Hello all, planning a trip to Slovenia in June! There are so many great looking destinations to go to in this little country, and I was wondering if you had a favorite place or experience.
Already planning (if funding allows) to take a guided day trip in the Julian Alps upon Rick's recommendation from Bled. And looking for the greatest day trip idea from Ljubliana.... is it one of the caves or a day on the Adriatic? Which cave did you like best?
I'm no authority on Slovenia, but I thought that the Postojna Caves were unnecessary if you've every been to any other large caves, anywhere. Why spend time underground on a nice sunny day, looking at luridly lit limestone and an occasional glowing tourist trash bin? Opinion, of course. Our 25-cabin cruise ship docked at Opatija, which is loaded with history of Empire - but today a sleepy beach resort - with sparkling clean sea water. It's important because it was Austria's ... er ... only seaport! Can't help you otherwise.
The town of Škofja Loka is on the way from Ljubljana to Bled if you take the "scenic" route and not the fast highway. The drive from Ljubljana to Škofja Loka is nothing special, but from Škofja Loka to Bled through the hills and little towns offers breathtaking scenery. Škofja Loka itself is a delightful little town, well worth a stop as well.
I enjoyed the Julian Alps loop drive (I did it myself) - pretty much followed Rick's suggestion (counter-clockwise direction, from Bled).
Piran is a beautiful coastal town - probably crowded in June but sparkling at dusk and at night.
I visited the Škocjan Caves (the harder one to visit by public transportation) and I was slightly underwhelmed - not that the caves themselves and the crystals etc. aren't amazing, but it is a lot of time and effort to get there. I enjoyed my above-ground experiences in Slovenia much more. If you have a fascination with caves these would be worth a visit for sure, though.
Although I'm a local, I don't really have a favourite place, more of a favourite area. That has got to be the region spanning from the Soca Valley over the Goriska Brda wine region, Karst Plateau, down towards the Italian and Slovenian coasts. Very varied landscapes, ranging from the Alps down to the sea with lots of scenic valleys and fertile fields producing great local food, some of the restaurants around there are truly world class, along with the amazing wineries and friendly authentic tourist farms, it's a great place to just travel around and explore. The cultural heritage there isn't concentrated in any single great museum or must-see palace, although the Miramare Castle outside of the Trieste and the whole of Piran come close, instead there are small gems scattered around the region. We like to go there during the weekend and just explore small villages or check out great new restaurants or tourist farms we hear about, do some hiking in the mountains, cycle around or just enjoy the scenery. The region has a different feel than the rest of Slovenia being much closer to Italy and the weather there is always nicer than here in Ljubljana, sunnier and a few degrees warmer.
Go to Piran on the coast - absolutely the most beautiful place in Slovenia.
My husband & I have been to Slovenia 3 times, always renting a car and touring the country. On our third visit, in 2011, we returned to Turisticna Kmetija " Pri Kapeli" in Vitomarci just north of Ptuj. We arrived the day before the grape harvest, so the next morning after breakfast we headed to the vineyard and picked grapes along side Mojca and Marjan's family and friends for a few hours. Such a good time with wonderful people, great wine and good food! We have travelled around most of Slovenia and have loved it all.... but picking grapes and enjoying our time spent with the family at Pri Kapeli is probably the highlight of our many trips to Europe. Unfortunately Vitomarci isn't a day trip form Ljubljana but.... where ever you decide to go and what ever you decide to see I hope you have a wonderful visit because it is an amazing county.
My favorite things we did in Slovenia were a visit to Škocjan Caves (UNESCO site) and a walk through Vintgar Gorge (near Bled).
Lake Bled, Vrsic Pass, Ljubljana, Planina pod Golico.
I suppose the drive through the Julian Alps wasn't my favorite experience, but we took that route from Salzburg to stay at Pristava Lepena on the Soca River. What an incredible experience? We arrived before the busy tourist season and had the whole place to ourselves. It felt like our own little world. The owners and the staff are delightful and helpful. If Maja is still there, see if you can get her to make pan chocolate croissants for you. You'll never find any that are better.
We loved Ljubljana and Lake Bled, but it seemed having the whole world to ourselves at Pristava Lepena was a treasure not to be missed.
Curious...no love for Logarska Dolina? (logar valley) It looks beautiful.
I hope I haven't responded too late, but no one has mentioned anything about the food in Slovenia which I thought to be of the utmost caliber. I am a lover of food and have a discerning palate. With that being said, I didn't have one disappointing meal in Slovenia (Ljubljana and Bled). I do hope that you are in Ljubljana on a Friday when they have the open air market going on with many restaurants serving up their favorite dishes. It's like a huge food event and it is not to be missed. Be sure to try ćevapčići and borek (I found that these dishes tasted better here than in Croatia). Also in Bled, try Osterija Peglez'n near the lake front and don't forget about trying the Bled creme cake. THE BEST! Enjoy!
