Slovenia, a nature destination

Slovenia was the originally planned destination for summer 2022, as a complement to a road trip through Croatia and Montenegro. Plans changed on a whim in February of that year. Our Balkans road trip would ultimately be limited to Slovenia and take place over 10 days during the Easter school holidays. Flight tickets and car rental were booked right away; all that was left was to finalize our itinerary, already sketched out, and the accommodation reservations.

I decided to add Plitvice Lakes in Croatia to our program. I really wanted to discover them, and for my husband, it was a chance to revisit them several years after a trip to Yugoslavia when he was a teenager.

I’m happy to contribute to the reopening of our forum by posting this travel journal (originally posted in 2022 on another forum, the text has been partially revised and photos added). As usual, a few photos to start with—maybe they’ll inspire you to join in!

Day 0 - Sunday, April 24

After casting our votes in the ballot box (first round of the presidential elections), we headed to Orly in the late afternoon for a Transavia flight to Ljubljana. The flight left over 30 minutes late. No surprises with the low-cost flight—everything was pay-as-you-go. Checked baggage wasn’t included, so we’d paid for one passenger to have a 15 kg checked bag. Ugh, at the weigh-in, the suitcase was over 22 kg. Nice having to open it up and remove several kilos on the spot—we had to try twice! 🤪 We arrived in Ljubljana, and retrieving our suitcase was pretty quick. It took us a bit longer to locate the Avis rental agency, which is in a different building from arrivals. We’d booked the equivalent of a Golf and got a T-Cross. The rental agent confirmed that the vignette, mandatory on Slovenian highways, was included in our rental contract, so we could use the highways without worrying about it. We could also leave the country to go to Croatia for an extra 36 €. Since we’re in the European Union, our mobile phone plans adjusted automatically, and all communications were basically covered. We’d already downloaded the Slovenia map on Google Maps and programmed the route to our accommodation, which was less than 45 minutes from the airport.

I’d chosen the Pension Török in Lesce, a town halfway between the capital and Bled. This location let us easily reach the lakes of Bled and Bohinj (between 15 and 30 minutes by car from the pension) and Ljubljana (less than an hour by train, with the station about 1 km from our accommodation). Ljubljana is mostly pedestrian-friendly, so parking is difficult and expensive. I thought it’d be practical to take public transport. Plus, we’d enjoyed using local transport on our previous trips abroad and were keen to do it again!

Day 1 - Monday, April 25

The weather forecast the night before promised a beautiful day on Monday and non-stop rain on Tuesday. So, I stuck with my original plan to visit Lake Bled that day. After breakfast at Pension Török (a buffet with good variety), we headed to the lake, just 15 minutes by car. Like many places in Slovenia, parking was paid (2 € per hour). It was 10 AM, so we bought a ticket for 3 hours and started our walk. I’d set two goals for us: a loop around the lake (6 km) and a short climb for a panoramic view of the lake’s island. The walk was pleasant and let us admire the island and its church from different angles.









For the viewpoint overlooking the island, I followed the tips from Florent, the author of the blog *Slovenia Secrète*—a real goldmine. We took the Mala Osojnica trail. The climb was steep in parts, and the ground was slippery from mud. We appreciated the mild temperatures (~17-18°C) because the climb would’ve been tougher in the summer heat. The view was worth the effort and made for postcard-perfect photos.





The climb was roughly halfway through our lake loop, so we continued our walk after descending. However, even though it’s a bit of a shame to retrace your steps, I wouldn’t recommend continuing the full loop—there’s quite a bit of vegetation in the foreground that blocks the view of the lake and island. We got back to our starting point a little before 1 PM. We extended our parking by an hour and had lunch at Briska, a pizzeria near the lake. The pizzas were huge. I just had a coffee and tried the local specialty, the *Kremsnita* pastry.

Four hours on site turned out to be enough (I’d initially thought we’d spend the whole day there), so we headed toward Lake Bohinj. When planning our trip, I’d scheduled a few hikes, but the place, though pretty, didn’t win over my husband and sons. So we didn’t stay long.



You can tell my sons weren’t exactly thrilled 😎











For dinner, since our accommodation didn’t offer anything besides breakfast, we walked to the aeroclub restaurant less than 1 km away.

Day 2 - Tuesday, April 26

The weather isn’t as gloomy as forecast after all; the clouds are around, but it’s not raining much. Today was originally meant for Bohinj, but I decide to head to Škofja Loka instead and keep Ljubljana for Wednesday since the sun should be back. We stop by Lesce train station first to buy our train tickets for the next day. We pay 44 € round-trip for the four of us. We have lunch in Škofja Loka at the gostilna (inn) Starman, which serves local dishes. My husband orders sausage and beans, flageolet-style. As for me, I enjoy some struklji (rolled dough with fillings). We then take a stroll through the village, which is pretty but not necessarily worth a detour.











We have dinner in Lesce at the pizzeria Lescar (Slovenia is close to Italy—and was even part of Italy in the past—so the cuisine often has an Italian influence).

Day 3 - Wednesday, April 27

Today is a public holiday, commemorating the liberation of Slovenia. Train frequency is lower, so we choose the 11:30 train instead of the 7:30 one (no trains between those times!). This regional train is clean and has clean toilets (like everywhere we’ve been in Slovenia—what a change! 🙂 ). Stops are announced on screens and via audio announcements, in Slovenian and English.

During the journey







The city center is less than a 10-minute walk from the train station. We discover a pleasant, human-scale capital, mostly pedestrian-friendly.









The Ljubljanica River and its bridges add to the charm of this beautiful city.

We wander through the streets and skip the funicular, choosing to walk up to the castle that overlooks the city.



The entrance to the castle is mostly free, except for climbing the keep. We buy a family ticket (2 adults + 1 child) for 24 €—our oldest son (14 years old), the spitting image of a grumpy teenager 😕, isn’t exactly thrilled about the visit.







You climb the keep via a double staircase. At the top, the view is panoramic, stretching over the city and the Julian Alps.

We head back to the city center and take a break at Vigo ice cream parlor. The scoops are generous, and you can choose two flavors for one scoop (11 € total for the four of us). We continue exploring this beautiful capital.













We catch the train just before 6 PM. The trip takes, like on the way there, 50 minutes to Lesce-Bled station.



Here’s the site for schedules and ticket purchases.

We have dinner that evening at the well-known traditional restaurant, Lectar, in Radovljica. The portions of meat were large but served without sides (common in Slovenia).

Hi Anne,

This trip to Slovenia is off to a great start—it really seems like a beautiful country.

Thanks for sharing your memories with us; I’m looking forward to the rest of your travel journal... 😎

Hi Anne, I’m joining in too. I really loved Ljubljana (especially in the evening), where we stopped for two days on our way back from Croatia in the summer of 2022, and I’m curious to discover a bit more of this small country that seemed so peaceful. Bruno

PS: I loved the teenager caricature

Since I’ve been divorced for a long time, our vacations have always been split into two parts: with the kids (more focused on their wishes) and without the kids (our vacations). This avoided a lot of conflicts , especially with 4 teens!

Hi Anne,

This trip to Slovenia is off to a great start—it really seems like a beautiful country.

Hi there, Lhorizon, We’ve only seen a small part of it (the country isn’t very big, mind you), but it *is* lovely.

Thanks for sharing your memories—I’m looking forward to the rest of the travel journal… 😎

Thanks for reading about this destination! 😉 The rest of the journal is coming soon. 😛

Hi Anne, I’m joining in too. I really loved Ljubljana (especially in the evening), where we stopped for two days on our way back from Croatia in the summer of 2022, and I’m curious to explore this little country that seemed so peaceful a bit more. Bruno

Hi Bruno, welcome to this lovely country 🙂

Ps: I love the teenager caricature

Here’s a photo of teenagers interested in their surroundings



Being divorced for a long time, our vacations have always been split in two: with the kids (more focused on their wishes) and without the kids (our vacations). This avoided a lot of conflicts, especially with 4 teens!

So, if we had to focus on our oldest’s wishes, we’d stay home🏴‍☠️ "But Mom, why are we going to Mexico for a month? We’re fine at home." Ugh, the kid doesn’t know how lucky he is!!

Day 4 - Thursday, April 28

Tonight, we’ll be sleeping in Croatia. I’d initially planned to spend the morning at the Vintgar Gorge, located just 15 minutes from our accommodation, with a recommended visit time of about 1 hour 30 minutes. When I tried to book our tickets the day before, I found out that roads to get there were closed due to construction taking longer than expected, requiring a detour. On top of that, the site had changed the visit to avoid people crossing paths (and risking contamination from a nasty virus) by imposing 3-hour loop circuits. The first available slot was at 10 a.m., which would’ve pushed us too late into the day. We didn’t want to arrive at our hotel too late since the next day was dedicated to Plitvice Lakes—meaning lots of walking and an early wake-up.

I’d spotted the wooden village of Zajamniki, photogenic with its houses and *kozolec* (wooden drying racks), so I decided to swap Vintgar Gorge for this village. According to Google Maps, it was a 1-hour drive. Unfortunately, we never made it there—I think the village is actually only accessible on foot 😕

We enjoyed the view of the still-snowy Julian Alps and spotted some cross-country skiers, but no village in sight 🤪









On the way, we stopped at Bled Castle but didn’t go in.





Off to Croatia for a roughly 4-hour drive. We made a photo stop and had lunch in Novo Mesto.



We arrived at our accommodation, Plitvica Selo, around 6 p.m. and settled into our family apartment. Since breakfast hours were late (restaurant opens at 8:30 a.m.), we ordered takeaway breakfasts to start our visit to Plitvice Park early. While planning our trip, I scoured blogs and websites to figure out which entrance and route to prioritize. I chose a hotel near Entrance 3 (also known as the auxiliary or Flora entrance). It’s within walking distance from our hotel (less than a kilometer) and lets us avoid the main entrances and their long lines. Dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Day 5 - Friday, April 29

I had bought our tickets online several weeks beforehand on this site. A guard in a booth along our route scans our tickets, and we enter the park at 7:45 AM at P3 (port). The sun is still low, but we enjoy a park almost free of visitors.







We head toward the big waterfall (Veliki slap). In the middle of spring, months before peak summer, I was expecting abundant falls and was disappointed by this waterfall, which I found rather underwhelming.





We continue our route toward one of the park’s main viewpoints, overlooking the big waterfall and the lower lakes.



We carry on with our route and overlook the famous iconic boardwalk of Plitvice.





A little further on, the viewpoint is stunning, but the water is still in shadow because the sun isn’t high enough in the sky yet.

Wait, are we already in Croatia? 🤪 Any chance we’ll go back to Slovenia? That said, I *loved* Plitvice 😊. Back in 2011… We stayed at the big Russian-inspired hotel at the park entrance—such a great memory!!

After that, we head to ST1 (one of the three stations in the park where visitors can take shuttles to reach other spots). Using these shuttles is included in the entrance tickets. We settle in for a quick half-hour to eat our breakfasts. Ham and cheese sandwiches for the guys, a salad for me. Each of us also gets an apple and a small bottle of water. 10 € per person—pretty pricey for the quality and quantity.

We then take the shuttle to ST2, where we board another shuttle to ST3. We move from waterfalls to lakes, and we’re lucky to have great weather—the water color is stunning.







We arrive at P2, where we take a boat to P3 on Lake Kozjak (the boat ride is also included in the entrance ticket price). The crossing takes 15 minutes, and we’ve reached our final destination.



It’s 11:45 AM; we’ve spent 4 hours walking at a relaxed pace, taking time for photos and a snack break. Our oldest son (the same one 😎) decides to head back for a nap, while his brother (13 years old), a photography enthusiast, and us, the parents, decide to explore the park again on a slightly different route. Now, the sun is high in the sky, allowing the lakes to display gorgeous emerald colors. Our route lets us admire different viewpoints from our first walk.













We finish exploring Plitvice National Park a little before 4 PM, having spent 8 hours there and feeling like we made the most of it. Overall, we weren’t bothered by the crowds. Back at our hotel for some well-deserved rest (25,000 steps 😇).

I don’t regret taking this detour from Slovenia because this park, made up of 16 lakes and 92 waterfalls, is truly stunning. Visiting it off-season allowed us to enjoy it in great conditions.

Wait, are we already in Croatia?

Yep, the distances are short 😉

Will there be a return to Slovenia?

You bet!!

That said, I loved Plitvice.... Back in 2011... We stayed at the big Russian-inspired hotel at the park entrance: such a great memory!!

We loved it too!

Day 6 - Saturday, April 30

We have a "real" breakfast at the hotel (13 € per person, though—luckily it’s a buffet 😐) and head back to Slovenia, specifically Piran on the Adriatic coast. I booked an apartment (Alma Vivoda) right in the center with included parking. We arrive in Piran around 1 p.m. and struggle a bit to find our place since the landlord’s directions were a little vague. Still, we’re happy to have parking for our two days there (the garage is just outside the city, easily reachable on foot or by free shuttle). The apartment is well laid out, though the bedding turns out to be uncomfortable. It’s in a great location, though. Piran is one of the coastal towns, like Portorož, Izola, and Koper, and is known as the prettiest of them all. Some suggest visiting it last so the others don’t disappoint. Since the weather forecast is good for Saturday but rainy on Sunday, I decide to spend the afternoon there to enjoy it in the best conditions. We head to the main square and climb to the top of the bell tower (6 € for the four of us), a replica of St. Mark’s Campanile in Venice. The view over Piran and the coast is stunning.















Afterward, we head to the city walls (also paid, 4 € for our family), where we spend quite a while because the view is just as beautiful.

We wandered around this pretty town for the rest of the afternoon, especially near the port.







Day 7 - Sunday, May 1st

The weather turned out to be pretty decent compared to the forecast, but after having some health issues earlier in the day, we stayed in the apartment until early afternoon. We had lunch near the port, then walked along the coast to Portorož (about thirty minutes). The town didn’t really grab us, and the rain that started falling didn’t help us appreciate it. The least productive photo haul of the trip (luckily, some beautiful colors at sunset 😎).

Hi Anne,

So glad to see you all again! Thanks for the travel journal.

I just discovered it—it looks amazing, such beautiful nature! 🙂

Day 8 - Monday, May 2nd

We leave our apartment around 11 AM and hit the road toward Pivka, where I’ve booked three nights. We stop at the Škocjan Caves (tickets bought online here). The tour starts on the hour in two separate groups—one with explanations in Slovenian, the other in English.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, these caves are spectacular; the chambers are enormous. The route includes a suspended bridge 45 meters high. Photos inside the cave are forbidden for safety reasons, we’re told. I’ve attached photos from the brochures to give you a little idea of the interior.





After the tour:





The visit lasts 1.5 hours, and at the end, you can return to the site entrance via three different routes (15 minutes by funicular, or a 30-minute or 1.5-hour walk). We choose the 30-minute walk but don’t recommend this route—it offers little visibility and, in our opinion, not much interest. We then head to our accommodation, the pension Na Meji, located in Trnje (Slovenian and Croatian names are short on vowels ;)), just outside Pivka. We’re warmly welcomed by Marko, our host, who speaks excellent English and gets by in French. I picked this place because Marko organizes outings to observe wild bears, and he tells us upon arrival that the excursion will take place the next day—we’ll need to be ready to leave around 4:30/5 PM. We have dinner in Pivka at the pizzeria Herman (31 € for 3 pizzas and a pasta dish).

Hi Anne,

So glad to see everyone again! Thanks for the travel journal.

I just discovered it—it looks amazing, such beautiful nature! 🙂

Hi Pascale! So nice to see you too! It’s great to recognize so many familiar names 🙂 Welcome to Slovenia 😉

Day 9 - Tuesday, May 3

The day was dedicated to visiting the Postojna Caves and Predjama Castle. We had bought the tickets online the day before, which gave us a small discount. The price is still steep since we paid 111.6 € for the four of us to access the caves, the vivarium, and a butterfly exhibition. Adding the castle visit would have brought the total to 150 €. The cave tour starts on the hour; we chose the first slot at 10 AM. The tour begins with a small train ride for several kilometers. I found the train too fast—we didn’t really have time to admire the cave. The last kilometer is on foot, with explanations from a guide whose voice, broadcast through speakers, was hard to hear over the large group of tourists. The cave is quite different from Škocjan; the chambers are less gigantic and spectacular, but the formations as a whole are impressive.







After the cave tour, we went to the vivarium, which tells the story of the olm, Proteus anginus, a salamander-like creature that lives in the Postojna Caves.





The butterfly exhibition also features fossils.

After a lunch break, we headed to Predjama Castle, nestled in a cliff. We didn’t have an opinion on the interior since we didn’t visit it, but the exterior is still pretty, and its secluded setting reminded us of the Panayia Hozoviotissa Monastery on the island of Amorgos in the Cyclades.









We returned to our accommodation around 4 PM and rested before leaving for the bear excursion. We set off a little before 5 PM for about an hour’s drive. Marko made a stop and gave us some explanations about the region’s intermittent lakes and the history of Slovenia (at birth, his great-grandfather was Austrian, his father Yugoslav, he himself Italian, and his son Slovenian, due to the successive changes in nationality of this territory).



During the trip, he gave us information about the bears and the rules to follow (don’t talk, walk quickly but without running, no noise once in the shelter, etc.). We were very lucky—a mother bear and her three cubs were already on site when we arrived. We watched them in awe as they ate the cereals that had been left out for them. These are wild bears, even though food is provided for them.





After some time, the mother bear and her cubs became alert, and we saw a second mother bear with her cub join the spot. They all coexisted and shared the food.







We stayed for about an hour and a half, enjoying this unusual spectacle for us.

Day 10 - Wednesday, May 4

Today we head to the Vipava Valley, a wine-producing region, as Slovenia is a wine producer. Following Marko’s advice, we stop in Goče, a village compared to Venice for its canals. Meh, apart from one or two bridges, there’s little resemblance to Venice—we leave a bit disappointed by the place. Next, we go to Štanjel, a pretty village with some ramparts and a lovely park.

After a one-hour walk, we head to Nova Gorica, near the Italian border. We have lunch there and then do some wine shopping before returning to Pivka.





Day 11 - Thursday, May 5

Last day in Slovenia. We chat with Marko, who is definitely great company. During our stay, he let us taste some homemade liqueurs, and we bought some honey from him, produced by his father.



We then visit the military museum near Pivka. Planes, trucks, tanks, and other war machines.







We wander along the way before reaching Ljubljana around 4 PM after a detour to a gas station. The car was returned without any issues; the rental company tells us we’ll be charged 36 € since we mentioned leaving the country. The return flight goes smoothly, and we’re home by 9 PM.

Summary

We loved our trip to Slovenia: the country is clean, the people are kind and welcoming, and the landscapes are beautiful. We’re happy we chose to spend about ten days discovering this place instead of a month in the summer. Even if we’d added Croatia or even Montenegro, those European landscapes, as stunning as they are, wouldn’t have satisfied our craving for something completely different. That’s where Mexico, our July destination, really delivered 😎

Total budget for our vacation: 3400 €, including: - France-Slovenia flight: 600 € - car rental: 300 € - accommodations: 1400 € (all booked via Booking except for the last one in Pivka) - meals: 600 € - miscellaneous (fuel, visits, other purchases): 500 € Happy to help if I can 🙂

Thanks Anne for this lovely travel journal.

Unlike the Škocjan Caves, it doesn’t look like photos are banned in the Postojna ones—lucky for me, since I might be heading there soon, and I can’t imagine visiting without my camera! On the other hand, they’ve banned tripods, unfortunately (I just read that on their site), but hey, if I can still get a few shots, that’s better than nothing...

About the bear family, I’m not usually into feeding wildlife, but wow, those plantigrades in your photos are gorgeous! Great job.

Lolo

Thanks Anne for this lovely travel journal.

Unlike the Škocjan Caves, photography doesn’t seem to be banned in the Postojna Caves—lucky for me since I might be heading there soon, and I can’t imagine visiting without my camera! On the other hand, they’ve banned tripods, unfortunately (I just read that on their site), but hey, if I can still bring back a few shots, that’s better than nothing...

As for the bear family, I’m not usually into feeding animals, but wow, those plantigrades in your photos are stunning! Great job.

Lolo

Thanks for your kind message, Lolo. When it comes to the bears, I agree with you. That said, I can’t help but draw a parallel with wildlife parks—visited on safari, equipped with watering holes, and designed by humans. Yes, humans intervene to allow animal observation. Good... not good...?? A big debate!

Anyway, thanks for the compliment on the photos—I’ll pass it on to the photographer! 🙂

Hi Anne. Well, the verdict is that like the travel journal, 10 days in Slovenia is too short ;) Thanks for this little escape to the Balkans—it makes me want to go back. Bruno We’re waiting for Mexico! 😎

Thanks Anne for this new share, with original destinations and varied discoveries. Just to clarify, Slovenia is one of the most athletic countries in the world, with at least two-thirds of the population practicing a sport. I saw that in a documentary. A calm and serene country, where even the capital feels like a provincial town.

Great post, very detailed—it’s making me even more excited about going! We’ve decided to spend a week there in August 2025. We’ll be staying 2 nights at Pension Torok near Bled, 2 nights in Ljubljana, and 3 nights on the coast—I’m not sure where yet. Thanks for sharing!

Hi Anne. Well, the verdict is that, like the travel journal, 10 days in Slovenia is too short 😉 Thanks for this little escape to the Balkans—it makes me want to go back. Bruno We’re waiting for Mexico! 😎

Oops, looks like I’ve got some messages to catch up on Thanks so much, Bruno, for your message! Happy to share this travel journal 🙂 Mexico—I’ll admit I’m feeling lazy (stole the expression from my teens ). But I promise, I’ll do one on Jordan, which I’ll be visiting this summer!

Thanks Anne for this new share, with original destinations and varied discoveries. To clarify, Slovenia is one of the most athletic countries in the world, with at least two-thirds of the population practicing a sport. I saw that in a documentary. A calm and serene country, where even the capital feels like a provincial town.

Like with Bruno, sorry Joël for the unusually long time it took me to reply Thanks for your message on my travel journal 🙂

Great post, very detailed—it’s making me even more excited about going! We’ve decided to spend a week there in August 2025. We’ll also stay 2 nights at Pension Torok near Bled, 2 nights in Ljubljana, and 3 nights on the coast—I’m not sure where yet. Thanks for sharing!

You’re welcome, Dali! Let me know if you need anything.

Thanks Anne! Where did you go to see the bears?

Thanks Anne Where did you go to see the bears?

The bear spot is about twenty kilometers east of Trnje, where we were staying. I wouldn’t recommend going solo for sightings though 🙂