Newsday | SECTION D | SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2006 www.newsday.com/travel

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EUROPE City cards save on sightseeing D8 NEWSDAY PHOTO / BRYN NELSON travel D10 coverstory D11 Exploring castles, caves and Travel a cool capital in

Ljubljana, the capital city of , boasts a thriving Sunday flea market as well as scenes of breathtaking SloveniaSlovenia urban beauty. ON THE COVER Predjama Castle, not far from Postojna and dating back to 1202, is built within the mouth of a cave — the perfect place for an impregnable fortress.

bar beneath the castle that incor- porates the exposed bedrock into its decor. But the fortress offered panoramic views of the city from NEWSDAY PHOTOS / BRYN NELSON its clock tower. An odd but excel- Above and below: discovering lent 3-D video “tour” (called the ; right, Lake Bled in Virtualni Muzej, or Virtual Muse- northern Slovenia um) within the tower completed our orientation . In Slovenia, nearly everyone speaks some English, which is helpful when confronted by a daunting mix of Slovenian conso- nants. Even so, we received appreciative smiles for attempt- ing basic phrases like “dober dan,” which means “good day.” We practiced our awkward pronunciation with our friends, Mateja and Jadran, who had welcomed us to their city by cooking an incredible seafood dinner while introducing us to some of the country’s excellent wines. After our castle tour the Once part of Yugoslavia, this lovely 15-year-old nation next day, they met us for lunch and an afternoon of lounging in the sun at a fantastic riverside has its own Alps, its own hipsters — and plenty of history restaurant named Zlata Ribica.

The pleasures of Old Town BY BRYN NELSON famous Lipizzaner horses. covers painted by farmers to We could have made plans to STAFF WRITER In 1991, the Republic of Slove- AUSTRIA depict biblical stories or social visit some of Ljubljana’s well-re- nia officially declared indepen- satire. garded cultural institutions later y first night in a dence from Yugoslavia. Merciful- HUNGARY And the wonderful Dragon in the day. Instead, we all or- Slovenian military ly, the breakaway republic en- SLOVENIA Bridge, with its intricate dragon dered Italian gelati from a sweet prison went far dured only a short armed conflict Bled statues, recalls the much earlier shop and ambled down the better than expect- before spreading its wings as a Greek myth of Jason and the cobbled streets of Old Town, ed. new nation, now with nearly 2 Ljubljana Argonauts. Jason, as the story admiring the tapestry of archi- The cell was million residents. Postojna goes, killed a fierce dragon-like tectural styles around us. Mrather small and Spartan, but the Zagreb monster in a lake near where the With several hours of daylight Skocjan lofted sleeping space, functional Hinting at the past city now stands, providing Ljub- left, Geoff and I decided to visit Caves furniture and sliding wood Some of Ljubljana’s abundant Piran CROATIA ljana with its very own monster another site high on our list: Lake panel covered with eclectic graffiti speaks to the country’s mascot. Bled. The small lake an hour’s paintings seemed like nice touch- uneasy past, but other historical On our first morning in the city, drive north of Ljubljana may be es. artifacts are more whimsical. At we sipped espresso at an outdoor overrun in the summer. But on a OK, it was a former military the city’s bustling Sunday flea cafe in picturesque Prešernov trg, Sunday evening in April, we had prison. Alright, a prison turned market, old Yugoslavian Nation- GERMANY a popular square dominated by nearly the whole place to our- www.newsday.com www.newsday.com hip youth hostel in the midst of al Army medals share prime AUST. the bright red Church of the selves. With the Julian Alps as a an alternative arts complex riverside real estate with musi- Adriatic HUNGARY Annunciation on one side and the backdrop, the lake’s iconic island within an enchanting city cal instruments, dolls and reli- Sea ITALY city’s famous on the and its 17th century Church of the dubbed “The New Prague.” gious art carefully arranged 0 50 other. Sunday mass at St. Nicho- Assumption were spectacular. Not a bad introduction to under weeping willows. And at SERBIA las’ Cathedral, although inscruta- We had missed our opportuni- Ljubljana (pronounced Lube-lee- the Yugoslav army’s former MILES Area ble in Slovenian, gave us an ex- ty to take gondolas or rowboats ana), a compact capital city of less compound, a military prison of detail NEWSDAY / BRIGITTE ZIMMER cuse to enjoy the 18th century to the island, but discovered than 300,000 in a country that’s cleverly transformed into the Baroque cathedral’s beautiful more extraordinary views from smaller than New Jersey but bright and modern Celica Hostel interior. Bled Castle, perched high atop a chock-full of castles, caves, quirky presides over a brash scene of we marveled at the small Slove- churches join rows of handsome After wandering through the lakeside cliff. The castle was charm and stunning beauty. artists, musicians and hipsters. nian villages huddled around Baroque and Secessionist (or Art riverside market and pedestrian- nearly deserted and its restau- Skiing started here. So did the Beyond the confines of our hilltop churches with their orna- Nouveau) building facades and a only streets making up the capti- rant had already closed, though artsy commune, my traveling mental spires. In the fields, tradi- medieval castle affording spectac- vating Old Town, we headed to a waiter let us order wine and partner, Geoff, and I saw centu- tional open-sided hayracks, called ular views. By the , following a lane sit on the expansive terrace, ries worth of cultural icons. On kozolecs, sat waiting to dry hay. River, market stalls sell fresh fish, that zigzagged up a hillside cov- drinking in the view. NEWSDAY, SUNDAY, APRIL 30,For 2006 great travel deals, go to our leisurely two-hour drive from In Ljubljana, watermelon-red produce and reproductions of ered in wildflowers. We were too www.newsday.com/travel the Venice airport in early April, and lemon-yellow 17th century 18th and 19th century beehive early for a detour to the amazing See SLOVENIA on D12 travel D12

IFYOUGO Caves, castles galore ENERAL INFO: The “Rough Guide to Slovenia” is a great Travel Gresource, with maps and descriptions. The Slovenian Tourist Board (www.slovenia-tour ism.si) is also a good place to start. A new member of the European Union, Slovenia switches to the euro next year. Until then, the tolar (SIT) is its currency, with an exchange rate of about 186 SIT to $1. GETTING THERE: Delta Airlines offers nonstop flights from JFK Airport to Venice’s Marco Polo Air- port. From there, it’s two hours by rental car to Ljubl- jana. Zagreb, Croatia, and Vienna, Austria, also are within an easy drive. Make sure the rental company allows you to take a car into Slovenia. Rentals and gas are expensive, but the roads are good and the distances short. The coun- try is also well served by trains; www.slo-zeleznice .si has timetables, with an English translation button in the upper corner. WHERE TO STAY: The Celica Hostel (www.sou hostel.com) is well worth a visit (and tours are available), although the clientele is definitely NEWSDAY PHOTOS / BRYN NELSON young. Private rooms with Architecture is a star in Ljubljana, with watermelon-red buildings and styles ranging from Baroque to Art Nouveau. a shared bathroom begin at $62 a night for two, SLOVENIA from D11 plex 20 minutes to the south lage near Postojna, although the Graben vineyard that Ivan with a forgettable conti- is far less visited. But the she also stressed that we co-owns. Some of that wine is nental breakfast. At the The moment was shattered caves, declared a World should call ahead for reserva- sent on to pricey New York other end of the spec- only by the sound of Celine Heritage Site by the United tions. restaurants such as Masa. trum, the four-star Grand Dion belting out “Memories” Nations’ UNESCO agency in Which we didn’t. Ivan also has a kennel of Hotel Union (www.gh- from “Cats,” the song carrying 1986, proved much more The restaurant was closed dogs trained to sniff out union.si) offers rooms in a effortlessly across the terrace awe-inspiring. With the Reka when we finally found it, but white and black truffles in the gorgeous, centrally locat- from a set of speakers. River thundering through the its gracious owners, Ivan and countryside, which he ex- ed Art Nouveau building, There are some things you freakishly large Murmuring Darja — along with their ports around the world. beginning at $220 a night simply can’t escape. Cave, we walked single file wine supplier — spent the for two, with a continental On our second full day in across bridges bisecting the afternoon talking with us The coast, and a castle breakfast included. the country, we toured two 330-foot expanse from river anyway. Our last stop of the day WHERE TO EAT: In Ljublja- giant cave complexes, ex- to cavern ceiling, and I felt And plying us with home- was in the seaside resort of na, Cajna Hiša at Stari Trg plored a resort town on the like an extra in a scene from made dry-cured ham called Piran, with a Venetian feel, a 3 offers a great selection of Adriatic and spent much of “The Lord of the Rings.” Karst pršut, thick slices of lovely town square and a teas, good coffee and a the afternoon visiting with Which brings us to the chocolate-covered poppy- maze of streets leading to a solid breakfast ($25 for the truffle king of Slovenia. truffle king. A friend had rec- seed cake and a seemingly point extending out into the two). Try the traditional Amazingly, we fit it all into a ommended a restaurant named never-ending supply of local Adriatic. With the wind howl- apple, cheese and nut leisurely day and less than Gostilna Ratoša in a tiny vil- wine, some of it produced by ing and sun appearing only gibanica dessert. Seafood 200 miles of driving. momentarily to bid its is the appealing specialty of evening farewell, we retreat- Gostilna As at Copova 5 Underground experience ed to the car and imagined (enter the alleyway via Slovenia boasts more than how inviting the town would Slovenska; $130 for two). 7,000 caves in its Karst re- be on a warmer day. Zvezda, at Wolfova 14, gion, though the Postojna On our way back to the serves up great gelati (Ital- Caves are by far the most Venice airport the next ian ice creams). We had popular of the lot, evidenced morning, we stopped by one the best meal of all at Zlata by the huge parking lot and last site to be filed under Ribica, Cankarjevo www.newsday.com www.newsday.com mini-city of shops and restau- the “Are you kidding me?” Nabrezje 5, ($75 for two), rants by the entrance. The category. Predjama Castle, with its riverside setting caves are full of interesting not far from Postojna and and delicious meat dishes. formations and well worth a dating back to 1202, greets In the tiny village of Gorice, visit, though their most amaz- its visitors as a sand-colored Gostilna Ratoša has limited ing feature is the endangered improbability that invites hours but features truffles snakelike creature swimming the question: “That can’t (in season, which varies) within them: the “human really be an entire castle and great wine. A hotel fish.” Technically a foot-long built within the mouth of a concierge can help with salamander adapted to water, cave, can it?” But of course reservations and direc- the bizarre creature is light- it is — the perfect place for tions, available by calling sensitive, can go for years an impregnable fortress — 05 7536110 within Slove- without eating and can live to and I couldn’t help but nia. be 100. I’ve never seen any- smile as we rushed to ex- — BRYN NELSON thing like it. This former military prison is now a colorful youth hostel, plore its unlikely rooms and NEWSDAY, SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2006 The Škocjan Caves com- complete with stylized graffiti and a hip, artsy scene. hidden passages.