Slovenia is an extremely beautiful country that we knew very little about before we first visited it. Nestled between Italy, Austria and Croatia this small country has some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world. A lot of people will compare Slovenia to Switzerland, and although there is definitely a resemblance in the rolling alpine fields, Slovenia is by no means ‘just’ a little Switzerland. In fact if you only have time to visit one or the other, I would, perhaps controversially, recommend Slovenia over Switzerland. Slovenia feels like an undiscovered gem, and there are a huge amount of beautiful mountain hikes that you can complete without having to sell a vital organ to afford the cable car. If hiking is not your cup of tea, then you can still take in the multiple quaint old towns as you enjoy a slice of unique local cake at the numerous sidewalk cafes, an activity that in Slovenia will not require you to take out a second mortgage.
When travelling around Slovenia, you will quickly notice that there is still a strong connection to traditional agriculture and food. One example of this is fresh milk, in some countries getting fresh milk is like pulling teeth, such as France with its UHT milk obsession, but in Slovenia you can buy farm fresh raw milk on the side of the road from the numerous vending machines that dispense fresh chilled milk for less than a Euro, you can even buy a bottle at the same time if you do not have your own. If you enjoy tasting lots of different local produce such as cheese, honey, yoghurt, bread, and charcuterie then Slovenia will give you ample opportunity to indulge.
We discovered one of our favourite cheese shops completely by accident, we were driving to a hike and saw a farm shop sign, always up for a food adventure we blindly followed the sign, and it led us to an excellent farm shop with a huge selection of cheeses as well as charcuterie from neighbouring farms. Driving randomly, and following signs for farm shops is a fantastic way to explore Slovenia, not only will you get to try delicious food, but there is also a very good chance that you will find a beautiful place to stop, and go for a walk or even a swim in the numerous mountain streams. With all of the above in mind we created this list of top 5 places to visit in Slovenia, but we only scratched the surface on our trip to Slovenia, and we would strongly encourage you to discover your own top 5 things to do.
Most Beautiful Places in Slovenia
1. Lake Bohinj
This glacial lake located in the Triglav National Park is the largest permanent lake in Slovenia. Since it is only 1.5 hours drive from Ljubljana, it is an easy day trip if you want to experience a beautiful lake, and the surrounding nature. Although very well known to locals who will flock to its shores in the summer to cool off in the water, it is a lot less well known amongst tourists than its famous cousin Lake Bled.
If you are visiting Lake Bled anyway, but you want to spend the day swimming or sunbathing surrounded by soaring mountains then we would definitely recommend that you visit Lake Bohinj as well, since it is only 30 minutes from Lake Bled. Although it can get busy in the summer, especially on weekends or holidays, the good news is that the lake is huge, so if you don’t see a good spot just keep walking, and the further you get from the parking lot the more likely you are to find your own little private beach. This makes it perfect for dog owners, as with some patience you can find a place for your dog to swim without disturbing anyone else. Even if it’s too cold to go swimming, Lake Bohinj is still worth a visit, as you can hike around the entire perimeter of the lake and take in the gorgeous scenery.
2. Triglav National Park
Hiking to a natural spring, source of the Soča river
Triglav National Park, is probably the most famous park in all of Slovenia, it ecompasses a mind boggling 4% of Slovenia. As you can imagine with such a huge area to explore there are almost countless natural attractions to explore. Because of its vast size there are undiscovered areas inside it that you can find if you are willing to venture off the beaten path. One of the most unique things to see in Triglav National Park is the source of the Soča river, if you are sure footed enough to scramble along the cliffs you will be rewarded with a sight of the most mesmerizingly clear water as you stare into the seemingly endless depths of the natural spring that feeds the Soča river.
3. Soca Valley (Bovec)
Hiking along the Soča river, crossing one of the many bridges in the area
The Soča Valley is a mountainous valley area that boasts a huge amount of history, culture, nature and tradition, all in a small package. We barely scratched the surface when we visited for the day, and we would actually recommend planning at least 3 days to explore the Soča Valley area. We visited the Great Soča Gorge, a huge canyon where the Soca river runs through. In the summer it is a great spot to go swimming, and you will find numerous opportunities to rent kayaks. If you prefer to wander, and not have a specific destination in mind, then you can simply walk along the river, cross the river on the old bridges, and enjoy being surrounded by the mountains.
4. Skofja Loka
Overlooking the “new” Škofja Loka Castle from the 16th century
Hiking in the hills surrounding Škofja Loka
The 1,000 year old town of Škofja Loka is located about an hour west of Ljubljana, and is the perfect day trip destination. You could easily spend the day walking along the cobbled streets, admiring the pretty architecture, and exploring the shops keeping historical craftsmanship alive. However we would recommend taking advantage of the beautiful nature that surrounds the town. If you want a very easy walk, then we would recommend walking up to the 16th Century castle that overlooks the town. You can either walk around the outside of the castle, or visit the extensive museum inside. For those who want a proper hike, then we would recommend doing the loop that we did on our visit. The loop starts in the town, takes you past the castle up through the rolling fields, past old castle ruins that you can walk around, and then back down to the town. The hike is well marked, so you shouldn’t get lost too easily. You can also find the hike marked in the Komoot hiking app, so you can make sure you stay on the right path.
5. Gorenje Vas
Hiking in the hills around Gorenje Vas
This area is definitely not on the tourist map, and we probably would not have known about this area if our airbnb had not been situated in it. This part of Slovenia is not part of the alpine range, but it does have plenty of mountains, and rolling fields that you can hike through. The hikes in this part of Slovenia are not as well marked, but they do exist, so we would recommend using a hiking app, and making sure that your phone is fully charged so you can find your way back to the car. Because this area is not well known you get to avoid the crowds, and you will often find that you have hikes entirely to yourself. If you want a more authentic, and less touristy experience then we would definitely recommend searching for accommodation in this area. One of our favourite hikes in the area, that was recommended to us by a local, is Blegos mountain. This is a relatively short, but intensive hike that will reward you with stunning 360 degree views once you reach the peak. As with a lot of hikes in Slovenia there might be livestock grazing on the mountain meadows, so make sure you keep your dogs on leash.
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