Europes BEST overlooked Country: 6 Days in SLOVENIA | Ljubljana, Lake Bled, Bovec, Piran

0:05Now firmly ranked in my top countries to visit,

0:08if you’ll stay with us, I hope to show you why this is Europes most overlooked destination…

0:2812 times smaller than the UK, our 6 days on the road barely used half a tank of petrol,

0:34but still packed the most variety we’ve experienced in one short trip.

0:38We began in Ljubljana, a perfect welcome for river walks, castles, and hospitality,

0:44before moving on to Lake Bled, a picture perfect view that surprisingly matches the

0:49hype. But moving beyond the countries most visited locations, there is so much more.

0:55So how about some alternative lakes for the much less travelled,

0:59mountain resorts with some top class relaxation, adrenalin hotspots for some spills and thrills,

1:04a wide range of accessible hikes, a perfect stay in the middle of Slovenias wine country,

1:10yet another surprise, a history making underground train, because why not at this

1:14point, and then finishing it all with Piran, a medieval seaside town turned tourist paradise.

1:20If you’re new here, then welcome. We make travel movies from around the world,

1:24hoping you might just find your next holiday inspiration.

1:27This, is Suitcase Monkey, spending 1 packed, but peaceful week, in Slovenia. :)

1:47Slovenia sits at the top end of the Adriatic Sea, bordering Austria,

1:51Croatia, Hungary and Italy. Our route would be exploring a good chunk of its western half,

1:57moving to a different hotel each night, covering as much ground as we could, but without rushing.

2:02Since its capital, Ljubljana, is so central, it makes for the perfect starting point,

2:07only half an hour from the airport. Home to less than 300,000 people, its river walk is the obvious

2:13highlight, but its many offshoots and compact nature make it perfect for finding on foot…

2:51But whilst walking anywhere in the city, it’s impossible to miss its most dominant centre

2:56piece and it was our first stop. Dating back to the 11th century,

2:59Ljubljana Castle is worth a visit, as highlighted by my impressive

3:03drone shots… Yeah, this is just my phone, sorry, I don’t have a drone.

3:08The castle can either be reached,

3:10by a short but steep 10 minute walk, or a 2 minute ride on the Funicular.

3:14All the castles exteriors are free to roam, and there is enough here

3:18without needing to pay for entry. If you do want more though, or at least,

3:26you want to justify why you almost had a heart attack walking up here in the first place,

3:30the cost for full access ultimately worked for us, despite feeling a little on the pricey side.

3:36Narrated through a Nokia 3310, this offers more understanding of what exactly you’re

3:40walking through, not just walking around the castle itself, but also,

3:44exhibitions adding context. But the surprising highlight was this 12 minute 4D short film,

3:50since it best portrayed what life was actually like here… Of course,

3:53this means, there’s the obligatory 3D glasses, which, much like a contraceptive,

3:58you know they help to make the occasion but you still feel such a fool for putting them on…

4:13After walking down from the castle, we stumbled upon this popular mini diner.

4:17I guess technically classed as fast food, it’s an affordable way to sample a variety

4:22of Slovenian traditional dishes, the highlight being Carniolian sausage.

4:26From what it lacked in presentation, it more than made up with its juicy taste, and the fresh bread,

4:32mustard and horseradish a perfect pairing. Also on the menu is Štruklji, rolled dumplings

4:37either served sweet or savoury and Ricet, a hot Barley Slovenian Stew. All worked well

4:43together but throughout this trip, the Carniolian sausage became the dish I’d re-order the most.

4:54For the remainder of the afternoon, we kind of just wandered the streets, wherever our eyes would

4:58take us. We did though have one last place marked on our map and I’m so glad we made time for it.

5:03Slovenia has a unique timeline, one I was totally ignorant to. So,

5:08probably the best value for money we spent today, the National Museum of Contemporary

5:12History shared a whole new perceptive. Starting from the beginning of the First World War,

5:17it charts Slovenias transition from its Austro-Hungarian, Yugoslavian era,

5:22through Italian, Nazi and communist rule, then finally onto Independence in 1991.

5:28The whole presentation never outstays its welcome and if you do have time,

5:32I’d definitely recommend the slightly out of the way journey through Tivoli Park.

5:38For accommodation, we were just a 10 minute walk from the city centre,

5:41in this quaint IKEA inspired kitchenette studio. Costing €96 Euros a night,

5:47this is on the lower end of what you can expect to pay for a well rated central stay in Ljubljana.

5:52All hotels, attractions and restaurants shown in this video are directly linked

5:56via the description below or single QR code, and should help anyone planning a similar trip.

6:03And so this would mark the end to our first day in Slovenia but

6:06we still had no idea how much we were only just getting started…

6:38Without question, Lake Bled is Slovenias most iconic panorama,

6:42especially if you’ve ever seen an LG TV screensaver.

6:46It isn’t exactly known when a church was first built here, but its around a 1000 years,

6:51with known renovations to its current form, occurring in the late 1600s.

7:03Just watching the world go by from various locations was magical,

7:07especially on the more remote western side, and this peace and quiet is what I’ll remember.

7:16The most popular way to reach the island is by taking a Pletna. These wooden boats

7:20are as linked to Bled as gondolas are to Venice and will cost around €15 return.

7:26Unfortunately, they’d only take passengers once they’re full

7:29and after 1 hour of enjoying this view, waiting, they never were. I’ll likely be

7:34doing a Slovenia travel tips video covering more practical details on visiting Bled,

7:40Ljubljana and beyond I’ll link that video guide at the end, once its complete.

7:51For our hotel, despite it borrowing furniture from my Grandmother, and a hallway from the Shining,

7:56we mainly booked it for its balcony views of the lake. Yet another place

8:00where we’d increase our island viewing time, but now with coffee in hand.

8:04A particular highlight was next morning over breakfast. A mixture of multi course local

8:09dishes and a cooked a la carte menu, this was one of the best starts to our day, all week.

8:15But coming back to today, the weather finally turned on us,

8:18with rain dancing in and out for the rest of the afternoon. We were visiting late May,

8:23and for a country sprinkled with mountains, its skies are changeable and unpredictable.

8:29Walking over to the east side then, the town of Bled itself was pleasant enough,

8:34but a lot more unassuming than I’d have imaged, and maybe that’s a good thing…

8:53After some more impressive drone videography, we just had to make a lakeside stop to the Park

8:58Cafe. The kremšnita, or Bled cream cake is Slovenias most celebrated sweet treat,

9:04similar to a Mille feuille, but with less crisp.

9:07Despite being offered almost everywhere in Slovenia, this specific location is the only

9:11place you can still enjoy its original taste. And that’s because 70 years ago,

9:16it was right here where that recipe was first made famous. Aside from enjoying the food here,

9:22you are of course, also paying for those beautiful vistas over on the… Oh.

9:26With an ever increasing storm, the staff might have been abandoning ship,

9:30but this Englishman would not be separated from his teapot. I can’t lie,

9:34the peaceful nature of a Kremsnita by Lake Bled wasn’t quite going as I’d have hoped.

9:42And so, this marked the end of our time in the countries 2 most visited

9:46regions. But we were more eager than ever, to visit Slovenias lesser known

9:51but equally impressive alternative lake, first thing tomorrow morning…

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11:22Our next 2 days would be in and around Triglav National Park, the only National Park in

11:27the country. Marking the south eastern end point for the Alps mountain range,

11:31Triglav is a paradise for nature lovers, hikers, and mountain towns. Nestled within all this, we

11:36began at Lake Bohinj, Slovenias largest lake and arguably most impressive…

11:51Only 30 minutes from Bled, the open space here was a welcome change of pace. Our original plan was

11:57to take the nearby cable car to see Mount Triglav, which is Slovenias highest point, over 9,000 feet.

12:04But taking advice from locals, the live weather cams were showing a build up of cloud, so we

12:09opted instead to check out this 2km hiking trial. Great for families, it perfectly blends nature

12:15and storytelling with local fairy tales brought to life with legend, characters and mini activities.

12:37But, as the skies opened up for us once again, we found more signs of life,

12:41back on the eastern side, where we started… And for the second time in a

12:49row now, our lunch, become another rain hideaway, but this time, a lot more cozy…

13:00One hour away by car, we arrived at what turned out to be our second best hotel stay. Sitting

13:06at the edge of the Julian Alps and Triglav National Park, this was another balcony room

13:10view. But there was even more to like here. For one, the room had underfloor heating,

13:15which always makes my toes happy, the dining area featured an open plan kitchen,

13:20and turned out to be a Michelin Bib restaurant. So not only was breakfast yet another culinary

13:25treat, but we ended up staying in for dinner, and it became one of our best.

13:29But it was the bizarrely empty wellness centre that really made me feel at ease. With a chill

13:34room directly facing the Julian Alps, the mix and match of traditional sauna, relax,

13:39steam room, relax, Infrared sauna, relax, a cold bucket shower to make me feel all macho,

13:46and then, finish, with, Vogue, to y’know, readdress the balance.

13:50Just a short drive away, Kranjska Gora is an alpine ski town and since we were out of season,

13:56this obviously isn’t must visit, but was nice enough to get acquainted with our new neighbours…

14:08Kranjska Gora is however, the start of one of the most enjoyed roads to drive on,

14:12in all of Slovenia. The Vršič Pass is the highest elevation mountain road in

14:17the entire country and has become popular for scenic drives, the starting point for

14:22countless day hikes and cyclists who enjoy peddling up hill. Unfortunately,

14:27we only found out after breakfast, that the entire road was closed for the whole month.

14:32And so, instead, the only option was to took a detour through Italy. Now, as a Brit,

14:37living on an island, I can’t begin to tell you how fantastically strange it is, to know you’re going

14:42to Italy, with 8 minutes notice. But, here we were, driving in Italy. It felt kind of Italian.

14:49It felt, kind of Slovenian too. Although driving on Luigi Cadorna very much gave the game away.

14:57After only half an hour of driving, much like a hug from a long lost friend,

15:01we returned back to Slovenian land. Our new destination was Bovec a small

15:05town that can be walked across in about 10 minutes, but has carved a

15:09successful niche for thrill seeking. Para gliding, white water rafting, and beyond,

15:14despite its soft exterior, this town is the most condensed activity hotspot I’ve come across.

15:20And so, whilst Chiaki kept busy here, I took on,

15:23what’s proclaimed to be Europes largest Zipline park. Rising 200 meters above the Učja valley,

15:2810 different wires took us across 4.5km of beautiful landscape.

15:33I say us, because at this exact point, I bumped into some fellow Suitcase Monkey subscribers. Or,

15:39as they called me, “oh look, it’s Hello Mr Bear”. And so,

15:43with some filming from their kind help, we were ready to trust our lives onto a single hook.

16:11Back in Bovec, after a quick rest stop at our apartment, and no doubt due to our unexpected

16:16border crossing, we were absolutely gagging for a pizza. And despite the last few days feeling like

16:214 different holidays, tomorrow would bring even more variety, with both canyons and vineyards.

17:09The Soca River runs 138kms along much of Slovenias Western border, starting high up in the Julian

17:17Alps. Its distinct emerald hue and numerous easy access points, make it pretty much unmissable.

17:23As we continued moving south, with Bovec only 30 minutes behind us, the Rockier Mountains of

17:29yesterday, were slowly making way for the green hills of upcoming wine country. But

17:34before the reward of a cool glass of grapes, Triglav National Park still had one more thing…

18:30Our stay for the evening turned into one of the most finest in all our years travelling,

18:36and I can say that with little hesitation. This 6 room, adults only vineyard estate sits

18:41in the Brda region, often referred to as Slovenias Tuscany. With both

18:46Slovenian and Italian hilltop towns out in front, we relaxed for the rest of the day,

18:52and normally, this alone would make for a pleasant enough evening.

18:56But it was the dedication and attention to detail that its husband and wife owners added,

19:00that truly made this a 5 star experience. Never before have we been made to feel so

19:05welcome and more like guests over paying customers. Everything of

19:09course is centred around their home grown wine selection, and there’s an honesty bar

19:13you can help yourself to, while you enjoy your time, however you choose to spend it.

19:18But it was the evening where it all came together. We settled in with this excellent

19:22cheese and wine charcuterie board combo. And let me tell you, as a lover of cheese

19:26and wine… and breads and… cold meats, I mean everything on this table really;

19:31coupled with this view and the silence and conversation and, our new best friend,

19:36it was heaven and at a great point in this holiday to take a breather…

19:40Tomorrow would be our final full day in Slovenia, before we’d catch our

19:44return flight from Ljubljana in 2 days time. Despite assuming we’d seen everything this

19:49country could throw our way, its horizon still had 2 final surprises in store.

20:18Opened in 1872, this is the world’s first underground cave railway. With

20:24almost 4km of track, it acts as the grand entry point to Postojna Cave,

20:28a massive network of passages, tunnels, and an ancient gift shop.

20:33Although its arrival may grab the headlines, it’s the 120 meters deep, 24km cave system that makes

20:40up the majority of time for any visit. With one tour guide leading a large group of followers,

20:45the caves are full of intricate stalactites and stalagmites, and it’s well worth a visit to learn

20:50about its 200 years of man related history and the thousands of years that preceded it.

20:56This is one of the most visited attractions in Slovenia, less than an hour from Ljubljana,

21:01so I’d recommend booking in advance to grab a time slot for your arrival.

21:16With Slovenia only holding 42kms of coastline, Piran is its most popular.

21:21This historic port town, is a mixture of medieval, Venetian,

21:25and Mediterranean, and is simply a joy to get lost, within its many streets…

21:52There are a bunch of tourist attractions to keep yourself busy in Piran but by this stage,

21:57we were pretty exhausted and just being back in a

22:00populated energetic town gave us everything we were looking for.

22:03So we ended the evening at this supremely tasty fish restaurant. For a written PDF

22:09version of this video, do check out the link below or QR code. And as mentioned,

22:13I’ll soon be following up with a Slovenia travel tips guide,

22:16covering more practical info, which I’ll link here once it’s ready.

22:20These videos do take a lot of hard work and time,

22:23so please leave a like, a comment and share with your friends, this beautiful country,

22:27which I hope I did justice. As ever, thanks for watching, Suitcase Monkey.