I’m proud to say that this summer, I finally made a ten-year travel dream come true: I visited Slovenia for the first time!
I know that may sound like a rather odd travel dream. Most people, if they visit Slovenia at all, tend to tack it onto a larger Europe trip…either when they visit Italy, Croatia, or do a larger sweep through Central Europe and/or the Balkans. I don’t know too many people other than myself who were fascinated enough by Slovenia to build a trip around it.
But let me tell you…it is SO worth it.
Slovenia was the 35th country I’ve visited so far (yay, mini travel milestone!) and I can honestly say it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. There is so much natural and man-made beauty there, it’s hard to see how one relatively small country can contain it all!
I began my trip in the capital of Ljubljana, and I really wish I’d budgeted more time there (I only had one full day!). It’s one of the prettiest cities I’ve ever seen! Architecturally stunning buildings in gorgeous pastels populate the streets, the riverside cafes are inviting at any time of day, and it’s a perfect place to just wander the cobblestoned alleys and get lost for a while. On the touristy side, I also visited the castle (and walked all the way up—no furnuncular for me!); took a river cruise in the evening, which I highly recommend as a different way to see the city while getting out on the water; and spent an hour in the excellent Museum of Contemporary History of Slovenia–a must to understand more about the recent history of this fascinating country, from its brief 1991 war for independence to its triumphant ascension into the European Union and NATO (yes, I wrote my dissertation on the role of Central European countries in the EU, so I may be a bit of a nerd on this subject, but really, it’s a great museum I think everyone should visit even if it’s a bit out of the way from the city center).
Ljubljana, in all its pastel glory.
After Ljubljana, it was on to Lake Bled. I spent about four days here, soaking up the stunning natural beauty of my surroundings, highlighted by my trip by pletna (small boat) to the island in the center of the lake, which has been made famous in countless photos by the church in the middle of it—it’s just as charming as you would imagine it to be! Other than that, there’s not really too much to do in Lake Bled aside from water sports and hanging out in cafes and restaurants—another reason I wish I’d spent more time in Ljubljana to explore there—but it’s a beautiful place and should definitely be visited on any trip to Slovenia.
Lake Bled island with church in the center.
Probably my favorite part of the trip was when I booked a day tour to see some of Slovenia’s greatest natural attractions—Mt. Triglav, its highest peak; the Soca river (including whitewater rafting—a first for me and actually a lot of fun!) and a quick, although rain-soaked glimpse of Lake Bohinj (nice, but can’t compete with Lake Bled, in my opinion). It was a great way to see a lot of the northern part of this small country in a short span of time, and I would recommend doing this type of tour to anyone!
View of Soca river…can you believe that water color is real?!
When posting to my Instagram account, I captioned a photo of the Soca River with these words, “Drop whatever you’re doing and go to Slovenia.” And so, the title of this blog post…because it really is true. This country is beautiful, friendly, easy to navigate, has a fascinating history, and should be high on anyone’s European bucket list. If you’re going to be anywhere nearby, don’t miss the chance to pop into Slovenia for at least a few days….or, you could be like me and build an entire trip around it. I promise it will be well worth it!
Have you been to Slovenia? Would you be interested in going? Which photo is your favorite?