I’m not sure what entirely came to my mind when Slovenia has been mentioned in the past. Melania Trump? Luka Dončić? Confusion with Slovakia? That’s now a thing of the past. After reading Martin Strel’s account of swimming up the Amazon I started making a connection between Slovenia and swimming and it’s a very good link indeed. Slovenia provides so many opportunities for multiple types of swimming. Although I didn’t make it to the coast, Ljubljana has among other pools a 50 m outdoor Olympic pool that allowed anyone to simply turn up on the day and get access.

Lakes Bled and Bohinj are magnificent for swimming. To say that the water in Bled has great visibility does not do it justice. I’ve never seen such a transparent blue in my life. Just put on goggles, dive under and have a look. The church on the island in the middle of the lake offers a good landmark for a swimming destination as well. Bohinj is quieter, with more vegetation and fed by some of the coldest mountain streams imaginable. A beautiful place.