Top 5 Amazing Places to Visit on Your Vacation in Slovenia

Last updated on January 26th, 2023 at 08:09 pm

Of all the places we have been in Europe, Slovenia surprised me the most. It was not even on my radar as a destination for us. I was actually planning a road trip down to Croatia and I needed to break up the driving somehow. Slovenia happened to be a good halfway point in our journey, and so my research began. The more I researched Slovenia as a destination, the more impressed I was with the options and variety of activities there was for us to do! And, after returning from the trip, I can assure you that Slovenia did not disappoint us one bit. I’m super excited to share all about our journey with you and hopefully inspire you to consider these amazing places to visit Slovenia!

***Disclaimer: Be sure to check the current entry regulations for Slovenia as well as any places you decide you would like to visit before booking anything!

5. Visit The Costal Town of Piran, Slovenia

Piran is a tiny coastal village that is a wonderful place to visit in Slovenia. It is located on the Istrian Peninsula, overlooking the Adriatic Sea and was once a part of the Republic of Venice. There are some definite architectural similarities to Venice with its narrow passageways and brightly colored buildings. The village itself rose to importance because of the salt pans that lie around it and salt has historically been the village’s main trading good. It is not a high energy village. Instead, it is somewhere you go when you are looking for an escape and a place to rest and take things slower.

What to do in Piran

In my opinion, summer is definitely the best time to go because this is the “on” season and a lot more places will be open. You might also decide you would like to visit during one of the regions’s festivals.

In Piran, you can join the many people taking a dip in the cool, brightly colored waters and laying out on the rocks, soaking up the sun. There are many other things you can do as well: admire Tartini Square, walk along the town’s medieval walls, get lost in the narrow alleyways or walk along the promenade to the lighthouse, enjoy some delicious seafood, and take a peak in St. George’s Parish Church.

You can check out this website to find out more about the area, find things to do, and learn more about upcoming events and to help you plan your trip to Piran.

Important Information About Parking in Piran:

Piran is a pedestrian town and if you are planning to arrive by car, you must park outside of the village. If you are planning to spend the night or multiple nights here, I recommend finding accommodation that includes parking or making a reservation before you arrive.

We personally stayed in an AirBnB that included parking at the Garage Fornace. This garage was very convenient for us and there is a free shuttle bus that will take you to and from Tartini Square (the main square of Piran).

4. Visit Škocjanske Jame (Caves) in Slovenia

The Škocjanske Jame is one of the biggest and most important cave systems in Slovenia and in fact the world. It is ranked as the world’s largest known underground canyon and it is an important underground wetland that houses many unique and endangered organisms in the Karst region. Because of its significance in the natural world, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1986.

To visit the inside of the Škocjanske Jame, you must purchase tickets for a guided tour. Please note that photography is not allowed inside the main cave, but after you exit, you can walk along a path through the gorge that will bring you to a smaller cave where you can take some photos if you like. You can learn more about the length of the visits on the website linked above.

Pro Tip

If you are traveling here by car, there is a large parking lot where you can park for free!

3. Ljubljana

One of my regrets of our vacation was that we only spent a couple of hours in Ljubljana (pronounced Lube-Lee-ah-na). But, it was worth every minute and it is one of the places in Slovenia that I would really like to visit again.

I have a confession: I’m not that much of a city person. When I am traveling, I would much rather seek out experiences in nature or smaller towns with less traffic, less noise, and less chaos. Since I do not enjoy staying in cities for long periods of time, it didn’t even occur to me that we should consider a longer stay.

The thing is, you can’t tell what kind of vibe a city will have from photos online. And, I just assumed that Ljubljana would have similar vibes to the other cities we visited. But, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Ljubljana has such a cool, calm vibe. It was nice to walk along the Ljubljanica River which passes peacefully by brightly colored buildings. Also it was recently ranked as the #1 European Best Green Capital in Europe by Forbes. You will find that there are countless parks and green areas to enjoy.

Summer Event: The Open Kitchen

One thing I absolutely LOVED about our short stay in Ljubljana was the Open Kitchen. It is open on Fridays in the Pogačarjev trg Square during the summer. Basically, restaurants from all over Ljubljana (including big name restaurants) set up tents and serve a limited menu. A lot of times, the prices are also less than what you would pay in the actual restaurants. So, you can get some really great deals here.

***Please note: the restaurants and menus will vary from week to week. But, with so many options, you will always be sure to find something you love.

We just happened to be passing through on a Friday and I decided it would be a great place to stop and get lunch. We parked at the Center Parking, which was only about a five minute walk to the market. Once there, we discovered so many delicious food options, it was hard to choose where to start. We ended up splitting a number of things with one another so we could maximize our tastings. I was surprised that my absolute favorite food was from the Egyptian restaurant. I had never tried Egyptian food before, but those seasonings were just sooooo good (it makes me want to go to Egypt now!). We also had Indian food, my husband tried some Japanese foods, and I got a package of macarons for dessert.

Things to do in Ljubljana (besides eat all the food :P)

1. Admire Prešeren Square, the Triple Bridge, and the Dragon Bridge

2. Tour Ljubljana Castle

3. Meander through Tivoli Park

4. Check out the Central Market

5. Learn more about Slovenia’s history at the National Museum of Slovenia

2. Predjama Castle – The World’s Largest Castle in a Cave

Predjama Castle is located in the tiny village of Predjama (only about 9KM away from the famous Postojna Caves). Not only is it stunning to look at, but it also holds the great Guiness Book of World Record title for the world’s largest cave castle. In addition to its great looks, it also has quite a wild and fun history that you can learn more about via the Audio Guide on your tour. I think this is what makes it one of the most fun places to visit in Slovenia.

The History of Predjama Castle

The construction of the castle began in the 13th century and was expanded and remodeled over the course of about 400 years. The backside of the castle connects to a series caves and tunnels which lead connect all the way through the mountainside. Hundreds of years later, it still stands unconquered.

The castle has had many residents over the years. Of course, the most interesting of these was Erazem. He is particularly famous as the Robin Hood of Slovenia. The most epic story of him begins with him killing one of the Emperor’s relatives in a duel. Afterwards, he ended up having to flee to Predjama Castle for refuge. Hoping to starve Erazem into submission, his enemies besieged him. But, this failed miserably because Erazem used the secret tunnels to escape to the other side of the mountain. There, he was able to restock the food supply for the year long siege. Legend has it that he was eventually betrayed by a servant and he was killed by a cannonball while using the toilet. However, there is no solid evidence to support this comical end to the story.

Visiting the Castle and/or Caves

The Predjama Castle is open year round for visitors, but the caves beneath the castle are only opened from June to August due the the hibernation schedule of the bats who live there. Please note that the caves beneath the castle are different from the Postojna Caves! Postojna Cave is a very famous and beautiful cave in Slovenia. The first documented “railway in a cave” was built here in 1872 just for tourists. Nowadays, you can still ride a train in the cave and learn about the “baby dragons” (Olms) that live there.

There are a number of combination tickets that allow you to see more for a discount. The most popular is the Predjama Castle and Postojna Cave ticket combination. You can learn more about the ticketing options, visiting hours, and the shuttle on the official Predjama Castle website.

Pro Tip:

If you buy the combination ticket, there is a free shuttle that will take you from the castle to the Postojna Cave and back. This means that if you are visiting by car, you don’t have to worry about moving your vehicle between stops.

1. Lake Bled and the Julian Alps

The minute I saw Lake Bled in person, I told my husband that when it comes time for us to retire, this is where I want to retire to. I’m not kidding! For me, this whole area is paradise. That’s why it ranks number 1 in my top places to visit in Slovenia lineup. In fact, I wrote an entire post just about all the things you can do in this beautiful village, so check it out: Top Five Fantastic Things to Experience in Lake Bled, Slovenia!

In Conclusion

I hope this post has give you a lot of inspiration for places to visit on your trip to Slovenia! Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Happy Travels,
<3 Christine