I bopped around in Slovenia and stayed at a different hotel every night as I made my way around the country. On this trip, I worked with the Slovenia tourism board and part of our arrangement was that I could choose my lodgings and itinerary on the trip. I did SO much research before going so that I could find the coolest places to stay at. I found lots of unique places to stay in Slovenia and was grateful that the Slovenia tourism board booked me rooms there.

On all “influencer” trips they will, of course, need to give you a hotel room to sleep in, and there is not rule that you have to promote that hotel. You do it only if you want to! So, there were some places that I went to that will not be on this list. You can be assured I am only including places that I really loved.

Here are some seriously unique places to stay in Slovenia!

1. A Treehouse at Garden Village Bled

I’m starting with my favorite, and because it’s my favorite, it will have the most information! Garden Village Bled is gold and I highly recommend splurging out to stay here a couple nights while you are in Lake Bled.

You get to stay in a treehouse! Lake Bled is such a “fairytale” place that it’s perfect to stay up in a treehouse while here.

You can click here to book. Rates are as low as $100 (right now while I’m typing this) but go up to around $250 at peak season. Location: Lake Bled.

As you can see there is a loft upstairs, this photo shows what it looks like if you peek down from below. The next shot is the downstairs. The pool is all natural and there are even ducks floating around in it. The whole place is an eco-resort.

The food was phenomenal! You’ll get a welcome drink and snack. We had dinner here and it was a 3-course meal (pre-selected), which I found very common in Slovenia at restaurants. The tables had grass growing on them!

Sorry for the huge amount of photos. But, I really enjoyed this place. The staff was so kind, the food was delicious, and I have always wanted to stay in a treehouse. It’s a huge bonus that it’s also eco-friendly.

2. Raduha

I adored this place! The design was spot on and the food was the best meal I had in Slovenia. The woman behind it all, Martina, has such an eye for design and did this all herself with all local wood and products like felt which is a huge industry here and sheep skins. They are kind of like treehouses, but not in the actual trees – so I guess huts on stilts?

Raduha is in Luce, and would be if you decide to visit the mountain region, which you should! You can reach them at houseraduha@gmail.com or you can click here to book. Rooms are listed on their site at $200+ per night, but when booking last minute on booking.com I see a rate at just $78.

Each room here is different and designed differently. There is a pool and spa. It’s in a very quaint little village. If you rent a car and drive through Slovenia (which is the best way to get around) then you should totally set this hotel into your itinerary – even if just for the food! They serve food that is basically foraged, fresh from the forest! It’s amazing.

By the way, the beds here are the softest!

3. Kempinski Palace Portoroz

The Kempinski is a 5-star hotel, so you might wonder what makes that unique and I don’t blame you. But, all Kempinski hotels are set up in buildings that have historic meaning, like this one. It is a palace!

The restaurant here is called Sofia because Sofia Loren used to love to come here for late nights out. It’s so classy! You can either stay in the traditional side, or the “modern” side.

I stayed in the traditional side, which I recommend (I saw the modern side). The rooms are all very large here and most have balconies that overlook the sea.

The Kempinski is in Portoroz which is just the village next to Piran. You can walk to Piran if you want from Portoroz, that’s how small it is. Rooms are showing up now at around $180 for a night, which is about average for a Kempinski hotel. You can click here to book.

The breakfast here is INCREDIBLE! I have never seen such a huge 5-star breakfast so give yourself time to eat here in the morning. The whole place has a “palace” vibe, because it IS an old palace – plus it’s the perfect location.

4. Vander Urbani

I did not have a lot of time at Vander. It’s a member of Design Hotels and I think this was my favorite hotel other than the treehouse! I loved the simplistic style.

I love staying at Design Hotels, although they are often smaller and have smaller rooms. Instead of offering space, they offer more in the details.

Vander is in the heart of Ljubljana and has a perfect location. Rooms are online now for $190 per night. You can click here to book. There is a pool on the rooftop.

According to a friend we met in Ljubljana, the restaurant at Vander is one of the most famous in town and offers a lunch deal of a 3-course meal for just 12 euros. We walked by one afternoon when we came back to Ljubljana and saw it packed to the brim. It’s a very popular place!

5. Hotel Slon

Slon means elephant in Slovenian! Doesn’t this room look nice? Now would you be surprised if I told you it was a Best Western!? It is!

I actually requested the tourism board to put me in a Best Western when I could have requested anywhere because this hotel is really cool and partly because when I was researching it I couldn’t believe it was Best Western, as the ones I stayed at in the USA did not look like this.

The hotel is in the heart of the city making it a great location and it’s one of the most popular hotels in Ljubljana, along with Vander. But, if you found Vander too expensive then you might enjoy this hotel.

Rooms here are at $120 right now. You can click here to book. The location is Ljubljana city center.

It’s a 4-star hotel but it was so spacious, clean, and classy I would have thought it was 5-star. It’s really impressive and the rooms are cozy. I stayed here for two nights and was very comfortable! My room was massive.

A few more unique places to stay in Slovenia…

If I had more time in Ljubljana, I would look into Cubo Hotel and Hotel Nox. They are both top hotels in the city center.

• Hotel Cubo is in this massive historic building and is the priciest on this list at $260. It’s a 5-star hotel.
• Hotel Nox is a better deal at $130. It’s a boutique hotel with just 24 perfectly designed rooms.

For those of you going up to the mountain region: If you are a family or you are looking for something more long-term with a kitchen you can check out Alpske Sanje which is a whole house (and owner of the cute dog below). Other options would be apartments at Apartma Logarska.

So there we go! These are some unique places to stay in Slovenia, based on weeks of my research before I went! If you know more, tell me about them.

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Slovenia has both the Alps and the Adriatic sea but it’s small enough that you CAN see the best places to visit in Slovenia in just a one week holiday here in Slovenia. The best way to see all these places is to rent a car. To get in and out of Slovenia, look at not just Ljubljana airport but also Trieste, Italy. I use Kiwi.com to find the best rates for flight.

The 10 Best Places to Visit in Slovenia

1. Piran

Piran surprised me the most about Slovenia because, for me, I just didn’t picture the coast when I pictured Slovenia, but instead the Alpine region. Piran was like being in Croatia or Italy and had such an energetic vibe. It’s a very small town, and the coast of Slovenia is just 46 km long. I wrote about Piran in this article: Piran, Slovenia.

2. Ljubljana

Quaint little Ljubljana. You don’t want to come to Slovenia and not spend time here! For a European capital city, it is surprisingly small, clean, green, and easy to get around. You can check all the tourist activities off your list in one day and then spend a couple of days exploring aimlessly down the pretty lanes. I wrote an article about how to spend 3 days in Ljubljana and another about my favorite shops in Ljubljana.

3. Lake Bled

Of course, Lake Bled is on this list! That’s most people’s primary reason for wanting to visit Lake Bled and it was definitely mine. It is a very small and beautiful lake with a church on an island in the middle and a castle towering above it. I was bummed that the rain didn’t let me have that perfect view, but it was still absolutely beautiful and fairytale-like. You can read about it here and find out where the treehouse is I slept in: Lake Bled in the Rain.

4. Lipica

The Lipizzaner horses at Lipica Stud Farm are world-famous and beautiful. They have a gene which makes them turn from black to white at around age 4-5. They are the horses that “tip toe” around like they are dancing. I thought it was a fun and peaceful place to visit. For kids, it would be great because they have ponies, too. I wrote about my experiences here: Lipica Horse Stables.

5. Predjama Castle

I have wanted to see this castle since FOREVER. It’s built into the cliffside and has been around since the Medieval times. It was smaller than I thought it would be and you need just an hour to get through it all with an audio guide. It is just 15 minutes from the caves mentioned next, Postojna caves.

6. Postojna Caves

These caves are one of the top tourist attractions in the whole country. They were created by the Pivka River. You need just two hours maximum to go through this whole thing with an audio guide and have time for a coffee break. I wrote all about it in this article: Postojna Caves and Predjama Castle in Slovenia.

7. Logar Valley

I loved driving through here even though it was pretty rainy so I didn’t take any photos (hence the photo of the dog, when we stopped for lunch. I was afraid to get my camera wet). It’s in the Alpine region and is a glacial valley. There are so many cool places to stay here and a lot of adventures like mountain biking and horseback riding. You can read more about it here.

8. Soča Valley

A post shared by Madison Heller (@maddieheller14) on May 10, 2017 at 6:39am PDT

The emerald-green river of Soca Valley is probably the most beautiful on this list (if I had seen it I’d agree)…. but I didn’t go here due to rain. We wanted to white water raft here but had to cancel our plans because the river was flowing too fast. We were told the views would be too misty and the river would be a muddy mess – making the views not worth the drive. Apparently, the trout from here is the best in the world!

9. Triglav National Park

A post shared by Trails4Hiking (@diarionomade) on May 10, 2017 at 1:17am PDT

I didn’t make time to visit Triglav National Park in the Julian Alps (Slovenia’s only National Park). I mean, it looks stunning! But, like Soca Valley, the weather was too bad and it didn’t seem worth the drive for mud and mist. The lake is called Lake Bohinj. The park is named after Mt. Triglav which is the highest peak in Slovenia.

10. Vogel

A post shared by Tamara_photography (@tamaraphotography03) on Apr 24, 2017 at 4:23am PDT

Vogel is another area I didn’t go to because it’s a winter town. It’s way high up in the Alpine region and the main reason to visit is to go to Vogel Ski Resort. You can read about things to do in Vogel here.

There we have it, 10 of the best places to visit in Slovenia which you could fit into a week if you really had to – but two weeks is better. If you like it, pin it!

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If there’s one thing I hate, it’s not having enough time in a city. But, I know often, people come to a country and want to bounce around, so 3 days in Ljubljana seems like a good starting point, especially because you have a lot more to see in Slovenia!

I’m going to share the top tourist attractions and how you can see them at a really relaxed pace. If you wanted to you could actually see all the “tourist stuff” in just a day. It’s a very small city. 

3 days in Ljubljana: stuff you need to know!

I’m going to share transportation tips, the top tourist attractions, food you’ll want to try, some options on where to stay, and a section on shopping because there are a lot of cute shops here. 

Getting In & Out of Ljubljana

The flights here are not aplenty, and it’s a small airport so it’s likely your route here will be obnoxious. It took me 30 hours from India! You can look into flying into Trieste, Italy as well, which is right at their border and since it’s Europe you can cross with ease, even in a rental car. There are local buses that take you from the airport to the city center. 

The best way to travel Slovenia is a rental car, but I would wait until you are leaving Ljubljana to get the rental car. This is because you can walk everywhere in Ljubljana AND there are no cars allowed on the city center roads anymore. Lastly, parking is limited right now (they are set to build an underground parking lot soon). You’ll save money by renting a car the day you leave to see the rest of Slovenia.

Pictured above is one of the little green cars they have in the city center that take people around since no cars are allowed. When your bus/taxi drops you off at the city center, you can ask your hotel to arrange this. It’s free but only runs until 8 pm! 

Places to See in Ljubljana / Tourist Attractions in Ljubljana

Everywhere you look here, you’ll see beauty. You could actually walk around the whole day and accidentally see everything there is to see in the city center area. I forgot one thing I love about European cities like this: they have a tourist information center! You can go and get maps and advice for free. I’ve been in Asia too long!

Have a meal in the Ljubljana Castle in a tower

I didn’t do a tour at the castle and just enjoyed it’s beauty from below until I went for dinner one night. I was a little castle’d out, as you’ll see a lot of castles in Slovenia! This one has cute cafes and restaurants inside and it’s FREE to enter.

We ate at Strelec restaurant. FYI before you go, it’s pricey. You get the cool experience of eating in a tower and the people who serve the meal are dressed up, the dishes are all bronze. It’s pretty cool. The meal is WAY fancy. Although you’d think this would be cool for children, it seems more like a fine dining adult experience. 

my appetizer… I’d tell you what it is but no clue! Something like goose liver pate, something something

To get up to the castle, you can take a cable car. It’s 4 Euro there and back for one ticket. But, it only goes until 9 pm so we missed our ride down and had to walk. We took a shortcut through the forest in the dark – but weren’t scared because every Slovenian we met had told us how safe Slovenia was lol 

view from the cable car – worth it!

Tivoli City Park

I didn’t go to the park, but if you wanted to get a picnic and go it would be so nice. I drove past it and it did look beautiful. If you want to go here, it’s best to rent a bike which you can get at the tourist information center. 

Visit the Market

The market is every day except Sunday and they sell fruit/veg and local products. Of course, I was interested in the woven baskets. But, in Slovenia, you’ll see baskets, sheepskin, beeswax products (candle, soap, honey), pumpkin seed oil, and other items you might want to buy as souvenirs. There is also a part of the market inside which has meat, cheese, and nuts. Then the last part is a fish market which is also inside. 

Open Kitchen (food market) on Fridays

On Friday, there is a courtyard which is turned into a food market. Sadly, it rained the Friday I was there so I didn’t get to see this. Here, you can try all kinds of foods at once! Food markets are basically my dream come true. It’s only on from March-October when it’s warmer.

“The choice of food on offer is wide and varied. Each Friday, the market features around thirty different food providers, including modern restaurants, traditional gostilnas, tourist farms, and independent chefs wanting to promote their offerings. The cooking is done to the accompaniment of music and entertainment.” -Slovenian tourism website

Old Town: Triple Bridge / Lock Bridge “Butchers Bridge” / Dragon Bridge / Ljubljana Cathedral / Preseren Square: (Pink) Church of Annunciation

So, Old Town you can’t miss, it’s right in the middle just beneath the castle! Ljubljana has a lot of famous bridges. Trip Bridge was the invention of Jože Plečnik. The lock bridge is where you put a lover’s lock on it like many cities have. 

Pretty much all the must see things in Ljublana are right here in the “Old Town”. Just take some time to walk around and I highly recommend getting a map from information. You can see it all in an hour if you wanted. You can also take a walking tour to learn more about the history, which I did, and I won’t bore you with (although I found it interesting and LOVE walking tours in Europe). Plus, with a walking tour you can learn about why dragons are so important here and why they planted trees outside the main church (it’s a crazy reason!).

Walk along the Ljubljanica river

The river is usually emerald green, so I’m told. But, it was horrible and rainy most of my time in Slovenia so the river was churning up a lovely mud color. Still, beautiful. Along the river are these beautiful weeping willows just about a 10-minute walk down the riverside. 

You can do SUP (stand up paddleboarding) and rent little boats to go on the river, but the river can’t be moving as fast as it was in these pictures. 

Metelkova – the military barracks which are now a huge art scene!

You can ride a bike here as well, it’s on the outside of town. This is an old military barracks that after years of negotiating, they decided to not tear it down and instead let it be a place for creativity. Here, you’ll find young people doing graffiti and other kinds of art, partying, and just chilling out. Apparently, it’s a cool place to go on a Friday night (the biggest night to go out in Ljubljana). I was in Ljubljana on a Friday night but I’m an old fart so didn’t go. Check it out in this article from the Guardian. 

See the city from above

If you go to the Skyscraper (yes, that’s the name or you can translate it: Neboticnik) you can have a coffee and cake and take in the best view in the city. It’s the tallest building and stands out, so you can’t miss it. The views were amazing and it’s a great cup of Joe!

Architecture tours

If you’re interested in architecture there are two things that would interest you. One is that there is a lot of Art Nouveau here and many tours for that. Also, Jože Plečnik did a lot of the buildings and bridges around town is really famous and you can do tours of his work. You can also learn about the Baroque style that is here. There is a lot of mishmash architecture going on, which makes it unique!

Food in Ljubljana

I was there as a guest of the tourism board, so they set me up on a private tour – but there are food tours online everywhere. I love trying new food when I travel but was not down with the beef tongue they love here (ick!). The sausages, though? Damn good! I wanted to bring some back to India, but my journey was way too long to keep them fresh. 

The tastiest place to try sausages is above, Klobasarna. It makes such famous sausages that I kid you not, they have been to SPACE. An astronaut that went was Slovenian and apparently, each astronaut gets to take one food item, and she chose this sausage. NASA had to study it and make sure it was safe. 

At all times, people in Slovenia want to drink: wine, beer, local spirits… they are down. Craft beer is a big thing here. Slovenian wine is amazing and they have a huge variety of local wines. The varieties of homemade liquor though were not my favorite, but then liquor never is. They had a blueberry one I was offered often and a honey flavor. 

I don’t have a list of top restaurants as I didn’t really do my research on this one and kind of popped into places. But, one that I do want to make mention of is Druga Violina. It is a fantastic restaurant that employees people with special needs, through a program they run. The government is who they rent from, so they get a good deal on rent to keep the cost down. I love supporting places like this when I travel and bonus: the food was tasty! It’s local food so go for the special Slovenian potatoes (fried in yummy fat) and the dumplings. 

Shopping in Ljubljana

You know I have to find the cutest local shops, and I did! I wrote a whole post about this though, which you can read here: cute shops in Ljubljana. I also wrote in that article the types of souvenirs you might want to buy here. 

The shops are adorable, as are the cafe’s and really that is the biggest reason to stay longer. Doors like that above just look so inviting, and as you walk around Ljubljana you’ll notice that every little shop looks just like this! How frustratingly charming ;)

Where to stay in Ljubljana

I stayed at two hotels here. One when I arrived, before I went exploring the rest of the country, and then another when I came back and actually spent time exploring Ljubljana. I go into a lot more detail about these hotels with a reviews, prices, and images in my article: unique places to stay in Slovenia.

Vander – Design Hotel, Boutique, Trendy, Amazing restaurant, center of town

Hotel Slon – Affordable, 4-star, Huge rooms, center of town

Stuff you can do for FREE in Ljubljana

• Many museums offer free entry on the first Sunday of each month
• Free events are almost always happening. You can check a calendar of them here. 
• Exploring nature at the Castle Hill walk, Tivoli Park, Roman Wall, and the Botanic gardens.
• WiFi is free in the city
• Exploring the markets and fairs (if you don’t buy anything)

So, that’s about it for Ljubljana! There is a lot to do in 3 days here but as you can see, you could complete this pretty fast. You should definitely rent a bike and check out the park and military barracks on the outskirts of town.

In the evenings (and anytime the sun comes out) the city really comes alive with every cafe fill to the brim, people having wine on the riverbanks, and guys playing music for cash near the bridges. It’s a very energetic city, no boring vibes here!

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I loved the vibes in this small coastal town in Slovenia. I don’t have many tips to give but still wanted to tell you about this town because not only was it beautiful but Piran, Slovenia surprised me. I actually didn’t know there was a coast in Slovenia before I booked this trip. The coast is tiny (just 46 km long) but they sure do make the most of it. 

Piran, Slovenia

You can’t help but have your camera out at all times in Piran, at least I couldn’t. Everything was so photogenic. I was traveling with my friend, Helen, who is a photographer, and took loads as well. 

I go to Europe every year but usually just Austria and London. Then, there was Finland and Latvia, but overall I don’t get many Europe vibes. So, to be here brought me back in time to Italy and Croatia years ago. It really did look similar and they even have signs in Italian!

The food was delicious. Pasta with truffle, grilled sea bass, and tasty cakes! We never stopped eating. I didn’t see a lot of street food or pizza shops, though. It was mostly sit down restaurants and cafes. 

There was a promenade with all the shops and cafes. It was really windy on one side of the peninsula, then really calm on the other. On the windy side, there were many people out kitesurfing. 

jeans are abercrombie, see similar below

see bag here

see similar dress here

The pretty courtyard above and balcony below were from the Kempinski hotel where I stayed. Technically, it is in PortoRoz which is the village next to Piran. But, they are both such small “beach towns” you can just walk along the beach from one to the next. 

see dress here, shop similar styles below

sees shoes here

see jumpsuit here

The sunset over the sea was gorgeous. We saw a nice couple having drinks with their adorable dog. Helen was deadset on going over to say hello, so we did. I’m usually not that brave to go up to strangers! But, they were so nice and so was their dog, Dexter.

see jacket here

shoes are james smith, see similar here

I loved taking photos here and thought it was a cute town. I’m sorry I don’t have “tips” for you but really it’s so small, you don’t need them. Just wander around, look at how lovely the town is, and eat! 

I don’t know if there are many activities here. If you want a tour here, you can get in touch with Kristina at seca113@yahoo.com. She’s a guide, I met her, and she’s really nice!

Shop the Post:

HAVE YOU BEEN TO PIRAN? If so, leave some tips in the comments!

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I loved spending my only sunny day in Slovenia wandering the alleys and looking in some shops. I wanted to share my favorites and also just dot them out on a map for you. There are so many cute shops in Ljubljana that you can easily just walk around and find them yourself (it’s a small town) but so that you don’t miss the best ones, here they are!

Cute Shops in Ljubljana

Zebra Gra Na Luno

This is the cutest shop! The  items in here are handmade by students at a school for kids with hearing impairments and who are deaf. I bought the bear below but then I saw the sad looking bear I left behind and had to buy him too!

Krasevka homemade products

This shop just has everything you would need for souvenirs in terms of cooking. I listed out all the top souveniers to buy in Slovenia below (in bullet points) and all the food ones you can get in this shop.

Dratz Knitwork

This is a very niche shop that is just knitwear. It’s very beautiful and very pricey. 

You can see all the materials in the back. It’s got a personal cozy vibe. They actually take designs that are microscopic, like a cell, and then turn into into a graphic that they can knit. Designs like that are made with knitting machines. 

Zoofa

Zoofa is a curated shop that has a handful of the top brands in Slovenia in their stock. The designers all have a part in running Zoofa and work together. They are big brands (runway style) but you can get smaller items like shoes, jewelry, and accessories. 

Fox Boutique

On this road you find Fox Boutique you will find more like it. It’s a road full of boutiques like this, but Fox is the only one I remember the name of. They have trendy knickknacks, like a coffee cup that says “but first, coffee” = that sort of thing.

Skrina

Srina has locally designed products inside with a very cool vibe. I loved the pants I found below, but the price was too high, and a few hundred dollars. I did overall find shopping to be expensive in Slovenia except for souvenirs. I think I went to more expensive shops though so there might be more I didn’t see. 

Souvenirs to buy in Slovenia

I wanted to list out a few souvenirs that I saw over and over in Slovenia so that you have an idea what you might want to buy and take home for friends and family. 

• Pumpkin seed oil- had this at nearly every meal to dip my bread
• Felt – they make everything out of it and locals wear felt slippers at home
• Slovenian Wine – very tasty, had a glass every day!
• Salt from Piran – you’ll see it in every shop
• Dark Chocolate with Piran Salt – buy some to take home
• Karst region honey and all beeswax-related products
• Kranjska sausage – some types you can take in luggage and others you cannot
• Adorable knickknacks are everything – especially ones with cute trendy sayings
• Juniper oil from Karst region – helps with period pains and loads of other things
• Baskets – in the market in Ljubljana
• Sheepskins – seems odd, but you’ll notice them as decor in most homes and many hotels

I hope you’ll enjoy these cute shops in Ljubljana and have fun shopping in Slovenia!

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Ugh…. showing up at Lake Bled and not being able to see through the fog was not what I was hoping would happen! I’m going to share some tips for visiting Lake Bled in the rain.

Lake Bled is this little lake with a church on an island in the middle and a castle behind it. It is probably on your Pinterest board! It was a dream place for me to visit and the number one reason I went to Slovenia. But, except for one day during my week in Slovenia, it rained. You can’t control the weather!

So, obviously worse things can happen and a little rain isn’t a big deal, but it does mean you won’t be able to see that million dollar view you might have flown here specifically to see. I want to share what it was like being in Lake Bled in the rain, and some tips to make the most of it.

Tips for Visting Lake Bled in the Rain & Things You’ll want to know!

1. You won’t be able to go to the church if it’s a torrential downpour

In the heavy rain, the small boats that take people to the church were not running, but I think this was mostly due to the fact no one was crazy enough to get in the boats in the rain! Brr. The church is only accessible through boats like this. BUT if it’s just raining a little bit, the boats are running. We saw people go out when it was raining fairly steady but light.

2. SUP seems off the table

Standup paddle boarding here was my dream, but in the rain, there was no one offering the service while we were there. I imagine if you book ahead, you’ll have to see the policy on playing in the rain.

3. The castle is difficult to explore in the rain but there’s a reason to still go

The castle that is perched on top of the hill, overlooking the lake, village, and church is one that you can explore the outside of mostly. You can go inside, but it’s not a huge castle tour like Predjama castle in Slovenia.

But, when it rained as hard as it did while we were there, it was really too difficult to explore in even with an umbrella and even harder to take photos.

see jacket here, see purse here

see jumpsuit here, see long sweater here

But, while it was difficult to get around, the cafe at the castle was very warm and cozy. It’s a great place to have coffee and offers that classic lake view we all want to see!

4. The best photos will be from above

So, the lake shot you might want for Instagram: it’s going to be a little sub-par. In fact, I didn’t even get one good enough to post on my Instagram channel. The fog and the blurriness of the rain made it difficult for me plus I was afraid to get my camera wet.

tips for visiting Lake Bled in the rain

The photos from on the ground of the lake with the castle behind turned out okay, but the ones from above at the castle, looking down on the lake look better. You can see the fog clearly so it looks like a misty fairytale instead of just a rainy blurry day.

5. Cars drive fast and splash, take a taxi OR….

…hitchhike! Yes, Helen and I hitchhiked because we were tired of cars splashing us.  I think we drive pretty slow in Goa so Europe’s speeds of 100+km/hour seemed really fast to me. People drove through the little town of Lake Bled so quickly and all us tourists were getting splashed. It’s a tiny village and the walkway is right next to the road, like usual.

So, after we walked in the rain to town to get some wine, we were like no way we are walking back again in this! Helen’s boots were soaked through and her toes were freezing. So, we put out our thumbs and the third car graciously stopped.

Slovenians are really nice, so I feel like hitchhiking here has basically no risk ;)

6. Stay somewhere you can hear the rain while you sleep, it’s heaven!

We stayed in a treehouse! It is called Garden Village Bled and it was an incredible place. Actually, I stayed in so many cool places, I’m going to write an article which is a round up of all the unique properties I found in Slovenia. In that article, I will go into more detail about Garden Village.

In case you are wondering what is in my hand, it’s a tootsie roll. My mom sent it to me in India and I brought it to Slovenia. I always pack snacks!

7. Dress for the rain, duh!

You know I didn’t, though, because when am I ever weather appropriate? I saw it would be 68 Fahrenheit (20 c) and thought hmm, that’s not cold, is it? I can wear a dress with a leather jacket. I figured the sun would be out and the temperature would feel hotter than it said, after all, it was the end of April.

see jacket here

But, the rain brought the temperature down and my outfits were just not cut out for it. But, if you are traveling long-term chances are yours won’t be either. You will definitely need an umbrella and can buy them in the shops in town.

8. Be ready for when the sun does come out. Don’t be a homebody. It is still beautiful!

Throughout the day there is bound to be a time when the rain slows and clouds move. Don’t just sit in your hotel! Go to town, chill at a cafe, go to some shops, and be out and about. If the rain does stop, it’s a very small town so you can head straight to the castle at that time or hop in a boat to the church.

see sneakers here

PS: the church does not have service on Sundays.

Overall, just don’t let the rain ruin the whole town. Yes, it’s a bummer and I was disappointed to not see that epic view, but it was still absolutely stunning. You can walk up close to the lake and see how clear the water is and imagine what it must look like on a sunny day.

So, these are my few tips for visiting Lake Bled in the rain. It’s not the worst thing to happen. Although it’s a small town, there are shops and cafes dotted around that you can hang out it. If you don’t want to risk it, come in July or August! If you want to know more tips for Lake Bled, check that link from a blogger who was there in the sunshine!

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I know pretty much nothing about horses, so it’s pretty surprising even to myself that I’m writing about the Lipica horse stables on my blog! I wasn’t planning on going here while in Slovenia, as it’s not of my top interests, but when my plans to go to Soca Valley fell through due to weather, this was en route to my next destination in Slovenia, Lake Bled. 

Why the Lipizzaner Horses are so Important & what to expect at Lipica horse stables

The horses at Lipica are basically world famous. They have a special gene in them which makes them turn white as they age, at around 4 or 5 years old. It’s kind of like how humans hair turns grey/white. Not all will change to white, so you’ll have that “black sheep” but most do. 

These horses have been famous and coveted since the 16th century.

the jumpsuit is from TIA, see similar below

top from TIA, see similar top here

These horses are the ones that “dance”. They walk like they are on their tip toes. I did ask if they are trained nicely, and they said yes, it’s positive reinforcement.

These purebred Lipizzaner horses are worth MILLIONS. They are used in the Olympics! It’s all pretty crazy and I’m sure that horse-lovers would be totally obsessed with this place! 

For me, I just loved seeing them in the fields with the dandelions. They are such gorgeous animals. I do not think they allow guests to ride them (at least not the studs). The girl horses have the LIFE; they just eat all day outside. The studs have to practice their dancing and such since the are the ones used for training and competitions. 

Little tidbit: in case you were wondering like me how they get these horses around the world for the Olympics…. they fly them in a private jet.

Another little tidbit: the Queen symbolically owns a horse here which was gifted to her by the horse farm. The horse farm is in Slovenia, but in Vienna, they are obsessed with these horses also and sometimes the Austrians will claim this horse breed is theirs, which I imagine is a touchy subject with a Slovenian!

Tips on Visiting

There’s not big “wow” about the place, but it’s just beautiful overall and a great place to spend an afternoon. I will be honest, it’s not the top thing to do in Slovenia, which has so much to offer, so prioritize and add this to your itinerary if you have more than a week here. 

Also, if you have kids this is a cool place to go since they have ponies! For more information and ticket prices, check out their website.

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There’s a pretty good chance you’ve seen images of this castle at some time in your life. The famous Predjama Castle is the fairytale castle in Slovenia people fly all the way here to see – well, one of them. Slovenia actually has a few castles that you’d recognize! In this article, I’m also going to talk about the Postojna Caves which are just 15 minutes away and together, this cave and castle are the top two tourist attractions in Slovenia.

Tips on Visiting Fairytale Predjama Castle

Predjama Castle is the largest cave castle in the world and is more than 800 years old. It’s built directly into the cliffside, and there are caves inside. These caves are the second biggest cave system in Slovenia (with Postojna Cave being the largest).

We actually went through here really fast, because to be honest I’ve been to a lot of castles so don’t always want to listen to every number on the headphone set about how their lives were back then.

But, I think if you do listen to everything, it would take a full hour to get through.

The castle has been in movies! It was in Armour of God with Jackie Chan, and he actually had a serious injury here; he does his own stunts.

The castle was run by Erazem of Predjama, who was kind of like Robin Hood. When it was under siege, they used the cave system to get food inside and get people out safely for over a year! Eventually, one of his own men betrayed him, and he was killed.

In May and September, you can go into the caves behind/under the castle. The castle itself has each room set up how it would have looked in Medieval times. The audioguide explains everything as you walk through. There is a small cafe outside and a really nice view from the top of the castle into the town below.

Predjama Castle Price: 11.90 euro

Predjame Castle, 6230 Predjama, Slovenia, +386 5 700 01 00

Get all other information and ticket prices on their website.

What to Expect at Postojna Caves, the famous caves of Slovenia

You can go between the castle and these caves with a free shuttle bus in July and August (the peak tourist season), or if you have a rental car it’s just 15 minutes away.

While I’m not crazy about caves, I do recommend visiting here while you are in Slovenia. Once you start researching you’ll see that the Predjama Castle and these Postojna Caves are the top tourist attractions, along with Lake Bled- and it’s for good reason.

These caves are the biggest cave system in Slovenia and go on for AGES. You actually have to take a train into them for like 10 minutes until you get out and walk. You will walk in a big group (kind of annoying since the walkways are small so you just have to stop every time someone takes a photo) and it takes about an hour to get through the caves to the other side.

It is colder inside the caves, so bundle up! You can have an audioguide or an actual human guide but I didn’t take either, so I know basically nothing about these caves ha! Sometimes it’s fun to just explore something without learning all the small details about it.

“Postojna Cave and its exciting interior will take you on a fantastic journey beneath the surface of the Earth. Thus, it is no wonder that it has, during the 200 years since it was opened to the public, hosted over 37 million visitors from all over the world.” –Postojna website

Tours are every single hour and they last for one hour to one hour and a half. The cave is open all year long. You do need to be able to walk on the slippery ground and be confident on your feet to go here. Water drips from the ceiling a bit. Tickets are 23.90 Euro.

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Welcome to Backpacker’s Boutique. Every Sunday, this spot will feature a new travel blogger. Some weeks it will be a really fun interview about packing, fashion, and fitness so you can snoop inside their bags & lives a little bit and other weeks it’ll be a detailed luxury guide to a city the featured blogger/expat knows very well. E-mail me if you’d like to be featured.

A Luxury Guide to Lake Bled

Tell us a little about  yourself and tell us why you’re an expert on luxury travel in Lake Bled.

 

Hi everybody, my name is Pam and I’m the blonde mind behind the blog “a Blonde around the World“. I was born and raised in Italy’s northeastermost corner, in the austro-hungaric city of Trieste, minutes away from the Slovenian border. Living here allows me to explore a lot of both Italy and Slovenia, as well as Croatia, Austria, and other Eastern European areas.

 

 

What makes Lake Bled a perfect destination for travelers seeking a glamorous trip?

 

Lake Bled is known worldwide for its stunning beauty, but maybe not everybody knows that Slovenia is a leader in the wellness and thermal Spas field, as well as in hospitality, making of Lake Bled a mecca for people seeking for a 5 stars getaway.

 

 

What 5 star hotel is the best in Lake Bled?

 

My favorite hotel in Lake Bled is the Hotel Golf, which is actually a 4 star. The Hotel is absolutely gorgeous and has great service, but its greater feature is that it’s connected to the best Wellness in town, the Wellness Ziva, allowing you to access it directly from your room wearing nothing more than your robe! More on the Wellness coming .. :) Click here for rates and availability. 

 

Are there any fun activities for the adventurous traveler?

 

Lake Bled is full of activities to do in every season, one of the most romantic ones would be renting a rowing boat and row your princess around the lake as you were inside a fairytale! Renting a rowing boat is easy, and fun!

 

 

If you have a big date night, what are the most delicious restaurants in Lake Bled and what are their best dishes?

 

If you have a big date you should take her to dinner at the Bled’s castle. In it, there’s a very fancy Restaurant overlooking the lake. The view is absolutely amazing and they often perform live music and have much space for dancing. Again, she will fell exactly as a princess, so you should take her here if you’d like to ask some important question …. ;)

 

Let’s talk desserts- what place makes the best?

 

Once in Bled you have to taste the Bled’s typical cake. It’s a very big block of cream and pastry, and it’s really really good. The best ones can be found at Slascicarna Smon, inside Bled’s village.

 

 

Time for a great sunset view… where would you go?

 

You would expect that the best sunset view would be on top of a hill overlooking the Lake and the mountains right?

Well, probably it is so, but my favorite spot to enjoy the sunset is from the Wellness Ziva, which is one of my absolute favorite places i the entire world. The Wellness Ziva is part of the Hotel Golf, and while offering a wide range of pools and wellness services, its best feature according to me it’s the outdoors jacuzzi overlooking the Lake, the Castle and the Alps. Sunset from there is something magical, especially during winter, when outside it’s so cold, and you’re enjoying this magnificent view from inside a steaming bubbling jacuzzi!

 

[Book a room | Book a flight]

 

 

Pam is an unusual italian chick with a passion for photography, sunsets and green tea ice cream.She likes to travel the world never renouncing to style and glamour, but always having in mind sustainability and respect for nature and other cultures. In her blog “a Blonde around the World” she likes to share with you her favorite hotels, activities, restaurants and experiences, as well as a lot of pictures and travel memories! Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Google plus, and Twitter.

 

 

 

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