Vipava Valley is among Lonely Planet's top 10 places to visit in 2018

We are delighted to report that the fertile, wine-rich Vipava Valley (Vipavska Dolina in Slovenian) is among the top 10 places to visit in Europe for 2018, according to a prestigious travel guide Lonely Planet.

The charming old village of Vipavski Kriz in the Vipava Valley. (Image by Marijan Mocivnik)

‘Peppered with terracotta-tiled hamlets and gothic spires, and lined with grapevines stretching along gentle slopes, it would be easy to mistake the Vipava Valley for a rustic Tuscan idyll. But these fertile winelands, bounded by steep karst plateaus to the north and south, are still remarkably undiscovered.’ the Lonely Planet substantiated their decision.

Lonely Planet’s Best in Europe is compiled annually by the travel company’s European experts to reveal their pick of the most exciting and underrated destinations to visit across Europe. The experts say that this year’s list directly tackles the hot topic of ‘overtourism‘, ‘aiming to inspire travellers to discover some of the best lesser-visited regions, alternative city breaks and hidden gems, beyond Europe’s busiest tourist hotspots‘. There is growing concern over the increase in tourism to popular European destinations, particularly over the summer months, so with this list they wanted to show that there are a wealth of wonderful alternatives to discover across the continent.

On top of the list is the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. Second is Cantabria (Spain) and the Dutch province of Friesland comes in at the third spot. Also making the top 10 are Kosovo, Provence (France), Dundee (Scotland), Small Cyclades (Greece), Vilnius (Lithuania), Vipava Valley (Slovenia) and Tirana (Albania).

Lonely Planet’s article is available here: Best in Europe!

An elevated view of the vine covered hills in the Vipava Valley. (Image by Marijan Mocivnik)

Elevated view of the Upper Vipava Valley. (Image by Nea Culpa d.o.o.)

The Vipava Valley is best explored by bicycle. (Image by Tomo Jesenicnik)

Lonely Planet advises visitors to explore the region on local-led cycle tours that pick their way down quiet lanes between vines, pausing at wineries for tastings and conversation with the makers. (Image by Tomo Jesenicnik)