Ideas South of Ljubljana

Clarification: you are looking for places to stop between Ljubljana and which destination?

Between Ljubljana and somewhere in Slovenian Istria where we will stay for several days. I am trying to avoid driving right back down the highway we just drove from Vipava up to Ljubljana.

I assume you want the "quick way" via the highway to get the couple with whom you are traveling back to Slovenia. One attractive return drive that is north would be Ljubljana to Škofja Loka to Idrija (mercury mine is a UNESCO World Heritage site and pretty cool to me) and back through Vipava to get to the highway (though you may have already explored this area).

Outside of the main highway, there is not a very good east-west connector from Ljubljana and locations south of the city to Piran. I wouldn't call the scenery along the way stunning. Interesting sites along the highway: Predjama Castle (ok), Postonja Caves (haven't been), Škocjan Caves (very cool), and Lipica stud farm (haven't been). There is a great military history museum at Pivka, which was the base from which Yugoslav tanks (largely with Serb crews) rolled out to put down Slovenia's declaration of independence from Yugoslavia. The museum includes a building with a history of Yugoslavia and Slovenia's move toward independence. There are also some US tanks on display that were sold to Yugoslavia when Tito was at odds with the Soviet Union.

Yes, I figure we will go the quick way up the main road to Ljubljana and was trying to find a different way to get back. I did have both Škofja Loka and Idrija on our radar for earlier on our trip, but that’s a good idea to fill in if we haven’t already seen them.

Thanks for the info on the history museum at Pivka. My husband will love that.

Appreciate your help!