Our small country is a true gem nestled between Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia. It is one of the greenest countries in Europe and a winner of many travel awards and titles by prominent media in the travel industry. They show that Slovenia is a country very much worth visiting, an ‘Unexpected revelation’ actually, as stated in the Lonely Planet. Topped with images by excellent local landscape photographers, Slovenia lights fuel to the wanderlust of nature lovers and scores the highest criteria for nature’s beauty. Here is why we love it here and are sure you will too.
1. JAW-DROPPING SUNRISES
Lake Bled by Jost Gantar.
The island on Bled’s lake is the only island in Slovenia. Together with a little church and cliff castle, the Lake Bled region makes for a uniquely romantic setting of our ROMANTIC ACTIVITY GETAWAY IN NATURE.
2. ALLURING PASTURES
Velika Planina by Ana Pogacar.
Did you know that Velika Planina is of one of Europe’s few surviving high mountain pastures with alive traditional Alpine herdsmen’s culture? You can discover it on our BEST WALKS IN SLOVENIA trip.
3. SKY PIERCING MOUNTAINS
View from Mount Spik by Anze Cokl.
Mount Spik is one of the most beautiful mountains in Slovenia for its spikey shape, exhibited just above the upper Sava river valley and on the VIA FERRATA ACROSS THE JULIAN ALPS tour.
4. ADVENTURER'S PLAYGROUND
Backcountry skiing in Slovenian Alps by Anze Cokl.
Slovenia has three major but small mountain ranges, the Julian Alps, the Karavanke Alps and the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, with over 300 summits exceeding two thousand meters above sea level. Thus the diverse landscape makes for epic backcountry and ski touring adventures, as well as epic freeride lines.
Crnava lake by Ales Zdesar.
Slovenia has about 320 lakes of glacial, artificial and intermittent origin, last because of the Karst surface, with Lake Bohinj being the biggest permanent lake, where you can experience your active family holidays FUN ADVENTURES IN THE ALPS.
6. DOGS ENJOY IT TOO
Happy friends by Maja Rokavec.
Almost every eighth Slovenian owns a dog, so the chances for your dog feeling welcome and befriending a cute couple are very high all around the country.
7. MIND-BLOWING SNOWCAPPED MOUNTAINS
Julian Alps with Mount Triglav from the air by Luka Esenko.
Triglav is the highest Slovenian mountain and the tallest peak of the Julian Alps, as well as the centrepiece of the Triglav National Park, which is the country’s only national park. Since the summit was bought for one ‘Goldinar’ it became an even stronger symbol of the Slovenian identity. You can climb Mount Triglav by joining THE JULIAN ALPS HIKE.
8. QUIET MISTY MORNINGS
Jamnik church by Janez Tolar.
Hilltop churches are a distinct feature of Slovenian landscape, with the Jamnik church on the Jelovica Plateau, backed with the Kamnik-Savinja Alps among one of the most photographed, even on our PHOTOGRAPHY TRIPS.
9. SPECTACULAR FALLS OF ICICLES
Frozen Pericnik waterfall by Ana Pogacar.
Pericnik waterfall is one of the highest waterfalls in Slovenia, yet the youngest in origin. It’s located at the entrance of the alpine valley Vrata, at the foot of Mount Triglav’s North Face, where the MOUNTAINS TO SEA tour takes you.
10. SLUMPING CLIFFS WITH BLUE LAGOONS
Slovenian coast by Jaka Ivancic.
Slovenian Riviera is a 46 km long coastline on the Adriatic Sea and a part of the Istrian Peninsula between Croatia and Italy. Of its medieval seaside towns, Piran sticks out as the most attractive, with the beautiful Moon Bay (Mesecev zaliv) and the Nature Reserve Strunjan, which you can explore on the MOUNTAINS TO SEA tour.
11. MYSTERIOUS CAVES
Konasnica cave by Peter Gedei.
Slovenia’s superabundant underground world puts the country to the top of every cave explorer’s list with the Vertigo cave (‘Vrtoglavica’) for the longest underground pitch in the World, inside the Kanin Mountain in Soca valley. Whereas the Škocjan caves invite more casual cave visitors with one of the largest known underground canyons in the world, listed on the UNESCO’s natural and cultural world heritage sites. Embark on the DISCOVER THE SLOVENIAN ALPS to visit the caves.
12. COLOURFUL MARSHES
Sunrise above Ljubljana Marshes by Janez Tolar.
Ljubljana marsh is the largest marsh in the country, located close to Slovenia’s capital city, where the World’s oldest wooden wheel was found, which belonged to a prehistoric two-wheel cart – a pushcart.
13. GOLDEN AUTUMNS
Autumn colours on Vrsic pass by Ana Pogacar.
Vrsic, the highest Slovenian road pass, sits atop of the main Sava and the Soca river valleys. Surrounded by the highest summits of the Julian Alps, overgrown with mixed forests and grassy meadows, connects the majority of the countries diversity into one frame, which you can capture on the ALPE ADRIA ADVENTURE.
14. EMERALD RIVERS
Soca river gorge by Luka Esenko.
Soca river is a 134 km long alpine river, which flows in western Slovenia, from Trenta Valley in the Julian Alps to the Adriatic Sea in Italy. The Great Soca Gorge is one of the rivers most spectacular creations, carving pools with the deepest aquamarine colour, inhabiting the endemic marble trouts. Swim with the fish on the BEAUTIFUL NATURE AND ADVENTURE ESCAPE in the Soca valley.
15. SECRET WATERFALLS
Predelica waterfalls in the Soca valley by Miha Gantar.
Predelica stream lines up waterfalls from Predel pass to Log pod Mangartom village in Koritnica valley, the valley of the hundred waterfalls. Nice footpaths lead to its most attractive spots, the Emerald Eye pool (‘Smaragdo oko’), The Engaged (‘Zarocenca’) and The Oblique (‘Posevni’) waterfalls, but to descend the canyon add canyoning to the ALPE ADRIA TRAIL ADVENTURE.
16. SWEET-SMELLING MEADOWS
Daffodil carpet above Jesenice by Miro Podgorsek.
The landscape in spring is colourful beyond imaginable, with fields and meadows covered with wildflowers. From white carpets of daffodils on Mt. Golica, violet saffron crocuses on Velika Planina, dark blue gentians clusii in the Triglav National Park to pink cyclamen carpets around the country. Breathe in the scent of fresh spring flowers on the EXPLORE THE ALPINE FOOTHILLS tour.
17. PURE GREEN ENERGY
Rogla forest by Jost Gantar in I feel Slovenia.
Dense forests cover almost 60 per cent of the Slovenian ground, placing every city more or less amidst the woods and a few steps from a protected area with more than a third of the country included in the European network of Natura 2000. Join the TRIGLAV NATIONAL PARK HIKING, to experience our green energy.
18. LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE
Lake Bohinj by Andy Aungthwin.
Bohinj with the largest natural lake in Slovenia is a true paradise valley, located in the Triglav National Park, where the traditional and the modern ways of life are intertwined. Experience Lake Bohinj on the TRIGLAV NATIONAL PARK ADVENTURE.
19. MOMENTS OF INNER PEACE
Sunrise in Slovenian Alps by Matevz Lavric.
Slovenian Alps are crisscrossed with ten thousand kilometres of marked trails, enabling the explorations of the Kingdom of the Goldenhorn. Many trails are within the European long-distance path network, revealing rich natural and cultural heritage.
20. LOVABLE VINEYARDS
Vineyards near Maribor by Miha Gantar.
Regardless of being a pocket-size country, Slovenia cultivates three wine regions in the very centre of the European wine-growing belt. The climate and the soil allow having a wide variety of wine offerings. White or red, lushly aromatic, strong, full-bodied or light, dry or sweet, made of no less than 52 vine varieties. The best way to experience the region and taste the wines is on the E-biking tour VINEYARDS OF STYRIA.
21. HEARTY ROCKS
Hiking trail mark by Miha Gantar / Heart shape shell fossils by Ales Zdesar.
Trail marking began after World War One with Alojz Knafelc presenting the unified instructions for trail blazing, originally round.
22. LOVE IN THE NAME
Read next: When is the best time to visit Slovenia?
Photo credits: Many thanks to all the above-mentioned photographers for sharing Slovenia in such amazing moments with the rest of the world.
Media and travel industry awards for Slovenia
- Slovenia: Best Holiday Destination for 2021 ~ Conde Nast Traveller | 2021
- Slovenia: Best Sustainable Destination to Visit in 2021 ~ Conde Nast Traveller | 2021
- Slovenia: Slovenia wins it’s first Michelin stars ~ Michelin 2020
- Slovenia: European Region of Gastronomy 2021 ~ European Regions of Gastronomy
- Slovenia: The 10 Safest Countries in the World listing ~ Conde Nast Traveller | 2020
- Slovenia: Winner of the Best in Europe awards ~ Sustainable destination awards | ITB Berlin 2020
- Slovenia: Where to go next : 27 best places to Travel in 2020 ~ Forbes
- Slovenia: Winner of the Hottest Destination of the Year awards ~ Virtuoso Travel Week 2019
- Slovenia: Top 10 Best Value Destinations in 2019 ~ Lonely Planet
- Bled: 3rd winner of the ITB Earth awards ~ Sustainable Top 100 Destination Awards | ITB Berlin 2020
- Ljubljana: Winner in the Best of Cities award ~ Sustainable Top 100 Destinations Awards | ITB Berlin 2019
- Bled: 2nd winner of the Best of Europe awards ~ Sustainable Top 100 Destination Awards | ITB Berlin 2019
- Bohinj and Slovenia: Coronavirsu – Safest Destinations to Visit listing ~ European Best Destinations 2020
- Bohinj: Ranks in the Best places to travel in Europe 2018 ~ European Best Destination 2018
- Julian Alps: Best in Travel: top 10 regions award ~ Lonely Planet 2017
