BLED, Slovenia -- A morning mist hangs above Lake Bled, making the medieval castle looming over it appear more ghostly presence than massive guardian. Touched by the rising sun, the jagged limestone peaks of the mountains marching across the horizon gleam like silver. Then, from a Baroque chapel on the little island in the center of the emerald-colored lake, bells begin chiming, echoing and re-echoing over the water, a spreading ripple of sound saluting a new day.
I could have been in Switzerland, Austria, or perhaps northern Italy, but this magical moment was in Slovenia, a small country that offers a visitor a rich European experience.
Slovenia has a population of less than 2 million, is about three quarters the size of Massachusetts, and is at the geographical and cultural crossroad of Central Europe. Although very much its own place with a distinctive history, culture, and Slavic language, Slovenia borders Italy, Austria, Croatia, and Hungary -- and it shows.
Mediterranean, Germanic, and Balkan influences are reflected in the food, architecture, and customs. The landscape is equally diverse. Mountain ranges rise to more than 8,000 feet, and the highest peak, Mount Triglav (''Three Heads," a reference to its distinctive shape), is a magnet for hikers and climbers and a national symbol represented on the Slovenian flag.
Thick forest covers about half the country, and there is a beautiful, 39-mile-long stretch of Adriatic coastline. The capital, Ljubljana, is a vibrant city resembling a mini-Prague.
Slovenia was part of the former Yugoslavia until declaring its independence in 1991. Word is getting out that Slovenia has most of the things you could ask for in a tourist destination, including friendly people and prices noticeably lower than neighboring European Union countries.
The northwestern town of Bled is Slovenia's most popular resort, hosting about half a million visitors a year. These visitors, however, tend to spread out soon after arrival, since one of Bled's attractions is its easy access to Triglav National Park.
Bled celebrated its 1,000th anniversary last year and has been a health resort (there are thermal springs in the area) since the Middle Ages. Tourism in the modern sense began in the 19th century when Bled began calling itself ''The Healthiest Spot in Europe." Today, most hotels are relatively new and clustered at one end of the lake. An exception is Vila Bled, once the private guest house of former Yugoslav leader Marshal Josef Tito and now a deluxe hotel.
Exquisitely beautiful, Lake Bled is only about three miles in circumference. A foot and bicycle path circles the lake and can be walked in about an hour. The island in the center, by the way, is the only island in Slovenia.
The best view of the lake and its magnificent mountain setting is from the ramparts of Bled Castle, which dates from the 11th century and is perched dramatically on a rocky outcropping over the water. There is a terrace restaurant in the castle and also a museum tracing the history of Bled from a Bronze Age settlement to modern times.
The beaches on Slovenia's scenic but abbreviated coast are more rocky than sandy, but there are some very engaging old towns on this Slovenian riviera, notably Piran, which is one of the best preserved anywhere on the Adriatic. For much of its history, Piran was ruled by Venice and has some superb examples of Venetian Gothic architecture. The narrow medieval streets with boutiques and craft shops are great fun to wander, and good seafood restaurants are by the old port.
The city of Ljubljana makes a good base from which to explore Slovenia. Almost everything of interest is within an hour or two's drive, and the city is well worth a visit by itself.
With a population of about 300,000 Ljubljana is large enough to have a lively cultural, dining, and entertainment scene but small enough to avoid many big city problems. The presence of some 50,000 students also gives it a youthful buzz that reminded me of Boston. Straddling the river, the compact old town with its narrow streets and elegant squares is a delight to wander through.
''A name you hear a lot in Ljubljana is that of Joze Plecnik. He's everywhere," said my tour guide, Marijan Kriskovic, a knowledgeable city resident in his late 20s. Plecnik, he explained, was a Slovenian urban planner and an architect with an eclectic style that blended functional modernism, romantic classicism, and symbolism. By his death in 1957, at 85, Plecnik had left a lasting imprint on his native city.
The Triple Bridge over the Ljubljanica is a central span for automobile traffic flanked by two angled pedestrian bridges leading to the oldest part of town.
''It was Plecnik who added the pedestrian bridges and made this a triple bridge," Marijan said as we crossed on our way to the Central Market, where the centerpiece of the market is a handsome colonnaded building in Plecnik's classical style.
Re-crossing the Ljubljanica on the Cobblers Bridge, lined with book stalls, we strolled through the old town with its streets of 17th- and 18th-century buildings. Most have been restored only since independence, when Communist-era restrictions on private property were eliminated, and many now house boutiques, restaurants, and cafes.
''Before independence, almost all the houses here looked like that," Marijan said as we passed one derelict-looking building.
Our stroll ended at the graceful Dragon Bridge, designed by you-know-who and guarded at both ends by copper dragons that are civic icons. Rub a dragon's tail, I was told, and you're sure to come back to Ljubljana someday.
Happily, I did my bit to make a dragon's tail even shinier.
How to get there
There are no direct flights from the United States to Slovenia; air travelers are usually routed through Paris, London, Frankfurt, Vienna, Munich, or Milan. There is good rail service to Slovenia, so one option is to fly to a convenient gateway and travel the rest of the way by rail using a Eurail pass available from Rail Europe (www.raileurope.com, 888-382-7245) which represents the rail systems of 23 countries. Rail passes, which can be combined with a package that includes car rental, must be bought in this country before departure. A Eurail pass, for four days of first-class travel within 60 days in Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia, is $230. A youth pass, for those under 26, good for second-class travel only, is $167.
Where to stay
Vila Bled
Cesta Svoboda 26
Bled
011-386-4-579-15-00
A posh 30-room hotel, part of the deluxe Relais et Chateaux group, it has extensive grounds, tennis courts, and a private beach. Rooms from $205, including breakfast.
Hotel Jelovica
Cesta Svobode 8
Bled
011-386-4-5796-000
www.hotel-jelovica.si
Lakeside resort hotel with spa facilities. Rooms from $46 with breakfast
Hotel Piran
Stjenkova Ulica 1
Piran
011-386-67-62-502
www.hoteli-piran.si
On the waterfront with a terrace restaurant. Rooms from $82 with breakfast.
Grand Hotel Union
Miklosiceva 1
Ljubljana
011-386-1-308-1270
www.gh-union.si
Elegant Art Nouveau hotel in city center. Rooms from $129 with breakfast.
City HotelDalmatinova 15
Ljubljana
011-386-1-23-49-130
www.hotelturist.si
A comfortable hotel convenient to Old Town. Rooms from $69 with breakfast.
More information
The Slovenian Tourist Board
www.slovenia-tourism.si
Contact William Davis, a freelance writer in Cambridge, at billadavis@earthlink.net. 
