Slovenia Travel Guide [2022]
Slovenia is a tiny country in central Europe. It borders Italy, Croatia, Hungary, and Austria and still enjoys 29 miles of coast to the Adriatic Sea. With 2 million people, 48 dialects, 23 gastronomic regions, and 3 wine growing regions you can safely say there is a lot going on here.
This page is to help you plan your trip to Slovenia or find inspiration for your next trip. After living in this beautiful country for several years I have tested and tried many of the activities, food, and wine (you’re welcome) before presenting them to you!
About Slovenia
- Slovenian (or Slovene) is the official language of Slovenia.
- Slovenia gained its independence in 1991.
- Slovenia is in the European Union (since 2004).
- The local currency is the Euro.
- Slovenia is ranked as one of the safest countries in the world.
- Triglav (2864m) is the highest peak of the Julian Alps.
- There are over 90,000 beekeepers in Slovenia.
Regions of Slovenia
Slovenia has various ways to divide itself by regions which might cause some confusion when planning your travels. For consistency I will be referring to the traditional regions. This is how they are locally and culturally defined in Slovenia.
Know which regions will be included on your Slovenia itinerary? Browse content by region:
- Prekmurje (coming soon)
Top places to visit in Slovenia
First time to Slovenia?
If this is your first time traveling to Slovenia check out these articles to get introduced and inspired.
Food in Slovenia
Slovenia has 23 different gastronomic regions and certainly has no shortage of diversity in their cuisine. Here are a few food items I recommend trying if you find them on the menu.
- štruklji
- Kranjska klobasa
- žlikrofi
- ričet
- ajdovi žganci
- potica
- kremšnita
- Premurska gibanica
Slovenian dishes you can't miss!
Slovenian Castles
There are no shortage of castles for a country that never had its own King or Queen. Here are a few that I recommend visiting. Click the name of the castle to read more about it.
Top things to do in Slovenia
Slovenian Wine
With over 28,000 vineyards it is physically impossible to try every wine in Slovenia. Home of the oldest grapevine in the world, Slovenians know wine.
- Pinela
- Traminec
Once in A Lifetime Slovenia
With epic landscapes, there are plenty of opportunities to check off some bucket list items or experience a once in a lifetime adventure.
- Flying over Triglav and Lake Bled
- Driving the highest road in Slovenia to Mangart
- Riding a hot air balloon over Lake Bled
- Visiting a traditional Alpine herdsman community at Velika Planina
Visiting Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and situated in the center of the country. The perfect city break for architecture, museums, and food. This walkable city is ideal for your introduction to Slovenia and has great connections to the rest of the country. Use these guides to help plan your travels.
Getting Around Slovenia
Getting around Slovenia is a bit more challenging than some of the neighboring countries but as they say, nothing good comes easy.
Slovenia has one international airport, Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport. Alternatively, visitors opt for flying into other surrounding cities such as Zagreb, Trieste, Venice, or Vienna. GoOpti is my recommendation for airport transfers.
The national trains are called Slovenske železnice. You can find and book tickets through their site.
Nomago is an affordable bus options to get you to and from Slovenia. Autobusna Postaja Ljubljana is the offical bus in Ljubljana. Arriva operates in some cities in Slovenia and travels to Italy, Austria, Croatia, and Serbia.
During the summer time there are Hop On Hop Off bus options in towns such as Lake Bled, Radovljica, Goriška Brda, and the coastal area.
My favorite way to explore Slovenia is by car. There are a few options for car rentals (available in the airport and city center).