Like a fairytale: Beautiful country still flies under the tourist radar

Venice is sinking under the weight of admirers, while the pebble beaches of the Adriatic coastline are crammed with oil-slicked sun worshippers embracing summer heatwaves.

But tucked between northern Italy and Croatia is sleepy Slovenia, still flying under the tourism radar despite its outstanding natural beauty and rich cultural traditions. In 2023, this country of 2.1 million residents welcomed 6.2 million visitors; neighbouring Croatia, meanwhile, packed in 20.6 million.

Somewhere and a rainbow – Lake Bled, the island and the alps.

Slovenia is also the first country in the world to have been declared, in its entirety, a certified Green Destination of the World, with more than a third of the country protected natural area and with a commitment to responsible tourism belying its size.

Overcrowding certainly isn’t an issue during a pre-breakfast stroll along the waterfront at one of Slovenia’s most beloved tourist destinations, Lake Bled. I largely have the six-kilometre pathway that encircles the lake to myself; and the few locals I pass, jogging or walking their dogs, seem as appreciative of this perfect morning as I.

On the mirrored surface of the emerald lake, a pair of white swans glide towards an island where a church steeple rises above trees, bell tolling as the clock strikes the hour. Handcrafted wooden boats called pletna bob along the shore, striped awnings flapping in the breeze; while rugged mountains swathed in evergreen pines form a dramatic backdrop, their elusive snowy peaks playing peek-a-boo as the morning mist drifts and swirls.

Pletna – the traditional rowing boats on the lake.

A surreal whoosh from above jolts me from my reverie; an orange hot-air balloon is hovering over Bled Castle, a medieval stone eyrie standing sentinel atop a 130-metre cliff on the opposite bank. It’s a bewitching vision, and confirmation that I have indeed, stepped into a fairytale.

While science may tell you Lake Bled was formed by a melting glacier, legend has it that vengeful fairies, angry that their meadow home was being eaten down by sheep, created the lake after a fairy broke her leg on the hard ground, calling on the mountain springs to flood the valley. As the water rose, only the hill in the centre of the fairy grounds was untouched, creating the tiny island where the 17th century Church of the Mother of God on the Lake romantically stands.

Outrageously scenic... Julian Alps in Triglav National Park.Credit: iStock

After being rowed to Bled Island in a pletna, I climb 99 steps – where, tradition has it, newlywed grooms carry their brides to the top to ensure a happy union. Here I take in another local ritual: ringing the “wishing bell” in the chapel. Pull the rope three times and make a wish, I’m instructed – and here in a land of enchantment, who am I to question the stories of old?

A short drive from Bled is Slovenia’s largest protected area, Triglav National Park. Covering part of the Julian Alps Biosphere Reserve, it takes its name from the three-peaked 2864-metre Mount Triglav, which features on the Slovenian coat of arms as well as its flag.

With its moody skies, snowcapped barren cliffs, glacial lakes and wildflower-strewn meadows, it’s no stretch of the imagination to believe that mythical beings inhabit this earthly paradise. Indeed, it’s said that Mount Triglav was once the domain of Zlatorog, an imposing white chamois with golden horns, said to be the key to hidden treasure guarded by a multi-headed snake. Zlatorog grazed in magical gardens tended by fairies, who had blessed the buck with immortality – any drop of his blood would turn into a beautiful pink wildflower with healing qualities, the Triglav Rose.

Life’s a beach on Lake Bled.Credit: iStock

But of course, nothing ends well in these dark folk tales – Zlatorog was shot by a hunter who sought the treasure; but after being restored to health after nibbling a rose, the enraged Zlatorog tossed the hapless hunter over the precipice to his death. Meanwhile, the ensuing rockfall destroyed the enchanted meadow, and Zlatorog and the fairies were never seen again.

So what is the moral of this convoluted story? The golden-horned goat is a symbol of nature itself – mess with it, and you’ll inevitably destroy yourself. A cautionary tale that Slovenia takes seriously indeed.

The details

Tour
A 15-day Botanica World Discoveries tour of Northern Italy, Slovenia and Croatia, from $14,995 a person and includes Lake Bled and the Julian Alps. The next departure is on June 10, 2025. See botanica.travel

Stay
Rooms at the waterfront Grand Hotel Toplice from €260 Euro a night ($420). See sava-hotels-resorts.com

Fly + drive
Emirates flies to the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana daily via Dubai, see emirates.com
Lake Bled is a 40-minute drive from Ljubljana.

More

slovenia.info/en

The writer was a guest of Botanica World Discoveries.