Though it remains far less well known or understood by foreigners than some other European countries, since inclusion in the Eurozone, Slovenia has gained a higher profile as a travel destination. A visit to Slovenia provides the opportunity to discover the fascinating capital Ljubljana, explore charming coastal towns, view beautiful alpine and vine-growing villages and relax in thermal spa and health resorts.
Natural beauty, history, and culture perhaps best describe the essence of vacationing in Slovenia. If you have some extra time, consider walking, hiking or bicycling in rural areas to experience the richness of this idyllic country. We also recommend that you sample the local cuisine and try Slovenian wines and beers.
Find out which are the best destinations to travel to in Slovenia!
Slovenia's capital Ljubljana has all the right ingredients for the perfect city break. It's one of the youngest and most liveable capitals in the European Union. It’s a city with a medieval heart, a city of the Baroque and Art Nouveau, with numerous picturesque bridges across the Ljubljanica river and the vast green Tivoli park, which stretches into the very city centre. |
With an incredibly beautiful glacial lake surrounded by the peaks of the Slovenian Alps, an iconic church nestled in a tiny island in the middle of the lake and a medieval Gothic castle built on a 100-meter cliff overlooking the lake, Bled is possibly the most beautiful and remarkable Alpine resort in Europe. |
The charming coastal town of Piran is a medieval jewel on the Adriatic coast, situated at the cape of the Piran peninsula on the northern side of Istria, with Italy on the horizon. Since being part of the Republic of Venice, Piran has a rich cultural heritage and the close Venetian influence is immediately apparent in its architecture with the narrow winding streets, houses huddled close together, rising in cascades, beautiful squares and churches and breathtaking sea views. |
First, you have to know that Bohinj is an area – not a town. It is a 20 kilometre long and 5 kilometre wide basin in the Julian Alps in northwestern part of Slovenia. The area is very popular due to its beautiful unspoiled nature with one of the most imposing parts of the valley being Lake Bohinj, the largest of the Slovenian lakes. There are several small villages and hamlets in Bohinj with the largest one being Bohinjska Bistrica. The villages that lie in the immediate vicinity of the lake are Ribcev Laz, Ukanc and Stara Fuzina. |
Portoroz (Italian: Portorose, literally ‘Port of Roses’) is the most important tourist centre on the Slovenian coast with beneficial Mediterranean climate that invigorates you and makes you want to come back for more. Portoroz, together with its surroundings, has always been associated with health and spa treatments. The beneficial effects of sea water and salt on human health were known here as early as the 13th century. |
Set on the Drava river, Ptuj is a charming old town with beautiful historic buildings (which are all protected as monuments), many interesting churches and monasteries, lovely squares, a medieval castle built in the mid-12th century, Slovenia’s oldest wine cellar, a lovely thermal spa, lots of storks nesting on its red-tile roofs and one of the most impressive carnivals in Europe called Kurentovanje, which draws tens of thousands of visitors each year! |
Kranjska Gora is a beautiful alpine village and the most famous Slovenian ski resort situated on the northern tip of the Triglav National Park in the Slovenian Alps, just a mere 5 minutes by car from both the Italian and Austrian borders. The resort isn’t the largest ski area in Slovenia but it’s the oldest one and one of the prettiest. It’s perfect for families with younger children and also for beginner and intermediate level skiers, with pistes easily accessible directly from the center of Kranjska Gora. |
Maribor is a beautiful city filled with lots of friendly people and wonderful sights and monuments. It is Slovenia’s second largest city and the economic, educational, cultural and sports centre of the north-eastern part of the country. At the same time Maribor is an ideal base for tourists from which to discover what eastern Slovenia has to offer. |
Idrija is a lovely small town with a population of just under 6,000 in western Slovenia that lies at the base of a valley, amid green hills and is crossed by the Idrijca river. It has a typical central-European architecture and you can see a strong influence of the Austro-Hungarian empire, especially in the town's main buildings. Today, Idrija is best known for three things: a mercury mine (the reason for Idrija's spot on UNESCO's World Heritage list), intricate locally made lace and zlikrofi (a traditional Slovenian dish from Idrija). |
Slovenia’s coastline lays on the beuatiful Adriatic Sea, but despite its short length of a little more than 45 kilometres, it’s very attractive and every one of the towns along it has a distinctive and different character and layout. And Izola is no exception. It’s a romantic little Venetian port town with beautiful old architecture and breathtaking nature. |
Novo Mesto is the capital of the Lower Carniola (Slovene: Dolenjska) region of Slovenia and the economic, educational, cultural business and sports centre of the south-eastern part of the country. The town is perched snugly on a very sharp and extremely scenic bend of the Krka River. With a population of about 23,000, it’s the seventh largest city in Slovenia. |
Koper or Capodistria as it is called in Italian shows two faces to the world: one is a modern, loud and busy industrial part of the city with the only commercial port in Slovenia. The other is the charming small Old Town with the lovely square of Titov Trg and late medieval and early Renaissance buildings, such as the Praetorian Palace, the Loggia Palace and the Cathedral of the Assumption built in Venetian styles. |
Skofja Loka is one of the oldest and prettiest towns in Slovenia with a history that goes back to the 10th century. It has about 12,000 inhabitants. The town lies at the confluence of the Poljanska Sora and Selska Sora rivers in northwestern Slovenia and oozes charm thanks to its lovely medieval core with the hill-topping castle, historic buildings, decorated churches, beautiful bridges and interesting museums. |
Postojna is a modern town in southwestern Slovenia, where most people come to visit its remarkable cave. The town was first mentioned in historic documents in 1226. Today it has about 9,200 inhabitants and is the economic, administrative, educational and cultural centre of the Notranjska region of Slovenia. Thanks to Postojna's transformation into a tourist town, there are now four hotels and many other guesthouses and private accommodation options for every traveler's budget in the town. An array of restaurants, cafés and bars can be found in the town too. |
The friendly and relaxed town of Bovec is the adventure tourism capital of Slovenia. Situated in one of the most beautiful and unspoiled valleys in Europe, the River Soca valley, Bovec is packed with travel agencies offering a large variety of water activities, including white-water rafting, kayaking, canoeing, canyoning and hydrospeeding. Besides being a haven for water-sports enthusiasts, Bovec also attracts nature lovers and those seeking rest and relaxation. |
Strunjan is a charming old salt-making village on Slovenian coast, located between the magnificent Venetian old town of Piran and the charming old fishing town of Izola. Strunjan lies in the Strunjan bay, which is known as one of the sunniest places on the Adriatic with more than 2300 hours of sun a year. There’s a public beach and a rougher, more difficult to access beach within walking distance. It offers numerous possibilities for sports and leisure and there are lovely views of Piran, good walks, tennis courts and a mini golf playground. |
Podcetrtek is a charming small town on Slovenia’s eastern border with Croatia in Obsotelj, the heart of Kozjansko, where most people come to relax at the Terme Olimia thermal spa. |
Moravske Toplice is a small, but very friendly village surrounded by unspoilt nature and blessed with an abundance of thermal mineral water, which is known to have several beneficial effects on human health. The village is located in the northeastern corner of Slovenia in the middle of the Prekmurje region, which is known as the breadbasket or the granary of Slovenia because rolling corn and wheat fields cover much of the fertile land. |
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Hard to spell but easy to fall in love with, Ljubljana is one of Europe's greenest and most charming capitals. |
Ljubljana is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. Situated right in the middle of Slovenia, Ljubljana means beloved in Slovenian, and there is a lot to love about this city. |
Slovenia's capital Ljubljana is a charming central European city with a medieval core. The central part of Ljubljana is completely closed for traffic, which makes it such a lovely city to stroll around in and because it’s so compact, it’s easy to walk everywhere. |
The town of Bled, located in the northwestern corner of Slovenia between Austria and Italy, is a vacation hotspot for tourists from all over Europe and the world. It is an all year round resort with plenty to do in both summer and winter. |
Bled is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Slovenia, it's definitely a photographer's paradise and a traveller's dream. |
Bled is a must-see destination in Slovenia that needs little introduction. The town is famous for the picture-perfect Lake Bled at the heart of the town that draws in visitors from around the world. |
Bled with its idyllic lake is a magical place, especially during the holiday season, and it's not like any other place in Slovenia. |
The charming coastal town of Piran is a medieval jewel on the Adriatic coast. It has a rich cultural heritage and the close Venetian influence is immediately apparent in its architecture with the narrow winding streets, houses huddled close together, rising in cascades, beautiful squares and churches and stunning sea views. |
Maribor is a beautiful city filled with lots of friendly people and wonderful sights and monuments. It is Slovenia’s second largest city and the economic, educational, cultural and sports centre of the north-eastern part of the country. |
Portoroz is known as Slovenia’s glitzy coastal town, with lots of hotels, luxury cars parked on the streets, its own marina, sandy beach, airport, casino, congress and wellness centers, and numerous restaurants and cafes. |
Ptuj is the oldest town in Slovenia and one of the oldest of whole Europe. It is set on the Drava river and oozes charm thanks to its lovely medieval core with a medieval castle, museums, monasteries, churches and other historic buildings. |
Celebrating Christmas in Slovenia's oldest town Ptuj should be on your bucket list. Every year in the beginning of December this pretty old town transforms into a magical wonderland. |
Kranjska Gora is a beautiful alpine village and the most famous Slovenian ski resort situated on the northern tip of the Triglav National Park in the Slovenian Alps, just a mere 5 minutes by car from both the Italian and Austrian borders. |
Kranjska Gora in winter is beautiful. You must have heard this a hundred times, but honestly, Kranjska Gora looks magical when covered in snow in the winter. |
Novo Mesto is Slovenia’s seventh largest city and also the capital of the Dolenjska region of Slovenia. It is perched snugly on a very sharp and very scenic bend of the Krka River and oozes charm thanks to its romantic old town centre with the cobbled square of Glavni trg and picturesque historic houses, which are all protected as monuments. |
The old Mediterranean town of Izola is one of the popular towns on the Slovenian Coast. It used to be a thriving fishing town and is now a delightful combination of Italian, Austrian, Croatian and Slovenian culture and architecture. |
Koper or Capodistria as it is called in Italian is a lovely historical coastal town located at the northern end of Slovenia’s short stretch of coastline, only 5 kilometres (3 miles) from the Italian border. It’s a unique mix of a genuine Venetian old town center and a modern part of the city. |
Skofja Loka is one of the oldest towns in Slovenia with a population of 11,900. It is a gem of a medieval town with much to see, including the hill-topping castle, historic buildings, decorated churches, beautiful bridges and interesting museums. The town dates from the 10th century and is considered the most carefully preserved medieval town in the country. |
Postojna is a small, modern town with just a few more than 9,000 inhabitants. Each year, more than half a million travelers come here to visit the Postojna Caves, a remarkable underground system of passages, caverns, halls and surreal stone sculptures that lie just below the town’s surface. The town is very tourist friendly and features a number of restaurants, cafés and bars as well as a very interesting museum in the town centre dedicated to karst phenomena. |
The friendly and relaxed town of Bovec is the adventure tourism capital of Slovenia. It's situated in one of the most beautiful and unspoiled valleys in Europe, the River Soca valley. |
Strunjan is a lovely old salt-making village on the Slovenian coast located between Piran and Izola. It lies in the bay of the same name, which is known as one of the sunniest places on the Adriatic with more than 2300 hours of sun a year. |
Podcetrtek is a lovely small town on Slovenia’s eastern border in the heart of Kozjansko, where most people come to relax at the Terme Olimia thermal spa. |
Podcetrtek is best known for its thermal water, spas and wellness, so the number one reason to visit Podcetrtek is the relaxation at the Terme Olimia thermal spa. |
Moravske Toplice is a small, but very friendly village located in the northeastern corner of Slovenia in the middle of the Prekmurje region, which is known as the breadbasket or the granary of Slovenia because rolling corn and wheat fields cover much of the fertile land. |
Slovenia isn’t exactly the most popular destination in Europe. In fact, many people have barely even heard of the little country wedged in between Italy, Austria and Croatia, but it’s amazing and if you decide to visit Slovenia, it will leave you with unforgettable memories and a desire to return.