Month: October 2022

Ljubljana in Winter

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Slovenia is one of Europe’s least-visited countries overall for international travel – but we’re here to shake the extraordinary capital of Ljubljana in your face and tell you why that needs to change.

Ljubljana is a small city with a young vibe – about a sixth of the population is taken up by its 50,000 students – and a complex history that dates back to the Roman era.

And in wintertime, Ljubljana becomes…look, we’re going to resist the urge to use the words ‘fairy-tale’, but there is something particularly charming about its snow-capped architecture, its splendid Christmas lights and markets, its outdoor ice skating, skiing day trips, and – yes – its massive outdoor New Year’s Eve celebrations.

For us, though, the real trump card is Ljubljana’s quite frankly ludicrous artistic scene – over 14,000 cultural events take place in the city every year, ensuring that you’ll never be at a loose end on a rainy day.

Founded as a squat in an old army barracks in 1993, the Metelkova neighbourhood is a punky cultural centre and network of clubs, and it’s rightly famous as the city’s alternative, underground heart. (The neighbourhood hostel, Cecilia, is an old prison that welcomes guests into its 20 colourfully-designed cells.)

For travellers whose raving days are long behind them, however, the city centre also holds a wide variety of museums, concert halls, theatres, and much, much more.

If you can’t make it for Christmas, then we’d head to Ljubljana in February, in time for the Pust or Karneval celebrations, where in Slovenian tradition fearsome masked figures parade to chase the winter away. (In Ljubljana, the parades are led by the city’s mascot, the green dragon.)

Eating and drinking

With a heavy emphasis on pork and deliciously doughy desserts, Slovenia is a great choice for warming winter food – but Ljubljana is way too trendy to rest on its laurels. Last year, the city had 17 mentions in the Michelin Guide, with praise going out to its talented chefs fusing traditional Slovenian cuisine with Mediterranean, Thai and Japanese influences.

While we haven’t been there ourselves, we’d be tempted to take a cab out to the delightfully infamous Gostilna Skaručna, an eccentric family-owned restaurant serving traditional Slovenian cuisine just outside the city. Wash it all down with an excellent glass of Slovenian wine, local plum schnapps, or the up-and-coming local vodka – which, for some reason, has Bill Murray as its ambassador. (Maybe Lost in Translation gave him the idea?)

Hiking in Bulgaria

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Bulgaria has a good amount of mountainous coverage – which means it’s showing off some of Europe’s most stunning waterfalls across its three national parks. In the north, you’ll find gorgeous glacial lakes and craggy hiking routes past ruined medieval fortresses and monasteries.

While we’d make it a priority to visit the Seven Rila Lakes or the rocks of Belogradchik (pictured above) in the mountains for some unforgettable walking trails, there are also lovely hiking options up Vitosha Mountain, less than an hour’s bus ride from Sofia.

In the south, you’ve got charming coastal towns like the UNESCO-recognised Nessebar – or if you want to really get away from it all, head to the completely undeveloped and peaceful Pasha Dere beach for some Black Sea RnR.

Gdansk

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Only around 300,000 foreign tourists visit Gdansk on Poland’s Baltic coast every year – compare that to the nine million visitors who descend upon Brugge every year.

It’s a huge pity; the city boasts a magnificent old town with some stunning Mannerist architecture and a number of lush walking routes and cycling trails to keep you occupied.

And in the autumn, Gdansk (when it isn’t raining) comes alive in colour – Poland is famous for its ‘golden autumn’ in October when the beech forests are particularly gorgeous. It’s a great time to drop in on Gdansk’s scenic 10-hectare Oliwa Park, which features stunning beech alleys, duck ponds, and the Groty Szeptów, or ‘Whispering Caves’.

Eating and drinking

Traditional Polish pierogi are popular in town, as are potato pancakes and rosół meat soup. For a properly authentic experience, head to one of the city’s ‘milk bars’ – low-cost diner-style restaurants popularised during the Soviet era. (The folks at Nothing Familiar have some tips here on the best milk bars to visit.)

And to drink? Well, there you’re spoiled for choice. The city has an almost ludicrous volume of beloved craft beer bars, but there’s also Polish vodka ( remember to toast), the cherry liqueur wiśniówka, and Gdansk’s resident fancypants drink Goldwasser, containing gold flakes and made famous by the European royals who believed it held alchemical properties.

Perhaps most surprisingly to foreigners, winemaking has a centuries-old history in Poland and it’s seeing a resurgence across the country, mostly led by talented enthusiasts – Gdansk has one such ‘amateur’ winery, the Winnica Modzrew, which is well worth checking out.