A winter in Radovljica - Slovenia

Just a few kilometers away from the well known Bled lies, amid the Karavanke Alps and Jelovica, the town of Radovljica. The city that used to be famous, for many room rentals and as the town with most sunny days in the region, is awaking from its winter slumber.

Since December 2009 we can add the youth hostel Vidičeva hiša to the list of boards, but it’s a special place due to its location and interior. It is located in the mansion of Vidič, a perfectly preserved renaissance city architecture and inside you’ll find restored antique city furniture.

In the winter the town of Radovljica isn’t interesting only because it has virtually no fog, but also for the adventures you can have in its surroundings: hikking in snow covered hills (to Dobrča, Roblek, Poljška planina, Valvazor, Stol, Vodiška planina …), which you can combine with sleigh rides (Valvazorja pr Poljškja planina), there’s a skating ring and if the weather permits cross country skiing tracks at Kamna Gorica around the town. You’re less than an hour away from the top ski resorts of Kobla, Vogel, Krvavec and Kranjska Gora. And it’s from the old center of Radovljica that a trail leads across the Sava River to the iron foundry village of Kamna Gorica and to the Pusti grad on Zgornja Lipica.

The town itself has a different beat in the winter. In order to show the medieval spirit of the town the local tourist society organizes a free of charge city center tours every Sunday. The gathering place is in front of the Info office TIC Radovljica and from there on you go: through the preserved city ditch, pass the house of Anton Tomaž Linhart (the first Slovenian play writer, publicist, journalist...), to the decorative Gigngerbreat workshop and along the way you get to see the typical town houses, the church of St. Peter, the chapel of St. Edith Stein and the gothic tavern. At the and you’re invited to the bee museum and an exhibition of Anton Tomaž Linhart, where the tickets cost 4€ (for both museums).

Here are also organized events: January 8th – a skiing tournament on ancient skies in Kropa; January 22nd & 23rd – the international competition of accordion players in Begunje; on carnival Saturday (in 2011 on March 5th) there’s a parade down the streets of Radovljica with the traditional throwing of the lamps into the water; April 30th a bonfire to celebrate the first of May.

Numerous trails to explore (to Begunje, Kropa, Brezje, Bled...) are just an additional reason to visit this renovated medieval town in the countryside.

Kaja Beton
Turizem Radovljica
Linhartov trg 1, 4240 Radovljica
+ 386 (0)4 531 51 12
kaja.beton@visitradovljica.si