Travelling can be full of surprises – some good, some regrettable — it’s all part of the experience. The town of Radovljica was a rather pleasant surprise during a trip to Slovenia last September.
Radovljica is a small town about an hour north of Ljubljana. One of its claims to fame is beautiful and medieval Linhart Square (pictured). Boasting both Gothic and Renaissance architecture, the Square also features Inn Lectar, a family-run inn and restaurant that has been in business for 180 years.
In the restaurant, which inhabits a 500-year-old building, we were treated to traditional Slovenian peasant food — hearty meat and potato fare originally designed to satisfy hungry field workers in days of yore. Being a group of about 15, we were assigned our own private room, complete with low-beamed ceilings, stone floors and a corner cook stove which remained from an era when the room was the inn’s original kitchen. (It would be an understatement to say the room was ambient.) And, at one point during our lunch-hour feast, the proprietor proudly commanded the room with a raucous interpretation of traditional harmonica music.
Before lunch we’d had an opportunity to visit the delightfully aromatic and colourful gingerbread bakery housed in the lower level. The bakery has been in operation since 1822. Now, gingerbread is one of my favourite treats and I will indulge occasionally, but this looked too pretty to eat. Most of what they create in the shop is slated for decorative use anyway. I came away with a personalized gingerbread heart complete with dainty flowers iced onto it. It decorates my office bookshelf.
Another feature of the Square is the Bee Museum. Bees and honey production are an important part of Slovenian culture and this museum highlights everything from the lifecycle of the bee (including a working bee hive made of glass) to the history of Slovenian bee keeping through detailed exhibits.
All in all Radovljica was a pleasant surprise and, in my opinion, is well worth a look-see when travelling to Slovenia.
Copyright Aimwell Enterprises 2012
Eyes to Heart 
I visited Ljubljana about 40 years ago and had a bad experience, but I know it was just one of those things that sometimes happens when traveling. I enjoyed reading this positive view of Slovenia. We have just come back from visiting Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. It is a sad, but also charming, part of the world.
I agree, it is a sad but charming part of the world. A one-week visit to Sarajevo in 2009 had a major emotional impact on me and changed my life in many profound ways. … As Hungary is a part of my heritage I would be interested in visiting Budapest, but I’m in no rush. Thanks for stopping by and be well … 🙂