Family Trip to Slovenia
Slovenia is a small and compact country. With an area of 20,000 sq km, it is even smaller than Israel, and because it is elliptical rather than long and narrow, there is no need for excessive long drives. You can stay in its center and reach any point within an hour's drive at most. Its population is only about two million people.
Despite its small size, it is an extremely diverse country: caves, beaches, lakes, natural springs, snow-capped mountains, ancient towns, picturesque villages, castles, casinos—you'll find it all here. Thanks to its forests, which cover about half of its area, Slovenia is considered one of the greenest countries in the world.
The roads in Slovenia are good and driving is comfortable.
Another important fact is that Slovenia, unlike its neighbors Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia, has always been a safe place to live and travel. Except for the 10-day Independence War in the summer of 1991, Slovenia has not known terrorism or wars.
♦ Car rental from the reliable and convenient Booking website: Booking.com
Destinations for Traveling in Slovenia
In Southwestern Slovenia
In southwestern Slovenia lies the famous Karst region, renowned for its stalactite caves, among the largest and most unique in Europe. Two that deserve special mention are the Škocjan Caves (Škocjanske Jame, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site), featuring an exceptionally impressive underground river, and the Postojna Cave (Postojnska Jama), where the visit includes an underground train ride.
Exit from Škocjan Cave:
This region is also famous for the stables of the white dancing horses in the town of Lipica.
It is also recommended to visit Predjama Castle (Predjamski Grad), carved into the cliff rock, and not to miss a tour of the tunnels carved beneath it.
At the edge of this region lies the Adriatic coast in all its glory: magical beaches with clear waters and well-preserved ancient towns. The most beautiful of them all is Piran, known as the "Dubrovnik of the northern Adriatic," a preserved old town surrounded by water with narrow, winding alleys.
Nearby is the resort town of Portorož, boasting great bathing beaches and a wealth of water sports activities.
Northwestern Slovenia
Bled:
The most visited and famous place in Slovenia is undoubtedly picturesque Lake Bled.
This is a small lake in northern Slovenia in the Julian Alps region. In its center is a small island with a church and a bell tower, and an impressive castle overlooks everything.
To book on Viator:
♦ Full-day electric bike rental Electric bike tour in Bled and surroundings -
Rent an eBike in Bled
The area offers a wealth of hotels and restaurants. Don't miss Bled's legendary cream cake (Kremna rezina)!
Lake Bled has many organized bathing beaches, some featuring attractions and fun activities for children: water slides, swings, rafts, and more.
Recommended Hotels in Bled:
For families, it is recommended to stay in Bled in spacious and pleasant vacation apartments, such as:
Hotels in Bled:
Grand Hotel Toplice - Small Luxury Hotels of the World
Tours and Attractions in Bled to Book on Viator:
Excursions Outside Bled
A walking tour is recommended in Vintgar Gorge, where you stroll along a river, cross wooden bridges over the water, amid waterfalls and lush vegetation.
The gorge is located about a ten-minute drive from Bled.
Near Bled, in northwestern Slovenia, there are many hiking trails and additional tourist attractions such as the Triglav National Park, an impressive national park featuring a cable car to Mount Vogel, Lake Bohinj, a wide selection of nature trails for all levels (a hike to the Savica Waterfall is recommended), and excellent winter skiing opportunities.
It is recommended to drive through the Vršič Pass, considered one of the most scenic roads in Slovenia. Be sure to stop for a view of the "Heathen Maiden" (Ajdovska Deklica), a rock face formation resembling a girl's face on the way up to the summit of Vršič Pass.
A delightful experience is riding the motorail car-train running from Bohinjska Bistrica to Most na Soči and back several times a day. The train connects two major tourist areas: the Bohinj-Bled area and the Soča Valley. The scenic and unique trip lasts about fifty minutes. The train passes through several tunnels, the longest of which is 10 km, so despite its slow speed, it significantly shortens travel time compared to driving by car.
Short videos about attractions in the Triglav National Park area:
Motorail train, Lake Bohinj, Soča Valley, Triglav National Park
Attractions for Action Lovers
Action enthusiasts will be pleased to know that the Bled and Triglav area offers plenty of options to get their adrenaline pumping:
You can go rafting on one of the rivers in the area, climb in a rope adventure park or scale cliffs, go kayaking, fly in a hot air balloon, or go paragliding.
♦ Booking a Paragliding Experience in the Lake Bled Area on Viator: Lake Bled Tandem Paragliding
A short video about the experience, from take-off, soaring, to landing:
Another unique adventure is taking a hot air balloon flight over Lake Bled and its surroundings:
To book on Viator:
♦ Thrilling Hot Air Balloon Flight Experience over Bled - Half-Day Hot Air Balloon Experience in Bled
Here is a short video showing the experience from inflating the balloon to the memorable flight over Bled:
In Bled itself, you can ride the alpine coaster sled next to the lake.
Kids love the charming mini-golf located in the town center.
Bled also has a lovely market with various food and craft stalls, making it a great place to stroll.
Southeast of Bled, it is highly recommended to visit the preserved blacksmith village of Kropa, where you will find a small and fascinating blacksmithing museum.
Ljubljana
It is worth dedicating a day to exploring Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, located in the center of the country:
Visit the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, the Triple Bridge (Tromostovje),
the Dragon Bridge (Zmajski Most), and the market. Don't miss the panoramic view of the city from Ljubljana Castle (Ljubljanski Grad), situated on the only hill in the city. Touring the castle is very enjoyable. It is recommended to ride the funicular up from the city center and walk back down. In the summer, the castle hosts a festival featuring various performances. Information about castle events can be found on the website: www.ljubljanafestival.si.
Shopping enthusiasts can visit the city's massive shopping, entertainment, and business center, BTC, considered one of the largest shopping centers in Europe. It features huge department stores, an open-air market, hundreds of shops housed across two main complexes, go-karting, movie theaters, bowling, and even an indoor water park called "Atlantis".
Eastern Slovenia
In eastern Slovenia, there is a large concentration of natural thermal springs renowned for their healing properties, around which numerous spa resorts have been established. The largest and most impressive of them all is TERME ČATEŽ (highly recommended for families), featuring hotels, holiday apartments, sporting activities, and above all, two impressive water parks fed by thermal spring water.
In eastern Slovenia, near the city of Maribor, you will also find a rope adventure park called Betnava Adventure Park.
Nearby is the oldest town in Slovenia: Ptuj, where you can stroll through squares, pedestrian avenues, and buildings preserved from the Middle Ages.
In eastern Slovenia, there is also the Premogovnik Velenje coal mine that you can tour. It is essentially a museum built inside an active mine that explains and demonstrates the challenging and dangerous work of miners. Guided tours are held where you are outfitted in "miner's attire," including a helmet and jacket.
General Information for Trip Planning
The optimal duration for a trip to Slovenia is 7–10 nights. In this timeframe, you can see all its sites at a leisurely pace without excessive driving and relocating, including two pampering days at one of the impressive spa resorts.
Food in Slovenia is influenced by neighboring countries: Viennese schnitzel, Italian pasta, Hungarian goulash, etc., and it is both affordable and delicious. You can celebrate every day in a different good restaurant without emptying your wallet. It is especially recommended to enjoy authentic homemade meals at farmhouses—a delightful and reasonably priced gastronomic experience.
Accommodation in Slovenia is also inexpensive, and the options are numerous: from luxury hotels to holiday villages, farm stays, and B&Bs. All types of accommodations can be booked in advance online.
The website I find most recommended for searching and booking a variety of hotels at low rates is:
Booking.com
Flights
Regarding flight destinations: the best option is to fly to Ljubljana with their scheduled airline Adria Airways (which has a codeshare agreement with El Al), or to Zagreb (the capital of Croatia) with Croatia Airlines. You can also fly to Milan and drive from there to Slovenia and Croatia. Other accessible options include flights to Munich or Vienna.
It is important to check carefully which car rental companies allow cross-border travel and with which vehicle categories (it is permitted only for certain car classes).
The search and booking engine that I recommend:
♦ Car rental from the reliable and convenient Booking website: Booking.com
♦ Port of Koper
Slovenia also has a short coastline on the Adriatic Sea, and many tourists arrive in Slovenia by sea, primarily on cruise ships docking at the Port of Koper.
For cruise passengers, tours to a variety of destinations are available directly from the port, including pickup and return to the ship.