Slovenia

Slovenia Adventure Travel Guide: Ideas and Inspiration

PureTravel Says: “A fascinating country that is also dubbed “miniature Europe”, Slovenia is located between the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea. You can find thick forest area, high mountains, and an Adriatic Coastline in Slovenia. This former Yugoslavian State is now a free capital market and has a rapidly growing tourism sector. Right from Ljubljana, the capital city, you can start your holiday tour in Slovenia and enjoy countless outdoor activities and adventures as well as exploring the country’s culture and history.”

Holiday Highlights

History & Culture- Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital city, presents the famous Ljubljana Cathedral twin towers. You can also visit national Museum, Plecnik’s House, and City Museum. The Town Hall is a historic place built back in 1708 and has two attractive water fountains. Also go for the surrounding old cobbled town.

Bled Island is a picturesque small island of Slovakia; see the Church of Assumption, a place dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Predjama Castle is one of the popular medieval castles that has been well-preserved. If you happen to see the castle in August, Erazem’s Medieval Tournament is a tourist attraction here.

For a seafood buff, Piran is a good place to satiate the tongue. This waterfront city also has hilltop church to explore.

The Kobarid Museum is one of Europe’s popular museums where war memorabilia can be seen.

River Sports – River sports can be arranged by many different groups in Slovenia. Slovenia’s main rivers like Savinja, Soca, Idrija, Kolpa, Sava Bohinjka, and Dolinka are especially suitable for white water rafting, canoeing, and kayaking. Swimming and boating are popular sports in many rivers along various cities. You can even get required training for the water sports here in Slovenia from a variety of outdoor activity groups.

Mountain Climbing, Skiing & Snowboarding - Julian Alps is the destination for those seeking mountain activities and adventures. For trekkers, the Triglav National Park is a destination from where hiking trips can be arranged up Mount Triglav. You can enjoy Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj. You can enjoy skiing and snowboarding on different mountains of Slovenia. There are many ski and snowboard resorts in Slovenia, including popular resorts like Bovac Pohorje, Vogel, Cerkno and Kranjska Gora, which often tops the travel bestselling lists thanks to its affordability. Annual skiing competitions can be watched in the Kanin Mountains outside Bovec.

The Arts – Vocal music, theater, and literature are areas of interest in all of Slovenia. The music entertainment industry has grown rapidly in the past decade as have dance arts and other performing arts. Be sure to see a show at the Slovene National Theater Opera and Ballet Ljubljana during your holiday.

Horse Riding & Mountain Biking - Soca River Valley is famous for horseback riding and mountain biking activities. The surrounding mountainous region is also popular for extreme adventure sports like parachuting, ballooning, paragliding and hydrospeeding. Kobarid Valley has many sport organizers that can help you out with every outdoor activity. In the West Slovenia region, Lipica is famous for a breed of horse called Lipizaner. Visitors can choose to take riding tours or watch performances of horses and riders in outdoor and indoor arenas.

Caving - The Karst region of Slovenia has vast limestone formations. There are many cave networks in Slovenia for those visitors who would enjoy organized caving activities. Kids will enjoy the safe caves at Postojna and Skocjan. The deep chambers and vast and vaulted chambers are famous places for children to explore.

Golf – Golf is becoming more popular in Slovenia with as many as ten golf clubs having been built so far throughout the country. Some clubs do require membership but there are some which allow visitors who want to enjoy the sport in picturesque locations.

When To Go

Spring is during April and May when you can watch flowers bloom and animals awaken. For hikers and trekkers, March and April are good seasons to visit. September and October are said to be ideal for off-season tours as you save money due to off-peak times; also note that the sea remains warm until mid-October.

Slovenian Cities

Ljubljana - The compact capital city of Ljubljana is a charming city, bursting with museums, galleries and cultural sights. It's dominated by the Ljubljanica river, which flows through the heart of the city; past romantic Baroque buildings and underneath ancient castle ramparts. The city is a curious mix of old and new; the more modern sights are to be found to the west of the river and the castle and old city are on the east side. Criss cross the sights via the multitude of bridges and don't miss the historic Tromostovje (Triple Bridge).

Maribor - Slovenia's second largest city proudly hosted the European Capital of Culture honour in 2012. Maribor sits on the Drava River in the heart of the Slovenian wine growing region. And as you’d expect there are plenty of galleries and museums and an impressive Old Town. Explore Maribor Castle and of the local wine.

Top Tips

- It is customary to shake hands in Slovenia during introductions.
- No vaccinations are needed, though trekkers and hikers can prevent tick bites by wearing long sleeves and pants.
- Be sure you have valid health insurance; Slovenia has reputable but expensive health care.
- Informal wear is accepted almost everywhere in Slovenia.
- Contact the Golf Association of Slovenia for further details on golfing available in Slovenia.

Classic Itineraries

- Visit the secret WWII Franja Partisan Hospital
- Explore the Alpine valley of Logarska Dolina.
- Hear folk music at Adlešiči.
- Visit the village of Bogojina and church designed by Jože Plečnik.
- See the ancient abbey of and monks at Pleterje Monastery.
- Visit Kočevski Rog with its virgin forest with bears and the ghosts wander.
- Discover Šempeter with its Roman-era necropolis and 1st century tombs
- Explore Predjama Castle
- Visit the medieval town of Ptuj.
- Discover the Škocjan Caves and raging river.
- Visit unspoiled Alpine Lake Bohinj beneath Mt Triglav.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

- Škocjan Caves
- Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps
- Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija

Public Holidays

1 January - New Year
8 February - Prešeren Day, the Slovenian Cultural Holiday
20 April - Easter
27 April - Day of Uprising Against Occupation
1 May – 2 May May Day Holiday
8 June - Primož Trubar Day
25 June - Statehood Day
15 August - Assumption Day
1 November - Day (of Remembrance) of the Dead
23 November - Rudolf Maister Day
25 December - Christmas
26 December - Independence and Unity Day