Every time before I travel to a new country I try to do as much research as possible and it's never easy to find all the useful information together in one place. I usually combine reading a guidebook with browsing through different tags on Instagram and then google places I'd like to visit separately.
If you are planning a trip to Slovenia I hope you will find my information useful.
We stayed in Ljubljana for the whole trip and it was perfect as the city is centrally located and you can easily drive from there to the sea or to the mountains (the time it normally takes to cross London from North to South).
Ljubljana - the capital, one day is enough to explore the central part with highlights being Ljubljana castle offering gorgeous views of the city (we didn't go in) and city centre with all the lovely markets. In terms of restaurants, we were recommended by locals to try Druga Violina and it didn't disappoint - hearty Slovenian dishes at reasonable prices. Slovenska Hisa is another nice place for a drink and/or snack.
If you want to enjoy another rooftop view of Ljubljana and to see Ljubljana Castle from the other side I highly recommend going to Neboticknik - Skyscraper for a drink.
First days of our stay were foggy in mornings and sunny later in the day - the mist and the sun created those gorgeous colours at sunset!
Lake Bled is an absolutely magical place and is definitely must see in Slovenia. It seems very touristy at first but it's very easy to find spots without people. The little church on Bled island is a popular wedding location. Traditionally it is considered good luck for the groom to carry his bride up the steps on the day of their wedding before ringing the bell and making a wish inside the church.
On the way from lake Bled we made a quick stop in Radovljica, a small town with houses dating from the 15-16th centuries.
Predjama castle (below left) was built within a cave and was first mentioned in the 13th century.
Piran, a lovely seaside town was another highlight of the trip.
For the view below climb the bell tower of St George's church.
I loved that most of the churches in Slovenia are built on hilltops. Church of St Primoz has one of the most beautiful locations high up in the mountains with more mountains as a backdrop. I was hoping to see it on a misty day but we got sun instead. Maybe that's a good reason to come back?
We also visited Plansarsko Lake (Zgornje Jerezersko) that was partly frozen but so far no snow for us this year. Still hoping it might snow in London!
