Slovenia travel guide
Lovely little Slovenia packs a lot of mountain, cave, river and adventure into its small proportions
Tiny Slovenia, hemmed into the Adriatic by Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, packs a lot into its diminutive proportions. In Slovenia there are lovely lakes and towering mountains, rural backwaters and a cosmopolitan capital – and the best thing is, you can see it all in a relatively short amount of time: small is beautiful!
Slovenia is a great destination for adventure-lovers – the hills are perfect for walking, the rivers exciting to raft, there are some spectacular caves to spelunk, the proportions perfect for getting around by bike. But take time out from the activities to tour Slovenia’s mouth-watering wineries, roam its romantic castles and join the locals in a country inn for a raucous evening of folk music.
Wanderlust recommends
- Hike in the Julian Alps of Triglav National Park
- Kayak the gentle rapids below Lake Bohinj
- Delve into the vast caverns at Skocjan
- People-watch from the pavement cafés of laid-back capital Ljubljana
- Sail out to the fairytale castle floating on Lake Bled
- Listen to traditional music and folk tales in Adlesici, a taste of the old-school Slovenia
- Wonder at the gravity-defying magnificence of Predjama Castle
Wanderlust tips
Lace up your hiking boots: small Slovenia has over 7,000km of walking trails, marked by a red circle with a white middle; the Alpine Association of Slovenia, based in Ljubljana produces maps and other info.
Public toilets aren’t that widespread; you usually have to pay a small fee to use them.
Motorcycles, cars and vans must carry a vignette in order to drive on any Slovenian motorway or the Ljubljana ring road.