Breathtaking nature, orange wine and bustling cities. What else could you be looking for in your next travel destination? Well, Slovenia has it all. These are my top Slovenia travel tips that will guide you through the holiday of your dreams.
Nobody needs to be convinced that Europe is a popular travel destination. In fact, travel and tourism directly contributed about 14 million jobs to the European economy in 2017.
Read more: My favourite solo travel destinations in Europe
And while that’s great news for Europe, it might make you feel like there are too many tourists. Especially if you’re visiting popular European hotspots like Paris and Rome.
Luckily, you won’t have that problem in some of the more undiscovered European countries – like Slovenia. This country will give you great attractions without the famous European crowds. Think about this:
Slovenia will give you all of the above, but without thousands of people doing the same thing – and for a fraction of the price. And in this article, I’ll tell you all about why I fell in love with Slovenia.
(Click on the links below to go to the relevant section of this blog post!)
On this map, you can find every place that is mentioned in this blog post.
Slovenia travel tips are no use to you if you can’t even get to Slovenia. So here’s a short section on how to get to this hidden gem.
Even though there’s only one airport in the entire country (near its capital Ljubljana), Slovenia is easily accessible by plane from all over Europe. Two low-cost carriers fly to Ljubljana:
Other than that, various ‘regular’ airline carriers fly to Ljubljana, but that will probably cost you a bit more. You may want to consider flying to nearby airports (like Trieste in Italy or Zagreb in Croatia) and taking public transport from there to Ljubljana.
If you don’t mind your trip taking a bit longer or if you want to travel in a more environmentally friendly way, there are various direct trains from Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland, among others. This is a great overview of trains to and from Ljubljana by The Man in Seat 61.
Now, this is the part you’ve been waiting for. The actual Slovenia travel tips. So let’s get this show on the road.
As the heading of this section suggests, this will be an overview of places of interest in Slovenia. In other words: whether or not Slovenia is worth a visit. (Spoiler alert: yes, it is.)
I’m not claiming to know the ins and outs of Slovenia, so if you visited recently and know of any place I don’t mention, please let me know in a comment. I’ll be happy to update this post, because I essentially strive to give my audience the most relevant travel tips possible.
The Slovenian capital is mostly known for its reputation as one of the greenest cities of Europe. Whether you’re strolling down its narrow streets or its wide avenues, you’ll feel like you are living in a fairytale.
Some things you can’t miss in Ljubljana: take a stroll along the river Ljubljanica, admire Prešeren Square (Prešernov Trg) and its pink baroque church, walk along the Dragon Bridge and, last but not least, take the cable car up to Ljubljana Castle.
Bled is a small city in the north of Slovenia, mostly known for its lake, with a small island and church in the middle and a castle overlooking the lake from a nearby cliff.
Don’t forget to check out the lake from various viewpoints, hike up to the castle and admire the view, visit the island on the lake and take a trip in a traditional Pletna boat.
About 4 km (2,5 miles) to the north-west of Bled, you’ll find Vintgar Gorge: a gorge-ous ravine along the Radovna river. Vintgar Gorge is a perfect day trip from Bled as it will only take you about half an hour to get there.
In Vintgar Gorge, you’ll see wooden walkways guiding you through the ravine and spectacular natural scenery, and you’ll hear the sounds of birds singing and the water of the river running through the valley.
Lake Bohinj is the second Slovenian lake near Triglav National Park (with Lake Bled being the first). I personally like Lake Bled more than Lake Bohinj, but be sure to judge for yourself.
And although many people might prefer Lake Bled, one aspect of Lake Bohinj alone guarantees a mention in this list: its tranquility. Lake Bohinj is a lot less crowded than Lake Bled is, and it’s often seen to be more authentic and less aimed towards tourists.
With a surface area of over 880 square km (340 square miles), Triglav National Park (often abbreviated to TNP) is one of Europe’s biggest and most admired nature reserves. This park has something for everyone, all year round.
Points of interest include Mount Triglav (which every Slovene is expected to climb at least once in his/her life), Vršič Pass and Pokljuka Plateau.
Now, I’ve given you some pointers as to where to go, but you still don’t really know what to do in Slovenia. And that’s where this four-day travel itinerary comes in.
This is what to do during four laid-back days in Slovenia. (Based on my own trip to Slovenia with one of my best friends this summer)
Our flight to Slovenia arrived in the late afternoon. After arriving at the airport, we took a taxi to our hostel, dumped our bags in our room and went out on the town for dinner.
On your first night, you’ll want to grab dinner at Pop’s Place, a trendy burger bar in Ljubljana’s vibrant city centre. This was for sure one of the best burgers I’ve ever eaten, and they have a large collection of local craft beers as well.
After dinner, check out what Prešeren Square and the Triple Bridge look like at night on the way back to your accommodation.
Related: How to find cheap accommodation as a solo traveller
The first thing you’ll want to do on this morning is to get breakfast at Bazilika Bistro, a small café that serves breakfast and lunch – with loads of vegetarian and vegan options as well.
While you’re on your way to Bazilika, check out the Ursuline Church of the Holy Trinity. In case you’re too hungry to go inside the church, don’t worry. You’re not missing out on a whole lot. The church’s front facade and the adjacent city square are just as impressive, if not more so.
After munching on some banana bread, oatmeal or pie at Bazilika, make your way to Tivoli Park. Admire the flower garden, breathe in the clean green air and rediscover your child-like sense of wonder at the playground. Because shame and regrets are overrated.
Walk back to the city centre (Prešeren Square, Triple Bridge, Ljubljanica) and see what it’s all about during the daytime. Walk along the river Ljubljanica on a street called Cankarjevo nabrežje and find a restaurant for lunch.
Now that you’ve regained the energy you need for an afternoon of exploring, it’s time to discover the old town. Head to Gornji Trg, a beautiful square that’s a lot less crowded than Prešeren Square, but just as interesting.
Get lost in the small cobbled streets around Gornji Trg and find out what Ljubljana is actually like.
Next up on the travel itinerary: Ljubljana Castle (or Ljubljana Grad, as the locals call it). First, take the funicular to go up the hill, or hike it if you’re up for a challenge. Then, admire the view, learn about the history of Ljubljana and enjoy the atmosphere.
Come back down the hill, take a break and have a drink. Because you deserve it.
By now, it’s time to get back to your hostel, Airbnb, hotel, or wherever else you’re sleeping. Freshen up, maybe take a shower or put on some new clothes.
After that, find a restaurant for dinner on your last night in Ljubljana. We opted for TaBar, a tapas restaurant close to Pop’s Place. I strongly recommend you have a glass of orange wine here – or anywhere else, for that matter. And yes, I said orange. While that might sound strange, you’re going to have to trust me on this.
So this is the day you’re leaving Ljubljana for your two day trip to Bled.
So get up, find some breakfast — at your hostel, at a supermarket, at Bazilika — and get ready for the day that’s coming.
Get to the main bus station in Ljubljana (LJUBLJANA AVTOBUSNA POSTAJA), either on foot or by public transport – depending on your accommodation’s location. There are a few different companies offering a coach or bus from Ljubljana to Bled.
You can either buy your bus tickets online or buy them at the counter inside the bus station. The clerk should know just enough English to understand you’re trying to get to Bled.
I recommend you to take the bus in the early afternoon. The bus between Ljubljana and Bled will take just over one hour, which leaves you with plenty of time to locate your accommodation in Bled. (For example, we stayed in this gorgeous Airbnb!)
Related: get a $35 discount for Airbnb by signing up here!
In case you still need to kill some time before your bus gets there, check out Metelkova, a former military headquarters that has been turned into a social and cultural centre.
Grab a quick bite in or around the bus station and board your bus. Just over an hour later, you should arrive at one of Bled’s bus stops, depending on which company you used to get from Ljubljana to Bled.
Once you’ve settled in your accommodation, dropped off your bags and freshened up, it’s time to head to the supermarket and pick up some snacks and drinks.
As for the rest of the day, you can fill it in as you please. This is your free afternoon and night, if you will. We hung around our Airbnb, made dinner and hit the hay early for once, so that we’d be well rested for day four.
This was the day I was most looking forward to. And you’ll soon find out why that is.
You should be set for breakfast, since you went to the supermarket on day 3 and presumably bought some granola, bread or other breakfast food.
Your next destination is Vintgar Gorge. Now, I can hear you thinking: “How do I get from Bled to Vintgar Gorge?” Well, there are a few options:
If you feel like you need some energy before you enter the park, there’s a small restaurant at the entrance where you can get some food or drinks.
Once you’ve gotten to Vintgar Gorge, pay the €5 entry fee (cash only!) and feast your eyes on the gorgeous — excuse the pun — scenery around you.
For your way back from Vintgar Gorge to Bled, you have the same options as before. If you’re feeling too tired to walk, you might want to call a cab – like we did.
By now, it’s lunchtime. Find a restaurant in Bled and feast.
The following Bled activities can be experienced in any order you want, so I’ll just give you the information you need and you’ll have to decide when you want to do what.
After getting the most out of your visit to Bled, head back to your Airbnb, hostel or apartment and cook dinner for the last time before you head back home.
Now, if you really need to ask me if Slovenia is worth a visit after reading all of this, I don’t think this last bit is going to convince you.
But yes, you should definitely visit this European hidden gem. This list of Slovenia travel tips should get you well on your way to plan the ultimate adventure there.
Disclaimer: I am aware of the fact that Slovenia is more than Ljubljana and Bled. But so far, I have only visited these places, so I don’t feel comfortable giving you advice on any other destinations in Slovenia.
Thanks for reading!
-S
PIN IT!
I’ve never done as much travelling in one year as I have in 2018. I travelled to three countries in Asia and four countries in Europe. Not only did I travel with friends and with family, I also travelled with a bunch of people I had never met before. This is a short overview of all the trips and crazy experiences I was fortunate enough to go through this year. This is my 2018 travel report.
Note: whenever I mention ‘blog posts/video coming soon’, it might already be up and I forgot to update this post. Check my recent blog posts and my YouTube channel to stay up to date with everything I do!
Click the links below to skip to the destinations you’re most interested in!
I’m not sure if everyone will count this as travelling, but I’m including it anyway. There’s nothing you can do to stop me.
In September 2017, I set off on my most ambitious project abroad to date. I spent four months studying abroad in Salamanca, Spain. Since I came back home in January 2018, I’m going to say it technically counts for my 2018 overview.
During my semester studying abroad, I met amazing people from all over the world (see Instagram picture below), I learned how to be independent and how to solve problems that I had never come across earlier. My Spanish also improved tremendously.
(The only reason I’m not on this picture is because it was taken the night before my first exam and I went home early to revise. See, Mom, I can be a responsible student.)
Studying abroad is usually something you do on your own. I was in a special situation, where I had a classmate who went on her Erasmus stay to the same city as me. We made friends together during the first few weeks, we were in class together and we studied together for our exams.
Big shout-out to Amy for helping me out with all kinds of problems I came across. <3
I went to Amsterdam in February.
One of the artists I had been following for a few years, Quinn XCII, was touring Europe in January and February 2018. When he dropped the announcement for the Europe leg of his The Story Of Us tour, I saw that the closest he would come to Belgium was Amsterdam. I messaged a few of my friends and one of them was willing to go to Amsterdam with me for a concert by an artist she had never heard of. What an absolute legend.
I combined this show with a visit to my sister, who was studying abroad in Amsterdam at the time. She was in the middle of her exams and we met up a few times to go for dinner and to explore the city.
In total, we ended up staying in Amsterdam for three days. We didn’t really visit any popular tourist hotspots, since my friend and I had both been in Amsterdam before (on the same school trip, by the way) and my sister obviously didn’t need to visit them anymore after having spent a few months there.
As I mentioned before, I went to Amsterdam with one of my best friends from high school and we met up with my sister a few times once we were there.
I went to La Plagne in February.
As I mentioned in my travel story, yearly ski trips have been an essential part of our family bonding since I was four years old. Before 2018, we hadn’t gone skiing for a while, but this year we went to La Plagne for a week of fun plowing through the snow.
We skied a lot. I reached a top speed of over 90 km/h (55 mph) rushing down a slope with nothing but two long sticks attached to my feet. I believe everyone should go skiing at some point, but that’s not the question here.
Also: I ate a lot of food. Just thought I’d throw that out there.
I went skiing in La Plagne with my parents and my sister, and we met up with a friend of my sister’s who was there with her family at the same time by chance.
I went to Lille in May.
After I came back from my four-month stay in Spain, I realised how much fun it was to be in an international organisation of exchange students and Erasmus students. While I was in Spain, I went on many trips that were organised by the local office of ESN (Erasmus Student Network).
Many of these trips can be seen in my Travel Videos playlist!
And so, when I was back in Belgium, I wanted to return the favour to the international student community. I contacted ESN Ghent (the city I’m currently studying in) to see if there was anything I could do for them, and it turns out there was. We agreed that I would join an upcoming ESN trip to Lille and take care of the pictures and video.
No sooner said than done, I found myself filming an international group of students I had never met before in a French city.
I went to Lille with two guys who volunteered at ESN Ghent and a group of 30-something international students who were out to explore the best Lille had to offer.
I went to Japan in August.
It’s been almost four months since I came back from Japan, but it still feels surreal to me that I actually went there and it was not a dream.
I spent two weeks in Japan and I visited Osaka, Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, Itsukushima, Hakone, Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa. (More blog posts about Japan coming soon, by the way)
It was action-filled, ridiculous, exceptional, adventurous, unbelievable.
I can’t wait to go back and explore more of this crazy, crazy country.
I went to Japan with my parents and my sister. We also met up with a few people my dad knew from work when we were there.
I went to Bali in September.
After our two-week trip to Japan, my sister and I were still feeling energetic and ready for another trip. So we went to Bali for a week.
Admittedly, we had booked all this in advance, so it wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment kind of deal.
While we were in Bali, we visited Ubud (Monkey Forest, rice terraces and Bali Swings), Canggu and Nusa Penida (Kelingking Beach, Broken Beach & Angel’s Billabong). We also ate. A lot. And we got a few massages. #thegoodlife
Bali might be on your bucket list, but you might want to revisit that. Here’s why Bali may or may not be worth a visit.
I went to Bali with my sister.
I went to Singapore in September.
Since I was only in Singapore for a 30-hour layover, I didn’t do a whole lot.
In our short available time period, we managed to check out the Supertree Grove at Gardens By The Bay (during the day AND at night), the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest, Little India and Chinatown.
We also admired a light show at the Supertree Grove (called the Garden Rhapsody) and one at the Marina waterfront. We experienced both shows within about half an hour of each other and it was the perfect end to a perfect trip.
Blog posts and video coming soon.
I went to Singapore with my sister, after our visits to Japan and Bali.
I went to Slovenia in September.
We arrived in Ljubljana, where we stayed for two days and mostly wandered around its quaint streets and neighbourhoods and discovering everything the Slovenian capital had to offer. Some recommendations: a stroll along the Ljubljanica river, Dragon Bridge, Preseren Square and Ljubljana Castle.
After two days in the capital, we took a bus to Bled, where we stayed in an Airbnb located at about ten minutes of Lake Bled. Also, I accidentally walked all the way around the lake on our last day. But that’s a story for later.
Related: get €30 off your first Airbnb booking here.
From Bled, we also went on a day trip to Vintgar Gorge. It was extremely tiring since the hike up there took us a lot longer than we had anticipated, but it was totally worth it. The views were gorge-ous. (I’m so sorry.)
Blog posts and video coming soon.
I went to Slovenia with one of my best friends from school (who is also an avid world traveller and one of the biggest fans of this blog, by the way).
This 2018 travel report wasn’t just meant to make anyone reading this jealous of how much I travelled. It was meant to show you that anyone can travel. If I, a full-time university student, can go on seven trips in one year, there’s no reason for you not to be able to do the same thing.
I’m not rich. I don’t have more time than you do. But I do make travel a priority.
As a travel blogger, writing a travel report like this is like a photographer making a photo album. In the future, I’ll be able to look back at this post and relive everything I experienced in 2018.
All I’m trying to say here is that it doesn’t always have to be a big, fancy trip. You can go to a city one hour away from your hometown and discover things you had never seen before.
Travelling is not about collecting trophies from the most extreme destinations across the world. It’s about experiencing life and living your dreams.
Here’s to travelling more than you think you can in 2019. Let’s make this the best year of our lives.
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