Home Travel Mark Palmer: I’m a traveling baby boomer who prefers guides to apps. This is what happened when I let Tiktok make all the decisions for me on a luxury city break…

Mark Palmer: I’m a traveling baby boomer who prefers guides to apps. This is what happened when I let Tiktok make all the decisions for me on a luxury city break…

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It is difficult to visit Slovenia – once part of General Tito's Yugoslavia – without making the trek to Lake Bled, just over an hour from Ljubljana

For many of us, Tick Tock is still the sound that makes a trusty clock on the mantle.

But, for billions more around the world, Tiktok, strictly with Capital TS, is something radically different and now competes with Google as a search engine, especially among its Gen Z loyalists.

It may be unfortunate that one of the most popular social media platforms is Chinese-owned (and for a few hours last weekend was banned in the United States), but there’s no denying that it’s now an essential part of information gathering. of the 21st century. In particular, its influence on where and how we travel is far-reaching. Launched in the UK just six years ago, it already has over 150 million users in Europe alone.

Which helps explain why I am here in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, embarking on something of an experiment: my every move is largely determined by some of the 110,000 short-form videos about the city and its nearby attractions that have been published The Tiktok site. By the way, I’m not a member of Generation Z. Not a millennial either; nor generation x or y, for that matter.

I’m a baby boomer who was raised on maps instead of satin attacks, guides instead of apps, and I’m innately suspicious of algorithms, never mind ‘online content creators’ and ‘influencers’ who can’t go ten yards without taking a photo of themselves.

But if the anticipation in the run-up to a vacation is high, which it undoubtedly is, then writing your chosen destination into the Tiktok app before it goes live can whet the appetite, incite excitement, and can be a factor. in planning planning your itinerary.

It’s hard to visit Slovenia, once part of General Tito’s Yugoslavia, without making the trek to Lake Bled, just over an hour from Ljubljana.

The beautiful Robba fountain in the old town of Ljubljana. The city has a mix of secessionist buildings, baroque churches, Habsburg influences and changing 20th century bridges

The beautiful Robba fountain in the old town of Ljubljana. The city has a mix of secessionist buildings, baroque churches, Habsburg influences and changing 20th century bridges

Mark Palmer with BA staff before a trip to America, where Tiktok was banned for a few hours last weekend

Mark Palmer with BA staff before a trip to America, where Tiktok was banned for a few hours last weekend

Ljubljana (devilishly hard to spell) is a big hit with Tiktok fans, and for good reason. The historic old town is exquisite, with the Ljubljanica River flowing through it and the 12th century castle keeping the clock aloft.

It is a compact and orderly city. You can go everywhere on foot; It’s safe, clean, unfrozen, good value.

The people are friendly and the whole confection, with its mix of secessionist buildings, baroque churches, Habsburg influences and changing 20th-century bridges, is wonderfully accessible, thanks in large part to the mayor’s decision in 2007 to ban cars and buses from the city center.

At the time, this led to a rebellion by some shops and restaurants, but tourism took off from then on, and no one is complaining now.

Our hotel, Zlata Ladjica, is in a perfect position on the river, occupying a 15th century building that has been beautifully restored.

Our hotel, Zlata Ladjica, is in a perfect position on the river, occupying a 15th century building that has been beautifully restored

Our hotel, Zlata Ladjica, is in a perfect position on the river, occupying a 15th century building that has been beautifully restored

The Postojna Caves, about an hour southwest of the capital, are the largest and possibly most spectacular series of caves in the world and perfect for Tiktok posts

The Postojna Caves, about an hour southwest of the capital, are the largest and possibly most spectacular series of caves in the world, and perfect for Tiktok posts

One Tiktok video appeals to my gluttony by focusing on the hotel’s sumptuous breakfasts, while another raves about the spa, with its ‘amazing’ zero-gravity bed. Visit me, and both posts prove to be 100 percent accurate.

Like the videos about a nearby restaurant called Gostilna Sokol, where we have our first lunch and trace traditional Slovenian meatballs with a meaty ragù.

The menus at Sokol show photos of all the dishes, just as they did in weak bars in the 1960s. A Tiktok video of the restaurant has garnered more than 30,000 views, with 212 likes. At first, I’m not entirely sure how I register my likes, but I do.

Then we go to find Jeze Plecnik, the hero architect whose creations are everywhere in this small (less than 300,000 residents) but elegant city.

Unfortunately, Tiktok has little to say about this extraordinary man. However, Ljubljana would be nowhere near as beautiful, nowhere near as inspiring, without his bold portfolio of work.

Plecnik died in 1957 and the house he built for himself is now a museum, but with a difference. Everything about him is exactly as it was the day he died, down to the dishes in the kitchen, his sketches, crayons and glasses in the study and his humble single bed.

But Tiktok appears triumphs in the delicious form of Yauya pastry. “The chocolate croissant spoke to me,” said one Tiktoker, with some 18,000 views of his sweet tooth video.

The hazelnut praline certainly speaks to me, and the coffee not only tastes good but is served in delicate cups and matching saucers.

Almost as atmospheric are Julija Restaurant (103,000 views) on the main shopping street and Spajza (91,000 views), the latter offering sublime food just up the road from St. Floriana’s Church.

The Postojna Caves, about an hour southwest of the capital, are Slovenia’s most popular tourist attraction. It’s the largest and possibly most spectacular series of caves in the world, and perfect for Tiktok posts. One video has had 570,000 views. A marketing dream, surely.

Figovec Restaurant - Popular on Tiktok - Looks authentic enough and so we trot and exceeds expectation, especially because of its affordable wines

Figovec Restaurant – Popular on Tiktok – Looks authentic enough and so we trot and exceeds expectation, especially because of its affordable wines

A tiktoker publishes a recommendation about visiting the Slovenian capital

A tiktoker publishes a recommendation about visiting the Slovenian capital

The caves comprise some 15 miles of tunnels (ride an electric train) and vast chambers, which over millions of years of erosion and corrosion of the Pivka River, along with rainfall seeping through the caves’ permeable limestone roofs , they have created Gothic-like chiseled columns, many of them translucent (and some overtly phallic) when illuminated. The nearby Predjama Castle, built into a rock face at the end of a valley, is predictably described by one Tiktok post as ‘super cool’, which was true in the literal sense for those who lived there until the end of the Second World War. World War. , when, as now, it was open to the elements.

It’s hard to visit Slovenia, once part of General Tito’s Yugoslavia, without making the trek to Lake Bled, just over an hour from Ljubljana, especially if Tiktok is leading the way.

Predjama Castle, built into a rock face at the end of a valley, is predictably described by a Tiktok post as 'super cool'

Predjama Castle, built into a rock face at the end of a valley, is predictably described by a Tiktok post as ‘super cool’

The variety of videos (one has been viewed 430,000 times) captures the beauty of this famous landmark, in our case, what to see, due to the torrential rain and low clouds. I’m sure the weather was much brighter the day President Trump came here to meet his Slovenian wife Melania’s parents in 2004.

Back in the capital, a video appears in my feed. “Here I am eating fried chicken at the Figovec restaurant in Ljubljana,” says a fairly young blonde woman, before showing pictures of the restaurant’s interior.

It looks authentic enough and so we troimos and exceeds expectation, especially because of its affordable wines, and the Slovenian wine is excellent. If the country produced enough of the stuff, you’d see it stacked in UK wine shops.

Also popular on Tiktok is a restaurant Strelec, located in one of the towers in the castle. “Do you want to dine like a royal count and a countess?” Trills a post. Sounds good to me, especially since it has a Michelin star and offers a five, seven or nine course tasting menu.

We’re going for the five-course extravaganza, which somehow morphs with seven once it factors into the ‘chef’s greetings’ as it calls for the fun bouches.

The Pink Church of the Annunciation, which was taken over by the Franciscans in 1784

The Pink Church of the Annunciation, which was taken over by the Franciscans in 1784

Bloom roses on the green river city promenade

Bloom roses on the green river city promenade

One morning, we hired a private guide through the tourist office and it feels almost like a betrayal to my new Tiktok companion. But, born and raised in Ljubljana, she fills many gaps, the parts that Tiktok doesn’t seem to reach. We heard all about Slovenia’s greatest romantic poet, France Preseren, whose statue stands in the beautiful square that bears his name, in front of the Pink Church of the Annunciation, which was taken over by the Franciscans in 1784.

Below Preseren, who was alcoholic and deeply unhappy but recognized as a genius, is a bronze of a naked woman, believed to be his muse. So outraged was one particular bishop that he ordered two olive trees to be planted on either side of the entrance so that members of his congregation could see the naked woman as they left the church.

Overall, Tiktok serves us well in Ljubljana. Yes, I would have liked more history and background on this charming city, but that’s not what it’s about. It is visual, immediate, windy. I discuss this with a member of the hotel staff, who suggests that I should publish something myself, perhaps on the great contribution made by architect Jeze Plecnik.

A good thought. There is also an option to set your videos to music. I think Plecnik could appreciate something from Slovenia’s most famous composer, Hugo Wolf (1860-1903). . . But, then, that might be a Baby Boomer intervention too far.

Still, I suspect legions of those of a certain age already check Tiktok posts before flying somewhere new. It’s more interesting than TripAdvisor. Those trusty watches on the mantle have competition.

Travel Facts

Hotel Zlata Ladjica has double rooms from £250 B&B (zlataladjica.com). EasyJet flies direct to Ljubljana up to seven days a week from £25.99 each way. More information, visitljubljana.com and tiktok.com

(Tagstotranslate) DailyMail (T) Travel (T) Tiktok (T) Slovenia

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