Slovenia is a hub for both river and sea based watersports. The epicentre of the former is the Soča Valley. This mighty glacial river dishes up plenty of whitewater thrills, whether you tackle it in a raft or a kayak. Further whitewater thrills await on the River Savinja in Štajerska, River Kolpa in Bela Krajina and the River Krka in Dolenjska.
For a gentler experience you can take a kayak out on the country’s serene glacial lakes. On the coast sailing is popular with a sprinkling of marinas, while the popularity of stand up paddle boarding is soaring.
Wild swimming is a national obsession, whether in the Adriatic, in the sparklingly clear glacial lakes of Bled and Bohinj, or clean rivers such as the Kolpa.
Slovenia is quite simply a world class hiking destination, with 10,000km of marked hiking trails and a choice of almost 200 overnight mountain huts.
A great base in the Julian Alps is the resort town of Kranjska Gora, with myriad routes in both summer and winter. You can tackle the ‘big one’, Mount Triglav, which soars to a whopping 2,864m high. Or how about the Three Borders? Take on Mt. Mojstrovka, Mt. Špik, and Mt. Prisojnik and see countries converge in a breathtaking wildscape.
Bled is another ideal base for exploring the Triglav National Park and also offers the option of an easy walk around its shores plus the nearby Vintgar Gorge, where wooden walkways guide you around a spectacular canyon.
The Logar Valley is easily one of the most beautiful Alpine glacial valleys, its vaulting snow-capped peaks rising up from a wildflower strewn Alpine valley floor. You can take on the highest peaks using the local mountain huts or just enjoy a short trek to Rinka Waterfall, one of Slovenia’s highest.
Slovenes are crazy about their caves and its no wonder as this compact country boasts no fewer than 12,000 with speleologists constantly discovering more! They come in all shapes and sizes in this porous karst wonderland.
The most famous are the Postojna Caves, where a wee train trundles you deep into a vast subterranean lair fit for a James Bond villain. As well as epic stalactites and stalagmites, there are all manner of otherworldly wonderful rock formations, Postojna is home to the human fish, as strange and fascinating a creature as you will ever encounter.
Nearby lies Predjama Castle, the world’s largest cave castle. UNESCO have also placed the Škocjan Caves on their World Heritage list and no wonder. The vast halls, tunnels and remarkable rock formations here are if anything even more jaw dropping.
The Krizna Jama meanwhile boasts 45 subterranean lakes and is said to be home to more than 40 species, making it one of the world’s top five cave systems in terms of eco-diversity.