Castles, caverns, scenic mountains, live medieval tournaments, friendly people and tasty cuisine are some of the things awaiting you in Slovenia...make this year the year you visit this fairy-tale-like country!
Take a boat ride on Lake Bled onboard a Pletna
Lake Bled is one of Slovenia’s most popular tourist attractions and taking a boat trip along it is no doubt, one of the best things to do in Slovenia. Bled Lake is one of the most picturesque lakes in Europe and a boat ride is an excellent way to enjoy a pleasant day out in Slovenia while taking photos of the famous Bled Castle and the area around.
Best thing about a boat trip of Lake Bled is having the opportunity to ride on a traditional Slovenian wooden boat (called Pletnas), which are like huge Venetian gondolas.
Go on a hiking trip through the Julian Alps
Booking a hiking excursion of the Julian Alps is definitely, one of the must do things in Slovenia. Most hiking trips of the Julian Alps of Slovenia last a full day and allow you to soak in the stunning scenery of this pristine mountain range that also stretches across northern Italy.
On a typical hiking excursion you can expect to hike trough popular ski areas like Kranjska Gora, beautiful valleys like the Trenta and Upper Sava valleys, and mountain passes such as the Vrsic pass and Predil pass (both of which rise over 5,000ft).
Online booking companies such as “3 T Excursion”, “U Tracks” and “Wilderness Travel” are some tour companies offering hiking trips of the Julian Alps.
Soak in a thermal spring
Enjoying a relaxing soak on a thermal spring is something else you definitely have to experience while in Slovenia. There are a few ways to go about enjoying a thermal spring soak in Slovenia like visiting a wellness centre for the day or staying at a hotel resort with a spa centre such as the Golf Hotel and Grand Hotel Toplice in Bled, and the Bohinj Park hotel in Bohinjska Bistrica.
Saying this, one of the most popular thermal springs in Slovenia is located at the Lasko health hotel resort, which were used back then by the Romans. This health resort also boasts Finnish saunas and Turkish baths and other cool daily activities on offer.
Explore the caves
Slovenia is home to thousands of stunning caves and visiting one or two is definitely, one of the must do things in Slovenia. There are over 20 caverns that are suitable for tourists to visit such as the famous Krizna Jama cave in Grahovo and the Postojna Cave.
Both these caverns are located south of Ljubljana (around 45 mins drive) and boast truly spectacular rock formations and beautiful underground lakes that you can explore on boat and train tours (note. admission to these two caves is ~€25).
There are more caves you can visit in the area around the towns of Postojna and Cerknica that have a cheaper admission fee (~€10). They include the Black and the Pivka caves, and the Planinska Cave near the town of Planina.
Experience a Royal stay at a castle hotel
The beauty about Slovenian castles is that many of them have been turned into great medieval museums and fantastic hotels that offer an experience fit for royalty! However long you plan to be in the country, you certainly want to add to your itinerary of “must do things in Slovenia” spending 2-3 nights at a castle hotel.
Best thing about staying at a castle hotel in Slovenia is that it won’t cost you an arm and a leg! Castle hotels in Slovenia don’t come more exciting than the Mokrice Castle Hotel, which is the only castle hotel in Slovenia with a functioning drawbridge. Then, you have the Otocec Castle and the Predjama, which is built into a hanging face.
Attend a medieval tournament
If you’re planning to travel to Slovenia during the summer months, you’ll definitely want to pass by one of Slovenia’s many castles to attend the reenactment of a medieval tournament.
Almost every castle in Slovenia hosts a medieval tournament of some kind though none is more spectacular
than the Erasmus knight tournament in Predjama castle (in August). You'll get to see archers, blank shots with a medieval cannon, processions, a medieval banquet, and more.
Hike to the top of Bled Castle
Bled Castle is another top attraction in Slovenia that you can’t miss adding on your itinerary because it's the oldest ones in Europe. Another reason to visit Bled castle is to see the reconstruction of a medieval wooden printing press, which still works phenomenally!
However, as most people will tell you…it’s the hike to the top of Bled Castle the main reason to visit the castle. The views of Bled Lake and Julian Alps from the top are truly legendary and second to none!
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