LAKE BLED - Croatia and Slovenia - page 926

lardecorativemotif,adorningeverythingfromcoinstobuildings(inmanycultures,diligent
bees, who store their honey, are symbolic of banks).
The final room features a modern beekeeper's house, special exhibits, and a good but
dry, detailed 14-minute film about the Carniolan bee.
Backattheentrance,theticketdesksellsafewchoicesouvenirs,includinghand-painted
replicas of frontboards, honey brandy, candles, ornaments, and other bee products.
Nearby: Sharing a ticket desk with the bee museum, the Linhart Museum celebrates
one of Slovenia's leading Enlightenment thinkers. Radovljica-born Anton Linhart was an
18th-century playwright, politician, pedagogue, and historian who wrote some of the first
plays in the Slovenian language, setting the stage for France Prešeren. While he's import-
ant to Slovenes, it's hard to drum up much excitement for this earnest two-room museum
devoted to a man who is not that interesting to outsiders (€5 combo-ticket with Apicultural
Museum, same hours).
Eating in Radovljica
SeveralRadovljicarestaurantsnearthebeemuseumhaveviewterracesoverlookingthesur-
rounding mountains and valleys.
Lectar offers pricey, hearty Slovenian fare in a rural-feeling setting with a user-friendly,
super-traditionalmenu.Itsseveralheavilydecoratedroomsareoftenfilledwithtourgroups,
but in good weather, don't miss the terrace out back. Come here if you want to linger over
rustic Slovenian specialties—not if you're in a hurry. The restaurant is known for its heart-
shaped gingerbread cookies (called lect ), inscribed with messages of love. In the cellar is
a €1.50 “living museum” where you can watch costumed bakers make and decorate these
hearts according to the traditional recipe (€6-11 starters, €9-13 main courses, Wed-Mon
12:00-22:00, closed Tue, family-friendly, Linhartov trg 2, tel. [phone]).
Gostilna Avguštin, across the street, is the simpler local alternative for unpretentious,
stick-to-your-ribs Slovenian fare. Their terrace in back enjoys an even better view than
Lectar's (€6-9 starters, €11-20 main dishes, daily 11:00-24:00, Linhartov trg 15, tel. 04/
531-4163).
Kropa
Tucked in a narrow gully below the Jelovica Plateau, the modest metalworking village of
Kropa has a big history as one of the earliest and most prolific industrial centers of Europe.
Like other early-industry sights in Europe (such as England's Ironbridge Gorge), Kropa
thrills engineers—for whom it merits ▲▲ —but may leave others cold.