2geonomads

Tuesday 29th April

Great breakfast at hotel and then we await the arrival of our rental car booked on the previous day. The brand new VW Golf is duly delivered and we set off to Kranska Gora, apparently Slovenia’s best-equipped and most popular ski resort. It’s an attractive small town reminiscent of Whistler in Canada but it is set against a superb backdrop of some of the highest mountains in Slovenia, including Mount Triglav, at 2864 metres the highest peak in the country.

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However,our main reason for being here is to start off on the famous Russka Cesta across the Vrsic Pass ( 1611 metres ). This miracle of road building was ordered by the Germans during the Second World War, using over 10,000 Russian POWs, working under brutal conditions. 400 of the Russians were killed in an avalanche and this is commemorated at the Russian Chapel on the way up to the top of the pass. The scenery is stunning and the descent to the south and to the town of Bovec requires full concentration from the driver ie yours truly.

Based on advice from the girl in the tourist office in Kranska Gora we had decided to travel back to Bled via a town called Podbrdo.

As she had explained the road actually ends at this town and seemingly to avoid the very high cost of extending it they now offer a car train through a tunnel to Bohinje Bistrica where we pick up the road back to Bled. The 10 minute journey on the VERY old train is quite an experience and a real throwback to a bygone era.

Sitting in trailer on ‘car train’

Before heading back to Bled we visit the Bohinje Lake and the Slap Savica. A steep hike up to this spectacular Waterfall is well worth the effort. Bohinje Lake is a real Mecca for hikers but high season must be a bit of a nightmare, judging by the tourist numbers even at this early stage..

Slap Savica

Usual superb dinner at Vila Preseren and early night.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret