Heard about Slovenia? The hidden gem of the Adriatic offering some of the most visually stunning places to stay in Europe? If you want to know how to travel around this scenic country and what the best things to see and do are, then this guide is for you!
WHAT TO SEE & DO IN SLOVENIA
In Slovenia there’s no end of pretty alpine villages, castles, mountains and lakes – it has plenty going on for a week or more’s stay – a solo travellers dream. Here’s the unmissable things I uncovered on this amazing self-guided rail journey.
EXPLORE LJUBLJANA’S PRETTY CULTURAL OLD TOWN
First up is Ljubljana, Slovenia’s award-winning green capital city with a charming old town full of cobbled lanes and cafés. I started my journey here as it’s within walking distance from the train station, following a scenic train journey from Zargreb in Croatia – and I couldn’t have been happier with this decision! Even on the way to my Airbnb I stubbled upon dozens of terraces, cute pastel buildings and pretty trees framing the longest green river that flows through it all!
This is a gorgeous city with a lovely old town, which I explored over two days, zig-zagging across the river with it’s fancy bridges (17 incase you wondered) and tempting cafes! In terms of actual activities I took a steep walk up to the 16th century Ljubljana Castle viewpoint and just enjoyed soaking in the atmosphere.
As a solo female traveller in a new city destination, I felt really as ease walking around – day and night. It helps if you choose accommodation in the old town as this is where you will spend most of your time!
GOOD TO KNOW
Ljubljana makes a great base if you’re short on time, you can stop here and organise day trip’s to a couple of the highlights, which include Lake Bled & Bohinj and Predjama Castle & Postojna Caves – both less than a 2hour drive away! I regretted not adding an extra day in Ljubljana to visit the Gothic castle and caves built into a cliff face with dramatic views!
RECOMMENDED TRIPS: PREDJAMA CASTLE & POSTOJNA CAVES | LAKE BLED & BOHINJ
Did you know? The symbol of Ljubljana dating back to the middle ages is the dragon. It represents power, courage and greatness. You can see the dragon statues all around the city, on the bridges and at the castle.
WHERE TO STAY IN LJUBLJANA
WANDERING THE PICTURESQUE COASTLINE OF PIRAN
Following a short rail journey from Ljubljana and I was back to my beloved Adriatic coast, this time Piran. A picturesque coastal town with a stunning central square and Venetian buildings reminiscent of Venice – only smaller and quieter.
Piran has a nice relaxed vibe to it and still feels like a hidden gem in comparison to the popular coast of Croatia. I loved exploring the the maze of narrow cobbled lanes straight from my apartment doors and picking a terrace for breakfast in the square before walking to the harbour front, where you can take a swim – right off the rocks! On the second afternoon I hiked around the old town walls with those familiar postcard views over the orange roof tops and Adriatic bolt blue sea.
Piran is such a nice stop in Slovenia and not at all like the rest of the mountainous country, I found two nights here the perfect amount of time to relax as my last destination was going to be adventure packed!
WHERE TO STAY IN PIRAN
ADMIRING LAKE BLED SCENERY
Finishing the trip in style at the iconic Lake Bled! Most people have seen or heard of this beauty spot, it’s famous for the little church sitting majestically in the centre of the lake. In contrast to Piran this area is pure alpine country; mountains and amazing landscape in every direction and typical chocolate box traditional houses scattered throughout the village.
Jumping off the train here was exciting, I didn’t even mind phoning for a taxi pickup from the one platformed station at the top of the town, it was all very quaint and set the mood for the next few days. This is THE area in Slovenia that I’d dreamed of visiting for years and couldn’t wait to drop my bags and explore the lake! In Summer this spot becomes a lounging, sunbathing and swimming area, so after you’ve walked around it for a few hours you can pick your place to relax with a book!
The whole peaceful ambience is so inviting, I spent hours wandering the lake front and had every breakfast on a terrace overlooking the lake – you just have to! I broke away on the second day to hike to the top of the castle for panoramic views and a cream cake, Lake Bled is famous for it, this was definitely another highlight, it even has it’s own restaurant and winery with a view!
TIP! Hotel Park invented the Lake Bled cake. So if you want a slice of the original delicate puffy custardy sweetness splash out and head here.
DAY TRIP TO LAKE BOHINJ
Lake Bohinj situated in Triglav National Park is just a 30 minute drive from Lake Bled and is much more remote, quieter and larger with LOTS of activities to fill a whole day. From riding the cable car to hiking and paddle boarding, be sure to plan your activities in advance so you know which part of the lake to head to! Vogal cable car was the goal for me, the views are spectacular!
To get there you can hop on a local bus, they run every 30 minutes in summer – I suggest visiting the Information office for an up to date time table and a map!
MORE TIME? Visit Vintgar Gorge! It’s 10 minutes from Lake Bled and a cool hike.
DAY TRIP FROM BOVEC
Heading to Bovec? If you have more time you might want to add scenic Bovec to your Slovenian itinerary, it’s an adventurers paradise as well as being completely serene, full of nature and beautiful! A couple of days of exploration is ideal and you will want to make space for the must do activity – white water rafting on the crystal clear Soca River! Its a fantastic adventure for everyone, enjoy class III rapids and waves alongside some stunning scenery in the hands of experts – this trip is rated highly for good reason!
BOOK YOUR WHITEWATER RAFTING EXPERIENCE HERE
WHERE TO STAY IN LAKE BLED
SLOVENIA Q & A
HOW TO GET TO SLOVENIA
To make the most out of the landscape in this region consider taking the 4 hour scenic train to Ljubljana from Zagreb in Croatia. It’s one of the easiest routes into the country, even more so than flights! Ljubljana train station is only a quick 10-minute walk to the river and old town, which is signposted all the way. Even with two bags this was probably the smoothest arrival into the heart of a foreign city that I have never been to before!
FLIGHTS: The main airport is based at Ljubljana, which is served by Ryanair and Easyjet, you could consider flying into Zargreb if you have more time and take the train as mentioned.
HOW TO GET AROUND SLOVENIA
BY RAIL
Slovenia is a small country with good straight forward train connections to the main towns between Ljubljana, Prian and Lake Bled. If you stay in these main towns you can jump on local buses or take day trips to see other sights and attractions.
BY TOUR
Slovenia Tours offer a fantastic range of small-group authentic tour packages, visiting hidden gems and off-the-beaten path places that only the locals know about. If you don’t fancy researching, driving or planning everything yourself, this company can arrange it all for you! Its a really great way get out there, meet like-minded travellers and explore this wonderful alpine country!
Discover: Slovenia Tours
Final Thoughts
Slovenia is one of the smallest and diverse countries to visit, the landscape and activities is some of the best in Europe. Visit for a week or too to fully explore this one-of-a-kind country!
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