Map tips: each color represents a different day. Click a marker to learn more about the spot, and click the star in the map header to save the entire map under Your Places in Google Maps.
Day 1
Even though we spend the majority of this trip in Slovenia, we flew in and out of Zagreb, Croatia. We wanted to go to Plitvice Lakes National Park and the flights were cheaper to Zagreb. Arrived in Zagreb and drove our rental car 2 hours to Radovljica in Slovenia. We stayed at the Sport Hotel Manca, which was fine and relatively inexpensive. The difference in the green trees throughout the countryside and mountains was so distracting, in a good way, along the beautiful drive.
Day 2
- Lake Bled
- Bled Castle
- Vintgar Gorge
- Lake Bohinj
- Slap Savica
Started the day at Lake Bled, which is probably the most famous place in Slovenia. We first walked up to the castle and explored the grounds. The views from the castle and looking up at it are stunning. One of the best settings in the world with the castle, mountains, lake and island. Walked around the lake for quite a while. You can spend a whole day there, but I think it warrants at least a half-day.
Then we drove to Vintgar Gorge, which was awesome. It’s only 10 minutes from Lake Bled. Definitely go if you’re in the area, and plan on spending 2-3 hours there. They’ve built bridges and boardwalks that hug the side of the cliff so you can walk above the water all through the gorge.
About 30 minutes from Lake Bled (but 45 minutes from Vintgar Gorge) is another stunning lake: Lake Bohinj. We admired the views while driving along the edge of the lake and got out to take some pictures. Only a few minutes from Lake Bohinj is Slap Savica (“Slap” means waterfall in Slovenian). This is another great stop, but kind of crowded and hard to get the whole waterfall in a picture because they only allow you up to a certain spot. Still worth it though. Takes about an hour total as the walk is just over a mile total to the waterfall and back. Busy, packed day with stunning sights. Back to Radovljica to stay there again.
Day 3
- Planica Nordic Centre
- Vršič Pass
- Slap Boka
- Slap Kozjak
Next day we again did a lot of driving and saw a lot. The mountains, valleys, and green/glacial rivers and waterfalls in Slovenia make up some of the best scenery of anywhere we’ve ever been. First stop was the Planica Nordic Centre to check out the ski jump area. It was summer and we climbed the stairs all the way to the top (no cost). It was really cool to see from the bottom as well as the top; quite a view and pretty crazy to stand there and imagine going down it as fast as possible.
Drove through Triglav National Park up to Vrsic Pass. We got out multiple times to walk around the area and take pictures of the mountain landscapes all around. Even at the bottom I remember backing up on a remote road just to hop out at a certain spot and take a picture of the way the trees lined up with the mountains. The Julian Alps are stunning.
Next we drove through the Soca River Valley and went past the Boka waterfall. We parked and hiked up closer for a better look, but I can’t really say it was worth the time and effort to be honest. The view you see in the picture below is from close to the road and I thought that was the best vantage point.
Then lastly we drove to the trailhead for the short hike to the Kozjak waterfall (park right by Camp Koren – there is a small fee) and it was a great last stop to what had already been a spectacular day. We loved the short, scenic hike itself and the waterfall. Plan for 1-2 hours, depending on how much time you spend staring at the beautiful scenery along the river and the waterfall itself.
Drove to Ljubljana (2 hours) and stayed the night.
Day 4
- Dragon Bridge
- Ljubljana Central Market
- Žiri
Spent the first half of the day in Ljubljana, which wasn’t overly impressive. There isn’t a ton to do/see, but it is a pleasant area to walk around. Went to the market and across the Dragon Bridge and headed out after lunch.
Drove to a town named Ziri to find the house in which my wife’s great-grandfather was born. We ended up meeting relatives who built a new house and still lived on the property. They didn’t know we existed, let alone were coming to visit (we brought pictures and genealogy papers for “proof”). They called other family members to come over and we stayed for dinner and drinks with them. It was one of the best experiences in all of our travels. Continued on to Postojna area and stayed the night.
Day 5
- Predjama Castle
- Skocjan Caves
Stopped by Predjama Castle just to see it from the outside and didn’t pay to go in. It’s a very unique place as the castle is basically built into a cave. Glad we stopped, but I wouldn’t go too far out of the way to see it.
Then went to the Skocjan caves – the outside is worth exploring as much as the caves themselves with some neat hiking trails and views. That was worth it. After a couple hours there we left Slovenia and headed back to Croatia for our last day. It took about 4 hours to get to Plitvica Selo, where we were staying.
Day 6: Plitvice Lakes National Park (Plitvička Jezera)
Spent the next day at Plitvice Lakes National Park, which I can’t recommend enough. There are so many waterfalls, and the water color is unreal. It is completely unique, unlike any place we’d ever been. So glad we added this to the trip even though it was out of the way. My favorite view was from up top – make sure to go up on both sides of the water. The weather wasn’t too good, rainy and chilly, but it was amazing. Plan on spending at least a half day here if not more. Stayed at the same B&B in Plitvica Selo. We drove 1 hour 45 minutes to Zagreb the next morning and flew home.
This was a fantastic trip overall. You have to have a rental car to make the most of your time and the roads were not terribly busy. The only thing I might change is skipping Ljubljana, but I know people that loved the city so you might find it charming. Slovenia is not a huge destination for Americans, and many people we came across were surprised to find out we were from the United States. This remains one of our favorite places and an area we can’t wait to return to with our kids. So much natural beauty with the mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and caves.
Traveled in April 2011
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