Slovenia
Slovenia - one more tiny state that is pretty unknown and yet has so much to offer that it could share half of its attractions with another country and still remain extremely attractive for visitors.
Slovenia is peaceful, safe, extraordinarily beautiful and perfect for those who love to explore different, unique places. Very few know that it boasts wonderful Mediterranean coastal towns, the part of the Alps, which is less known, but unbelievably beautiful, crystal clear Soca river with water seemingly taken out of tropical seas, canyons, caves and the breathtakingly stunning lake Bled.
It's a shame that most of visitors go straight to Italy or Croatia skipping such a marvelous gem. Don't make this mistake!
Have a look at the amazing places to visit in Slovenia below:
Soca River in Slovenia is one of the most beautiful rivers I've ever seen. It's only a river but it's in no way ordinary. If you know the famous Verzasca River in Switzerland, Soca is similar. However, having visited both, Soca remains my favorite. It's located near the cozy village of Bovec in Julian Alps where you can enjoy many activities: rafting, swimming, hiking and climbing.
Soca River has an unbelievably beautiful hue of turquoise and blue. It's so crystal clear than it could pass for a tropical sea. Although Soca is only a mountainous stream, in places it's deep enough to enjoy a swim or jump on a hot, summer day. Read on to find out where exactly to find the most attractive parts of the river and how to get there from Bovec.
The town of Koper in Slovenia is rarely on anyone's itinerary. Initially, it wasn't on ours either. It was supposed to be simply the first point of entry into the country. Although it is not as spectacular as the neighboring Piran (a must see when visiting Slovenia - it has the vibe and beauty of the extremely famous Dubrovnik), Koper still boasts the Mediterranean charm and the tiny Old Town covered with red brick roofs is similar to other towns along the Adriatic coast. Near Koper, we also found a little, secluded wild beach shielded by a large white cliff - it's completely off the beaten path and visited by locals only. What a nice surprise it was after the whole day of visiting!
Lake Bled is Slovenia's most popular tourist attraction and although it's getting more and more famous, it's still relatively unknown comparing to other European landmarks. And, in contrast to other places flooded by masses of visitors, the beautiful Bled is not overrated at all. In fact, it is way better in real life than in the photos. The images cannot really convey the clear, deep blue color of water, pristine natural surroundings and charming architecture, all combined together.
The town of Bled is best visited in the summer when you can swim, kayak, hike and use it as a base to explore the amazing, hidden treasures of Slovenian Julian Alps.
The title of this post is a bit tricky - it doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy my time in Ljubljana or that it's an ugly city. I chose this title to be somewhat controversial because this is what attracts people nowadays. In reality, it's the opposite - Ljubljana isn't too big, it's pretty, with little winding streets and for me, has the same charm as Bratislava or Riga. However, Ljubljana was our last stop in Slovenia and after visiting such wonders as Piran and Koper with red roofs and Mediterranean coast, Soca river (which was so clear that it seemed just unreal) flowing through white gorges, spectacular Slovenian Alps, magnificent lake Bled with the famous island in the middle, nearby Vintgar Gorge, lake Bohinj - shores of which resembled tropical seas, the medieval Predjama castle built into the cave and Postojna cave - one of Europe's largest, Ljubljana appeared so bleak and ordinary.
Vintgar Gorge (also called Bled Gorge), carved out by the Radovna River is located just 4 km (2.5 miles) from Slovenia's most popular destination - lake Bled. It's a perfect hideaway from a hot, sunny day - the high walls of the gorge which rise up to 100 m (330 ft.) provide shade and the mountainous stream cools down the temperature around. Maybe Vintgar Gorge wouldn't even be that worth noticing if it weren't for the Radovna river which boasts an unbelievably turquoise-green color. It squeezes through rocks and cascades creating a few spectacular waterfalls and crystal clear pools along the way. The whole scenery looks as if it was copied from a fantasy film - so don't miss it while visiting the beautiful lake and village of Bled!
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Many of the visitors coming to southern Poland and Krakow region end up in Zakopane - the little town located at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. Some hike (or take a horse cart ride) up the easy and quite boring trail to the most famous landmark in Polish mountains - Morskie Oko lake which is undoubtedly picturesque and beautiful, but so overcrowded that it can get really irritating.
In this post, I'll try to encourage you to leave Morskie Oko behind and venture into the real, wild beauty of the area. As usual, the most attractive and stunning views are awaiting those who are brave enough to take a risk and explore something beyond the beaten path. I've already described the trek to Dolina Pieciu Stawow which is way nicer than the one to Morskie Oko and now it's time to write about my favorite trail in the Tatras - to Swinica peak via the less known Dolina Gasienicowa (Gasienicowa Valley) and Zawrat saddle. This trail features not one but several crystal clear lakes of different shapes and colors, spectacular views - incomparable with those on the way to Morskie Oko and it's perfect for those who love adventure and adrenaline rush!
On the second day of the extraordinarily beautiful trek to Poon Hill, we left the cozy village of Ulleri at sunrise and headed uphill towards another village - Ghorepani. Ghorepani is located at the elevation of 2750 meters and it differs from other towns with the distinctive blue roofs and houses. It is also a gateway to the most important point of the trek - Poon Hill (around 3200 meters above sea level) which offers a spectacular, 360 degree view of the Annapurna range in the Himalayas. Especially stunning in March/April when all the wild rhododendrons blossom and cover the mountainous valleys in bright red colors.
Lake Kaindy in southern Kazakhstan is one of the newest and most unique natural wonders on our planet. Although literally unknown in the West, if it was located in any European country, it would be its best tourist attraction. Especially beautiful in the fall (autumn), Lake Kaindy boasts not only exceptionally attractive blue color of water and snowy rocky mountains surrounding it but also the unique, silver trunks of dead spruce sticking out of the lake's surface. The "flooded forest" is indeed one of the natural landmarks of Kazakhstan. It all creates a fairy-tale like scenery, not seen anywhere else.
You might have seen photos of the gargantuan hole in the middle of the desert spewing out flames and a beam of light out of its core high up into the night sky while watching National Geographic or some documentary on the weirdest places on Earth. Although the Darvaza Crater has got quite large exposure in the media, it still remains very rarely visited by ordinary tourists. Central Asia is an extremely interesting place both naturally and historically. However, travelers almost always skip it choosing the popular beaches in Southeast Asia. Come to Darvaza and you'll feel as if you were teleported to Mars - it's a unique, outlandish and eerie experience that cannot be compared to anything else you've seen before.
While watching one of the Hollywood apocalyptic films or playing computer games - have you ever thought that a real ghost town is closer than you think? It is actually located in the center of Europe - in Ukraine. 110 kilometers (70 miles) from the country's capital - Kiev, very close to the border with Belarus. A visit to Pripyat is an extraordinary experience - something you most probably have never seen and will never see. It is completely different from the usual sight seeing tours. In this post I am presenting a gallery of photos of this ghost town literally abandoned overnight thirty years ago.
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2015 was a year full of adventure, surprises and amazing opportunities to discover even more of great and off the beaten path places. Just like a year ago, based on my own experience (I've been to all the countries described below), I'd like to present my list of destinations to visit in 2016 (click here to see the post from 2015). As usual, it will be different than most of such lists released by meainstream travel magazines. Instead of repeating all the well known places, I'd like you to get inspired and explore new adventurous and exciting spots. It has probably never even come to your mind that you could visit some of them and you'll surely get shocked when you learn where those amazing wonders actually are located!
The Shipwreck Beach (also called Navagio) on the Greek island - Zakynthos is the most beautiful beach I have seen. It's claimed to be the most beautiful - and I agree. After visiting numerous beaches in other, also way more exotic destinations (like Brazil, Thailand, Italy, Mauritius, Georgia, India, Croatia, Albania, Spain, Portugal), I have yet to discover a place that would enchant me as much as Navagio Beach. But there is a flaw in this perfection. The beach is indeed the most beautiful in the world, granted that it's viewed from the edge of the cliff that surrounds it. Looked at from the sea level, it looses its charm. However, most of the tour agencies offering a trip to the beach arrive there by boat and in this case you will not see it as it is on the postcards or leaflets - from above. It's also impossible to climb the steep rocky cliff from the beach. So what's the solution if you want to admire the famous view from the top?
One of the most important religious sites in Myanmar, seemingly defying the law of gravity - Golden Rock Temple (Kyaiktio or Kyaikhteeyoe Pagoda), although quite famous, is surprisingly not as touristy as the other destinations in the country - Bagan, Mandalay or Yangon. There are good and bad sides to it. The good thing is that the authenticity of the place is still preserved (unlike the temples in Thailand) and you'll see many more locals than foreigners around. The bad thing - to get there without an expensive, privately run tour or a taxi is pretty complicated, the bus schedules are not clear and the level of English among the Burmese is very low. And... to be honest, the site is one of those that look absolutely spectacular in the photos, a bit less so in real life. Having said that, the whole journey was a great adventure, definitely worth the effort and it left some priceless memories in my mind.
It might be a bit strange to see a post about a spa on a blog that describes mainly an active way of traveling and discovering some forgotten and unknown places where few even think of visiting. But Blue Lagoon in Iceland is different. It's an amazing proof how human engineering and nature can cooperate perfectly. It's not an ordinary, boring spa with swimming pools and massages. The Blue Lagoon is one of those experiences that, I think, everyone should try at least once in life. Especially after exploring some of the marvelous sites of Iceland - an outlandish island on the periphery of Europe.
The very south corner of Albania - the country which is still a black spot on the touristic map of Europe offers, in my opinion, the best beaches in the entire old continent: white sand, tropical color of the clearest possible seas, the exoticism of the area and most friendly locals. Most of the very few individual foreign tourists who get to the beach village of Ksamil arrive by ferry from the neighboring, overcrowded by tourists Greek island - Corfu. I followed the same route. And, I really thought that Corfu is amazing until I set foot in Albania's shore. My jaw literally dropped. I immediately felt as if I was transferred to one of the tropical, paradise-like postcard spots. It's a mystery to me how this exceptionally beautiful piece of land lacks any recognition among foreigners. But maybe it's better this way!
Slovenia is mostly known for the amazing lake Bled. Few actually know what this tiny country hides one of the most spectacular Alpine valleys - the Triglav Lakes valley. The purest rivers and mountainous lakes surrounded by silver rocky peaks and karst formations can be found here. Don’t miss this incredible hiking trail - stay a few days more in Slovenia and enjoy the best of what nature has to offer. Contrary to similar places of this sort in neighboring countries (Italy, Austria, Croatia), you won’t find crowds here - therefore the whole area seems even more enjoyable. In this post I’ll describe the trail and how we got here from lake Bled and continued onwards to the Soca River valley.