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Slovenia was one of two countries that I completely fell in love with during my recent travels. The other was New Zealand. When I think about the countries as a whole, and what I loved about each, I can’t help but notice the similarities. Both are stunningly beautiful with endless mountains, picturesque lakes, unbelievably nice people, and enough outdoorsy activities to keep even the most active person busy forever.
The biggest difference between the two is that New Zealand is one of the most time consuming and expensive places in the world to travel to. And if you’re going to go through all that effort and money to get there you need to have a lot of time to adequately explore, which is going to be a problem for most travelers who only have a few weeks. If New Zealand just isn’t in the cards, I strongly suggest you consider one of Europe’s few remaining semi-secret gems: Slovenia.
Slovenia has the efficiency of Western Europe with the unspoiled feel of Eastern Europe, and prices that fall somewhere in the middle. The culture is heavily influenced by neighboring countries Austria and Italy. This is especially evident in the food where Italian options are most prevalent. I’m not a huge Germanic food fan, and I like Italian sparingly, but I STILL loved Slovenia—that’s how great the country is. Lake Bled
Slovenia’s most popular destination is Lake Bled. Nestled amongst the Julian Alps, Lake Bled is famed for its picturesque views. In the middle of the lake is Slovenia’s only natural island which features a tiny church. It’s a popular wedding destination that comes with a fun tradition. On the day of the wedding, the groom is supposed to carry his bride up the church’s 99 steep steps to ensure a happy marriage. It’s actually harder than it sounds, and it’s entertaining to watch the grooms struggle up the steps in their wedding clothes. Image may be NSFW.
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Visitors spend their time hiking, swimming, and lounging at the beach. There are stunt plane shows at night, rowing competitions, a luge track, fireworks, and summer festivals. In short you can be as lazy or active as you please. Bled Castle is another big draw for the lake. The interior of the castle isn’t anything special, but the views are definitely worth the hike. Image may be NSFW.
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While Lake Bled is one of the most relaxing places I’ve ever been there’s a lot more to Slovenia. Whitewater rafting is a popular option on Soča River where the water is so clean you can scoop it out and drink it. It tastes delicious, and the whitewater rafting is freezing, but tons of fun. Image may be NSFW.
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The Škocjan Caves are one of the biggest underground caves in the world (3.5 km long). Tours through the caves take you underground for an hour and a half and descend 525 feet below ground. Wandering through the dark and cold caves is both creepy and beautiful. Mostly the experience just reminded me of a scene straight out of Lord of the Rings.
Piran
The coastline is small (43km), but still attracts a lot of visitors. The highlight is Piran, a quaint beach town with a lot of character. Piran is a lot less touristy than nearby Croatia’s crowded coastal towns which makes the experience feel more authentic. Like most of Eastern Europe there aren’t sand beaches. Instead sunbathers perch on rocks and lounge chairs on the docks. Image may be NSFW.
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With so many mountains, naturally Slovenia is full of great hikes. Slovenia’s tallest mountain is Triglav Mountain at 9,396 feet. Slovenians believe you’re not a real Slovenian until you’ve hiked to the top. It’s a technical climb so I didn’t attempt that one—I guess I’m not a real Slovenian.
One of my favorite hikes was Vintgar Gorge. Wooden bridges crisscross crystal clear waters dozens of times as you wander through the forest. The hike is really more of a walk, but the views are incredible. Image may be NSFW.
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Ljubljana
While the highlights of Slovenia and New Zealand are their natural beauty, they each have some urban charms too. Ljubljana is what I imagine a lot of popular European cities would have felt like before they were overrun by tourism. In fact Ljubljana is actually moving closer to its roots. Each year the government picks a new street in the old city and closes it to traffic. Some day in the near future the entire old city will be pedestrian only. Image may be NSFW.
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Obviously there are a ton of differences between New Zealand and Slovenia. That said, if you’re looking for an active holiday, lovely people, natural beauty, an environmentally conscious culture, and a non-touristy experience, but can’t afford the time or money to go to New Zealand—Slovenia will not disappoint.
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