Eastern Euro road trip – Day 3 – Ljubljana to Zagreb

Last updated: 29 June 2023

From Bled, we arrived in Ljubljana quite late.  Whilst driving mindlessly around town trying to leech free WiFi from anywhere to book a hotel for the night, we stumbled on a fair.  Situated in a deserted car park on the outskirts of town and the fair was clearly lacking patrons.  Run by some fairly intimidating individuals, I was convinced it was unsafe and likely to void every travel insurance policy known to man. But they had fairy floss and it was my birthday-eve. How better to spend the last day in my 20s than by diving face first into sugar-laden fairy floss and riding perilous carnival rides…

I woke in Ljubljana and it’s my BIRTHDAY! I wasn’t thrilled about turning 30, in fact I’ve got some strongly mixed feelings on the topic. Entering a new realm of responsibilities and the ever increasing possibility of being called “ma’am”, I knew was on a slippery slope.  The next stop is playing Bingo at the local RSL with the blue-rinse brigade while watching The Golden Girls.  So in attempt to ease the sting, a friend sent me an article about hitting the big 3-0:

DO TRAVEL.  This is possibly the last time until retirement that you won’t be considered a bad person for booking a last-minute ticket to Morocco with friends just because you damn well feel like it. You’re old enough to know where not to go (Cancún) but young enough to feel guilt-free being entirely unreachable.    – Olivia Wilde

Russ had gotten up very early to put all my presents out.  He went all out.  I unwrapped to my hearts content, scoring some excellent lenses for my DSLR which I will likely wear out, some gifts that made me chuckle heartedly and of course some gifts from dear friends back home that made me cry.

Ljubljana by day

First stop was a walking tour of Ljubljana.  I’ve become a big fan of free walking tours. The concept is simple. It’s free but you tip what you deem appropriate. Guides offer knowledge and history on the area and provide local advice like where the locals eat and what to do & see.

Slovenia is a part of the former Yugoslavia, became independent in 1991 and handily uses the Euro. There’s plenty to do in this pint-sized city but if you want to venture further afield I suggest exploring the Julian Alps.  It’s the perfect place for hiking, mountain biking, rafting and skiing.

Ljubljana, the capital, is a city of bridges. Triple Bridge, Butchers Bridge and Dragon Bridge are the most well known. The attraction of Dragon Bridge are four copper dragon statues featuring sharp claws and blood stained teeth which stand on pedestals at the four corners of the bridge.

Ljubljana has some delightful local markets which sell fresh fruit and vegetables, local crafts and flowers are located between Butchers Bridge and Dragon Bridge on Adamič – Lundrovo nabrežje.  While prices may be a little more than supermarkets, try and remember that by buying local you’re helping local communities. Stallholders are more than happy to let you sample produce items if you ask.

We discussed local cuisine with our guide Tine who recommended a place to us that he first went to as a young boy.  His family took him there after going to a local petting zoo which was across the street.  45 mins later we arrived at an indiscriminate looking eatery in the middle of a residential street. Without directions, we’d have never found it. It should be noted, if we didn’t eat here, there was no alternatives. But the catch is, they really only sold one meat, horse.

Anyone familiar with the recent UK horse-meat scandal is aware that a large proportion of the British population had already consumed horse completely unaware. But here and now in Ljubljana I was definitely aware of what I was about to consume.  

I can’t say I was excited about the concept of eating a pony but I’m a firm believer in trying everything once. So, I put on my big girl pants and gave it a whirl.

After having the Slovene menu was kindly translated by the waitress,  I chose the least-offensive options.  The sizzling meat came out on a large metal skewer, not dissimilar to experiences I’ve had beef & chicken in Lebanese eateries. Accompanied with a pickled salad, sauerkraut, horse pate and some miscellaneous condiments like a rather zingy tomato salsa.

The Verdict

I’m not a fan.  I ate everything I was given but I’m not in a hurry to go back.  Not entirely what I had in mind for my “birthday treat” but I had an experience and got a good story out of it.

The 45 min hike back to the car was chance to explore the Ljubljana street-graffiti scene and it also gave us time to revise the next leg of the road trip.

Due to EU hire car legislation, we weren’t able to take our car into Bosnia and Herzegovina without paying a huge levy so if we wanted to do the Dalmatian coast of Croatia we’d have to back track.  Didn’t have the time for that!  So I decided to save the gorgeous coastline for the warmer months.

A quick glance at the map with nightfall upon us, we learnt our lesson & jumped online before leaving the speedy hotel WiFi to book a hotel for that night and off we headed for the Croatian border.  Next destination: Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.

The Essentials

Ljubljana to Zagreb

Distance: 88 miles, 141 km

Driving time: about 90 mins

Driving conditions: mainly freeway driving

Insider tips: Just about everyone speaks English.  The Slovene language is isolated to the region, so if you can manage a few local phrases it is welcomly received.

While I don’t recommend Horse meat, it’s not horrible and certainly not the worst thing I’ve ever eaten.  If you’re game, give it a whirl.  It’s not as popular as you might think so you may have to hunt for it.

Currency: Euro