Sašo: We are punctual when we need to be punctual. Tina's having us over for dinner to meet her family. In honor of Holy week, I’m sharing daily clips from Rick Steves’ European Easter, my one-hour public television special that’s airing now nationwide (check your local listings) and streaming online.. On Good Friday, we attended two of Europe’s most poignant passion plays (re-enactments of the Crucifixion, dating back to the Middle Ages) in Å kofja Loka, Slovenia… The Triple Bridge — where the main square joins the river — is both a popular meeting place and a beloved symbol of the city. Rick: Yes, they look good. The Habsburg days left locals with the old saying, "Trust is good; control is better." Fancy facades and whimsical bridges ornament daily life with a Slovenian twist. This northwestern corner of Slovenia — within yodeling distance of both Austria and Italy — is crowned by the Julian Alps. They quickly took this valley, driving Austro-Hungarian troops high into these mountains — from where the Austro-Hungarians fended off 10 bloody and uphill Italian offensives. In ancient times, Ljubljana was on the trade route connecting the Mediterranean (just 60 miles away) to the Black Sea. Rick Steves does a very good job of describing things to see and do in Croatia and Slovenia. As with most towns on the Adriatic, it was long ruled by nearby Venice, and retains its Venetian flavor. 99. These wines, from the northeast, are considered some of the country's best. The traffic-free harborfront — lined with Slovenes enjoying fresh seafood — is made-to-order for a stroll. This striking bank building was designed by an ambitious local architect, hoping to forge a uniquely Slovenian style. The house of Ljubljana's favorite son is on an unassuming street. Rick … Hi, I'm Rick Steves, back with more of the best of Europe. Rick: With Grandma and Grandpa downstairs. Some farmers still use wooden carts to bring veggies in from their garden patches. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. Predjama is a hit with tourists for its striking setting, exciting exterior, and romantic legend. I can see how it would make people just want to wave a flag. With Rick Steves’ Croatia and Slovenia, travelers can experience everything Croatia and Slovenia has to offer – economically and hassle-free. The decadent kremšnita artfully sandwiches layers of cream and vanilla custard between sheets of delicate crust. Rick: So, Plečnik is very important to the Slovenian people. In 2006, he became a syndicated newspaper columnist, and in 2010, his company released a mobile phone application called "Rick Steves… The market's picturesque colonnade is designed to link the town and the river. It's a world where a thousand evil Wizard of Oz monkeys could comfortably fly in formation. There's no keel, so the skilled oarsmen work hard to steer the flat-bottomed boat with each stroke. The Ljubljanica River, lined with cafés, restaurants, and a buzzing outdoor market, bisects the city. By the 16th century, Predjama had become a castle for hunting more than for defense — explaining its current ­picturesque-but-impractical design. A fortress has capped Ljubljana's hill since Roman times. In the center of this region is Mount Triglav, Slovenia's symbol and tallest mountain. Sašo: Built-in babysitters. He lived in the early 20th century, studied in Vienna, made his name in Prague, and had the greatest impact right here, in his hometown. The cave finally widens, sunlight pours in, and visitors emerge — like lost creatures seeking daylight — into a lush canyon. Locals claim that you're not a true Slovene until you've climbed Triglav. In this land of stout hill towns and rugged farmers, grapes for the full-bodied local red wine thrive in the iron-rich soil. Springy suspension bridges offer a memorable roadside stop. Guides tell the story as, drip by drip, stalactites grow from spaghetti-thin strands to mighty sequoia-like stone pillars. Among my guides and researchers, Cameron Hewitt (co-author of many Rick Steves guidebooks) is evangelical about Slovenia. Its café terrace is open for visitors, but there's not much to see. Tina: Here we are. In fact, the town's officially bilingual: Slovene and Italian. His mom was a Slovene, his dad was a Croat, and his wife was a Serb, so he was the only true Yugoslav there was. Explore the evocative back lanes. Five hundred years later, during World War I, Austrians used it to keep Italians out of their territory. The market provides a great opportunity to connect with the locals. Rick: Whoa. For good or bad workers, the wage was all the same. It was the scene of some of the fiercest fighting of World War I. With this guide, you’ll explore charming towns and undiscovered natural … This is quite a surprise. Rick: Half kilo. Rick: This is very interesting to me, because this is food I would think about in Germany or Austria or in the north. The Triple Bridge — where the town square joins the river — is both a popular meeting place and a beloved symbol of the city. But if you look all around, you will see there are many, many personal objects…his glasses, or — for example — his hat. Slovenia’s Karst plateau sets upon a limestone foundation honeycombed with caves. Rick: And…? Locals still build their pletnas by hand with larch wood from a design passed down from father to son for centuries. Here in what was Tito's ballroom, a mural survives, telling of WWII heroics. But behind the gate, in his garden, the creative world of Plečnik opens up. In this tiny capital of a tiny country, you may even see the president searching for the perfect melon. Rick: I find this propaganda so stirring. Ljubljana is laid back — the kind of place where crumbling buildings seem elegantly atmospheric, rather than shoddy. Rick… Sašo: …or "300 hairy bears." Natalija: Yes, absolutely. Paperback $23.99 $ 23. Rick … In its relaxed pedestrian center, it seems all roads lead to the main square. There was only side trip in Slovenia … Plan your own trip or take one of Rick's value-packed European tours and vacations. I hope you've enjoyed Slovenia. The house is filled with furniture and bric-a-brac he designed, as well as souvenirs from around the world that inspired him. These days, Piran's walls are inviting rather than defensive, and the town is simply an enjoyable place in which to relax. As you inspect his drawings, equipment, and personal items (including his glasses and the hat that he was famous for wearing), you'll feel as though Plečnik himself invited you over for dinner. Rick: This is great! The Austro-Hungarians knew if their enemies could break through this front, it was a straight shot to their capital, Vienna. Rick: This is very comfortable and very spacious, really. Sašo: I would say, "may you get kicked by a horse." Natalija: No, he was married to the architecture. Seriously. Rick: Cherries? Rick: And today, capitalism has changed — good for good workers. Rick: So, Plečnik is very important to the Slovenian people. One of Ljubljana's most insteresting sights is the house of the architecht who redesigned much of his city. By Rick Steves Ljubljana's exquisite architecture reflects its history as a crossroads of Germanic, Mediterranean, and Slavic cultures. The hotel that was once the summer residence of the Yugoslavian dictator, is now less tolerant of curious tourists than it was when this episode was filmed. In this tiny country, it seems like everybody knows each other. In this high-end suite, you can actually sleep in the dictator's bed. Centuries of rule from Vienna under the German-speaking Habsburgs seems to have both inspired an appreciation of the good life and strengthened the local spirit. Visitors begin by seeing a multitude of formations in a series of large caverns. But still, you know, it's a propaganda of Eastern Europe — but it was so different over here. Sašo: Yeah, ha ha ha. In Slovenia, so small and so laced with modern freeways, virtually every sight is within an hour or two of the capital city. Gorazd: It's good, yeah. In its relaxed pedestrian center, it seems all roads lead to the main square. Because he loved his town, walked to work each day, and had to live with what he designed, Plečnik was particularly thoughtful about incorporating aesthetics, nature, and people's needs into his work. Tiny bits of limestone — the geological equivalent of sawdust around here — reflecting under the brilliant blue skies gives the river its rich turquoise color. The most dramatic is Å kocjan, featuring endless formations, a breathtaking footbridge high above the echoing river, and a … Tina: Well, probably his magic ability was that he was a mix of all the nationalities that included Yugoslavia. At the crest of the 5,000-foot-high pass, there's snow even in late May — and a commanding view. That's why maybe the faces are a little happier. And much of the fighting was actually done way up high, on the frigid mountain cliffs. But the Soča Front was 60 miles wide, and many of the defenses were more crude and remote. Ladder rungs fixed to the cliff face (across the road from the fort) allowed soldiers to quickly get up to the mountaintop. How do you say "half-kilo"? Rick: If you're angry what would…? With over a million casualties, it was nicknamed the "Valley of the Cemeteries.". And the time it spent in the 20th century as part of Yugoslavia failed to dampen its upbeat vibe. The city offers a range of several other well-presented, we-try-harder museums celebrating Slovenian history and culture, including the Slovenian History Exhibition at the castle, the City Museum of Ljubljana, and the Contemporary History Museum in Tivoli Park. Crowded onto the tip of its peninsula, Piran can't grow. Just above town, a somber memorial to the Italian attackers was built in the stern Fascist style under Mussolini. The first castle here was actually a tiny ninth-century fortress embedded deep in the cave behind the present castle. Rick: Gorazd, you grew up with Tito. Like Gaudí shaped Barcelona and Bernini shaped Rome, Plečnik made Ljubljana what it is today. The "Third Way," we called it, and it was a lot different — like, we could travel, we had free-market economy, and there were jobs for everybody. Elegantly atmospheric, rather than shoddy fortress embedded deep in the center of region. 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