Tolminski Lom – Široko

A great number of small rural settlements in Slovenia in positioned on the slopes of the steep hills. Narrow, steep and windy road is usually included in the effort to reach such settlements. However, such an effort usually pays off with an experience of secluded and mostly untouched nature, traditional rural architecture and sometimes really great views which only a few know about. Tolminski Lom above the Soča Valley is one of those settlements.  If your starting location is in Soča Valley north of the town of Most na Soči, this small town is the best starting point.

Just above the Široko Tourist Farm you will find some amazing views towards Julian Alps over the Baška grapa Valley and the part of Soča Valley around Tolmin.

The spot is pretty small so just follow the road on the ridge to change the views.

You can even use some framing with the object on the top.

The tourist farm is pretty popular and can be crowded on weekends. Since the parking place is very limited and not very user friendly you would probably need to find an alternative somewhere along the road. There is also a renovation project in progress,

Text and photo: Zoran Leban Trojar

Snakes’s Head Fritillary Meadow

Where to in Slovenia feature micro locations for mobile photographers. And we mean micro since this one in Ljubljana Marshes, full of fragile Fritillaria Meleagris, has no name. In fact, we’ve just made it up because we needed one for a location in the marshes where it is not easy to orientate at all. A vast plain which no landmarks, wet meadows full of drainage canals with occasional gravel road which easily ends in the middle of nowhere – and some of those meadows are in the season full of Fritillaria meleagris. 

Therefore in this case we are talking about a seasonal photo location  but the marshes are beautiful in all seasons and opportunities for a great photo are always awaiting even without these fragile lilies.

Entering the village of IG from the direction of Ljubljana find a left turn just opposite to the gas station at the beginning of the settlement. After a few hundred meters the road crosses a small river Ižica (there is another special place along this short river) and after that comes to a crossroads. The meadow we are looking for is between the bridge and the crossroads. Around the bridge is also one of the better views of the village.

The best time to capture the fritillaries is at sunset or sunrise.

Sunsets in the marshes are always beautiful but for the fritillaries the sunrise is even better timing.

These meadows are really wet, especially in the early spring when around the sunrise time could be even a bit frozen. However the flora is full of water drops which add to the photo so better prepare everything needed for the situation like this:

Totally worth getting out of bed early!

Enjoy and don’t forget to check out other Ljubljana Marshes locations like St. Anna, Lake Podpeč and Ižica.

Text and photo: Zoran Leban Trojar @zokus_gf. 

 

 

Tivoli Park Ljubljana

We are dedicated to the mobile photography and are showing you photo spots which don’t demand the use of a special gear. We have begun to use a Huawei P20 Pro just recently so only a few of the following photos are made with it. All of them have a special tag to see the difference.

With the words of Visit Ljubljana: Tivoli Park is Ljubljana’s largest and most beautiful park, stretching right into the city centre. It was designed in 1813 by the French engineer Jean Blanchard and created by joining together the parks which had surrounded Podturn and Cekin Mansions. The park, covering an area of approximately five square kilometres, is crossed by three grand horse chestnut tree-lined walks and landscaped with ornamental flower beds, interesting trees and numerous statues and fountains. The park area blends into the slopes of the Rožnik hill, to which it is connected by several walking paths and a trim trail with several exercise stations along its length.

Morning light in the park /Huawei P20 Pro/

The park is really only a 5 minutes walk from the Slovenska street, it provides a lot of shade for a hot days and it is used for jogging, dog walking, hiking, just resting – you name it! More importantly, it is a photographer’s paradise: it is beautifully lighted in the mornings opposing the rising sun and provides numerous motifs in all seasons: from animals and other nature, statues, action shots. Besides it is never too crowded since it is really huge. We live 5 minutes from the park and we have a dog, so we know it really well and have an enormous stock of photos which me made in the last few years:).  Let us show you some basic spots.

The main entrance to the park /Huawei P20 Pro/.

Most visitors reach the park from the city centre using the pedestrian underpass at the Museum of Modern Art and this is the first view of the Jakopič Promenade one gets just after the underpass. Well, this in fact is the view from the railway tracks just above the exit – it is a few steps climb which is not recommended when slippery.

Jakopič Promenade

The scenic Jakopič Promenade (Jakopičevo sprehajališče) was designed by the architect Jože Plečnik in the central part of Tivoli Park. It  ends at the bottom of the stairway leading to Tivoli Mansion. The promenade is named after the Slovenian Impressionist painter Rihard Jakopič and has become a well known outdoor venue for exhibitions of large-format photographs, open throughout the year.

Jakopič Promenade /Huawei P20 Pro/

In the Tivoli Mansion which changed a lot of hands in its history is today International Centre of Graphic Arts with a cute coffee bar with a view.

Tivoli Mansion

Ornamental flower beds are all over the park combined with many other interesting details.

A detail between the promenade and the park /Huawei P20 Pro/.

According to the story the artist committed suicide when he realised that the dogs are missing their tongues.

The deaf dogs.

Have we mentioned the views in the morning light?

View from the Tivoli Mansion /Huawei P20 Pro/.

This statue is definitely our favourite.

The Dancers

Not that it is the only one. Boy with the flute (1946) is in Slovenia also widely known as the trademark of the national TV broadcaster TV Slovenija. However, it is much more difficult to make a good photo of it since it has a chestnut tree lined path behind its back.

The Boy With the Flute.

Entering the park south of the main entrance just before the small railway station near Tobačna one finds a completely different story: an always occupied bench.

The Poet /Huawei P20 Pro/.

Edvard Kocbek was a great poet and played a big but controversial political role during and after World War II. He spent his whole life contemplating about it and so he will spend the eternity. He has a company, a mini-he on his left. We hope that he is helping and not tormenting himself.

The Company.

Be that as it may, the bench is truly photogenic in the mornings.

Sunrise meditation /Huawei P20 Pro/.

Just a few steps behind the poet’s back is located a fish pond with another small sculpture and lots of different bird species.

The Fish Pond /Huawei P20 Pro/.

A small building along the pond is called the Boat House (Čolnarna) and hosts a lovely coffee house.

The Boat House.

The pond is also a nice spot to capture sunrise over Ljubljana.

Sunrise view

Next to the pond there is a small botanical garden with a glasshouse, whose management was entrusted to the Ljubljana Botanic Garden on its 200th anniversary in 2010. The glasshouse houses a permanent exhibition of tropical and carnivorous plants.

Botanical garden and the glasshouse /Huawei P20 Pro/.

This is definitely the most colourful part of the park!

Moody morning /Huawei P20 Pro/.

It can beat also the many moody mornings in Ljubljana.

Roses /Huawei P20 Pro/.

Tivoli Park is beautiful also in the rain and snow …

Autumn

…using all kinds of benches to capture the autumn…

The carpetl

… and winter.

The Winter bench

Did we mentioned that people just rest under the trees?

Resting /Huawei P20 Pro/.

Let’s look closer with the help of the fantastic zoom of Huawei P20 Pro. So close to the city.

Close up /Huawei P20 Pro/.

Northern part of the park is less picturesque but reveals a geometry of the park and with some proper gear provides nice views of the Ljubljana Castle.

North part of the park

The castle can be also taken from the renowned Švicarija Creative Centre.

Švicarija /Huawei P20 Pro/.

Wish you a lot of fun exploring the park!

Text and photo: Zoran Leban Trojar.

Dragon Bridge

The statues of the four dragons on the each corner of the Dragon Bridge are probably the most famous and recognizable images of the city. They are masterpiece by themselves and everybody rush to take photos with them. This photo point is therefore not difficult to find but we would like to turn your attention to some additional details beside taking selfies with this somewhat terrifying pieces of art.

First of all it is not so easy to take a good photo of the beasts since they are positioned against the sky and backlighted. But they are on the opposite sides of the bridge so it is easy to find out which side suits you better. All photos in this post were taken early in the morning when light is better on that side of the bridge which is just across the road of the food market.

This is also the only corner where one can safely climb the low concrete wall next to the bridge and face the beast eye to eye and also gets the perspective of the bridge and the road – when it is empty it nicely add to the composition.

 

The bridge itself is a unique creation, an extraordinary piece of technical heritage and a superb example of Art Nouveau architecture. It was constructed between 1900 and 1901 and it was Ljubljana’s first reinforced concrete structure. The parapet lamps used to be powered by gas.

The views from the bridge are packed with the most important architectural heritage of Ljubljana: the Ljubljana Castle on the Castle Hill, the Cathedral and arcades of the Plečnik’s Open Market are extremely photogenic and offers many different angles with and without the dragons.

Reaching this point of Ljubljana from the Triple Bridge one probably passes also the point just before the Butcher’s Bridge on the photo bellow. BTW, did you know that the Dragon Bridge replaced the original wooden Butcher’s Bridge?

 

Arcades of the Open Market are also very photogenic but as a rule much more facing east. This is valid from the both parts of arcades, the one just around the corner of the Triple Bridge and the second one which begins at the Butcher’s Bridge and ends close to least photogenic dragon.

We recommend to make a short walk along the left bank downstream from the Dragon Bridge to reach another small bridge. The river view is very beautiful from there – in all seasons but summer. Still a sunset or sunrise time can provide for a nice photo.

This part of the left bank ends with the Tovarna Rog (Rog Factory) which is an autonomous social and cultural centre set on the premises of a former bicycle factory. “Consensually” occupied in 2006, this vast location of 7,000 square-metres in “downtown” Ljubljana currently facilitates a rich programme of social and cultural activities and programmes. The presence of the centre is visible in the neighbourhood.

The part of the city between the river and Trubarjeva street is famous by itself but some additional sights are available from this walk.

Text and photos Zoran Leban Trojar.

All photos taken with Huawei P20 Pro

About the legend of Ljubljana Dragon.

Sources:

Visit Ljubljana

 

Boka Waterfall and the bridge over the Soča River

Let’s get some facts in the perspective first: Boka waterfall is a 144 high and 18 wide waterfall, considered to be one of the most magnificent waterfalls in Europe. It is definitely the most majestic waterfall of Slovenia and we have plenty of them here. Surely many would disagree if they were not lucky to see it in its full season when its water flow rate can reach 100m3/s. In the summer it can drop to only 2m3/s, so the seasonal flow rate ratio is 1:50! Not this summer though!

The waterfall from the bridge over the Boka stream

The waterfall is visible already from the bridge over the Boka stream in the vicinity of which most of the visitors park their cars and bikes. However, just behind the corner lies the Boka Hotel with its own parking lot which is sooo close to the another bridge, one of the only few bridges over the mighty Soča river itself. The famous shots of the kayakers on the translucent water are usually taken from the Napoleon Bridge in Kobarid – and from this one which  leads to the small settlement of the Log Čezsoški, one of the few settlements on the left bank of the river.

Towards Bovec

We were not lucky with the kayaks this time but the river itself is always beautiful and the view from this bridge is different from what we usually see in the media: it is an upstream view towards the town of Bovec and surrounding peaks of Julian Alps which just after the town divide the upper Soča Valley (Trenta) and Koritnica.

Mt. Bavški Grintavec in the background

There is even more to it – the waterfall is visible from this bridge too and the sight is even better! So if in a hurry a photo can be taken from the bridge – with a good camera it should be decent enough for a memory or a social media post.

Boka from the bridge over the Soča river

Our posts are focused on the mobile photography trying to show places where ordinary tourists can get decent photos without an expensive gear from the reachable spots. We have been doing Instagram and blog for almost 6 years now using phone cameras exclusively.  Ever since we have begun to use HuaweiP20Pro our horizons are widening – it has extremely powerful zoom which can be used handheld: the photo bellow is a zoom up from the same spot as the above photo was taken.

Zoom in from the bridge – amazing zoom of HuaweiP20Pro

 

After passing the hotel building and crossing the road just before the bridge a narrow path opens leading to the viewpoint which is accessible in some 15 minutes. It is not difficult but we would still recommend to wear a pair of decent shoes. Walking along the bed of Boka in the summer one can imagine the amount of water which flows here when the snow of the Kanin massif begins to melt (up to 8 m of snow can be accumulated in some winters there).The karst terrain with large caves can be deadly for skiers leaving the official ski runs.

The Boka stream bed

The path leading to the viewpoint is mostly in a pleasant shade of the trees with only some tricky places to watch your step.

Pleasant shade

The viewpoint is situated on the slope across the waterfall and can be pretty crowded but the views are much better than from the bridges.

 

The viewpoint view

Zoom in from the viewpoint

Most of the visitors turn around here but some other viewpoints can be reached which are higher on at the slope and a bit closer to the waterfall. Reaching them is not so easy anymore, the path gets pretty steep and can be slippery as well. We needed another 15 minutes to the next viewpoint following the orientation signs on the rocks and trees.

 

Orientation signs

Some unexpectedly good sights of the valley towards Bovec awaited us on the path.

 

The Soča Valley towards Bovec

The water is collected in the karst cave system and spring just above the waterfall, falls freely for 106 m, followed immediately by another 30m drop. The source is situated at an altitude of 725 m, the average temperature of the water is 4,5 degrees Celsium. Since the rock is pretty soft the waterfall  still increases!

 

Standing closer 

Watching this power of nature from the higher and closer viewpoint and without disruptions from other people is definitely worth all the effort!

 

Zooming in again

Returning on the the mountain paths is always more dangerous than going up so be careful stepping down! But don’t overlook this sight with which this whole short photo trip can be rounded up: the road to Log Čezsoški.

 

Left bank of the Soča river towards Log Čezsoški

Of course we had to check the situation on the bridge again when we returned to the parking lot.

Preparations

Some more luck though but not the proper light to get the effect of the kayaks hovering on the water.

 

From the bridge

Nevertheless this bridge offers excellent up and downstream views on the river and the valley caught amidst the steep mountains and it is worth to stop there for the bridge itself. The sights are ever changing.

Downstream view towards Žaga

Hey, there is some shadow underneath the kayak after all:)

Photo and text by @zokus

 

Ljubljana (from Trg revolucije to the Town Hall)

Ljubljana is a small city by the standards of capital cities but just as Slovenia itself it offers  many great views at the short distances. Since we are dedicated to show you not only the obvious few spots of Slovenia we decided to divide descriptions of Ljubljana to shorter walks which offer great photo opportunities.maximStarting point is Trg Republike (Republic Square). It is the centre of contemporary Ljubljana built in 1960 by famous architect Edvard Ravnikar and  surrounded by the Parliament (just behind my back), Cankarjev dom – cultural and congress centre, Maximarket department store and TR3 and Ljubljanska banka office buildings (on the photo). All building were built between 1954 and 1975  and that’s why I call the square “contemporary”. Until a few years ago it used to be a parking space. Now, when empty, these two buildings stand as a kind of entrance (or exit). Since the square itself is fairly empty it offers fine but tricky photo opportunity.The square and the buildings are huge and the sunlight comes mostly from behind of Maximarket or the towers. See it for yourself. In the late autumn sun sets just between the towers.

 

ursulinskaUrsuline church and monastery are just a passage of Maximarket store away – facing the towers just turn left. Too close in fact to find enough space for a proper shot. The church tower is also visible from the Republic square over the roof of the store and from some side views, but always just partially. But if you turn left again and use the underground passage just a few steps away you’ll find yourself in a fine park of Kongresni trg (Congress Square). Now, on your right, is a front side of the same church from 1726.

ursulinkskafrontThe concrete part of the square where you stand now also used to be a parking lot but now offers a clean view on the magnificent Ljubljana Castle over the building of Slovenian Philharmonic, one of the oldest of the kind, from 1701. Just behind your back, taken from the steps of the church.

gradThe beautiful park itself is also called Zvezda (Star), in past times also Sidro (Anchor). Just take a stroll and you find the reason for yourself.

zvezdaMany different approaches are possible now to the river bank, personally I prefer  the narrow one beside the Philharmonia building.

filharmonijaFrom the From the other side, back to the square, it is possible to catch a sunset a few days around late spring. But in the autumn the view on the river, old city buildings and the castle is enriched with large leaves.

listgradOn your left is now the famous Tromostovje (Triple Bridge) with the Franciscan monastery and the Church of the Annunciation in the background.

Early morning view in early summer of 2018.Taken with the HuaweiP20Pro.

It is probably one of the most photogenic spots of Ljubljana – it always looks great, different angles and different weather/light conditions just provide for different mood. Almost like Bled Island and Church of St. Primus and Felician at Jamnik. One of the best is from the new small bridge or from Makalonca bar just bellow the bridge.

 

tromostovje

Especially in the season one has to be pretty early to catch the spot without crowds.

Tripple Bridge and the Church of the Annunciation. Taken with the HuaweiP20Pro.

 

The best view on Prešernov trg (Preseren Square) in the front of Triple Bridge is from the steps of the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation, the red building on the photo above. It is difficult not to catch at least a glimpse of the castle from spots around here.

presernovCrossing the Tripple Bridge you’ll find yourself in front of the Town Hall and famous baroque Robba Fountain with a view on the Cathedral.

magistratEarly morning is always the best time to take photos around here since sun rises somewhere behind the castle, exact point of course depends on the time of the year. Daily sun can be very harsh and  the whole area is already in the shadow afternoons.

For more information about the sights and Ljubljana Visit Ljubljana, one of the best tourist websites and offices in the world.

 

Zoran Leban Trojar @zokus_gf

Soča Valley Instameet

Soča Valley is one of the most beautiful and most visited parts of Slovenia, but a bit remote too – it takes two hours to get there from Ljubljana by car! It was the sixth Instameet by Igslovenia but first one at such a remote location so it took us a while to finally decide to do it. We have partnered with Dolina Soče tourist organisation and it’s representative and @socavalley administrator, Tatjana, has greeted us on Saturday morning in the charming small city of Kobarid. It was the first time that Sanja and me didn’t meet any of the participants before and they didn’t know each other so we were breaking the ice with coffee while waiting to enter the small bus, courtesy of Dolina Soče.

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It didn’t take long since the light is important for photographers and we were all there just for that – to take some photos together.

Soča Valley is very beautiful, long and popular. Success of the photos with Soča River can be compared to those with Bled Island, at least on our Instagram account. These photos are usually taken from 4 – 5 different locations  between Kobarid and the end of Trenta Valley (where is the source of Soča River). But the valley has so much more to offer and we are never satisfied with the obvious so we decided to start with some parts of the valley which are not so well known.

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Nadiža River is technically not a part of the valley – it’s turqoise waters, torrential during the frequent storms, originate under the massive Stol range. At the foot of mount Matajur it turns south, crosses the border into Italy and concludes it’s 60 kilometer journey when it joins the river Ter (Torre). Who would care about details like this since it is only a few minutes drive from Kobarid and it is in summer populated not only by locals but by people even from Nova Gorica, almost 50 km away – still  by the Soča River. And with a reason – it is very warm and has carved out pools and gorges, as well as depositing numerous shingle beaches. It is one of the cleanest and warmest Alpine rivers, some even say it has healing properties.

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Tatjana was also part time our tour guide and she proposed to start exploring with Nadiža throughs, one of the most beautiful parts of the river and even less crowded since the access by cars is forbidden. We parked the bus in a small village Kredo to reach the river after 10 minutes walk which was not without surprises.

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We had to cross the river with a hanging bridge and find a narrow steep path to the throughs – not without some effort but for a good reason though!

 

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The untouched wild beauty just put everybody in his own movie and the day finally really begun.

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More surprises on the way back to the bus – how to persuade one of the two horses to step over the wires back into its designated places. Just one hint – success is not proportional to the number of photographers who want to help:).

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Next stop on the Nadiža River was the famous Napoleon Bridge. The famous stone bridge crossing the Nadiža gorge dates to around 1812 and stands mute testament to the routes crossing the area since at least the time of Ancient Rome. The bridge used to form part of the ancient route from Pradol and Robidišče along the Nadiža riverand further to the east. Current bridge was built at the time of the French emperor’s conquests, hence its name. Its uniqueness and technical accomplishment make it a precious architectural monument and a memorial to times past.

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The bridge is just a few steps from the road so we were all immediately in full action – searching for different views, angles and approaches.

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We were never short of voluntary models.

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Of all sexes…

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and species…:)

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Photo by Ingmar Wein

There is a great photo of our dog, Tara, also in @sebo262‘s feed!

 

Our next destination was Robidišče: The village of Robidišče lies on the western edge of Slovenia. From the north, west and south it is enclosed by the state border. Across the border lies the Venetian Slovenia to which the village always gravitated. The old village is itself a living monument of times past.

After WW2 in 1947 Robidišče was cut off from Venetian Slovenia by the Iron curtain. Because of this more than 150 locals packed their belongings onto wagons, crossed the border into Italy and never returned. The village was drastically changed in 1976 when an earthquake with magnitude 8 on Richter scale shook the village. The reconstruction of the village was never completed and the village decreased. In 1869 the village had 178 inhabitants and in 1910 the number rose to 228. In 1991 there were only 17 people living in Robidišče and the number fell to 8 in 2000.

 Robidišče is a nice starting point for hiking in the neighbourhood and admiring the old architecture. The highlight is the Vanče’s house which is over 300 years old and in which the original smoke kitchen is preserved. /breginjskikoten.wordpress.com/

IMG_5600The village is charming but we have to admit that itself does not offer many photo opportunities – the village is small and houses renewed . We didn’t say it offers none though:)

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There is a magnificent view on Mt. Stol just beside the village but the sun was already pretty high and the skies clear – sunrise or sunset are definitely worth trying.

It was a hot day and after two working stops a short break with courtesy refreshments at Turistična kmetija Robidišče made no harm to anybody. The all local food was great too but we had to leave. Hop-on, Hop-off bus was waiting on us. It was his first day on duty in the season or better to say, a pre-day of duty since it served only our group – otherwise it is a seasonal service which a few times a day drives to some more remote tourist destinations like Robidišče. Visitors thus don’t need to drive their cars or rent them and are also start their cycling or hiking tours at the optimal starting points etc..

FullSizeRender-19Narrow and steep road took us again over the Nadiža upper stream, a pretty popular bathing spot and quite crowded already, so we just checked out @ingmarwein‘s levitation skills. We have already found out before that Tina of @followsunsets is a great model:)

Our next destination was Breginj, a village nested bellow Mt. Stol. The clustered old Breginj was an architectural pearl of Venetian Slovenian architecture. The ground plan of the village was round with concentric alleys called landrone. Most of the houses were built from stone with wooden exterior corridors (gank), stairways, balconies (linde) positioned on wooden or stone pillars with big overhangs and agricultural frescoes on the facade. The farmhouses were joined by intriguing sets of underpasses and overpasses. After the earthquake of 1976 the whole village was completely rebuilt. The remaining traditional houses are now a local museum/breginjskikoten.wordpress.com/

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Unfortunately rebuilding the village was focused only to give the people shelter and no historical elements were taken into account. Bot location itself is a very charming one and there are some views on the village, the mountains and the church above the village we wanted to explore.

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A short examination from the best photo spot above the village cut down our expectations  – it was middle of the day and clear skies, the light not appropriate for taking photos there so we decided to leave it for some other time. Photos above are from our previous visit.

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One of the most popular destinations around Kobarid and in the valley itself is a Kozjak Waterfall. The picturesque Kozjak waterfall is caught in a stony amphitheatre not far away from Kobarid. It can be reached by an easy walking path by the riverbed of the emerald Soča River. /www.dolina-soce.com/

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The Kozjak brook, feeding the Soča river from the east (on the left), springs high beneath Mt. Krnčica (2142 m), and runs through many pools making six waterfalls. One of Slovenia’s most picturesque waterfalls, the Veliki Kozjak, was created in the outlet of the lower Korita of the Kozjak Brook.

Approximately 250 meters lower, the water falls again. Here, the waterfall carved an underground hall. Its bottom is covered by a vast blue and green pool, and its walls are reminiscent of those in the Karst caves. A 15 meter high white water column offers its visitors an unforgettable scenery./www.dolina-soce.com/

Unfortunately popularity equals crowd. It is tough already to get a decent picture of the waterfall given the closed natural amphitheater with scattered source of light. When crowded it is even more difficult to get a shot without people standing in the way. But for dedicated photographer nothing is too difficult:)

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Photo Ingmar Wein

Activity on the photo is illegal though:) You can check out a bit more classical take at the waterfall on @lukakotnikphoto‘s, @alanjereb‘s and @dejskovski‘s feed.

It was time for beer, some great pancakes (salty editions) in the camp near the river and slowly saying “goodbye, nice meeting you”. Phones were also ready for first posts:) Also girls from @igposocje took break in their studying for exams to greet us on their home territory.

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On the way back to Kobarid some of us stopped at another classic spot to photographing Soča River, another bridge called Napoleon’s:).  @dani.kla got his classic shot with kayaks there (check out in his feed) and I got @ingmarwein  and @feinerkerl in action.

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Some of us stayed for the rest of the day or even weekend, some headed for other great photo spots in the area. A week would probably be enough to cover only the best spots of the valley, not even trying to hike the less accessible waterfalls, villages, pastures and peaks.

We had a great day, made great photos and most important – some new friends! We thank everybody for joining us and especially Dolina Soče for hospitality!

More photos from the event: #instameetsoca and feeds of the participants. More detailed descriptions of some destinations are available in Where to in Slovenia section and we will be adding more of them.

Photos @zokus_gf ,  @sanya_lt  and @ingmarwein.

Narration:@zokus_gf .

Maribor

Maribor is the second-largest city in Slovenia with a population close to 100K. The biggest and the oldest part of the city is located on the left bank of the Drava river. Probably are the vineyards which surround it, peaceful Pohorje Hills nearby and a lenghty shore of the river that create a special, somewhat Mediterranean easy going atmosphere in the city.

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City centre is relatively small and not difficult to find one’s way around.  A stroll from Glavni trg to  Slovenska ulica in the north would take only a couple of minutes and from Titova cesta on the east towards Strossmayeryeva ulica on the west shouldn’t last much longer. Huge majority of everything regarding architecture and history lies inside that square. But take your time and enjoy places on your way.

trgGrajski trg (Castle Square) with Kavarna Astoria and of course with the castle itself is a lively place on sunny days. Turn round at the castle tower and enjoy the view of the Franciscan church since it is difficult to find a shot from the other side, cars free. Always better to have some crowd and a  musician on the photo than some cars:)

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There is no history without a dark side, that day it was just around the corner, on the Trg svobode.

drevBut it was not difficult to proceed on the sunny side.

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Maribor is full of small parks and there is a huuuuuge (5 hectares) Mestni park (City Park) just north of the city centre, connecting the urban part of the city with the vineyards  covering the Piramida Hill just above the town.

parkkuglaThis is a classic view, but it is not difficult to find your own.

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A lot of trees and many of them are 140 years old. Should I add that autumn is the best time to play around with camera?

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Park is a beautiful combination of free space and order.

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Turning south-east near  Trije ribniki (Tree ponds, used to be a famous restaurant) would lead you to the Railway Station and Bus Station, further back to the city centre. Some pretty amazing details there.

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The back view was also worth a shot.

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A few hundred meters behind the bus station is an access to the river, close to the Railway Bridge. One could easily turn back to the city centre here because there is only a car park behind the station and the buildings across the street are new and ugly. But following the street to the south and crossing the road which goes along the river pays off heavily if you like that kind of view.

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It is necessary to return to the road from here and follow the river upstream but  first opportunity to go back to the river bank is just a few hundred meters away. From there on a path is always close to the water but the best views start again after the next bridge. This is Lent, the oldest part of the city with some amazing old buildings. It is a very popular place to eat and hang around with a lot of sun and plenty restaurants. Unfortunately parked cars can ruin your desired motif.stolp

Water Tower from 1555 was a part of the defence structure of the city. In reality it is not a tower at all and has nothing to do with the water. Well, almost nothing since wine is mostly – water and the tower now hosts an enoteca.

Over the water is another world and only a small part of old building worth to explore but you can cross the river and take a shot back at the Lent. A good photo from the other side requires more serious gear than a phone.

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We have found enough beautiful motifs on the Lent itself, like this one bellow the Koroški Bridge.

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Also on a beautiful sunny day one can find a photo opportunity without people in the way.

trtaMuch more difficult is find a moment without crowd in front of the Old Vine, the oldest vine in the world. The confirmed age is about 400 years and it still bears grapes. About 100 2,5, dl bottles are filled every year. It is an official THE sight of the city and is a must for all tourist groups but believe me – you can find a lot more in Maribor for your photographic thirst than that.

All information available regarding Maribor you can find in the link at the beginning of this post. For more photo inspirations about Maribor I can strongly recommend Igor Unuk who also acted as a photo guide during our Maribor #instameet.

Zoran Leban Trojar @zokus_gf

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mighele_

Ljubljana, 5. 12. 2015, @sanya_lt

Instagram thought me an important lesson; before I go anywhere, I search through the #hashtags connected to the place I want to visit and I ask local Instagrammers for tips – where to go & what to see. Mighele_ is the person that ‘pops up’ when you are looking for ideas where to go and what to do in Italy, especially in its northern part, around Trieste. I have also found some of his photos of Slovenia and decided that an interview with a neighbour (with an amazing gallery!) is a must!

Can you present yourself? Who are you, where do you come from and what do you do?

My name is Michele and I’m from the north-eastern part of Italy. My instagram name is @Mighele_ but I have also another profile, @mighele_daily and of course – you can find me on Twitter & Tumblr.

 I currently live in Trieste, but I was born and raised in Udine, where I worked as a graphic designer for several years. Now I’m working hard on a new project with my partner Marco called “Dezen Dezen. It’s very exciting to see the project – slowly but surely – becoming a reality! The next big step waiting for us is to move our screen printing manufacture to Trieste.

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How would you describe your photography style? I find your photos very aesthetic, symmetry is importantto you and (especially lately) there almost must be a splash of blue here and there. Am I wrong?

You already told everything. It’s not easy for me to describe my style because I have a very spontaneous approach to photography and most of the time I just shoot what I encounter during my days and on my travels. My photos are often blue because blue is the colour that surrounds me most of the time between the sea of Trieste and the sky of the Friuli’s Alps.

Are you a professional or amateur photographer? What kind of equipment do you use for taking photos?

Absolutely amateur! For the last few years I was only using my iPhone for shooting and for editing my photos. However, recently, Nikon Italy invited me to take part in a photography project and having a Nikon Reflex in my hand gave me a lot of new inspiration.

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How did you end up on Instagram?

Honestly, I don’t remember! When I initially installed Instagram 3 years ago, none of my friends was using it and I hadn’t understood the potential at the beginning. Only after a few months of using it &  with the number of followers growing it became more interesting. And, as you know, I never stopped using it! 🙂

Instagram is my favourite social media mostly because it allows you to tell stories in a very simple way! In Italy the community of Instagrammers  is very large and united. The first one that involved me was Instagramers Italia and thanks to them I discovered how cool Instagram is and met a bunch of cool people from all around Europe and the world.

Can you share some tips for Slovenian Instagramers? How to act on Instagram? What is really important for you?

Instagram is all about storytelling: Show your passions and show the most beautiful places in your country! Those are my favourite contents!

In a nutshell: Less selfies and more interaction! That was my winning combination and it allowed me to get to know so many people and some of them became very close friends of mine. It also allowed me to get in touch with some cool brands with which I developed different kind of collaborations.

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Slovenia? How/when did you decide to visit? Why?

Living so close to Slovenia also means I visit it often, but unfortunately I had only a few occasions to visit it as a tourist. In the last year we participated many times on Ljubljana’s arts and crafts markets with our Dezen Dezen handmades and each time I take more confidence with the city and fall a little bit more in love with it.

What are your favorite places here?

I have seen more Slovenian highways and gas stations than cities, LOL, but as I said I love Ljubljana and Piran! I would love visit the beautiful Lake Bled and I hope I will spend a weekend there really soon. Until then I will admire Slovenia on Instagram!

Do you think that Instagram community could do something to help you while exploring Slovenia?

Of course! Browsing Instagram galleries of my favourite Instagrammers helps me discover a lot of beautiful places that I never visited or even knew they existed but are just a few kilometres away. When I find something new and interesting it immediately becomes my next destination! The community can become a great resource to discover beautiful places. When you use hashtags and geolocation correctly Instagram is a very powerful tool.

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