Kranj

Our next and final stop was Kranj. Often called the "Capital of the Slovenian Alps," Kranj stands on a steep, 30-meter-high rock peninsula surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Julian and Kamnik-Savinja Alps. The historic old town is built directly on a cliffside overlooking the Kokra River Canyon—the second-deepest city canyon in Europe. Kranj is famous for its historic center offering a fascinating blend of deep cultural history, vibrant urban life, and raw, dramatic nature right in the center of town. Despite the threatening rain we carried on. We checked out the Old town, with its large church, old buildings and statues. The town square (Glavni trg) is highly pedestrianized and lined with outdoor cafés, boutique shops, and excellent local restaurants. Kranj is deeply tied to France Prešeren, Slovenia’s most celebrated romantic poet (who wrote the lyrics to the national anthem). He lived, worked, and passed away here.

As it was late in the date we passed by the Town Hall, Toll House, Plecnik Stairs and Fountai, Prešeren theatre, and his monumental bronze statue, The Rosary Church, the Town defence walls and the St. Cantianus Church. It is a 15th-century Gothic church that is one of the most architecturally important religious buildings in Slovenia, known for its incredible acoustics and towering belfry. Also in Kranj are hidden World War II tunnels beneath the old town. Unfortunately they were closed, so we didn't get to see them. The rain did start and actually got quite stormy. We made it back to the car just before the rain got worse and hail started. It was quite a bad storm and we did get quite wet, so headed back to our hotel to dry off and have supper.

I was not expecting much from the restaurant in our hotel, but I was very pleasantly surprised. It was not what one would expect in a small out of the way hotel. It was very small and somewhat elegant, with fancy tablecloths and dishes, brick, wood trimming and a fireplace. Ed had asparagus soup and loved it. We shared a Pork Tenderloin with asparagus sauce, roasted potatoes and grilled veggies. It was excellent and lots to eat for the two of us. We finished our meal with a fancy ice cream dessert. It was one of the best meals we had. We learned that the hotel Internet and Wifi got knocked out with the storm today. We were glad we had done our airplane check in that morning. We finished our packing and went to bed early to get a good sleep as we will be up early to check out and get to the airport.Read more