Although for some of us it is not yet time to rest on sunny beaches or wander through unknown lands, do not let this burden us, because our day can still be marked by a colorful adventure. That's why we wake up on a fresh summer morning with the anticipation of where this adventure will take us.
Ljubljana's Montmartre
Let's let the day start slowly and start by going to the center of our capital, which comes to life even more colorfully in the summer days. Saturday is the day to visit the art market, which stretches out on Cankarjevo obrežje and promises to satiate our hunger for aesthetic pleasures by strolling among the colorful stalls of many Slovenian artists, and by purchasing the selected product, we will make our morning even more beautiful. Also, wandering around the old part of Ljubljana gives us an endless choice of our favorite place to sip our morning coffee and observe the light bustle that is created by the interplay of local and foreign visitors. In the style of a French morning, let our cup of coffee be accompanied by an indispensable French croissant. According to Pečjak bakery, we eat hundreds of thousands of them every day in Slovenia. An interesting fact, as well as the fact that the characteristic shape of the French croissant, the crescent, is said to be the fault of the Turks, who have a crescent on their flag. Turkish culture, known in history for its brave conquests of foreign lands and colorful markets today, serves us as a hint where our path leads: across the Three Bridges and to the Ljubljana market, of course. Fragrant aromas of various spices and herbs, a colorful range of fruits and vegetables, and fresh bouquets of flowers fill all our senses and the basket we didn't forget to take with us on our travels. Let's stop at the fish market, in the covered part of the market under Plečnik's colonnades, fill our basket with seafood specialties and treat ourselves to snacking on freshly baked sardines from a nearby vendor during the midday snack.
Voulez vous…
The sun is high, the heat has a lazy and relaxing effect on us, so let's find the most suitable corner to cool off and recharge with fresh energy. From the heated city center, let's drive to the green garden of Galerija Grad in Rožna dolina and wait for the sun to sink a little lower with their offer of excellent ice creams, cakes and pies. A pleasant overture to the green environment gives us the impetus to drive out of the city, into the embrace of nature, which is hiding not far away. Let's head towards Dolge most, continue to Brezovica and turn for Dobrava and continue to the settlement of Dvor, where stands the mighty Gothic church of St. Peter. Let's stretch our legs, take a closer look at the church and continue to Polhovo Gradac, which is only 18 km from Ljubljana. It is distinguished by its rich cultural heritage. Here we can see several art genres: medieval frescoes, late Gothic sculpture, baroque painting and carving, church and castle architecture, and many interesting black portals at farmhouses. The romantic Polhograj manor is also visited many times, where they organize castle weddings and make sure that an important decision is written down as a fairytale memory. It is also pleasant to sit on one of the benches in the castle garden, which is a more than suitable place for an afternoon siesta.
Joie de vivre!
But the Polhograjska Hribovje spread out in front of us calls for a continuation, so let's drive near its foot. The varied world of these picturesque hills is given a special stamp by its peaks: the mighty Polhograjska gora or Gora sv. Lovrenca (824 m), bushy Tošč (1021 m) and gnarled Grmada (898 m). The highest rise is the shoulder of Pasja ravan (1029 m). The choice of peaks is diverse, as is the diverse choice of starting points. French inspiration and the legend of the nose of the French King Louis XIV are still with us, so let our destination be Grmada and the starting point in Mačkovo graben, which we will reach if we head from Polhove Gradac towards Črne vrh and follow the macadam path that about 500 meters after the Polhograj manor, turn off to the right. From here, a well-marked and undemanding path leads us through a picturesque valley with a stream whose rapid flow is softened by numerous dams. It takes about an hour and a half to walk to the top of Grmada, and the path right before the top is steep and rocky in some places, so caution will not be superfluous. The effort will be rewarded with a beautiful view at the top and a peaceful atmosphere. The journey back will be additionally motivated, as there is another tempting destination ahead of us, namely a visit to the inn Pri Pratkarju in Pristava near Polhovo Gradac, which is also one of the starting points for the journey to Grmada. But this time, the century-old inn, which is famous for combining tradition and the needs of the modern guest, should be our last stop. In the wide range, in which delicious veal stew with buckwheat groats, tripe, goulash and stuffed peppers reign supreme, even vegetarians will find joy when ordering a vegetarian plate. Bon appétit!
