made good progress both economically and culturally during a period when Yugoslavia was a popular tourist destination and, uniquely, its communist citizens were allowed to travel to the West. Able to travel relatively hassle-free in both the East and the West, their “red passports” were worth even more on the black market than American ones.

Josip Broz (Tito), presided over Yugoslavia until his death in 1980 and whilst there are many different opinions as to how significant an event this was in relation to the continued unity of the six republics of Yugoslavia, the fact is that during the 1980’s the Federation started to fall apart. Slovenia was the first of the six republics to formally leave Yugoslavia, declaring independence in 1991. Despite triggering an intervention by the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA), Slovenia was successful in gaining its independence after a short and relatively bloodless 10-day war.

Following independence Slovenia reoriented its politics and economy toward western Europe and over the proceeding years political stability was enjoyed and it benefitted from a fast-growing economy, largely service oriented, particularly in the knowledge sector of computer science and nanotechnology. It is a country of huge landscape diversity, a place where the major European geographical units – the Alps, the Pannonian Plain, the Dinaric Karst and the Mediterranean – meet and overlap. It is water-rich and, as well as its many mountains, 60% of the country is covered by forests.

The first town we arrived at was Kranjska Gora, an attractive year-round mountain sports centre located in the Julian Alps from where we headed out on a 6-day hut-to-hut tour. Not having been able to put together such a tour in the Dolomites due to the lack of room in the huts, this seemed like a good alternative which would also enable us to climb Mt Triglav, Slovenia’s highest peak at 2,864m. Finding the website of a local tour company who had kindly detailed just enough of their itinerary for us to plot the same route into Gaia, we booked the necessary huts and set off from the Planica Nordic Ski Jump centre, incidentally, the only place in the world to have eight ski jumping hills and, according to Wikipedia, where 28 world records have been set.

Had we done a bit more research we may have been a bit more prepared for what was to come but given the lack of information we were able to find online we set off with high spirits. Things started off well enough with a steep 1,000m ascent up to the Vrsic Pass where we were amused at the local sheep desperately seeking shade amongst the parked cars when there was a huge expanse of grassed woodland not more than 500m away. As in the Dolomites, there were a couple of huts serving lunch after which we continued to our first mountain refugio Postarski dom na Vrsic which proved to be a soft introduction to hut life by way of running water, an inside toilet. It also marked the start of a 6-day diet that consisted mainly of sauerkraut and bean stew. Day 2 and things started to get a bit more tricky. We were aiming for the Planja Saddle just to the right of Mt Razor summit and after a long, hot traipse through dense undergrowth followed by numerous crossings of loose, unstable scree slopes, we found ourselves somewhat exposed on huge, almost vertical rock slabs with just the occasional iron rod protruding at a 90° angle to assist progress. Apart from three young guys going in the opposite direction the only other person we had seen all day was a lone female walker who had been consistently 15 minutes ahead of us since we set off. Taking into account our now isolated and somewhat foreboding surroundings, we figured that our sole companion was way more experienced in the ways of the mountain than we were and took some comfort in following in her footsteps as we continued upwards. With just grey sky and rock around us and sheer drops to the distant valley below, we scrambled and hauled ourselves up using the occasional metal rods and steel cables. Eventually we all reached the saddle where we learned that Rani of Belgium was just as surprised as we were to find herself mountaineering when she had booked herself on a self-guided hiking tour of the Julian Alps – the exact same tour that we had copied. Perhaps more worrying was that she was taking great comfort in the fact that we were behind her?????

Our relief at descending from the saddle was short lived as, in order to reach the Pogacnikov hut (which we could see in the distance), we again had to make use of the random and often curiously positioned cabling to come down the largest sheer scree field so far. You may now be wondering what sort of distances we were covering and as much as it pains me to share, we were taking around 6 hours to cover less than 10 km.

As we were getting higher up into the mountains the huts were becoming more basic and more busy. At the end of the third day there were so many of us up at Rifugio Dolicu that we were sleeping on mattresses pushed together on the floor to form a double line where 18 of us were arranged head to toe/toe to head. The reason this particular hut was so busy was its close proximity to Mount Triglav, the highest and most popular mountain in Slovenia. Not only is it on the state flag but there is also an unwritten rule that every Slovenian should climb to the top at least once in a lifetime. To facilitate this, there are four possible routes up, one of which started just 50m from Dolicu’s hole in the ground loo.

There was some debate as to whether or not we were mentally, physically and/or sufficiently equipped to attempt the summit of Triglav and it was difficult to decide whether our lack of via ferrata gear was a positive excuse not to go or a negative in that we would have to manage without. As the afternoon wore on and people started arriving at the hug having already made the climb, we were able to get a bit more information (mostly that despite having climbing gear, the majority weren’t using it) and so, against our better judgement, we decided to go. Rani, who admitted to difficulties sleeping, left at 5am and turned out to be the only summiteer that was granted views of the surrounding Alps. We reluctantly left the hut at 7am and it was an hour’s walk over the rocky landscape before we reached the bottom of the climb where we were once again faced with metal rods highlighting our vertical ascent up the rock. If there was ever a point to turn around, this would be it, as there was no way in the world that this could have been classified as hiking. Unwilling to be in a situation where we would be catching up with Rani later and having to admit failure, we gritted our teeth, girded our loins and went up, and up and up. Sometimes with the help of the rods and cables and sometimes just clinging on to the rock by our fingertips desperately trying not to think about the consequences of falling off. It took us another hour to reach the summit and instead of being rewarded by glorious views we stood on the top in swirling cloud. Apart from catching our breath, there was no other reason to hang around and so the whole exercise was repeated in reverse.

Our day wasn’t over when we returned to Dolicu Hut late morning, we still had another four hours hike to descend to Koca pri Triglavskih Jezerih. A 200-bed hut located at 1600m in the Valley of the Seven Lakes. We appreciated the return of the indoor facilities but for the first night during this tour we had a snorer in the midst. We had been amazed that up to this point, having been crammed like sardines into cramped sleeping quarters, not a single person had coughed, sneezed, farted or snored.

Our last couple of days were much more reminiscent of what we are used to as we continued down, away from the high peaks, eventually arriving at the small town of Tolmin. With all exertions behind us this now rates as a great trek/climb but was definitely the most challenging to date and we do consider ourselves quite fortunate to be able to write about it.

60km east we joined the long queue of traffic crawling into Bled, an Alpine resort which is correctly marketed as being particularly lively in the summer. We were lucky to get one of the last pitches on a site that stretched across 15 hectares of campground. Lake Bled, recently nominated as one of the new seven wonders of the world, is one of the most beautiful lakes I have seen and despite the amount of constant traffic heading into the town itself, once you arrive at the Lake it doesn’t feel too busy at all and there are enough bars and restaurants around the 6km perimeter to easily cope with all the visitors.

Prior to joining Yugoslavia, Slovenia had been part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for centuries and, like the Austrians, its people tend to be disciplined, diligent and hard-working. What set it apart for us though, was their attitude to sustainability; one in four Slovenians own a piece of forest – if a tree is chopped down another is planted – and the forests are expanding. Vegetable plots are ubiquitous although this hasn’t quite translated to what is available in the restaurants which unfortunately aligns with the less sustainable meat diet of other wealthy countries. And then there are the beekeepers, more beekeepers per capita than anywhere else in the world, the colourful panels on the hobbit-sized huts denoting apiaries that we saw all over the countryside.

Not surprisingly in a nation so aware, the Slovenians love exercise and are more than a little obsessed with ziplining. There are ziplines everywhere and Bled was no exception. Although not the steepest or most exhilarating ride on offer, Zipline Dolinka is the longest in Europe and for 2.5 hours we got to see Bled from a different viewpoint as we zipped along seven lines totalling 4km.

The end of the line as far as the Alps were concerned, we continued east almost to the Hungarian border and onto the Pannonian Plain, a large basin of more than 100,000 square kilometres that covers several countries in central and southeast Europe. Stretching across the northeast of Slovenia and referred to as Thermal Pannonia, the land is fertile and rich in therapeutic waters. We camped at Jeruzalem, one of Slovenia’s seven wine regions, on a tiny-grassed area, attached to a local winery. Overlooking the rolling vine covered hills, we shared the space with three other campers – all Austrians – and, as part of the package, enjoyed a sunset wine tasting of white and orange (white wine made like red wine) wines. We found the Slovenian wines to be a bit hit and miss. Some were good but many were acidic and sour, characteristics that were intentional and, unfortunately, often present in the food as well.

Moving on to the spa town of Rogaska Slatina, we were introduced to the unique mineral waters of Donat Mg. With magnesium content of more than 1,000 ml per litre and sourced from a spring created by Pegasus striking his hoof on a nearby mountain, this is apparently the answer to a variety of stress-related disorders. The town itself is among the most notable health resorts in Europe and from a small village has developed into a luxury destination consisting of half a dozen spa hotels as well as a state-of-the-art medical centre. Having been visited by various Royal families over the years, it maintains a genteel air and operates much like a community in that once in the resort you are encouraged to visit the other hotels for fitness classes, themed dinners, beauty offers and wellness talks. We were only there one night but did our best to sample as much as possible which included magnesium bathing and float tanks, reflexology, massage and yoga. It was quite a rush to fit it all in which was probably not entirely in-keeping with the idea of relaxation, peace and well-being but it is firmly on my list of places to re-visit should the need for a bit of R&R arise.

The Pannonian Plain box ticked, we were on to the Karst region, a rocky limestone plateau in Slovenia’s southwest. A landscape of subterranean worlds, the largest and most visited being the two-million-year old, 24km long, Postojna Cave. It is possible to visit more than 5km of the cave chambers, passageways and halls, 3.5km of which are showcased from a little electric train. The cave contains features such as The Skyscraper (a 16-metre-high stalagmite), The Brilliant (a 5m tall bright-white stalagmite), the Spaghetti Hall, the White Hall and the Concern Hall where a huge, ornate glass chandelier hangs from the roof. There is also a Biospeleological Station where we met with the blind Slenderneck Beetle and the curious Olm. Sometimes referred to as dragon’s offspring, this transluscent proteus with a length of 25 to 30cm is completely aquatic and lives its whole life in the darkness of the cave. With an ability to sense the bioelectric field of other organisms the olm is an ambush predator, but in the absence of a passing shrimp it can survive for over a decade without food. Perhaps the perfect pet for a traveller? But possibly the most extraordinary discovery was the world’s only cave post office that operates from the Concert Hall and from where you can send a cave postmarked postcard.

The cave tour is normally a two-packet bundle incorporating the Predjama Castle which is 9km down the road. The impregnable medieval castle perched in the middle of a 123-metre-cliff for more than 800 years is not something you come across every day. Listed in the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest cave castle, it is extraordinary. Built in the mouth of a cave with a network of secret tunnels carved into the surrounding rock, the castle is almost completely hidden on approach, only visible when you are about 500m away. Once inside. it’s obvious that safety rather than comfort was the biggest concern as the cold and damp almost defy habitability. Access was originally via retractable ladders to the main courtroom where visitors presented for rough justice and hoped that they didn’t proceed further into the castle as behind a thick wooden door the torture chamber contained a stretching rack and the horse, a painfully pointed triangular device they were made to straddle. The castle extends over a number of levels and is a most interesting place to visit – and that is from someone never terribly enthused about old buildings.

Avoiding the 40°C heat wave and hordes of summer tourists on Slovenia’s 47km of coastline, we opted to remain inland where the temperatures were a cooler 35-38°C and crossed into Croatia, a land of over 1,000 islands.

Croatia declared independence on the same day as Slovenia, but while Slovenia’s withdrawal was comparatively bloodless, Croatia’s was not to be. Between 1991 and 1995 the country saw armed conflict between the sizeable ethnic Serb minority supported by the Serb-controlled Yugoslav Army and Croat forces. The eventual outcome was a Croatian victory which achieved independence and border preservation but came at a cost of billions of Euros in damaged infrastructure and lost output. A total of 20,000 people were killed and refugees were displaced on both sides. Since 1995 Croatia has joined Nato (2009), the EU (2013) and the Schengen Zone (2023) - enlargement of Europe’s border-free area.

There were no obvious signs of the country’s recent turmoil as we drove across an invisible border towards Kuterevo, a small village situated between the coast and the Velebit Mountains. Since 2002, the villagers of Kuterevo have worked alongside volunteers to provides a unique sanctuary for orphaned and unwanted brown bears. Always a little wary about visiting wildlife sanctuaries, we were relieved and in awe of what Kuterevo has achieved. The love and attention to detail in creating an environment as natural as possible for bears that, due to human involvement, are no longer able to experience independent living was great to see. Hand carved, brightly coloured signs depicting each bear’s name and character, were displayed outside the large enclosures and the bears looked to be in excellent condition. Where possible the bears were living in groups of 2 or 3 with 10 bears in total. The sanctuary is free to visit and if you can grab a busy volunteer they are more than happy to give you the history of each bear and information about the refuge going forward. Volunteering opportunities can be found on http://volunteerhq.org/destinations/croatia/bear-conservation-in-kuterevo and http://www.cometocroatia.holiday/healthy-holiday/kuterevo-bear-sanctuary has an interesting and moving article with more information. If after reading you would like to make a donation, the details are:

Kuterevo Bear Refugium
Erste Bank 53220 Otocac
IBAN: HR3024020061100267578
SWIFT: ESBCHR22

It is true that most people visit Croatia for its spectacular coastline but one area well worth seeing is Plitvice Lakes National Park. Yes, it is overrun with bus loads of tourists on a day out from the coastal resorts, but if you can overlook the masses, the chain of 16 terraced lakes, joined by waterfalls extending into a limestone canyon is quite a sight. Tickets are expensive at €40/person and hiking is restricted to boardwalks and specific trails that run around the park but once inside there are free buses that will take you to different spots as well as numerous electric boats that you hop on and off as much as you want.

So far, we had escaped the worst of the mid-summer heat by staying at higher elevations but we now needed to get to Dubrovnik to collect some mail, namely a number of replacement credit and debit cards that had been sent from Australia by Ian’s sister. You always wonder when you make a decision (such as avoiding the coast) whether you have made the right choice or not. On our journey to Dubrovnik we called in at the coastal towns of Zadar and Split which were undeniably beautiful with their old centres and glossy harbours but OMG they were so busy and, combined with the intense heat, overwhelming. Trying to get a pitch at any of the campsites was a fool’s errand and any thoughts we might have entertained about exploring the coast and its islands was immediately quashed. Dubrovnik was even worse but at least we had booked a hotel for a couple of nights where we could come up with a new plan.

aroundtheworldin-definitely

aroundtheworldin-definitely

The Balkans Blogs

aroundtheworldin-definitely

aroundtheworldin-definitely