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As with our
accommodation, the areas we recommend are chosen only
because we know them well. The following regions are therefore
highlighted not because they are the best, but because
we can recommend them from our own experience.
When we first wrote this page, we said that we would be investigating the rest of Slovenia eventually. Well, eventually has come and gone, and so have we. We are now confident that this is now the definitive guide to the best of Slovenia. Apart from the bits we missed, of course.
But we'll be back. |
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| The Capital |
  We believe that many guidebooks
damn Ljubljana with faint praise - especially when they
say something like, "If you want the bright lights,
Ljubljana isn't for you." First of all Ljubljana's
lights are as bright as any city's. It's also drop-dead
gorgeous, has many fine restaurants and bars (many of
which are open air in the summer), there are two lovely
rivers to walk beside, the best concert venue we've ever
been to, it's big enough to be engrossing and small enough
to walk in.
That's praise and it isn't faint. A magical city by anyone's
reckoning, Ljubljana will captivate you with its charms.
The accommodation we have chosen should suit anyone's
budget (from €30 to €5,000) and anyone's taste
(ultra-modern through quaint to traditional). As Ljubljana
is a perfectly-sized city, all hotels and pensions are
perfectly placed, so transport should not be an issue
in most cases. However, to sample more than Ljubljana
itself, we would strongly recommend that you hire a car
for at least part of your stay. That way you'll get to
see wonderful places like the Postojna caves, dine at
Zemono or even visit the Vipava valley for the day.
Click for accommodation in Ljubljana |
| The North West |
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  Every time I am asked about Lake Bled, I find myself sounding a tad jaded.
"Yeah, 's OK, if you like that kind of thing... pretty church on the pretty island in the pretty lake... yada yada... pretty castle overlooking it all... lovely micro climate... yummy restaurants... I guess... "
Well, don't listen to me... oh, OK, go on then... Lake Bled is bloody gorgeous, in a fairy-tale kind of way. The last time I was there in 2007, I just sat on the castle wall and gawped for as long as they let me. Plenty to do, too: visit the fabulous Vintgar Gorge, splash/row/lay in the lake (but watch out for Rodman), hiking, biking, lolling, golf, tennis and flying are all available. Ljubljana is only 45 minutes away, and about twenty minutes in the opposite direction is...
Click for accommodation in Lake Bled
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  We, probably like most people, saw Lake Bohinj (pron. Bohin) after Bled. Yes, Bled is very pretty, what with its church on the island, dinky little town, children splashing by the lakeside... but when you see Bohinj, you wonder why anyone stopped at Bled. One reason might be that Lake Bohinj is simply too stupendous. There is a real sense of timeless power about the place - a feeling of a link with a past that didn't have tourists (or us) in it. Nearby is the source of the Sava river (Slap Savica): a waterfall that rewards the twenty minute walk up-hill with one of Slovenia's great views. Also, take the cable car up to Vogel and get a view of the view, as 'twere.
Click for accommodation in Lake Bohinj |
  As far as we are concerned,
the most beautiful valley in Europe. Dominated by one
of the world's most stunning - and officially one of
Europe's four cleanest rivers: the Soča (pron. Sotcha). You'll never forget the Soča, as its incredible
turquoise colour will flow right into your memory and
stay there. From its source it flows about 100km down
to the Adriatic, through beautiful and almost clichéd
mountain scenery, splashing its rich hue through old
forests, vertiginous limestone mountains and Sound of
Music meadows rich in alpine flora. From south to north
the habitation in the Soča valley slowly transforms
itself from Italian/Adriatic (red-roofed houses with
pale limewash walls), to Alpine (pine/stone construction
with snow-ready roofs). Boutique hotels, chalet hotels,
hotel hotels and pensions are all available and all
but one of them welcomes children (but that one is very
special indeed). Whether you are looking for action
and adventure, romance and tranquility or a family break,
there will be a place for you in the Soča valley.
Click here for accommodation in the Soča Valley |
  From the rolling hills of Dolenjska, to the distinctly bumpy bits of Kranjska Gora, this is the properly mountainous region of Slovenia. Home of the country's national emblem, Mount Triglav (pron. Triglow), which soars imperiously above the Triglav National Park. The area is rich in thousands of plant and animal species, while the human inhabitants are jolly friendly. If you like mountains and snow, this is the place for you (it is also the place for World skiing championships and the world's longest ski jump, at Planica). If you like mountains but don't like snow, it's also fantastic in the summer.
We are deeply concerned with the development of the town as a 'casino park'. All but one of the hotels is owned by one company, whose sole aim appears to be to "herd 'em up, roll 'em out". Luckily (for us and you), Podkoren is literally a five minute drive away, has access to the same slopes and has the marvelous Vitranc hotel and Belopeški Dvori.
Click for accommodation in Kranska Gora & Podkoren |
| The South West |
  Consider this: in the 2007 Decanter World Wine Awards, Slovenia won more than fifty medals; indeed, they swept the board for Central and Eastern Europe. Now consider that much of that award-winning vino was grown and made in Goriška Brda, and you'll start to understand why you should stay. But only start, as you will only really start to understand what a vinous wonderland this is once you get here. Almost everyone making wine in this part of the world could be called an artisan - in fact, if you check the more famous wines from just over the Italian border, you will find that many of the names are actually Slovenian. As a holiday destination, it's gorgeous: the clean, oxygen-rich air from the north, gently warmed by the salty Adriatic to the south has made this a lush, easy-going kind of landscape.
Click for accommodation in Goriška Brda |
  The secret within the secret, Idrija is tucked into a fold almost in the middle of the country. Although only an hour along gently zigging and mildly zagging roads from Ljubljana, Idrija feels as if it is completely remote from all the hustle and bustle of modern life. Here you will find some of the most beautiful lace in the world, plenty of which is on display at the fabulous Kenda Manor (the hotel we always choose to spend our last night in, when we're on a long trip).
Lots of activities are to be acted upon: bathing and river sports in the Idrijca, deer hunting, hiking, fishing and tennis are all locally available. Also (and especially) we can arrange a wine tasting for you at one or two of Slovenia's best wineries nearby in the Vipava valley.
Click for accommodation in Idrija |
  A region that kind of hovers between Ljubljana, the coast, Idrija and Brda, Kras (or the karst) is yet another of Slovenia's distinctive landscapes. The underlying limestone provides a very specific soil for growing vines... or pigs, as the region's pršut is the best. The geography's geology also makes for amazing cave networks: the Škocjan caves being some of the most impressive... in the world. Like many European countries, Kras is endowed with its very own wind - the Burja: a seriously annoying phenomenon during the winter and early spring.
Happily, not when you'll be there.
Click for accommodation in Kras |
| The South east |
  Bordering Croatia in the south
east of the country is Dolenjska (pron.
Dolenska) - through which the Krka river flows. The landscape
is comprised of the a number of tributaries, some deeep
forestation and the beautiful Gorjanci mountain range.
There are also many castles, including Žužemberk, Ribnica,
Brežice and Mokrice... and of course, Otočec - the only
river island castle in Slovenia. The area is scattered with thermal springs, so itćs home
to many spas and wellness centres. And to wash all that down, there are a number of vineyards and very good wineries, the best of which are made in Bizeljsko, north of Čatež.
Click for accommodation in Dolenjska |
| The North east |
  Prekmurje (pron. Prekmooria) and Prlekija (pron. Prlekiya) make up the region - called Pomurje - that straddles the Mura river that cuts through the north east corner of the country. It is a part of the Pannonian Plain and borders Austria to the north, Hungary to the north east and Croatia to the east. Comparatively under-developed by Slovenes, it has become colonised by Brits looking for affordable second homes. It is one of Slovenia's wine-growing regions - sadly defined throughout the 70s by the deadly, excerable Ljutomer Rizling that almost swamped our sceptr'd isle... and put a whole generation off wine for good.
Happily, that has since changed and there are now many excellent artisan wine makers in the region - notably, Čurin, Hlebec, Kogl, Miro and Puklavec. It is also the origin of one of the world's great cakes: Gibanica. Being flatter than most of the rest of the country, it is great for walking and biking. Much of the food is influenced by the neighbouring Hungarians.
There are a number of spas, all of which are naff (especially the new bits built with EU money, the Levada and the Primus) - better go to the lovely Štajerska and indulge yourself in the fab Sotelia.
Click for accommodation in the north east |
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