The Balkan Backpacker

More than a place to spend the night, the hostel you chose influences your experience in the city.  From the facilities that make your life easy, to the travellers whom will be sharing memories with, the hostel The Balkan Backpacker network gathers together the hostels that share the same mentality.

I felt very welcomed at Vila Veselova.
In an elegant villa built more than 100 years ago by the famous architect Ciril Metod Koch, the hostel reflects the love locals have for their city.

On April 2006, Vila Veselova opened its gates to invite backpackers in Ljubljana. One of my friends tricked me into taking over the hostel. said Vandana, the present manager of the place. He told me he had a room where I could teach my yoga courses and invited me to check it out. When I saw the house I was fascinated. I felt like Alice in Wonderland.

Vandana never slept in a hostel before taking over this one, yet she understood how to run a great hostel immediately. In 3-4 month after opening our rating rose from 70 to 90. The best part is that it happened without us noticing it Vandana told me with a smile on her face.

When it comes to managing strategies, Vandana follows a simple motto: I want the guests to feel like I feel in the hostel. This is me.Well kept and tended, you can feel the hostel is run by women.The rooms are big and spacious, with plenty of space to move around and big common rooms to use as you please. Vila Veselova is not trying to sell you a bed, but rather a community of travellers brought together by their curiosity for Ljubljana.

I remember my check-in and the girl at the reception, Ursa, who didn’t stop talking until I had all the information I  need to survive in the city. She explained to me the city map and pointed out the things I should not miss, recommended a few good bars and even checked out the events in the city for my period of staying. That was great! Vandana agrees. I couldn’t do it without my great staff.

When I asked the girls from Vila Veselova what are their favourite spots in Ljubljana, they all agreed on Tivoli Park, Metelkova and Daktari at cool places to be.

Find out what do do in Ljubljana here.

Ljubljana tips from Vila Veselova

• Try the Slovenian wine. Around 70% of Sloveninan wines fulfil the criteria for quality and premium wines so make sure not to miss out.
• Laibach music band. From the 1980 and the former Yugoslavia these guys have been rocking the Slovenian music scene and beyond. Music genres: industrial, martial and neo-classical. Also, the name “Laibach” is the German name of the beloved capital, Ljubljana.
• What something sweet? or savoury? The Slovenian Štruklji are made from a various types of dough and have a wide range of fillings. Traditionally, they were served to celebrate the harvest and at other major holidays yet know you can easily find them everywhere. Most common fillings are: cottage cheese, walnut, apple and poppy seeds and so on.

What others say about the hostel:

“Loved this hostel! It really is a home away from home. The lady who works evenings/nights is absolutely wonderful. I ended up extending my stay. The kitchen makes for a great place to meet people, and the beds are very very comfortable! Don’t miss this place, it was excellent. Highly recommend for solo travellers. PROTIP: Taxi from the train/bus station was less than 3 Euros, no haggling or scams, he used the meter straightaway.”

Canada, Female, 25-30 (September, 2015)

“It was clean and homely. The staff were amazing and super helpful as well. Loved how personal it was in how they treated each of their visitors. They also organised a trip for me down to the coast and a few other places which would have been impossible to cover in a day without a car. Thanks a lot for a wonderful trip!”

Singapore, Male, 18-24 (September, 2015)

“Amazing hostel with an excellent location. Best staff out of any hostel we have stayed at so far. An excellent change from the impatient staff in Venice. I highly recommend staying at this hostel. It was quiet. Had comfortable beds. Breakfast included. Beer in a vending machine. And did I mention the staff? AMAZING!”

Ireland, Couple (September, 2015)

Find out more about Vila Veselova here.
Visit their Facebook page.