Blogs from Upper Carniola, Slovenia, Europe - page 4

Arboretum Volčji Potok - Two visits Arboretum Volčji Potok covers 80 hectares. The collection in the Arboretum boasts 1000 rose varieties. Even a rose named Beverly (Beverley). There are two rose gardens. The formal one is placed close to the administration building. The second one, dedicated to the shrub roses, has its place in the lower parterre. Matjaž gave many interesting stories about the roses that are grown in the Arboretum from around the world. Thankyou Tanja for talking the time so we could have wonderful close up views of these beautiful blooms, if only we had smellovision! Second visit. Today we were in for a treat when visiting the Arboretum to see an exhibition of floral displays to mark the 30th anniversary of Slovenia’s independence. There were ten different displays around the botanical gardens. The ... read more

Bled castle The castle's history dates back to 1004 when the German king Henry II conferred the estate of Bled on Bishop Albuin of Brixen. The first castle was built by the bishops around 1011 for defensive purposes. The bishops of Brixen never lived in the castle so there were no elaborately decorated rooms. In the Middle Ages additional towers were built and the fortification system with the wall and lifting tower above the ditch were upgraded. The ditch has now been covered. In 1511, the castle was strongly damaged by an earthquake, but it was rebuilt in the image as it is today. The castle buildings are decorated with the images of coats-of-arms, painted in fresco technique, some are engraved in stone. The castle was restored in the period from 1951 to 1961. The castle's ... read more

http://www.heygo.com 2nd March - Bled Island What a beautiful day to take the boat across to Bled Island on our virtual tour today. We took the traditional traditional boat called pletna. Pletna boats are made by locals and are typical of Bled. Their origins date back to 1590. The colourful awning protects passengers from the sun and other weather conditions but today with clear blue skies & a cool March temperature it was so special to be able to take the short journey with just the boatman and Neza our guide. As we set off Neza sang a local folk song. To be an oarsman is quite an esteemed vocation that cannot be done by anyone. During the reign of Maria Theresa the ownership rights for pletna boats were given to farmers who received poorer land ... read more

http://www.heygo.com 12th February - The architecture of Jože Plečnik This renowned pioneer of 20th century modern architecture has had a large-scale effect on Ljubljana, similar to that of Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona. In Vienna, where he studied, Plečnik designed a number of pioneering works of modern architecture. Upon returning to Ljubljana in 1921, Plečnik accepted the post of professor at the newly established University of Ljubljana and focused all his creative energies to designing the city. We started our tour close to Butcher’s bridge looking at the Central Market - the building stretches between the Triple Bridge and the Dragon Bridge, on the right side of the curve of the Ljubljanica River. The 1895 earthquake destroyed an old monastery. After the damaged building was removed, Vodnik Square provided a venue for an o... read more

http://www.heygo.com 6th February - Lake Bled Lake Bled - Slovenia The lake is 34 miles from the capital city Ljubljana, we visited Bled on one our cruise holidays back in 2016 when the sky and lake were a different colour to the grey skies today but it was so interesting learn more about the Lake from virtual guide Neza. This was her first tour but it sounds as if she has more plans including hopefully a trip to the small island that we could see. The lake is a Glacial lake that surrounds Bled Island. The island has several buildings, the main one being the pilgrimage church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary built in its current form near the end of the 17th century. The church has a tower and there is a Baroque stairway ... read more