I would like to travel to Ljubljana, Slovenia in July or August. I only have 2 weeks of vacation but I'm concerned that I may have to quarantine on my way back to Italy after the 2 weeks in Ljubljana. Does anyone know if this will be required by that time? I don't want to get stuck in quarantine.
Also, does anyone know of some fun things to do in Ljubljana for a first time visitor there?
Thank you.
You probably know this already, but it’s absolutely impossible to answer your first question. Nobody knows what’s going to happen. The border regime could get relaxed at any time, it could be two weeks, two months or even more. It may apply only to local residents living close to the border, it may apply only to Italian citizens, it may apply to all Italian residents. For example if you’re American you might not be allowed to cross even if you might be living in Italy. Then there’s the quarantine requirements etc. etc. You should hope for the best and prepare for the worst, honestly. Right now, the epidemic in Slovenia is over, we’ve had zero deaths and zero new cases for almost a week and before that it was a handful of cases since about late April. The government isn’t too keen on opening up towards Italy too soon and the decision will depend on the state of the epidemic in Italy.
About your planned visit, Ljubljana is a good base to explore Slovenia. The city itself can be seen at a leisurely pace in about two days. A classic tour of the city would include a stroll along the riverbanks, exploring the Old Town, visiting the cathedral, hiking or taking the funicular up to the castle, visiting Tivoli Park. The Metelkova alternative culture centre is worth a visit for the nightlife on weekends (depending on the event restrictions in place during your visit). Then there is the fascinating Joze Plecnik House, if you’re interested in the city’s history or want to learn more about how the 20th century unfolded in Slovenia there’s the City Museum and the Museum of Contemporary History. Walking, cycling and food tours of the city are popular.
Outside of the city, there’s lakes Bled and Bohinj and the Triglav National Park, the Soca Valley, the caves, Piran on the seaside, Logar Valley, many wine regions to explore etc. Some of these places can be visited by bus or train but renting a car would be best, especially given the restricted timetables of most public transportation due to the epidemic. Two weeks gives you plenty of time to explore the country at a relaxed pace.
In 2017 we spent one night in Ljubljana and had a great time just wandering the central area of the city. It was a Friday and things were definitely happening. Would have liked to have had a second night.
Thank you both for your replies. That gives me a lot of great ideas for things to do and places to explore. It is interesting, I was also interested in going to Portugal but Portugal is opening its country to just about every country except Italy and Spain. I think I will have better luck going to Slovenia if it allows people living in Italy to visit but it may take time to see how this plays out as all these countries and borders begin to re-open.
Thank you again.
In case you are still considering Ljubljana, there is a summer music festival in July that, according to their website, is indeed happening this year along with other cultural events. When I was there a few years ago during the festival, there were free, day of, as well as advance ticket events. No idea whether there are any health precautions like requiring masks or social distancing. There is an RS video on Ljubljana (from the tv series) that I watched before I went. In normal times, in addition to trains, you could take a ferry from Venice or Trieste to Piran and maybe other places on the Slovenian coast.
