Exploring Kranj in beautiful, green Slovenia
Kranj is Slovenia’s third city and a European Destination of Excellence for Sustainable Tourism
Kranj is somewhere you’ve probably never heard of. It is Slovenia’s third largest city (but with a population of only 37,000) and is much less well known to visitors than say Bled or Ljubljana, despite its 6,000 years history. Definitely off the tourist trail for many, but now a European Destination of Excellence for Sustainable Tourism and a platinum destination under the Green Scheme for Slovenian Tourism. So very ‘green’ which, in our eyes at least, must be both applauded and supported. 💚
Kranj boasts a beautiful medieval core
I’ve spent several days in Kranj over the past 15 years, and each has been absolutely delightful. The most recent was yesterday, when Graham and I decided to go for lunch, walk Draco and buy some essentials such as food, a garden hose, and wine (no connection). Graham is not a city person and hates shopping other than outdoor shops, and so has always viewed Kranj with great suspicion.
But Kranj has a beautiful medieval core, a vibrant arts and culture scene, an array of intriguing and very stylish independent shops, and a wide variety of cafes and restaurants serving delicious, innovative food made from local ingredients, that nowadays are winning accolades from Michelin and Gault & Millau. Combined with its stunning position cradled by the Karavanke Alps (snow-topped for several months of the year), and surrounded by lush forests, wildflower meadows and crystal-clear turquoise rivers, lakes and streams, I’d say that Kranj is very much ‘on the up’. A feeling confirmed by a very recent article in the Guardian extolling its virtues. Get there before it becomes overrun like Bled!
Let’s start with lunch!
Restavracija Stara Pravda spare ribs
Yesterday we started our leisurely afternoon at Restavracija Stara Pravda. Chosen for no better reason than having 4.7 stars on Google, it appeared to have a lovely outdoor dining area in the Google photos. Well, it does, but it is also located on a busy crossroads on one of Kranj’s main arterial routes, so don't go there for peace, quiet or a beautiful view. But do go there for the food, which is great.
I had BBQ spare ribs which were gorgeous; meltingly tender and falling off the bone, while Graham had Stara Pravda burger with truffle mayonnaise. The house speciality is steaks, and we looked rather longingly at them before deciding they were outside our budget, but if you love top-end steaks (Black Angus or Wagyu), this is the place for you. They also serve enticing salads, seafood and pasta – will try those on our next visit. And there will be a next visit, despite the busy crossroads!
Igor Sarsanki makes, dries and sells pasta in a one-room shop to the melodious sounds of jazz from his high-end music system
We then decided we’d better try to walk some of it off, so walked down to the Kokra Gorge, the second deepest city centre canyon in Europe. After a lot of steps down to it (and what feels like many more out again) it’s a short stroll of around 30-45 minutes along the riverbank and back, but immensely tranquil and beautiful, and perfect for dogs too.
We then called into Kralj Nudeljcev – my favourite pasta shop in all the world. It is owned by the lovely Igor Sarsanki, who makes, dries and sells his pasta in one room to the melodious sounds of jazz from his high-end music system. ‘I make pasta, jazz makes me happy, and so I make better pasta’. He has no website but does have a Facebook page showing where he’s located. We bought some tagliatelle and then Igor asked us to wait for a few minutes so we could taste the ravioli he was making. He brought it out to us and words just can’t describe; filled with a homemade pesto of six cheeses and four herbs, served with a sprinkling of parmesan, it was sublime. He only makes ravioli for sale on Fridays and Saturdays, and it was a Thursday – but guess where we will be next Friday?
Kokra Gorge, Kranj, Slovenia
Igor Sarsanki makes perfect pasta in this shop, Kralj Nudeljcev
After a rummage around our favourite second-hand shop (no idea what it’s called, sorry) and the purchase of a vintage hand-stitched embroidery depicting a traditional alpine scene of mountains, forests and a wooden chalet for 10 euros, we continued our wander around the city centre, including a visit to the very helpful Kranj Tourist Information office.
What Graham lacks in shopping skills, he definitely makes up for in his skill at finding great bars, so we then found ourselves on a sunny terrace outside the fab Layer House – ‘house of artists’. Combining a gallery, café and said bar, it is a meeting place for Kranj cultural and social events, and, along with its surroundings, is steadily turning into a dynamic cultural quarter for the city. During the 18th and 19thcentury the artist Leopold Layer lived there and there’s an amazing fresco on the wall depicting a bar scene comprising (as far as we could tell) famous artists and ‘achievers’ from Kranj throughout the centuries, all brought together into one scene. The famous Slovene poet, Preseren, lived in Kranj, and his presence is felt all over the city, including the Preseren theatre, Preseren House (where he lived) and Preseren Grove (where he was buried).
We sat in the sunshine overlooking verdant green hills and enjoyed ‘just being’ for close to an hour before deciding we’d better head back home. Having completely forgotten to buy food, hosepipe or wine, but having spent another hugely enjoyable afternoon in Kranj. We’d definitely recommend you do the same if you’re in Slovenia – catch it while it’s ‘on the up’.
Vist Kranj now before everyone discovers it!
Follow Kranj Tourist Information to find out about the many events and festivals organised throughout the year, including music festivals, local markets, and street-food events (Friday afternoons/evenings during the summer).
We’d also highly recommend Vinska Pot, which takes place in November each year, when winemakers from all around Slovenia set up stalls in the tunnels under Kranj. The entrance fee includes a glass that you carry around with you to taste their wares, and you can chat with them about their vineyard and vinification techniques before undoubtedly being tempted to buy some. It’s a seriously cool and fun experience – quite unique. For anyone who doesn't know, Slovenian wine is amazing – really high quality for not inflated prices. It’s rarely exported so you’ll need to go there to try it!
P.S. Since we wrote this blog, we’ve visited Gostilna Kristof as mentioned in the Guardian article above. It’s amazing!! 50 euros gets you four courses – we imagined tiny ‘tasting’ portions, but they were normal sized and absolutely delicious – definitely, the best food we’ve eaten in the Kranj area, with friendly and informal service. Put it on your list!