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Slovenia Trip Report (22 days)

Posted by (Cleveland area) on

Many thanks to all on the forum who provided specific advice or whose posts helped me prepare for our trip to Slovenia (with a bit of Italy and Austria). Special shout out to Dave, whose 25 Days in Slovenia trip report has inspired many of us (including the couple from Wisconsin that we spoke to in both the Logar Valley and Bohinj!)

OVERVIEW We are in our mid-60s and do lots of walking, but not strenuous hikes or biking. We planned this trip to experience nature, history, culture, and wine and Slovenia certainly delivered. It is a beautiful and varied country with kind and friendly people who are very proud of their country.
Ljubljana had the most tourists, but in most places, it was uncrowded, and we did not see a lot of Americans.

Just be prepared to have MANY cured meats in Slovenia! They are delicious and inescapable. And many dumplings. They could be rolled, or filled like gnocchi, or shaped like ravioli - all dumplings, all wonderful.

ROUTE I would not suggest that others follow the same route as we did. The entire route was predicated on visiting the Cow’s Ball on September 15th (more on that later), picking up our daughter at Trieste airport and dropping her in Ljubljana, then meeting up with friends arriving from Vienna. But I heartily endorse all the locations and activities for others planning a trip – Slovenia is amazing!

  • Kranj, 1 night
  • Prepotto, Italy, 1 night
  • Monfalcone, Italy, 1 night
  • Dutovlje, 2 nights
  • Idrija, 1 night
  • Klagenfurt, Austria, 1 night
  • Logar Valley, 3 nights
  • Ljubljana. 4 nights
  • Near Ptuj, 1 night
  • Drežnica, 2 nights
  • Ukanc, 3 nights
  • Vipava, 2 nights

TRANSPORTATION Renting a car is needed for the kind of Slovenian experience we wanted. We rented from ATET (an automatic with ALL the insurance) and I recommend them.

Slovenian roads are in good condition and very well marked. Drivers should be prepared for lots of narrow, twisty, winding roads though! Unless you are skilled at driving a stickshift in the mountains, I highly recommend you get an automatic. It is well worth the extra cost.

And thank goodness for their plentiful bus stops, where we frequently pulled over to let faster drivers get by. Driving distances are deceiving…10 miles can take 30 minutes when there are mountains and rivers involved!

PACKING We used the typical packing light ideas, and each had only a European-sized carry-on plus a small backpack. Each couple had a lightweight daypack (that was packed in luggage before arrival).

After arrival, we bought a soft-sided cooler and typically only ate one meal a day in a restaurant.

Made lots of use of a variety of zip lock bags and rubber bands we brought with us.

Best new packing idea: Using contact lens cases for my creams and lotions.

LESSONS LEARNED

Hiring a local guide is well worth the cost. This is a luxury for us, but we were so happy with the local information and insights that we will continue hiring guides on future trips.

Next time I will bring a travel umbrella. Sometimes you need a raincoat AND an umbrella at the same time!

Posted by
32 posts

WHAT WE DID

We arrived in Ljubljana in the morning and spent the remainder of the day and evening in nearby Kranj. Kranj was a perfect low-key stop to help acclimate to the time change. We intended to take a walking tour but ended up just wandering around ourselves. Would recommend Das ist Walter for cheap but good Balkan food. We stayed at Stari Mayr.

Next, we returned to the airport to rent the car and drove through the hills towards our stay in Prepotto, Italy. We stopped in the charming town of Škofja Loka, where we wandered the old town, visited the castle and museum, and had lunch at Oštarija u Lok for our first of many kranjska klobasa sausage and Štruklji dumplings. Highly recommend both visiting the castle museum and Oštarija u Lok.

We selected Spolert Winery in Prepotto, as it would get us near Trieste airport to pick up our daughter. They greeted us with a wine tasting (the first of many “welcome” drinks we were offered). We only had one night there but would love to go back for a longer stay. The hosts, the room, the location, and the wine were all fabulous.

Prepotto Highlights:

  • We ate an amazing Friulian dinner at Agriturismo Bosco Romagno, where we had our first Frika (traditional shepherd's dish, prepared with potato and cheese).
  • Local Guide: Our guide picked us up for a tour of Gorizia, and Udine. Based on our request, she focused on local history and WW1. We learned so much about local history from the Romans, Hapsburg Austrians, Italians, to the formation of Yugoslavia. Now I am ready for a longer trip to Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

After picking up our daughter, we stopped in Trieste for a walking tour and spent the rest of the day in lovely Muggia. We stayed the next two nights in Slovenian Kras at G House in Dutovlje, beginning with a “welcome” wine tasting. We had a two-room apartment with a huge balcony overlooking the vineyards. G House was super nice and a good location for exploring the area’s wineries and farms. I recommend.

Dutovlje Highlights:

  • Truffle hunt and lunch with Mati-Truffle was such a special experience and so much fun. I highly recommend spending time with Matjaz and his dog!
  • The steep drive up to the hilltop town of Pedrovo is worth it for goat cheese at Domačija Čilčevi and the views.
  • Excellent wines and people at Ferjančič Estate in Planina.

We drove up the Soča river valley as far as Trenta then back to Idrija for the night at Kmetija Podobnik. This guesthouse is not fancy but I recommend it. It is a beautiful spot, and they served great food. Plus a “welcome” schnaps, of course.

The next day we dropped off our daughter in Ljubljana and drove to Klagenfurt, Austria to pick up our friends arriving on the train from Vienna. We drove over the Austrian Alps via Bad Vellach and Lesnik on beautiful twisty alpine roads to Farmhouse Lenar in the Logar Valley. We had three nights here and could have spent longer in this stunning area.

Logar Valley Highlights:

  • You may not think you are on an actual road but make the trip to Turistična kmetija Matk for goat ice cream. Amazing drive, views, owners, and farm dogs. The ice cream flavors are special, made with local ingredients, and worth the trip.
  • Local Guide: She drove us along the Panoramic Road, took us for tea at her family farm, and gave us insights into Slovenian life before and after the Yugoslavian period. Amazing day.
  • Velinka Planina was a unique and beautiful place.
  • We loved our stay at Farmhouse Lenar and very highly recommend. The hosts are wonderful, and the views are incredible. Plus, blueberry “welcome” schnaps.
Posted by
52 posts

Barb, We have been to Slovenia once and fell in love with the country. We want to go back and see / do more. Your trip report and recommendations will be so helpful in planning another trip. I hope you will tell us more, though.

Posted by
32 posts

The next four nights were in an apartment in Ljubljana. Ljubljana is made for strolling and sitting at cafes, make sure you allow enough time for this.

Ljubljana Highlights:

  • Ljubljana Yum food tour was fun and a good intro to the city.
  • The National Museum of Contemporary History was an excellent overview of the last century of Slovenian history.
  • Walking through the Saturday Farmers Market to stock up on breakfast food and snacks for the apartment.
  • Local Guide: She took us through picturesque winding roads to Dražgoše to see the WW2 Partisan monument, Jamnik with the famous hilltop church, a personal tour at the ironworks museum in Kropa, lunch in medieval old town Radovljica, and a visit to a 3rd generation beekeeper in Begunje. An amazing day filled with so much local knowledge and culture that we could have never done on our own.

We decided to make a quick trip to the eastern part of Slovenia. Even though we only had one day set aside for this; I am glad we saw this area. We drove through Trbovlje to see a large mosaic, walked through beautiful Celje with its Roman ruins, and spent the afternoon walking Ptuj and up to the castle. Of these, I think Celje would be a great base location for exploring this side of Slovenia.

On our drive back to western Slovenia, we visited the Idrija Lace School, which was super interesting and worth a stop. We spent two nights in Drežnica in a two-bedroom apartment at Apartma Maja (recommended).

Drežnica Highlights:

  • The WWI Museum in Kobarid was excellent. On the advice of one of our guides, we pre-booked a 1 ½ hour guided tour of the museum. It was not a big expense and gave us a much greater understanding than simply walking through the museum ourselves.
  • The Kolovrat outdoor WW1 museum is another beautiful Slovenian drive up winding roads with stunning views. I highly recommend seeing this after visiting the WWI Museum in Kobarid.
  • Lunch at Hisa Polonka was delicious – another Frika and Idrijan dumplings, so good!!

Now on to Lake Bohinj for the Cow’s Ball on September 15th, what the route through Slovenia has led us to. We stayed three nights in Ukanc the quieter end of the lake and loved it there. Good thing too, because two days before the Cow’s Ball it was canceled due to soggy conditions, potential for flooding, and the rainy forecast. Oh well, the best-laid plans….

Ukanc Highlights:

  • I highly recommend Hiša Erlah. The rooms were comfortable but the patio and common spaces at the guesthouse made for a special stay. And the best breakfast I have ever had in Europe. Wonderful.
  • Just the scenery – the lake is lovely and there are lots of uncrowded great walking trails.

Our last two nights were spent in Vipava, another charming village with a beautiful old center with good cafes. We stayed at Fine Rooms Vipava, which I recommend.

Vipava Highlights:

  • Walking through the beautiful hilltop town of Štanjel.
  • We loved Škocjan Cave, it is huge and amazing!
  • Vina Poljšak is a great family winery right outside of Vipava.

We ended with an easy drive up to LJU for an afternoon departure home. Slovenia was beautiful and charming and you will love it!

Posted by
4043 posts

Fantastic trip report! I'm glad my 2019 trip report was helpful to you (and to the Wisconsin couple). You have contributed greatly to the Rick Steves Forum's Slovenia databank with this trip report. You did so much during your time in Slovenia. A bit of a bummer on the Cow's Ball, but you still had a grand trip without it. I'm glad you found some helpful local guides, too... sounds like Mojca was your guide in the Logar Valley... she's great! I'm glad you spent a good chunk of time in gorgeous Slovenia instead of just racing through. I I agree... it is indeed a beautiful country with lovely, lovely people.

Posted by
75 posts

Thank you for sharing your trip report! ...brought back my happy memories there just two months ago, I want to go back again and visit the places I missed the first round. I would like to explore more of the eastern side of that country one day. It is such an easy country to have a lot of fun with.

Posted by
32 posts

Dave Yes, Mojca was our guide in the Logar Valley, she was such a treat to spend the day with. We definitely had a grand trip even without the Cow's Ball! Thank you again for all of your recommendations.

leeshao I totally agree with you, Slovenia is a gem of a destination!

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