Slovenia - The Best Little Country

Slovenia is about the size of New Jersey and has a population of just 2 million people. But wow, it has everything – mountains, lakes, gorges, beaches, cities, food and wine! This was one of our most surprising visits. The locals say that it’s shaped like a chicken and describe the different areas accordingly “chicken head” or “chicken butt.”

With a little imagination, you can see the chicken

Bled

First stop, Bled. This cute alpine town is famous for Lake Bled and Bled Castle . Bled is a popular tourist destination, especially in the summer. We were lucky to visit in the fall when there were less crowds. Plus we were treated with autumn leaves. It was incredible.

First, we walked around the footpath that winds around the lake, giving different vantage points. We wandered the streets of the alpine village, sampling food at the cute cafes and restaurants along the way. The food had a German/Austrian feel – lots of meat, sausage and potatoes. Which suited us just fine! We sampled the world famous Bled cake. We really loved our stay in Bled and wish we would have had a few more days to explore the Alpine portion of Slovenia. Next time!

Vintgar Gorge

Next, we took a short drive north of Bled and visited the Vintgar Gorge (Soteska Vintgar) – a 1.6 km canyon featuring blue/green water, sheer limestone cliffs and beautiful autumn foliage. For a small entry fee, we were able to walk along the boardwalk path that winds its way through the canyon and waterfalls. After leaving the gorge itself, we were treated to a lovely walk through the Slovene countryside. Vintgar Gorge is a cannot miss for anyone visiting Bled.

Piran

Next we visited Piran – a coastal village on the Adriatic Sea. Slovenia only has about 30 miles of coastline, but they make the most of it. Piran was ruled by the Venetians for approximately 500 years and the Venetian influence is obvious on the architecture and culture of the village. The city is officially bilingual (Slovene and Italian). We found a great Airbnb right on the main square with a balcony overlooking the sea and the sunsets!

We planned a lot of fun activities in Piran. First, we went for a truffle hunt! Truffles are found in this part of Slovenia and are a huge part of the local cuisine. So we went right to the source. We met locals in the nearby town of Gažon and went into the forest with our guide, the hunter and his dog. We always thought truffles were hunted with pigs. Pigs are superior at finding the truffles, but they cannot help but eat them. Dogs are way more trainable. Our truffle dog was a mix of a golden retriever and lab and was so cute! And the best part, our guide took us back to her home where we prepared truffle pasta with fresh local ingredients. Delicious!

Next, we went on an e-bike tour of the countryside. It was great to get out into the green hills, vineyards, salt pans, and enjoy great views. We have ridden e-bikes a few times on this vacation, and really love them.

Piran is the peninsula in the background of the photo

Finally, we rented Vespas from a guide and drove through the inland countryside. We loved this tour because riding Vespas is fun and it took us to an area tourists rarely see. The highlight came when we visited Krkavče, a quaint village dating back to the 9th century. Only about 250 people still live there, and we were the only outsiders in the village.The people were friendly and were welcomed by the church’s caregiver with local fruits and a bouquet of wildflowers.

Postojna Caves

After leaving Piran, we stopped by the breathtaking Potojna Caves – a 15 mile long cave system carved by the Pivka River over millions of years. The visit to the cave begins and ends with a train ride through the tunnels and has a lengthy walking tour in the middle. The caves were breathtaking. The stalagmite and stalactites were huge and unlike any we had ever seen. This is one of Slovenia’s top tourist attractions for a reason. We also visited the nearby Predjama Castle – a medieval castle somehow carved directly into the cliffs. This was a short stop on our way to Ljubljana, but one we will never forget.

Ljubljana

Our final stop – the capital and Slovenia’s largest city. We loved Ljubljana – it was so clean, walkable, relaxed, and the fall foliage made the city plain beautiful. The Ljubljanica river runs through the city and is crisscrossed with beautiful bridges. Plus a castle overlooks the city and the symbol is a dragon. Ljubljana is straight out of a fairytale! Everyone we met was so kind and welcoming. They were genuinely excited to tell us more about their country and give us recommendations on what to do next.

After arriving in Ljubljana, our first activity was a home cooking class with the mother-son team of Alenka and Luka. This was one of the most special things we did in Slovenia. They welcomed us into their family home with a lunch of homemade goulash and polenta. We spent hours in their home, learning to make Štruklji – rolled dough stuffed with cottage cheese and topped with cinnamon. The food and wine were delicious. But the highlight was spending time with Alenka and Luka and getting a peek into what it is like to live and work in Slovenia. While the struklji was cooking, Alenka took us for a walk in their neighborhood and stopped to talk to neighbors along the way. I cannot recommend this experience enough! Next time we are in Slovenia, our first call is to Alenka!

On a walk in Alenka and Luka’s neighborhood

We also did a food tour and made fast friends with our local guide Jasmina. We ate delicious food, drank good wine, and finished with a rooftop bar at sunset. She even helped us plan the rest of our trip to Slovenia – recommending we visit the chicken neck! If you’re in Ljubljana, book this food tour!

Road Trip to the Chicken Neck

We rented a car in Slovenia so we could explore the rural parts of the country a little better. On our final day in Slovenia, we took Jasmina’s advice and visited the chicken neck – the cities of Maribor, Ptuj, and the vineyards of Jeruzalem. It was easy to get around on Slovenia’s well maintained roads. And we are so glad we visited these out of the way places. They were incredibly beautiful.