Slovenia is ready for its moment in the travel spotlight
Slovenia, at 7,827 square miles, is small enough for visitors to explore in a week. But because of its diverse geography no two days will look the same. Expect to weave your way through tall mountain passes, hike around glacial lakes, descend deep into caves and hit the beach.
The Julian Alps, Kamnik-Savinja Alps and Karawanks Alps are Slovenia's three main mountain ranges, and the Julian Alps are especially stunning, offering the "Slovenia of tourist posters: mountain peaks, picture-perfect lakes and blue-green rivers," said Lonely Planet.
For skiers, snowboarders and mountaineers, this landscape is a thrill, but there is plenty to do for those who like their feet in shoes rather than skis. Take a gondola to Bled Island, walk up the 99-step South Staircase and visit the Church of the Assumption, and later head to Bled Castle. Dating to the 12th century, this is "how most people imagine a medieval fortress to be, with towers, ramparts, moats and a terrace offering magnificent views." The castle also holds armor, weapons and jewelry collections.
The country is "rising as a premiere hiking destination," National Geographic said. Lake Bled offers "excellent" conditions, with shorter, less strenuous paths for beginners. A more challenging time can be had at Triglav National Park, the only national park in Slovenia. The mountain ridge treks here offer prime wildlife-spotting, including chamois, ibex and golden eagles. Slovenia's highest peak, Triglav, stands 9,396 feet tall, and it is recommended that only experienced hikers try to summit it.
Slovenia "makes the most" of its 30 miles of Adriatic Sea coastline, Lonely Planet said, with three seaside towns standing out: Koper, Izola and Piran. Each is known for having "clean beaches, boats for rent and rollicking bars." Izola is surrounded by "wonderfully unspoiled beaches," while "picturesque" Piran is a step back in time, with "cobblestoned streets, Venetian-Gothic architecture and widescreen waterside views."
For fewer crowds, head to the Istrian Peninsula on the border with Croatia. Here, "you'll find beaches and can go truffle hunting and enjoy pristine seafood," Luxury Slovenia cofounder Mattej Valencic said to Barron's.
Primorska, Posavje and Podravje are Slovenia's three primary wine regions, each less than a two-hour drive from the capital, Ljubljana. Podravje is Slovenia's largest winemaking region and where you will find the world's oldest grape-bearing vine, which has grown in Maribor for more than 400 years. It is a "symbol of survival," Wine Enthusiast said, having made it through the phylloxera parasite attack that "decimated European vineyards" in 1870 and World War II bombings.
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There are about 45,700 acres of vineyards in Slovenia, producing 52 varieties of white, red, orange, rosé, Malvasia and sparkling wines that "vary from full-bodied to light," Food & Wine said. Plan on stopping at a winery or tasting room, like Rajhenburg Castle, during your visit. Trappist monks who lived at Rajhenburg during the 1800s introduced sparkling wine to the region, and today they are "honored" in the cellar, where guests can sample wines made nearby.
Slovenia has a "distinctive limestone" plateau, known as karst, along with 14,000 known caves, including the "epic" Skocjan Caves, The Independent said. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this massive system has one of the world's largest known underground river canyons, and the cave walls look like they "have been sculpted as a James Bond villain's secret lair." Tours are available, with guides leading visitors three miles deep into the caves; a highlight is crossing the Cerkvenik Bridge above the Reka River and "witnessing the force of the water as it surges through the system."
Dozens of waterfalls appear in Slovenia — both above ground and down below in the caves. Kozjak is one "spectacular" example, Smithsonian Magazine said, a 20-minute hike from the Napoleon Bridge and "hidden between cliffs" along the Kozjak Creek. This is a tributary of the Soca River, described by Lonely Planet as a "magically aquamarine" waterway. During summer visits, consider going rafting or take a hike by the water.
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