Travel Itineraries – Slovenia

I’ve been going through all my posts lately and putting them in ‘country’ pages, and I realised I haven’t blogged much at all about Slovenia (amongst quite a few countries I’ve been to). So I thought I’d address that. Starting today with my itinerary through Slovenia.

I should point out from the very start that it was only about ten days. So only a short time in this ex-Yugoslavian country, with a tiny strip of Mediterranean coast boarding Italy, Croatia, Austria and a little bit of Hungary.

I didn’t visit the north-east at all, rather sticking to the more frequented of towns. It still was a very worthwhile stay. I took trains mostly, I think there was the odd bus or two thrown in. I entered from Zagreb, actually making a connection there I had started in Sarajevo. I exited from Lake Bled north to Austria.

I began in Ljubljana. This is the Slovenian capital and is just west of the exact smack centre of the country. It’s not a huge city, quite traversable by foot, but it is really a very charming place. I spent three nights here. I heard a bit of jazz playing, I wandered the street, I checked out a few cathedrals and I went up the hill to the castle which presides over the city – Ljubljana Castle.

It’s an interesting place woven around rivers/canals. I went on a bit of an art museum hunt whilst I was there – that’s probably because that’s what Lonely Planet had listed – and saw, all in all, too much modern art. But I still really liked the city.

I then headed down to the Mediterranean Coast. I took the train down to Koper, which is a quiet little town (well maybe not anymore) on the coast. It rained on the way down but after the first night the weather was warm and sunny every day.

It’s a great place to explore on foot but it’s not going to ‘wow!’ you, but then it’s hard not to like. I stayed four nights there. One day for Koper, one day to take a boat out along the coast to Izola, and then one day to the Skocjan Caves.

Izola is perhaps a similar coastal town in some ways, it seemed smaller however it was the place for the beach. Not a huge beach area, nevertheless I was able to relax and catch some rays (NOT something I do frequently) and just relax. The boat took a little while too – maybe 30-40 minutes, and that was a great way to see the coast.

The Skocjan Caves are one of Slovenia’s top tourist attractions, and are pretty fantastic. I got myself there and back, I think there was a train followed by quite a little walk through beautiful countryside to get there. The caves are huge and there are tours through them frequently, but I remember having to wait a little while to get a spot. It’s really worthwhile.

My final stop in Slovenia was in the other main tourist hub of Bled, on the shores of Lake Bled. There’s a stunning lake with a church on an island. It’s a great outdoor area. It has a track around the lake for walking or cycling and there are hikes to do as well in the area.

Like to the Vintgar Gorge. A stunning riverside walk, mostly on a wooden path at times extended over the river. Then there’s a small waterfall as well. The walk through the countryside to get there is also really pretty – Slovenia in the warmer months is green and just so beautiful.

Another place that I KNOW I missed a fair bit out of, but I hope to go back. So basic summary –

Train to Ljubljana

3 nights Ljubljana

Train to Koper

4 nights Koper (visited Izola and Skocjan Caves)

Bus/Train to Bled

3 nights in Bled

Train to Austria.

Thanks for joining me – May the Journey Never End!