Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
10 to 14 Days
Essential Slovenia
Travellers wanting to experience the highlights of the country's alpine, karst and coastal
regions should begin in the country's capital,
Ljubljana
. Allow at least two nights to take
in the sights, restaurants and beautiful riverside setting. Drive, train or take the bus north
to Lake Bled. If you've got time, stop at one or both of the historic towns of
Škofja Loka
or
Radovljica
on your way.
Lake Bled
merits at least a night's stay to allow time to walk around the lake and take a
pletna
(gondola) to Bled Island. Plan for a longer sojourn if you intend to try an adventure
outing, like rafting or canyoning.
Lovely
Lake Bohinj
, 26km southwest of Lake Bled and accessible by bus, makes for a
more rustic, less touristy base and has the added advantage of direct views to Mt Triglav.
Both Bled and Bohinj are good starting points for further exploration of
Triglav National
Park
.
Make your way northward to
Kranjska Gora
, the country's skiing capital and another
good base for walking and hiking. It's also the northern terminus of the spectacularly
beautiful
Vršič Pass
, a high-altitude roadway that can be traversed by car, bus or bike
during summer, but is closed to vehicles from November to April.
The Vršič Pass twists and turns for some 50km down to the country's white-water raft-
ing capital of
Bovec
. Overnight here or in nearby
Kobarid
, a pretty town with a Medi-
terranean feel, amazing WWI history and some of the country's best restaurants.
Continue southward through
Nova Gorica
to the
Vipava Valley
, the centre of the
Karst region that stretches southeast to the Croatian border. Little towns here, like
Štanjel
to the west, are rich in olives, ruby-red Teran wine,
pršut
(dry-cured ham) and red-tiled
roofs.
Further south, following the main Hwy E70 to the coast near Divača, is the awe-inspir-
ing
Škocjan Caves
, part of an immense system of limestone caves in this region.
From here, it's just a skip to the coastal resorts of
Portorož
and
Piran
. If you're look-
ing for romance, choose Piran; if it's sun and fun, Portorož is the centre of the action.
The return journey to Ljubljana passes through
Postojna
, another amazing cave.
