Vegan Travel in Slovenia | Trieste to Lake Bled | Part 1 | Brighde Reed

Link for the show notes

Brighde takes us along on the first part of her and Seb’s personal adventure through Slovenia and the Julian Alps.

Their journey begins after leaving Venice and traveling through historic Trieste before continuing by train to Lake Bled. Brighde shares how they prepared for the Juliana Trail, found vegan food along the way, and explored Lake Bled and Vintgar Gorge.

Follow the podcast and join Brighde for Part 2, when the real hiking begins, a fierce summer heatwave tests their limits, and the cool waters of Lake Bohinj offer some much-needed relief.

🌿 Our Cambodia 2027 vegan group trip is open!
Join us for an unforgettable journey through ancient temples, vibrant local life, amazing plant-based cuisine, & meaningful cultural experiences shared with a small group of like-minded travelers.

👉 Get the Limited Time Early Bird Special Offer
📬 Join our newsletter

Check out our website | Check out all the podcast show notes | Follow us on Instagram

Transcript

Today, we’re taking you along on a recent, absolutely epic adventure that Seb and I took to Slovenia.

If you follow the show, you know that we spend a lot of our year running and scouting group tours for World Vegan Travel. However, this trip was a little different. It was purely a fun trip for us, and it was something I had wanted to do for a very long time.

Seb originally suggested Slovenia, and because I’m usually up for anything, I immediately said, “Let’s do it.”

We also had a hidden motive. We wanted a trip that would give us some serious hiking training as we prepared for our upcoming Kilimanjaro trek.

Let me tell you, Slovenia completely blew us away. It is one of the most spectacularly beautiful places we have ever visited.

What surprised us most was how quiet and peaceful it felt, especially because we were traveling during the peak summer season.

Over the next three episodes, we’re going to give you the real expectation-versus-reality story of trekking through the Julian Alps.

We’ll share some incredible highlights, including eating high-end plant-based steak in a five-star skyscraper and finding a wonderful vegan version of a famous local cream cake.

However, we’ll also share the grit and some hilarious behind-the-scenes moments. These include a massive heatwave, a lunch stop that turned into a fly-filled cow pasture, and the moment a passenger calmly stripped down to his underwear directly behind me in a first-class Austrian train carriage.

Before we lace up our boots, I want to explain the basic setup because hiking in Europe can be very different from what we are used to in North America.

We were not camping in the backcountry or carrying heavy backpacks. Instead, we hired a local company to create a “best of” itinerary along the famous Juliana Trail.

The company booked all our accommodations and arranged a door-to-door luggage transfer service.

Each morning, we left our large bags at reception before 9 a.m. We then set off with our lightweight daypacks and walked to the next mountain village. By the time we arrived, our luggage was already waiting for us.

We could have booked everything ourselves. However, we simply didn’t have time to coordinate all the details.

The service was also surprisingly inexpensive when we considered how much time and stress it saved us.

So, pack your digital bags. Our journey begins not in the mountains but on a historic coastal railway traveling from Venice toward Trieste, one of Europe’s great coffee cities.

Our main transit day began at around 10 a.m. in Venice.

To explain why we were starting there, Seb and I had just completed our third back-to-back group tour in Italy. The final tour had ended in Venice.

While our guests prepared to travel home, we switched into personal vacation mode and started making our way toward the mountain trails of Slovenia.

We planned to hike a curated “best of” route along the Juliana Trail through the Julian Alps. This was our final preparation day before the hiking began.

However, before we could even see a mountain, we had to deal with the weather.

Western Europe was in the middle of an intense early summer heatwave. We had already endured a week of very high temperatures during our tours. Even moving our heavy luggage through the morning humidity felt like a workout.

We took a classic Venetian water taxi to Venezia Santa Lucia railway station. From there, we caught a direct regional train to Trieste.

The train journey from Venice to Trieste is a beautiful and peaceful favorite of ours.

The railway travels east across the flat plains of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region before reaching the rugged Karst coastline.

Try to get a window seat if you take this journey because the final 20 minutes are spectacular.

The tracks follow the high limestone cliffs beside the Gulf of Trieste. From the train, you can look down at the deep blue Adriatic Sea and see small white yachts dotted along the coast.

When we arrived at the historic Trieste Centrale station, we immediately felt the city’s dry heat.

We walked a short distance to the NH Trieste. It was comfortable and very well located.

Because it was already the hottest part of the day, our first priority was finding a substantial meal.

Trieste gave us a slight challenge. Despite the city’s strong food culture, we could not find a fully vegan restaurant during our visit.

Luckily, we found a modern brunch café and bar that was happy to adapt its menu.

I ordered a house burger that they made completely vegan. Seb chose a loaded piadina wrap filled with a good vegan meat alternative.

We spent the rest of the afternoon dealing with hiking logistics.

Because we were using the luggage transfer service, we needed secure luggage tags and waterproof plastic folders. These would clearly display our route and reservation information for the drivers.

We also completed a careful supermarket raid in the city center. We knew this might be our last chance to buy a wide range of plant-based supplies before entering the rural Slovenian valleys.

We visited a local Eurospar for essentials. We also found some excellent options at NaturaSì, an Italian organic health-food chain.

We filled our bags with vegan trail snacks and other energy-rich food.

Walking through Trieste feels quite different from walking through many other Italian cities.

For more than 500 years, Trieste was an important port in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. As a result, much of its architecture feels closer to Vienna than to the rustic brick buildings found in many other parts of Italy.

Despite its strong Austrian connections, the city maintained its Italian language and identity. It became part of Italy after the First World War.

Trieste is also famous for coffee. The city is the home of illycaffè, and its historic coffeehouses attracted writers and artists, including James Joyce.

The people of Trieste even have their own special coffee vocabulary. For example, you can ask for a “Capo in B” if you want a small cappuccino served in a glass.

By around 6 p.m., the harsh midday sun had started to fade, and the city felt more comfortable.

Our large lunch had left us very full, so we skipped a formal dinner. Instead, we spent the evening exploring some of Trieste’s main coastal sights.

We walked along the Canal Grande. This narrow waterway was created so commercial sailing ships could enter the city center and unload their cargo.

Today, the canal is lined with grand buildings and outdoor café tables. There is also a bronze statue of James Joyce walking across the Red Bridge.

From there, we continued to Piazza Unità d’Italia. It is often described as the largest European square facing the sea.

Tall, brightly lit buildings surround the square on three sides. The fourth side opens directly onto the Gulf of Trieste.

The square feels like the grand, windswept heart of the city.

Directly opposite the square, we walked along the Molo Audace. This historic stone pier stretches more than 200 meters into the sea.

It was warm and peaceful that evening. From the end of the pier, we had a wide view of the city as the lights began to glow.

After a full and brilliant travel day, we returned to the hotel. We checked our hiking bags one more time and went to bed early before crossing into Slovenia the next day.

Our train from Trieste was only leaving after lunch, so we had a quiet morning and found something to eat.

Pasta and pizza were available almost everywhere. However, we had just spent a full week eating our way through Italy, so we were ready for something different.

We chose another vegan-friendly burger.

Afterward, we returned to the NH Trieste and collected the bags that we had left at reception after checking out. We then made our way to the station.

The first part of our journey took us from Trieste to Villach in Austria on an ÖBB EuroCity train.

If you plan to make this journey, the Business Class carriage is incredibly comfortable. It has large reclining leather seats, individual reading lights, and quiet compartments.

As the train climbed away from the Adriatic coast, it traveled through dramatic mountain passes.

We could see wide green valleys with enormous limestone peaks on either side. Thick pine forests covered much of the landscape, and the railway passed through a long series of mountain tunnels.

The journey was exceptionally comfortable. However, it also included one very strange moment.

Seb and I were sitting opposite each other when a man standing directly behind me calmly removed his trousers. He then remained in the open carriage in his underwear.

Seb and I thought it was hilarious. It certainly became one of the most memorable moments of the travel day.

When we arrived at Villach Hauptbahnhof, the heatwave was still going strong.

I stayed at a station café to watch our heavy bags while Seb took a quick look around the nearby area.

From Villach, we boarded a regional train for the journey south into Slovenia. We were heading to Bled Jezero railway station.

The route passes through the historic Karawanks Tunnel, which connects Austria and Slovenia.

After emerging on the Slovenian side, the train traveled down through the beautiful Sava Bohinjka river valley.

The main Lesce-Bled station is some distance from the lake. In contrast, Bled Jezero station sits on the quieter western side of Lake Bled.

As the train approached the station, we could already see the lake through the trees.

The station was only a short drive from our hotel on the main shore of Lake Bled.

A transfer vehicle was supposed to be waiting for us. However, after standing there for about 20 minutes and receiving no answer from the company, we realized that the driver was not coming.

Fortunately, several local taxi drivers were waiting at the station.

They were not pushy at all. From the moment we stepped off the train, they were friendly and helpful.

We happily paid €20 in cash for the drive down to the lakeshore.

We checked into Hotel Kompas, left our luggage in the room, and placed our perishable groceries in the fridge.

We were eager to see the lake, so we went straight back outside for a short evening walk.

The air was hazy as night began to fall. However, the lakeside promenade had a lively summer atmosphere.

Seb wanted a full meal. I was happy to sit beside the water and eat a salad that I had assembled using supplies from Trieste.

I mixed a prepared salad containing radicchio, corn, olives, and tomatoes with a can of lupini beans from NaturaSì.

I then added small packets of olive oil, vinegar, and salt that I had carried with me from Italy.

It was a simple but successful plant-based meal when restaurant choices were limited.

Our first impression of Slovenia was that everyone seemed warm, friendly, and eager to help.

It made us even more excited to begin our Juliana Trail adventure.

Our first full morning in Bled brought another intensely hot and sunny summer day.

We were not beginning the actual trail yet. Instead, we had set aside the entire day to explore Bled.

However, we still had to prepare for the hike.

We knew we would soon enter more remote sections of the Juliana Trail. Therefore, our first mission was another careful search for vegan hiking supplies.

We visited several supermarkets and a health-food shop to create a good plant-based food supply.

The prices felt very affordable compared with Canada.

We found vegan Parmesan, vegan deli slices, Violife cheese for only €2, pickles, vegan mayonnaise, mustard, and crisp lettuce.

The vegan Parmesan would be useful for improving any basic tomato pasta dishes we might find along the trail.

We returned to Hotel Kompas and asked the helpful staff to place our ice blocks in the kitchen freezer.

We organized the cold food in our room’s small fridge and then set off to explore the lake.

Starting directly outside Hotel Kompas, we walked clockwise around Lake Bled.

Because it was Saturday, the shores had a cheerful weekend atmosphere. However, the area never felt completely overcrowded.

The midday heat reflecting off the green water was intense.

Even so, the views were spectacular. We could see the medieval castle on the cliff and the famous church standing alone on Bled Island.

After the hot walk, we headed to Public Vegan Kitchen, a highly rated vegan-friendly restaurant near the lake.

Its menu focuses on fresh and comforting plant-based food.

We enjoyed chunky potato wedges and crisp salads topped with golden chickpea-flour fritters and rich house-made sauces.

The food was excellent.

However, the main reason we chose the restaurant was the vegan Bled cream cake, known locally as Blejska kremšnita.

You cannot visit Bled without seeing this famous dessert.

The original Bled cream cake was created in 1953. The traditional version contains layers of egg custard and dairy cream, so finding a vegan version was a special treat.

Public Vegan Kitchen created a wonderful plant-based version.

It had a crisp pastry base, a thick layer of smooth vanilla custard, and a generous layer of vegan whipped cream. Another piece of flaky pastry sat on top, finished with powdered sugar.

It felt like a real victory to enjoy a fully vegan version of such a famous local dessert.

After lunch, we walked to Bled bus station and caught a shuttle to Vintgar Gorge.

We hoped the deep, shaded limestone canyon would provide some relief from the heatwave. However, the air inside the gorge was still very warm and humid.

After changing to a second electric shuttle, we had to wait about 30 minutes for our entry time.

We spent part of the wait cooling our feet in the icy mountain river. It felt incredible.

The main trail through Vintgar Gorge follows a 1.6-kilometer wooden walkway attached to the steep canyon walls.

The path passes turquoise rapids, green pools, and the 13-meter-high Šum Waterfall.

Visitors must wear protective helmets inside the gorge because small pieces of rock can fall through erosion, even though protective nets are in place.

When we reached the end of the gorge, we had to decide how to return.

The official return routes involved a long walk over the hills. Much of the route had little shade, and it could have taken us around an hour and a half.

We did not want to melt in the heat, so we searched for another option.

After walking for about eight minutes and climbing some stone steps, we found a private shuttle pickup point near the village of Podhom.

We had about an hour before the next departure, so we found a shady table.

I enjoyed a refreshing Radler and a vegan chocolate Magnum ice cream bar. Seb cooled down with a fresh lemonade.

For €7 each, the private shuttle took us back to the main Bled bus station.

We walked back to the hotel through Bled’s lively evening streets.

Along the way, we discovered a Mercator supermarket close to our hotel that we had not noticed earlier.

It was smaller than the supermarket we had visited that morning, but it had everything I needed for another simple dinner.

For the second evening in a row, I made a large salad. I used mâche lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and a jar of chickpeas.

I added my reliable Italian packets of olive oil, vinegar, and salt.

For dessert, I had an Alpro vegan protein pudding that I had bought earlier.

Before going to bed, we spent a very productive 30 minutes completely reorganizing our suitcases.

We had been moving between several different trips, including our Tuscany tours, the Northern Italy scouting trip, and Provence.

As a result, our bags had become a chaotic mixture of clothing and equipment.

We packed everything that we would not need during the alpine hike into one large bag and sealed it.

Our daily hiking equipment was now organized, and our hotel rooms would remain free from unnecessary clutter.

With our gear streamlined, the room clear, and our packs filled with supplies, including our €2 Violife cheese, we went to sleep feeling organized and rested.

We were finally ready for our first day on the actual trail.

That wraps up Part 1 of our Slovenian adventure.

We hope you enjoyed traveling with us from the grand, coffee-filled streets of Trieste to the beautiful shores of Lake Bled.

Make sure you join us for Part 2 because the journey is about to become much more rugged and physically demanding.

We will finally step onto the Juliana Trail, where a fierce summer heatwave will put our bodies to the test.

We’ll share a tactical taxi shortcut, a scenic lunch meadow that quickly becomes a fly-filled cow pasture, and a grueling 38,000-step mountain descent.

However, the journey also leads us to the beautiful glacial waters of Lake Bohinj, where we finally find some much-needed relief.

You do not want to miss the next part of the hike.

Until next time, keep exploring, keep eating well, and we’ll see you in Part 2.