Two months in Slovenia

Lucky you! My suggestions for your outside-Slovenia side-trips are mostly obvious ones: Zagreb, Croatian Istria (be sure to see the interior as well as the coast), Plitvice Lakes, and Graz (Austria).

I think you'll find the tourist offices in Ljubljana very helpful. They probably don't often have the opportunity to work with someone who has that much time in country--someone who isn't just asking how to get to Bled or the caves.

Lucky you, you'll get to enjoy all the good things about Slovenia, while being spared the most difficult one to deal with - the local job market.

Some recommendations: While visiting is great in the summer, July and August are months when it's difficult to get to know the real Slovenia - the cities and towns will be half-empty as many locals go on vacation and are substituted by tourists. If possible, try going a bit earlier to catch some of the spring time, too, before school ends on June 25 and the summer holidays officially start. It will also make travelling a lot easier, as the crowds in June are nowhere near the July levels. This isn't really too problematic in Slovenia, but if you venture out to Croatia or Italy, the difference will be noticable.

Two months will give you plenty of time to visit the countryside and places off the beaten path - I thoroughly recommend you do so. In fact, in two months you could easily see a great deal of the worthwhile places in the country without breaking a sweat. Consider regions like Prekmurje, Jeruzalem, Pohorje, Kras, the Vipava Valley, Goriska Brda, Dolenjska - places which are not unknown to tourists but where overseas tourists don't venture to very often, as they are not part of the standard tourist trail. Consider eating and/or staying at tourist farms while visiting these regions, you'll have a chance to try out the local cuisine done properly and with local ingredients (a legal requirement for tourist farms).

And yes, I agree with acraven, do make use of the tourist office, they will be more than happy to point you to interesting places that your average tourist doesn't have time for.

Thanks for the feedback, acraven and Dejan. Excellent ideas.

Dejan -- I'm currently determining my exact dates. My original preference was autumn (after things return to normal and with cooler temperatures), but my employer prefers that I go during late summer. My current proposed dates are end of July through mid-September.

My plan is definitely to explore the regions you suggested. The goal is to immerse myself in the country and experience things that most travelers don't have time for -- and just soak it all in.

That sounds great, September works just as well. The crowds will have receded, things get back to normal while the weather is still nice and warm.

We have been to Slovenia 3 times, and each time the very best highlight was the "Kravi-bal" at Bohinj Lake. It is usually around mid- September and an experience you will NEVER forget. Also exciting is a cable car ride up on Vogel, right near Bohhinj. There are many other great tourist events, but Kravi-bal is the ultimate!

Wow, thanks for the suggestion! Kravji-bal is exactly the type of experience I'm seeking during my trip. I've added it to my notes.

If you have any other suggestions for one-of-a-kind Slovenian events in July, August or September, let me know!

Here is a link to a wonderful blog about travel and events in Slovenia https://adeleinslovenia.com/

Thanks for the recommendation. I know that blog well. I started following Adele last year.

Hello Seth -
I have just returned from Slovenia after spending two months there writing a book with my Slovene friend about the history and politics of Slovenia and a memoir about his father who was a National Hero. I was there April - June which was perfect. We rented an apartment in the Old Town of Ljubljana which is definitely the place to be, so much is happening every day. There are many apartments available. We then took day trips everywhere from the vineyards, Alps and coast all within one hour's drive of Ljubljana. Ljubljana shares borders with Austria, Italy and Hungary which
makes visiting other European destinations so easy to get to. Public transportation is fantastic.
I found Slovenia to be incredibly clean, organized, safe , highways and infrastructure are perfect
and so environmentally friendly. Dense forests everywhere, flowers and plants are abundant and recycling bins all over. The interesting thing for me was comparing today's Slovenia to when it was part of the former Yugoslavia which I visited over 30 years ago! Love to hear from you.

Hi, Tessa. Thanks for writing. My plan for next year is still a go. In fact, I already reserved my apartment in Ljubljana for eight weeks. I'm currently scheduled for late July to mid-September. I'm excited -- and nervous -- about the trip.

Glad to hear you had a wonderful time. Like you, I also plan to take public transportation as much as possible. My goal is to see many of the small cities and villages without depending much on a rental car.

Please keep me posted about your book. I'd love to check it out!