Written by Adele Gray, october 2019
In the over 12 years that I have been living in Radovljica, there’s barely been a day when I haven’t been for a stroll through the beautiful medieval old town centre – come rain or shine.
In fine weather I always pause at the viewpoint at the far end of the old town, from where there are magnificent views of the Jelovica plateau, the Sava river, and the Julian Alps with Slovenia’s crowning glory and highest mountain, Mount Triglav (2,864m).
The viewpoint is one of the best vantage points in the whole area and it can be reached without any effort.
I couldn’t even begin to count the number of times I have looked towards Triglav and said to myself that I will “get up there someday soon”, however, for one reason or another, despite being an avid hiker who spends almost all my free time outdoors, it was never quite the right time.
But since it is said that every Slovene must conquer Triglav once in their life, the occasion of me (finally!) being granted Slovenian citizenship in September this year seemed the most apt of all and so it was time to accomplish it.
The road to getting Slovenian citizenship was certainly a long and, at times, stressful one. A lot of patience and perseverance was required, but then I’m not a quitter and, as they say, some things in life are worth waiting for!
In truth I knew from the moment I arrived in Radovljica that this was where I wanted to put down roots and finally have somewhere to call ‘home’. Why? Well for numerous reasons, not least – for an outdoor fanatic like myself – due to the close proximity to forests, hills, mountains and great hiking and cycling routes. Add in to the mix the historic old town centre, tasty local food, the variety of traditions, customs and events and, well, I could go on…and I did in this previous blog post about why Radovljica is such a great place to base yourself for a holiday.
On the top of Mt. Triglav, photo: Adele Gray
And so it was that on Saturday 14th September, just four days after being granted citizenship, I finally conquered Triglav, thus becoming an ‘official’ Slovene twice in one week! And now, when I am at the viewpoint in Radovljica, I can look towards Triglav and feel proud to be a citizen of the Republic of Slovenia and to call Radovljica ‘my home’!
You too can enjoy one of the best views of Triglav, even if you don’t want to hike up there yourself, at Radovljica’s viewpoint, which also forms part of the new Juliana long-distance hiking trail.
Written by Adele in Slovenia, March 2019
When I first came to Slovenia on holiday in 2006, I cycled alongside the Sava river from Bled to Radovljica and as soon as I rode into the beautiful old town centre, it was love at first sight!
Written by Kaja Beton, October 2018, Photo: Kaja Beton and Jošt Gantar
Autumn steadily colours the leaves and changes nature into a wonderful painting on canvas. Set off on one of our suggested hiking tours where you can enjoy the autumn colours and wonderful nature.
Written by Adele Gray, january 2018
Though, in truth, I will never be a lover of winter and snow, since moving to Slovenia in 2007 I have learnt that in winter in the area where I live – Radovljica, in the northwest i.e. the alpine area - snow is a fact of life and, to some extent, have learnt to embrace it!