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
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
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
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!
Hi! What time of the year did you go at? We are considering late October but just worried about the rains.