It began on our train from Budapest, where we were headed for Zagreb. I noticed on my phone that we had to make a nine minute interchange at a place known as Zidani Most (pronounced Zid-Annie More-St). I looked it up, a small place nestled in rural Slovenia with nothing more than a station. And of course we missed the change and were stuck in Zidani Most.
We spotted a bar in the station and immediately entered. Inside was a short Slovenian woman dawdling around behind the counter, she looked at us weird. I asked for some beers and reluctantly she opened the fridge and pulled out three neon green glass bottles with angry stags printed on them. She held up six fingers and so I gave her six euros assuming that’s what she had meant. As we sat down, two men in their twenties walked in. I could immediately tell they were English. I realised that us English have a profound ability to identify other English people when in foreign places. They walked up and asked for the same as us, “beer please”, they were from Leeds. However, unlike us they did not have cash and in the Zidani Most train station bar, a card is not really an option. He asked the woman if there was a cash point and in her thick Slovenian accent she stated “Next town along”, the man planned to go. Immediately the woman laughed and then her face went still and she said “No! Not possible, three hour walk to cashpoint”. And so despite them being from Leeds, we offered to buy them beers.
Outside we sat near an old Slovenian man who was surrounded by empty beer bottles. As he poured his next glass, he lit his next cigarette. He had mastered the art of Zidani Most living and so we copied him. Cigarette in mouth and beer in belly, we took in the incredible views. Tree covered mountains that walled us in either side, a wide turquoise river which gently flowed through the valley shimmered from the hot beaming sun. We planned to go for a swim and cool off in this thirty four degree heat however almost instantly the old Zidani local turned to us and in the way that seems common amongst the ‘Zidani’s’, he sharply stated “No! Everybody die in river” We were confused. “You swim, you drown” he iterated to us. There went our plans. And so we carried on copying him, more beers and more cigarettes.
To get a sense of just how isolated we were, this man then went on to give us some suggestions of things to do in the ‘area’. He went on about a spa which we could go to and relax for a bit, it sounded incredible except he said it would take us around 3 to 4 hours to get to by train! That was their idea of close. He then recommended a cable car across the river which was within walking distance. And so me and my friends went.
It was less a cable car and more of a tin box precariously dangling from a thin wire about 40 feet above the so-called ‘deadly’ river. It had a crank at either end which was to be operated by us. We began sending each other over one by one as the tin box creaked and crawled over the river. It was exhilarating and when cranked fast enough gained some pretty good speed. It was a great way to pass the time and an interesting experience but definitely got the adrenaline going.
Once we returned we continued living the Zidani lifestyle on cigarettes and beer until our train came. Whilst we had initially dreaded our time in Zidani Most, we left sad, sad to leave the most bizarre but interesting place on our trip. It reminded me of a line from the film ‘Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis’ where a man from a random town in the north of France says to a character that “A visitor cries twice up north; once on his arrival and once at his departure” which I’m sure can be said about this place too. Because whilst it seemed boring on paper, it was actually an incredibly odd but fun place to end up for 5 hours. And so whilst I disagree with my friend who suggested that he would come here on his honeymoon, I would say that if you do find yourself here by chance waiting for a train, take a minute and live like a Zidani local, order a beer, light a cigarette and don’t go for a swim.
2024-07-19
neznan
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WE had to wait 3hours because our train where to late, so WE cant reach the train in Zidani Most. So i spend the time with have a coup of tasty Coffee, the People Here are really friendly. ITS a nice relaxing place where time stand still
2024-06-06
neznan
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"No inglish"
2024-04-29
neznan
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The best 2 hours 40 minutes wait ever.
In spring 2024 April 28, while waiting for graz to zagreb connecting train.
Nonstop 4-5 different species of birds chirping while sitting on the peron, or walking 2 minutes away to the bridge with calm water.
20°C air with pleasant breeze.
Bring your own lunch though, every other store is closed on sunday, so the train station coffeeshop sold out around noon.
Very friendly store keep, very friendly railstation manager.
2024-04-28
neznan
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2024-03-22
neznan
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2024-03-21
neznan
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2023-09-14
neznan
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beautiful train station and really kind waitress at the bar!
2023-08-13
neznan
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🚂🚂🚂😃
2023-05-25
neznan
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Nijna prenova
2022-09-17
neznan
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This train station had no sandwiches. Although we did watch the World Cup final in 2018 here over a delicious packet of sugar.
2022-09-11
neznan
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2022-07-08
neznan
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Trains on time. Not crowded 👍
2021-08-23
neznan
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Izhodiščna točka za obisk Kuma
2020-01-19
neznan
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2019-05-01
neznan
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One of the most important train stations in Slovenia, here the railway from Ljubljana branches in two directions, one to Zagreb in Croatia, and the other towards Maribor, or better yet Pragersko before Maribor, where it branches towards Ptuj and towards Maribor. Hence many travelers need to change trains here, usually waiting a minute or two, sometime an hour.
Regarding it's importance - it should be much better! Celje and smaller stations are being modernized, there's nothing going on here in Zidani Most. It's old, has no shops but one bar which is not very inviting on the first look, but OK, i guess, when you enter and order a coffee. Toilets are barely usable, not really belonging in Europe in such an important train station.
The voice from the speakers can be sometimes not heard, so i advise you to ask the staff to which train you should change, because a mistake will be costly. But usually the inner-most is from trains coming from and going in the direction of Maribor and Austria (Graz, Vienna); the middle one is for trains coming from and going in direction of Ljubljana and Italy
(Trieste) and Austria (Villach, Salzburg) and seaside (Slovenian and Croatian). The outer most one for trains going towards Brežica and Dobova and Croatia (Zagreb).
2019-04-16
neznan
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2018-03-25
neznan
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2017-12-09
neznan
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Zelo slabo organizirano med sodelavci...živa katastrofa..pa te zamude...
2017-07-30
neznan
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2017-01-08
neznan
Google
A good place to have a cup of tea while traveling. Not good for sightseeing though.