Photo Diary: Europe’s Hidden Gem

Despite being only 23 years old, the country of Slovenia has stolen my heart.

6 months ago, I’d never heard of this country. Now, it’s one of my favorite places in the world.

Slovenia gained its independence in 1991, after being a part of Yugoslavia and Austro-Hungary over the course of two world wars. A little over 2 million people live in this tiny country. We spent our time in the capital of Ljubljana and a town on a beautiful lake called Bled.

We stand-up paddle boarded on this incredible lake, ate traditional Slovenian wild boar stew, and spent our Saturday night exploring the Ljubljana night scene. We stumbled upon a mid-street jazz band jam session, a mid-street sand volleyball match with a massive crowd in bleachers, cheap and delicious beer stands, and a disco bar with skeleton decorations.

Then, the next morning, we walked along the river and saw adorable buildings and ANOTHER band in the middle of the street. A concert band, this time. My inner band nerd was so very satisfied. We also admired as people sipped on beers in outdoor cafés at 10:30am on a Sunday. Loving the Slovenian lifestyle.

Slovenia is the only place so far where I haven’t felt like a tourist. Walking around here, you feel like a local. It has a special charm and a unique culture that can’t really be described. I had no idea that it’d be so entertaining, but I can already tell that it’ll be one of the highlights of our trip. I wish we had more time to explore more of this fascinating country, but the south is calling us.

Check out a larger collection of photos! They feature the beautiful mountains and water in Bled, as well as the interestingly beautiful graffiti and architecture of the capital city of Ljubljana. Enjoy!