Best things to do in Slovenia
Slovenia is a tiny country of endless variety, a magical landscape embracing imperious limestone mountains, sparkling lakes and a craggy coastline punctuated with historic coastal resorts.
Viewpoints and panoramas
Vršič Pass: Slovenia’s most spectacular mountain pass incorporates 50 hairpin bends, with sensational views at every turn.
Lake Bled: Slovenia’s most iconic sight, Lake Bled is as picturesque as it gets; with its crystal-clear waters, a medieval castle perched on a cliff and a tiny island with a church in the middle, it’s the perfect spot for postcard-worthy photos.
The best districts
Old Town Ljubljana: Defined by a tangle of narrow streets, handsome orange-and-red-roofed townhouses, and neat rows of compact pavement cafés and restaurants, Ljubljana’s fabulous Old Town is for many the most enjoyable part of the city.
Lent District, Maribor: The Lent district along the Drava River is at the heart of the city’s wine culture. Its star attraction, and the city’s most celebrated symbol, is the 400-year-old Stara trta, reputedly the world’s oldest vine.
Museums
Beekeeping Museum, Radovljica: Superb museum charting the development and tradition of Slovenian apiculture from the 18th century to the present day.
Kobarid Museum: Compelling and moving museum documenting the region’s World War I mountain battles.
Parks and gardens
Tivoli Park, Ljubljana: Elegant Tivoli Park is an expanse of lawns and tree-lined walkways leading to dense woodland, a lovely retreat from the busy city centre.
Volčji Potok Arboretum: Slovenia’s largest and most important horticultural park is home to more than 3,000 species of plants, shrubs and trees, all sensitively assimilated into the surrounding woodland.
Historical monuments
Predjama Castle: The fabulously dramatic setting of Predjama Castle – pressed into a huge cavern hollowed out of the high, flat rock face above the karstic swallow hole of the Lokva stream – is as unforgettable as it is improbable.
Pleterje Monastery: Visit the atmospheric church and grounds of Slovenia’s only functioning Carthusian monastery.
Church of the Holy Trinity, Hrastovlje: Acquaint yourself with the Dance of Death fresco, alongside many other terrific wall paintings, in this sun-baked Romanesque church.
Day trips in the area
Karst: Explore intriguing dry-stone villages, including pretty hilltop Štanjel, and head underground to a mysterious world of rivers, streams and caverns.
Coast: The country’s most alluring coastal town, Piran is strewn with gorgeous Gothic-Venetian architecture, pretty little churches and quaint squares.
Prekmurje: Lush green fields, picturesque villages dotted with storks’ nests and a distinct culinary tradition characterise Slovenia’s intriguing easternmost region.
Activities for families in Slovenia
Slovenia is a wonderful destination for families, particularly if the outdoors - or the underground - is your, or their, thing.
Caves: Slovenia’s myriad show caves are always a hit with kids, especially Postojna, with its miniature train that whizzes you deep underground; also very cool is Križna, one of Europe’s finest water caves and home to all kinds of cave-bear bones.
Beaches: Slovenia’s beaches are, on the whole, clean and safe (most bathing areas are roped off), while many have grassy areas with sporting and play facilities; there are also waterparks in Ljubljana, Bohinjska Bistrica and Čatež.
Puppetry: Another thing that might appeal to kids (and adults) is puppetry, a popular and well-regarded form of entertainment in Slovenia; there are particularly good theatres in Ljubljana and Maribor.
Free things to do in Slovenia
From year-round festivals to strolling around the country’s magnificent lakes, Slovenia holidays aren’t necessarily about having to break the bank.
Free festivals: The Slovenian calendar is studded with some marvellous festivals and events. Many are free, such as Kurentovanje Ptuj, the most famous of Slovenia’s pre-Lent Pusts, or carnivals, featuring riotous displays of masked revelry; there’s also the Ana Desetnica Festival of Street Theatre, with colourful and enjoyable street theatre performances in Ljubljana’s Old Town.
Lake walks: Lakes Bled and Bohinj are Slovenia’s twin pearls, the former celebrated for its cliff-bound castle and gorgeous island church, the latter more serene but no less resplendent. Stay in Bled and take a day trip to Bohinj.
Nature and outdoor activities in Slovenia
The country’s mountains, forests, hills, rivers and lakes offer unlimited potential to indulge in a wide range of outdoor pursuits – hiking and skiing in the Julian Alps, whitewater rafting or kayaking in the Soča Valley, cycling through the rolling hills of Dolenjska and riding through the Logarska Dolina Valley.
Hiking: Slovenia is traversed by more than 7000km of marked paths; for the majority of climbers and hikers the main destination is the Julian Alps, at the heart of which is Mount Triglav (2864m), the country’s highest peak. Along with the Julians, the Karavanke mountains and the Kamniške-Savinja Alps (both of which count numerous peaks topping the 2500m mark) offer the country’s most varied and challenging climbs and hikes.
Skiing: The country hosts more than a dozen major resorts, the best and most popular of which are Kranjska Gora, a good family resort and international competition venue near the Austrian border, Krvavec, near Kranj, Vogel, near Bohinj and Pohorje, on the outskirts of Maribor.
Adrenaline sports: Without question, the major draw is the magnificent Soča River, whose fast, foaming waters offer the perfect setting for whitewater rafting, canoeing and kayaking, as well as more extreme pursuits including canyoning and hydrospeed.
Bear-watching: If you go down to the woods today… a rare opportunity to see these magnificent beasts up close in the wild, thankfully from the safety of a hideout.