Slovenia: Step into a fairytale

The capital, Ljubljana (lyoob-lyah-nah), makes a great starting point whatever the trip length. It’s beautiful, by day and by night. The clean and tranquil traffic-restricted centre has picturesque Preseren Square and the river Ljubljanica at its heart. Bridges connect the river banks, lined with weeping willows and filled with lively open air bars and restaurants. Weekend markets, street entertainment and live music add to the atmosphere, all watched over by Ljubljana Castle from its hilltop perch above the Old Town. A day or two is sufficient to explore the highlights of the city, but stay longer for galleries and exhibitions, or to hang out riverside and take in the ambience. With its location close to the centre of Slovenia, Ljubljana is well connected to the rest of the country by road and rail so it makes a great base for day trips, but with so much nature on offer across the country, it makes sense to hit the road for longer if you’re able.

I headed a couple of hours away to the pretty lake at Bohinj, the largest glacial lake in Slovenia with the soaring Julian Alps as backdrop. It’s a beautiful, peaceful spot with vast crystal clear blue-green waters, surrounded by trees and woodland, dotted with shingle beaches. I enjoyed six nights here – a great base for visiting nearby Bled and the countless outdoor activities on offer in the area. Most of Bohinj sits within Triglav National Park, also home to Slap Savica Waterfall (see below) and Mount Vogel. A cable car (accessible to all) takes you to the Upper Station of Vogel, sitting above 1500 meters, from where the views over the lake and beyond are stunning. From the top, enjoy hikes along lush trails and across passes and valleys for more incredible views. Unfortunately I had to bow out of the hiking as I had picked up a tummy bug, but my friends’ pictures looked great. If you have the energy I would recommend allowing at least a few hours to look around, but take layers as it’s cold at the top! Less energetic options are also available and are no less lovely. I swapped the hike for a gentle walk around the lake (or about two thirds of it, anyway) stopping at lots of pretty coves, and even taking the opportunity for a (very invigorating!) dip in the beautiful crystalline waters. [Side note, should you take a wrong turn, it turns out there are some naturist bathing spots on the lake too. Some of the views I had that day were a little unexpected…]

The more well known lake in this area, however, is Lake Bled. In fact, Bled is Slovenia’s most popular resort, and it's the star of the show with good reason! The blue-green lake is home to a picture postcard church set on its very own islet, from where the traditional, colourful Pletna boats glide back and forth. A medieval castle perches on a rocky cliff edge to one side, and some of the highest peaks of the Julian Alps act as backdrop. It’s ridiculously pretty. A visit to Bled, whether day trip or for a longer stay, is essential. The summer population of Bled rockets with visitor numbers, so avoid high season if you can, but do come at another time.

Nature lovers will be in their element in this area with waterfalls, gorges and lake views surrounding quant alpine towns and villages. Adrenalin seekers are well catered for with hiking, cycling, climbing, paragliding, kayaking and SUP in abundance. For the less active, there is a flat (and wheelchair accessible) lakeside path at Bled, with crystal clear waters for swimming (a little warmer than icecap filled Bohinj!), and boat rides to and from the island, and across the lake. Other nearby points of interest and activities that I enjoyed were:

* A group rafting trip on Soca River. Fully kitted up in wet suits and boots, navigating grade 2 and 3 rapids with an informative and friendly guide, this was a morning very well spent. Surrounded by beautiful nature, it was great fun and gets a big double thumbs up from me.

* The very gorgeous Vintgar Gorge – so pretty, but so busy! It’s a bit of a tourist trap, walking in line along an elevated boardwalk with the feeling that most visitors were on a mission to pass through as quickly as possible. But if you take your time to take it all in, it really is very beautiful. Iridescent waters, craggy gorge walls, gushing waterfalls; photography heaven and very gram-worthy should you be that way inclined.

* Slap Savica Waterfall – again, you’ll queue for the money shot here, but it is a pretty waterfall nevertheless. The entrance is reached by road or an uphill wooded pathway from the lake below, from where it’s a fairly steeply stepped walk to the waterfall viewpoint.

* Cycling in the Bohinj Valley – this was lovely, with signposted cycle paths connecting the Lower and Upper valleys. Our tranquil route took us past old buildings, ancient trees and traditional farms, across meadows and past villages with the most picturesque of settings and the now expected (but no less stunning) mountain backdrop.

My trip was a small group tour arranged by Intrepid Travel – Slovenia: Hike, Bike and Raft. As already mentioned, I missed a couple of aspects of the trip due to illness, but once again I can very much recommend joining Intrepid for a great way to meet people and enjoy the guidance of a local expert. It’s unusual for Intrepid tours to be based in one spot for as long as this one, but with so many activities on offer in the vicinity, I can see why they stay put this time.

If you have longer than a week, or if you are less active, there is more to explore beyond the lakes: pretty Adriatic coastal towns, cliff-side castles, caves, salt-pans, vineyards. In a nutshell, Slovenia is a beautiful, largely unknown gem. Offering pretty cities and nature at its best, it’s compact and easy to navigate; a bit like a mini-Switzerland but considerably more affordable.

I really loved it, and I think you would be hard pushed not to love it too.