Slovenia travel guide

Lake Bled is tourist destination number one in Slovenia - not that it means much in little-visited Slovenia. On a backdrop of snow tipped mountains, lies the deep blue lake and right in the middle of it rises a tiny island topped with a white church. It is so postcard-perfect that you find yourself snapping pictures at every bend. The grassy shore can get crowded in summertime when locals (and the few tourists) cluster for sunbathing, swimming and chilling out. High above the northeastern shore sits the equally impressive Bled castle, perched on a clifftop with tiny Bled town below. You can either stay in town while exploring the area or even make it as a day trip from Ljubljana.

A 40-minute drive from lake Bled lies another beautiful lake named Bohinj. Contrary to groomed Bled which almost has a holiday vibe, Bohinj is a real natural treat. There is a trail around the lake shore which makes for a beautiful diverse walk. While the western and eastern ends attract picnicking families and young sunbathers, the secluded wooded northern shore seems to be favoured by nudists and other people looking for privacy among the shady trees.

Cute little Ljubljana is one of those places you can only like. Ljubljanica river flows through the city center. It is the focal point of the attractive old town and you will find yourself strolling up and down the riverfront more than you care to count. You will encounter charming old houses, winding streets and endless rows of cafes, bars and restaurants with outdoor seating which gives Ljubljana the life and buzz that it is so beloved for. There are no must-see sights besides the ancient, but neatly done-up, castle on top of the hill - and even that one is not a must-see. Ljubljana is not a city to be seen, but a city to be enjoyed.

Maybe due to the proximity to Italy, the Slovenian people eat an insane amount of pizza. Nevertheless, the country is well positioned in the meat-potato-beer belt of Europe, where a healthy meal consists of meat and potatoes, all washed down with a proper sized local beer.

The ski sport area on Mt Vogel is great for outdoor activities - also during summer. A cable car will swiftly take you to the ski hotel at 1537 m while offering amazing views over Lake Bohinj, Mt Triglav (2864 m) and the rest of the Julian Alps. At the base, you can either do gentle walks, trekking - e.g. to the top of Mt Vogel (1922 m) - or even mountain biking. During winter, the place turns into a small but popular ski resort due to the reliable snow condition with ski season running from December to May.

Piran is Slovenia's charming harbour town on the Adriatic Sea coast. It spreads out to both sides of the small marina along the lovely promenade, which is often crammed with tanned bodies soaking up the sun. The town itself is rather cute with the pastel coloured houses and, though it is touristic, it is nothing compared to the other medieval towns like Dubrovnik further south.

Even if you don't have any interest in caves, a visit to the Škocjan Caves is still a must, just for its sheer size. Besides the usual collection of stalagmites and stalactites formations, it contains the largest known underground canyon which extends into several underground chambers. The largest, Martel's Chamber, measures 308 m in length and reaches up to 146 m above the underground flowing river, making it the largest chamber in Europe and one of the largest in the world. Unfortunately, this chamber is not included in any of the cave tours, but instead, you can descend along endless stairs and clinging footbridges into other big chambers like the Murmuring Cave (Šumeča jama) where the Reka River, which created the Škocjan Caves, flows at the bottom. Impressively, Reka River continues to flow underground for a total of thirty-four kilometres before it resurfaces near the Adriatic coast.