Train journey from Austria to the capital of Slovenia

*A travelogue from Graz, Austria to the capital of Slovenia, written by contributor Linh Nguyen (Khalyn), currently doing a PhD in immunology in Austria.

In mid-June, I decided to go to Slovenia to visit an old friend I hadn’t seen for a long time on the occasion of my birthday. Birthdays are the occasion to do something that we always put off, saying we don’t have time? Late in the afternoon after work, I packed my backpack with three sets of clothes, a few daily necessities and started my journey from Austria to Slovenia by train.

The city I live in is Graz, a place very close to the Slovenian border. From the top of the hill I sometimes climb for a weekend picnic, my friend once pointed to a hill in the distance and said that it was Slovenia. Since I came to Austria to study, I have heard a lot about the beautiful scenery of Slovenia, although before that I did not even know that there was a country called that located right next to the Austrian border.

From Graz, it takes just four hours by train to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Normally, you can catch a single train from Graz to Ljubljana for 32 euros. However, due to the road being under construction, my trip involved two changes of transport, including a bus in between.

The interesting thing about traveling by train in Europe is that the trains usually do not sell fixed seat numbers. Buying a ticket only guarantees you a seat, but does not guarantee you a seat. If you want to reserve a seat, you usually have to pay a small amount of money to ensure you do not miss out on your preferred seat. Trains in Europe are often quiet, with few people reserving seats. This also means you can sit anywhere you like, as long as it is not occupied. I chose a window seat as usual just to enjoy the scenery during the journey.

From the Austrian border to Slovenia, the scenery was very beautiful with mountains and small houses on the hills, but unfortunately I could not take any pictures that could describe that beauty. After more than an hour of driving, the train stopped at a small train station right on the Slovenian border.

From there, it was a short bus ride to Maribor to catch the next train to the capital, Ljubljana. The Slovenian city of Maribor is nestled in the wine-growing hills of the Drava River. The Renaissance-style town hall dates back to 1515.

During my short 20 minutes in Maribor, Slovenia’s second largest city, I only had time to see a few sights around the central train station. My first impression was the street with the church at the end of the street, which reminded me of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Vietnam. Although Maribor is the second largest city, it is actually quite small and surrounded by mountains. Another thing that caught my attention was the central bus station in Maribor with its glass arches and distinctive red color. Maribor can also be a worthwhile destination if you have a car and want to have a short picnic overlooking the mountains surrounding the city.

The train ticket I took was an all-day ticket, meaning you could leave at any time, on any train or bus that the train company had prepared for that day. The train just had to go to the last station where you bought the ticket.

While I was walking around, a thunderstorm broke out, so I had to return to the central station in Maribor to wait for my next train, not wanting to get caught in the rain. After finding the train’s track, I grabbed a box of cherries I’d bought in Austria before my trip, ate them, and watched the clouds roll in.

After nearly two hours on the train from Maribor, I finally arrived at the station in Ljubljana and ended my journey. Perhaps, traveling by train is like closing your eyes and munching on a ripe cherry. Not as fast as a plane, the train is slow enough for you to be ready to put aside all the thoughts of work and study that are filling your head, and slowly enter the trip. And also special enough for you to have a little sweet aftertaste.

Linh Nguyen