7 Best Places to Visit in Slovenia
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This small European country is the most upper country of former Yugoslavia and it feels like a transition between the Balkan and Western Europe. It’s quite modern and well maintained, but the language and cuisine (easy to find cevapcici) show your in southeast Europe. It has something for everyone; from the Austrian vibe of chalet filled Julian Alps with blue postcard lakes to the Italian breeze of the sunny Adriatic Sea and beaches. Take it slow in slowvenia and you’ll have the perfect holiday destination!
You’ll quickly fall in love with s-love-nia when you include these seven can’t miss attractions in your travel plans:
- ☑️ Ljubljana
- ☑️ Lake Bled & Bohinj
- ☑️ Postojna Caves
- ☑️ Predjama Castle
- ☑️ Piran
- ☑️ Thermal Baths
- ☑️ Portoroz
Read our Ljubljana Travel Guide
Check out our full blog about the capital in this dedicated blog.
Lake Bled & Bohinj Travel Tips | The Slovenia Lakes
The best holiday picture you’ve ever had? Capture Lake Bled! These are the best activities in and around Bled that will give you a great travel experience:
- ☑️ Lake Bled
- ☑️ Blejski Grad (Bled Castle)
- ☑️ Bled Cake
- ☑️ Boat to the Island
- ☑️ Vintgar Gorge
- ☑️ More Bled Cake
- ☑️ Lake Bohinj
Got time left? There is also a chairlift up a lake side hill that offers great views (same as the castle’s, but with the castle in it this time). You can get down again with an alpine coaster!
Lake Bohinj is one of the most beautiful sights in Slovenia
Lake bled feels a bit cringe? Try lake Bohinj! Lake bled gets really crowded and a bit touristy during high summer. Bohinj is just 20 minutes further down the very scenic road. It might miss the glamour of a fantasy overhanging castle and mystical lake island, but the water looks pure with untamed wild forests and ancient mountains surrounding it. Just as picture perfect but less crowded.
🚲 Most people here go for recreational activities like hiking, kayaking and mountain biking.
🔥 No open fire! It’s all part of a nature reserved and they’re trying to keep all wildfires out of it, meaning no barbecues or bonfires etc.
🅿️ It’s just one small road circling the lake in both directions at the foot of the mountains, meaning parking is a bitch almost everywhere (especially during high season).
Essential Tips when visiting Vintgar Gorge
Vintgar Gorge is one of the best activities around Lake Bled but these tips might come in handy when planning your visit.
🎟️ book your ticket online as the slots fill up quickly!
⏰ at the official entrance you can only go through the gate at the exact time that’s on your ticket. No use in being there much earlier. However, this does give everyone a chance at a relaxing pace without a pack of tourists swarming around them.
🅿️ you need to park your car at a parking on the outskirts of the park and take a shuttle bus. On the website this looks like a journey of half an hour but is only about 10 min.
🍼 &🦽 they mention you can’t enter with a stroller, although the path is very descent with only a view stairs. This is not suitable for wheelchairs and for small kids a baby carrier might be better!
‼️ after you completed the gorge trail (about an hour) you need to walk back to the entrance via a scenic route that also takes an hour.
Explore the Postojna Caves & Predjama Castle
There are not many caves that offer such a unique experience with a train ride and immense detailed sceneries like the Postojna cave. These tips will help you to get a clear picture:
🎤 You can only visit the cave as part of a tour. However, the groups are very big and the audio tour will do most of the work. It feels like you’re walking around yourself but you can’t lack behind.
🎟️ It’s a big attraction that draws in heaps of tourists;
make sure to buy your tickets online well in advance to get the most out of your day.
🅿️ Relating to the previous point, if you book an earlier slot you have more parking opportunities near the entrance of the park.
🦽 The path inside the cave is very well adjusted to strollers and wheelchairs.
❄️ It’s cool down there > bring a jacket or something warm.
📸 Just take it all in, photos won’t grasp its beauty.
🏰 The Predjama castle is reachable by car, but parking spots are limited. Especially with a lot of traffic the journey to the castle might take a considerable amount of time, make sure to schedule enough time when combining it with the caves on one day.
Thermal Baths
Slovenians love a good bath, especially a thermal one. A thermal bath is filled with naturally heated mineral rich spring water that has therapeutic properties. However, the term “terme” is often loosely interpreted. Like Terme Snovik, this is more of an indoor pool with lukewarm water and a lot of massage rituals you can book. It’s still in a beautiful natural environment though and a great getaway or activity with kids. Let us know what you think of the thermal baths in the comment section below!
Get lost into the vibrant Venetian town of Piran
There is a single road leading into town that ends at a barrier, if you’re stubborn and ignored the signs a bit earlier to park your car. Everyone except Piranha’s (or locals if you will) needs to drop their vehicle in the large seven story garage and use the shuttle bus or their feet to cover the last mile. Please note; the 🅿️ spots are not too generous in number and in size.
That being said, it’s truly a beautiful Venetian style open air museum. The town is quite famous and just like the original T, the Pirannosaurus (sorry couldn’t resist) has a great stature but short range (of activities). You can soak up the ambiance, enjoy the food and wander the narrow alleyways but a day trip will probably provide you with enough time to enjoy its rich reputation.
Tip: when your at the Slovenian coast, you can easily hop over the Italian border to for a day-trip to the beautiful city of Trieste!
Start planning your Slovenia trip!
Discover Portoroz; the beach playground of Slovenia
Just 10 min down the coastal road from pittoreske Piran, you’ll find Portoroz (or Portorose in Italian if you want to be fancy). It’s your typical beach resort town with loads of hotels and restaurant along a boulevard. Not to authentic but can be very useful if you want a beach break from all the sightseeing. It’s not too big but it has a nice stretch of sand will all the amenities you need like beds, playgrounds and ice cream.
Restaurant tips for dining in Portoroz
After staying in Portoroz for a week here are the ratings to help you catch the best cuisine during your holiday:
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 La Mar
Best dining experience on the boulevard. Fresh seafood and homemade pasta!
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Cacao
Best ice cream spot on the boulevard without a doubt!
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Stazione Parenzana
The perfect spot if you like a good brew accompanied with a true brewery meal of high quality. It’s just outside Portoroz and you’ll need a car to get there.
👍🏻👍🏻 Paco
Very descent pizza place! All you favorites under one roof. Taking out? The pastas don’t hold up very well.
👍🏻👍🏻 Hotel Metropol
A great option for all buffet lovers, no matter if you’re a breakfast or dinner lover! * Hotel reservation required. This is definitely one of the best hotels (👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻) to discover the region and enjoy all modern amenities like great pools and wellness.
👍🏻 Stara Oljka
Meals for all budgets with a menu that you encounter all over Slovenia (with lots of grilled meat and fish with fries). Looking at the food this would definitely deserve another 👍🏻 but the rushed and annoyed staff definitely deducted it.
