Slovenia… what a beaut. A tiny, hidden treasure of a country sandwiched between Austria, Italy, Croatia and Hungary, to which I have visited twice now and will definitely be returning to in the future. My first escapade to this beautiful country was in the summer of 2017, second in the winter of 2020 (right before the covid pandemic and lockdowns hit!), and both occasions were truly memorable for different reasons. A land deeply connected with nature, with rolling hills, forests, and imposing mountainscapes, Slovenia will appeal to anyone who wants to get away from the crowds and have a truly refreshing and revitalizing holiday.

The lakes

My first visit to Slovenia was for a birthday celebration and a wedding, and as you can probably imagine, was absolutely action packed! From the two separate celebrations, to a mini-break in Croatia, a trip to the Slovenian lakes (Bled & Bohinj), finally topped off by a daytrip to the capital city of Ljubljana, there was not much time for relaxation, but it was all 100% worth it! Lake Bled tends to be the main draw for tourists visiting Slovenia, however I would argue that lake Bohinj, a short car ride from Bled, is in fact the more breathtakingly beautiful lake that you can visit, without the throng of the crowds (which can so often mar the atmosphere at Bled.) Although it was raining on the day (and tipped it down once we reached Bohinj), I would definitely pay Bohinj another visit, perhaps leaving out Bled next time.

A Slovenian wedding

A Slovenian wedding celebration is something to behold! This was one of the most culturally interesting parts of my trip. The celebrations and preparation started the day before the wedding, by preparing the wedding trees, plentiful food, and decorating the wedding car & bride’s house. The wedding and reception lasted the whole day and more – from early in the morning until 4am or so the next morning.

The day started with the groom arriving at the bride’s house to pick her up, but with a twist. In a traditional country Slovenian wedding, there are a series of mini challenges for the groom to complete, and pantomime-esque shenanigans which take place at the bride’s house, before the groom is “permitted” to take his bride. These challenges are things such as outdrinking the best man, chopping wood with an axe, and hoeing a patch of field. These were all narrated by a traditional Slovenian harmonica playing “celebrant”, who is hired for the day to lead the celebrations and keep the mood fun and lighthearted.

After the trials and tribulations at the bride’s house were over, the bride and groom travelled to the church by horse and cart, with the rest of the wedding entourage following in a long line of cars! The ceremony itself was held in a beautiful, quaint little church in a rural village centre. After the ceremony, we all headed to the reception venue – a stunningly gorgeous vineyard on the side of a hill, with picturesque views far and wide across the surrounding hills and forest lands.

After studying the wedding menu for the evening, I assumed that I would need to pick out a meal. So, I asked a friend of mine to translate the menu to help me decide, only for her to tell me that there is no choice, we are given EVERYTHING on the menu! This was much to her amusement, as she also informed me that the 6/7 different dishes on the menu will all be consumed over a period of about 5 or 6 hours, through the evening, intermingled with dancing and games! Up until that point I had never heard of anything like it, but at the same time I thought to myself… what a great idea! Let’s take it back to the UK! I wonder if a traditional Slovenian wedding is something that a bog-standard UK venue would cater for!?

Ljubljana

Ljubljana is a lovely little capital city. From its river, to its castle, to the collection of cute little cafés dotted around the city, this place had a certain charm to it. We took the funicular up to see the castle, and I took a fair few photos of the cityscape below, from its upper walls. It is quite a hike to visit the castle without taking the funicular up, but this can be done (try it with a pushchair, as we did – not fun!) Apart from the castle, it was a joy to aimlessly wander around the city, taking in the sights and soaking up the laid back, relaxed atmosphere. In comparison to London in the UK, Ljubljana feels like a city from a different world entirely – I got no sense of hustle and bustle or being caught up in the middle of a rat race. It was calm, relaxing, and enjoyable, and the reason why I ended up in fact visiting twice on my two separate trips to Slovenia!

A winter trip to Slovenia

My second trip to Slovenia was for a friend’s big birthday do, and was in the winter, unlike my first trip. Despite this, and despite being pre-warned about the cold and snow, it was actually unseasonably warm, with no snow whatsoever in sight! This allowed us to get out and about a bit more than we were expecting, which was a fantastic opportunity. The highlight of this trip, bar the birthday celebration itself, was our 7 mile round trip mini-hike up a local hill, on one of the most pleasant and sunny days that we could have asked for. We stopped by for refreshment at an attractive little café on the hilltop, and took some amazing photos.

The Slovenian spa

Another highlight of this trip was a visit to Vodno Mesto Atlantis, a large swimming pool complex near to the capital, which also included a full sauna and spa section. Large enough for families, couples and singles alike to enjoy, the entry price was good value, and the spa one of the best decent value spas that I have been to. The only thing to note with regards to the spa, due to the fact that we do not have this type of arrangement here in the UK, is that it was non-clothed only, therefore I would not recommend you to go there if you are uncomfortable with baring all. Massages and other beauty treatments were also on offer at this complex, however due to limited time, I did not indulge on this occasion!

Recommendations welcome!

I will definitely be visiting Slovenia again one day. I am also interested to hear of other’s experiences of Slovenia, and recommendations for other places to visit in this delightful country. Are the caves worth a visit? Or the Julian Alps? Reach out, as I would love to have a chat!