A trip to Slovenia 🇸🇮
My First Time in Slovenia 🇸🇮 – A Journey to Ljubljana and Beyond
At the end of January 2025, I traveled to Slovenia for the first time, heading to its capital, Ljubljana. The main reason for my visit was to meet NeĹľa KlanÄŤar, who is joining our training group this season. NeĹľa had an impressive Olympic campaign in Paris, making the 50m freestyle final and setting personal bests in the prelims, semis, and finals. She also represented Slovenia in the 100m freestyle, and as part of the 4x100 freestyle relay.
This trip was an opportunity to get to know her better, visit the Slovenian Swimming Federation, and see the facilities and staff that support her. I had always heard good things about Slovenia, and it didn’t disappoint. It’s a country with strong sporting success, producing world-class athletes across multiple disciplines—Tadej Pogačar in cycling, Janja Garnbret in climbing, and, Luka Dončić in basketball, to name a few..
The Journey to Ljubljana
The trip started at Praha HlavnĂ NádraĹľĂ, the main train station in Prague. There’s something special about long train journeys—watching the landscape slowly shift as you move from one country to another.
To break up the trip, I stayed overnight in Vienna before continuing on to Ljubljana the next day. My train left at 8 a.m., so I woke up early and went for a very cold morning jog around the city before heading to the station. Running through Vienna in the quiet morning hours, with barely anyone around, was a refreshing start to the day—though it was absolutely freezing.
The train ride from Vienna to Ljubljana was scenic, taking me through Austria’s rolling hills before transitioning into Slovenia’s more dramatic terrain. When I arrived in Ljubljana, the city was completely covered in fog. It gave the streets an almost mysterious feel, with the streetlights barely cutting through the mist. But by the next day, the fog had lifted, revealing a charming and historic city.
First Impressions of Ljubljana
Ljubljana’s architecture stood out right away. The city center has an old, medieval feel to it—narrow streets, historic facades, and a strong sense of character. One morning, I met up with Neža at Dragon Bridge before heading to the pool. The bridge, guarded by four dragon statues, is one of Ljubljana’s most famous landmarks.
I learned that dragons are a big part of Ljubljana’s identity. According to legend, Jason and the Argonauts passed through what is now Slovenia, slaying a dragon along the way. Over time, the dragon became the city’s protector and now appears on Ljubljana’s coat of arms.
Despite it not being particularly warm, I found the weather comfortable compared to Czechia at the time. Locals, on the other hand, seemed to think it was colder than usual. It’s funny how much temperature perception depends on what you’re used to.
Training with NeĹľa KlanÄŤar in Ljubljana
On Friday morning, January 31st, I visited Miha Robnik, Neža’s strength coach, who has been working with her for several years. Neža went through her strength program and stretching routines, and I had the chance to observe and discuss her training structure, goals, and season planning. It was great to have these conversations face-to-face, which is always easier than messaging or phone calls.
Later that day, we headed to the Kodeljevo pool for a training session. NeĹľa had started back in the water in early January, after taking an extended break post-Paris. The session was a basic early-season workout, focusing on getting back into rhythm and laying the foundation for the next training phase.
On Saturday, we went to Tivoli pool, where the Short Course National Championships were happening. The pool was packed with Slovenia’s top swimmers competing, and the atmosphere was energetic. While we were there, we also toured Ilirija, a brand-new swimming complex. The facility looks fantastic, but unfortunately, it’s not finished yet. Once completed, it will be a major addition to Ljubljana’s swimming infrastructure, providing a world-class training environment.
That same day, I met with the Slovenian Swimming Federation, including TomaĹľ Torkar, who has coached NeĹľa for many years and played a key role in her development. It was great to talk with the people who have been instrumental in shaping her career and see firsthand how strong the support network around her is.
Being in Neža’s home environment and seeing how her team and staff work together was insightful. It gave me a better understanding of her setup in Slovenia and helped build a stronger connection between her training there and what we’ll be doing as she integrates into our group.
Overall thoughts
Slovenia left a really good impression on me. Even though I was only there for a few days, I could tell it’s a place I’d like to come back to. The landscape is so varied—mountains everywhere, but then you also have the coast not too far away. It seems like the kind of country where you could be skiing in the morning and sitting by the sea in the afternoon. I didn’t have time for that on this trip, but next time, I’d love to explore more beyond Ljubljana.
One of the unexpected highlights was the burek. I had it early in the morning before a training session, fresh from a bakery that was already open, and it was perfect—hot, meaty, and exactly what you want before a long day. I didn’t realize at first that burek has roots in Turkey, which was kind of funny since Istanbul was my next stop after Slovenia.
From a coaching perspective, of course, the main reason for the trip was working with Neža, and that was great. But what really stood out was the solidarity within her support team—everyone around her, from her strength coach to the Federation, plays a part in her success. Seeing that firsthand made it clear just how much of a team effort it takes to reach the highest level.
Overall, Ljubljana is a great city to visit, and Slovenia as a whole seems like a place worth spending more time in. It was a short trip, but a really worthwhile one.