Every year in early spring, Slovenia’s meadows and mountains explode with thousands of purple crocuses, covering the land with a fairy tale veil of blooms and petals.

The best place to see this explosion is Martinj Vrh, a small mountain village in the Municipality of Ziri in northwestern Slovenia. The flowers usually start to blossom at the end of March, but hands down the safest time to visit is early April, when the entire area is in full bloom.

But hurry – the crocuses will start to die after just two to three weeks, giving you only a short window to admire them.

The first signs of spring have sprung in Martinj Vrh with a glorious carpet of purple crocuses in bloom. (photo: Bojan Kolman)

A breath-taking carpet of vibrant purple appears in Martinj Vrh every year between the end of March and early April. (photo: Bojan Kolman)

The colourful spring is in full swing in Goriska Brda, a very picturesque hilly region in western Slovenia, nestled between the Alps and the Mediterranean.

Often described as “The Tuscany of Slovenia”, Goriska Brda is best known for its award-winning wines, seasonal fruits (cherries, peaches, apricots, pears, etc.), cheeses and excellent extra virgin olive oil.

Goriska Brda is beautiful any time of the year, but in spring when the cherry trees are blossoming in the region looks absolutely fantastic.

View of the idyllic medieval village of Smartno at the heart of the Goriska Brda region in the spring when the cherry trees are in blossom. (photo: Jerneja Fidler Pompe, exploringslovenia.com)

In addition to its grapes and wine, Goriska Brda is well known for its fruit, cheeses and olive oil, and especially its cherries and cherry trees that usually blossom between the end of March and early April. (photo: Jerneja Fidler Pompe, exploringslovenia.com)

Cherry trees in Goriska Brda usually blossom for around 10 to 14 days between the end of March and early April. (photo: Jerneja Fidler Pompe, exploringslovenia.com)

Goriska Brda is the smallest wine-growing region in Slovenia, but don’t let that fool you, what it lacks in size it offers in quality. (photo: Jerneja Fidler Pompe, exploringslovenia.com)

Known for its rare flora and fauna, the Ljubljana Marshes is a wonderful spot to see the delightful snake’s head fritillaries (Fritillaria meleagris) in early spring.

Snake’s head fritillaries (Fritillaria meleagris), also known as chess flower, frog-cup, guinea flower, leper lily, Lazarus bell, chequered lily, chequered daffodil, or drooping tulip, are easily identifiable in spring by their bell shaped, drooping flowers and chequered patterns, often in purple, pink and occasionally white.

Early spring is the perfect time to spot the delightful snake’s head fritillaries at Ljubljana Marshes. (photo: Jerneja Fidler Pompe, exploringslovenia.com)

Snake’s head fritillaries are easily identifiable by their bell shaped, drooping flowers and chequered patterns, often in purple and pink. (photo: Jerneja Fidler Pompe, exploringslovenia.com)

The delightful snake’s head fritillaries are the stars of the show this spring in the Ljubljana Marshes. (photo: Jerneja Fidler Pompe, exploringslovenia.com)

On the southern rim of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, at an elevation between 1,500 and 1,666 metres, about 30 kilometers north of Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana, lies a unique Alpine settlement of 63 traditional herdsmen’s huts called Velika Planina.

Velika Planina is particularly stunning in the spring. As the snow begins to melt, usually in the beginning of April, the area is covered in beautiful purple flowers. The flowers are spring crocuses (Crocus Vernus), native to the Alps, Pyrenees, and Balkans, and they start to appear in spring as the snow melts, thus making this scene an annual delight to photographers and those who seek a relaxing day out in unspoiled nature.

The snow is melting and spring has finally arrived to Velika Planina. (photo: Azra Pisek)

The delightful spring crocuses (Crocus Vernus) on Velika Planina. (photo: Azra Pisek)

Each year the purple crocuses start to appear in spring when the snow melts. (photo: Azra Pisek)

The beautiful purple crocus flowers across the slopes of Velika Planina. (photo: Azra Pisek)

Every spring, thousands of crocuses bloom on the meadows of Velika Planina. (photo: Azra Pisek)

The colourful and beautiful spring has arrived in Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana a few days earlier this year than the long-term average.

Spring is an awesome season in Ljubljana: we watch the trees bud, days are longer and brighter as the sun is generous, nurturing flora and fauna. (photo: Jasmina Pirnar, Yaska.si)

In Ljubljana, spring is well under way and trees are bursting open their buds and unfurling their leaves. (photo: Jasmina Pirnar, Yaska.si)

Soca Valley is one of the most gorgeous travel destinations in Slovenia. The region is particularly famous for its emerald Soca river, which makes its way through spectacular landscapes, green valleys and narrow gorges.

The valley is best known for its watersports – there’s plenty of rafting, kayaking and canyoning, along with a plethora of other activities that can be done in the towns along the river.

In the month of March, the Soca Valley is in the time between winter and spring, when there aren’t a lot of visitors and one can enjoy the beautiful weather and surroundings in all tranquillity.

Soca Valley in the time in the time between winter and spring, when we wait to watch nature burst to life again. (photo: Darjo Volaric)

Soca Valley is an area where you can admire many remarkable gorges. (photo: Darjo Volaric)

With its crystal clear, emerald green water, the Soca river is considered one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe. (photo: Darjo Volaric)

In the the time between winter and spring you can enjoy places like this all to yourself. (photo: Darjo Volaric)

Lake Bled is possibly the most photographed spot in Slovenia and one of its most beautiful with the medieval Bled Castle sitting high on a rocky outcrop overlooking a tiny, tear-shaped island that is home to a picture-perfect church.

Even though Lake Bled is very picturesque during any season of the year, each of them brings its own beauty. This is how Lake Bled looks in the time between winter and spring, when we wait to watch nature burst to life again.

It’s amazing how peaceful and calm Lake Bled looks in the time between winter and spring. (photo: Domen Ramus, Reset Apartments)

Bled Island with its picture-perfect church in the time between winter and spring. (photo: Helena Straziscar)

The nature is still sleeping in this beautiful valley in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, but spring is in the air and soon everything will be gloriously green and oh-so-beautiful.

The Logarska Valley is a U-shape valley embraced by the Kamnik-Savinja Alps in northern Slovenia, and is very close to the Slovenian-Austrian border. (photo: Amadeja Knez)

Jezersko with its untamed nature, old farms, green pastures, and a very picturesque Lake Plansar is the place to be during these last days of winter when the nature is still sleeping, but spring is knocking at the door.

Jezersko with its picturesque Plansar Lake is a very scenic valley in the Kamnik–Savinja Alps, south of the Seeberg Saddle mountain pass and the border with Austria. (photo: Jure Zupancic)

The mid March is technically still winter on the Slovenian coast, but spring is on the horizon! And spring is the perfect time to explore Izola with cool morning breezes and warm sunny afternoons. You will no doubt return home with a decent tan, however without the scorching heat that dominates the summer months of June, July and August.

Izola is often overlooked coastal town in southwestern Slovenia with beautiful old architecture and green Mediterranean vegetation that’s still sleeping in mid-March. (photo: Jernej Zupanc)

A view of the coastal town of Izola from the sea in mid-March. (photo: Jernej Zupanc)