I don’t consult my map to determine the route to the castle.
From the Ljubljanica River in Old Town, I can see the castle looming above and I determine to find my own way up.
I wander through Old Town and get lucky on a side street, which leads directly into a series of switchbacks that lead up to the castle wall.
It’s nearly November, but the castle is very busy with tourists, some who have climbed the hill, and many others who have driven up or taken the funicular.
I wonder again what a place like this must be like at the height of the tourist season.
I cross a stone bridge and am able to access much of the castle without paying for a ticket, since only a few sections are reserved for the paying customer.
I know I am a tourist and not a traveler when I patiently wait my turn to take a photo of the city through a castle window.
I wander away from the hordes of people towards the castle grounds.
Several walking paths littered with autumn leaves meander around the castle grounds, one leading to the castle vineyard.
I see romantic couples holding each other on park benches, an elderly woman collecting the nicest of the fallen leaves, and families enjoying picnics in the sun.
It’s hard to imagine this idyllic place has seen many battles over the last five hundred years, changing hands occasionally as one marauder overpowered another.
Much blood has been spilled here.
But today, there is only beauty as I gaze across the city and the castle grounds.
