Best Places to Visit in Slovenia
Slovenia is a tiny country but it’s rich in beautiful fairytale-like places, many of them featuring castles, swans, boat rides in lakes, scenic mountains and mysterious caves… and among everything, only wonderful people who greeted us with kindness, always willing to chat and engage.
We spent a week in Slovenia last August, enough to fall in love with this land but also letting us wanting to come back for more.
These are the places you shouldn’t miss on your next trip to Slovenia.
Lake Bled
Lake Bled is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It features too many beautiful assets: incredible turquoise waters, swans, a Disney-worthy island with a church, a castle on the top of a hill and the Julian Alps in the background. Simply perfect.
Things to do in Lake Bled
- Climb the hiking trails to the viewpoints Ostnica and Osojnica to get epic views
- Visit Bled castle
- Take a bath between swans on the beach
- Try the Bled cake (yum!)
- Row a wooden boat to the island
- Discover the mind-blowing beauty while hiking in Vintgar gorge
- Rafting in Sava river
- Join a wine tasting tour
Lake Bohinj
Around 20 minutes away from Lake Bled – and very easily accessible by public bus – you’ll find Lake Bohinj, the largest lake in Slovenia.
Lake Bohinj is a beautiful glacier valley where you can enjoy various activities such as kayaking, paragliding and hiking. It’s a really beautiful place that deserves time.
Things to do at Lake Bohinj
- Go for some of the activities: kayaking, paragliding and hiking
- Visit Slap Savica waterfall
- Go up to the Vogel ski resort for outstanding views
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is an adorable capital city, with a historic centre that is easy to visit and with several tourist attractions.
Must visits places in Ljubljana
- Visit Ljubljana Castle to enjoy the sunset
- Cross the Dragon Bridge: the dragon is one of the symbols of Ljubljana because of this bridgedragons on each side
- Triple Bridge: these 3 bridges connect the medieval Ljubljana with the modern city
- Bridge of the shoemakers: named like that because it’s where shoemakers workshops were located in this bridge in the past.
- Church of the Annunciation: this basilica is located in the heart of the city and stands out for the color of its facade
- Go up the Neboticnik, Slovenia’s most famous skyscraper: from it’s rooftop bar you’ll get the best view of the city.
- Join a food and wine tour to get to know the gastronomy.
Spend the night at Hotel Lev
Hotel Lev is a luxury hotel in the heart of the city.
I showed it all for Instagram Stories and you loved it, especially because I’ve sent you postcards from there!
Our room was huge and beautiful and the views from our window were amazing, from where we could see the castle, the skyscraper and the main church in Ljubljana. Unfortunately our visit was during a rainy day so the photo doesn’t accurately show how beautiful it was.
Soca Valley
This time we visited Slovenia on public transportion as it was very easy for most of the routes we made. We were improvising most of the time and we were planning to visit Soca Valley on a day tour, but they were completely sold out for our dates there.
How to visit Soca Valley
- Prepare your visit in advance – whether in organized tour or your own rental car – especially if you plan to visit it in August when the options are more limited.
Glamping in Big Berry
If you still don’t know what the glamping is, let me explain it quickly: it’s a mix between camping and glamour, taking the best of each of these concepts so we can enjoy the comforts of luxury in the middle of nature.
I loved glamping from the very first time I tried it and Slovenia was a perfect place to indulge myself with it with its beautiful scenery.
We’ve stayed 4 nights in Big Berry, a clamping site in Bela Krajina.
Things to do in Big Berry
- Join as much as organized activities as possible! The team works hard to make your stay unforgettable
- Try the Pogaca, Bela Krajina’s typical bread: it’s terrific!
- Cross the Kolpa River to Croatia on a canoe – you won’t need your passport!
- Start the day with a yoga session or a Shiatsu massage
- Take a bath in the jacuzzi of your terrace
Off the beaten path: Bela Krajina
Bela Krajina is a rural area that does not receive as much tourism as other parts of the country. However, it’s a beautiful area with rural charm and awesome sociable people.
You will love this place especially if you’re a foodie.
In Bela Krajina don’t forget to visit…
- The river Krupa in Semic, another fairytale place in Slovenia
Maribor, Ptuj and the most romantic road in the world
Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia and Ptuj is the oldest city in the country. With a few pretty buildings, they deserve to be included in any itinerary in Slovenia.
In Spicnik, not far from Maribor and Ptuj, you will find a very unique road with the shape of a heart.
Make sure to add Northeastern Slovenia to your travel itinerary in Slovenia!
Caves
The caves of Skocjan should be included in any travel itinerary to Slovenia too. They are the only caves that have been declared a World Heritage site with its karst walls and stalactites. The visit lasts an hour and a half and you need to wear shelter and appropriate footwear for the visit.
If you plan to visit the castle of Predjama you can also visit the caves of Postojna.
Castles
Because of our limited time – and because my priority is in nature – we only visited the Ljubljana castle during our days in Slovenia, but there are many castles that worth the visit there!
Most famous castles in Slovenia
- Bled Castle: with one of the best views over the lake
- Ljubljana Castle: perfect for watching the sunset over the Slovenian capital
- Predjama Castle: the only one in the world embedded in the cave of a mountain
Piran
Slovenia’s seaside may be small, but it’s really worth the trip to relax on the beach by the Adriatic Sea.
Make sure to add a visit to Piran during your trip to Sovenia, especially if you’re visiting during summer. Keep in mind that accommodation is quite limited, so make sure to book it well in advanced.
All the locations in the map
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Such a detailed post! I would love to see these places!
Loved your photos totally! Especially the ones of the lake. Very beautiful. Glad you covered a not so popular destination 🙂
I went to Slovenia last year, but I wasn’t able to make it to Lake Bled. Your photos look soooo beautiful! Adding this to my bucket-list.
Slovenia is on my bucket list along with a few other eastern European countries – it looks incredibly beautiful and not too crowded yet from tourists. I am interested in the food as well.