How To Spend Two Weeks in Slovenia
People seem to rush their time in Slovenia. They check out Lake Bled and maybe stop by Ljubljana, but that seems to be about it. They don’t take their time here, and frequently, they miss out on one of the best countries to travel in in Europe. If you have a few weeks, why not spend them here? Read my guide on how to do so.
2 weeks in Slovenia
WHERE: Central Europe
WHY: Stunning scenery, amazing food.
TIME: 2 weeks
DAYS 1-3: LJUBLJANA
While Ljubljana can easily be seen in a day, what makes this city special is the atmosphere and people, rather than its overwhelming size or amount of tourist activities. I wrote a whole blog post about how to see Ljubljana over here, but give yourself some time to appreciate the beauty of the city by walking the old town, cruising across the famous triple bridge, and walking the stunning Gorni Trg street. Give yourself an afternoon to hike up to Ljubljana Castle: from here you’ll be given a commanding view of the city and can explore the interior of the castle at your leisure.
Ljubljana is certainly a ‘foodie’ capital, and just about every restaurant serves amazing, down-home Slovenian food. For my pick though? You need to go to Parma Pizza, which is located just outside the old part of town. For more food and drink ideas in Ljubljana, hit my guide over here.
Spend some time in town wandering along the canals, they’re super beautiful, and a range of amazing cafés such as TOZD line them. Ljubljana has an amazing café scene, and you won’t struggle to get specialty coffee here; for more on that, read my guide here. If looking for a glass of wine in town, you can’t go past Bar Suklje or Wine Shop Storija, but for more ideas, read my guide on where to get a decent glass of wine in Ljubljana over here!
DAYS 4 -5: Skofja Loka
The picturesque medieval village of Skofja Loka may be most famous to locals as being the setting of famous Slovenian book, ‘Cvetje v Jeseni’ (Flowers in Autumn), but to outsiders, it should be seen as the ideal location to wander amongst a historic town close to Ljubljana. Located a half hour drive north from Ljubljana, Skofja Loka is all winding streets, cobbled roads, and ancient churches, nestled amongst the lush green foot hills of the Julian Alps. While the town itself is fairly small, Skofja Loka has plenty to keep a visitor engaged, with several decent attractions in town such as Skofja Loka Castle, Capuchin Bridge, and the stunning Three Castles walk (that we wrote a post about over here).
Food wise, Skofa Loka has you absolutely covered: Gostilna Pr: Starman does the best Slovenian cooking just about anywhere, and is very reasonable.
DAYS 6 - 7: Lake Bled and triglav national park
You’ve seen the photos. You’ve heard the stories. Yes, Lake Bled is Slovenia’s most visited tourist destination, and is indeed a very, very pretty lake. While definitely over-hyped, Lake Bled is still worth spending a day seeing. You can easily navigate the lake in an hour: however, maximize your visit by ascending several of the hills surrounding the lake to get amazing views of the lake and surrounding region. My advice: don’t pay to catch a boat out to the island. That’s super basic and a massive tourist trap. Be smarter than that. Despite my misgivings however, Lake Bled is something that you should see whilst in Slovenia.
You can read more about my thoughts on Lake Bled over here!
Just north of Lake Bled is a sight somewhat more exciting: Slovenia’s highest mountain, Triglav. You can experience the beauty of the Triglav National Park by visiting Bohinj, a much prettier lake than Bled, and one that sits rights at the foot of Triglav
Days 8 - 10: Izola
Izola is the place that Slovenian’s go for holiday. Thoroughly off the tourist trail and distinctly undiscovered by the masses, this tiny little seaside town sits right in the south-west of Slovenia, tucked close by to the border region with Italy and Croatia. While there is little of note to see in Izola, the town is stunningly beautiful, and has a lovely, peaceful vibe. Being one of the few seaside towns in Slovenia (they only have 47 km of coastline!), Izola is easily the most beautiful. Long stretches of pebble and rock beaches surround the town, all of which can be swum from during the summer months. Take your time here: luxuriate, wander the beach-side promenade, have a beer or wine at one of the many bars and cafés along the foreshore. Izola is worth checking out for the beauty of the water alone. From Izola you can easily do a day trip to the close-by Italian port city, Trieste, or just spend your days idling in the sun, reading a book, and soaking in the stunning blue water.
We attended an amazing wine festival in Izola, which occurs every February. Read more about the Refosk festival of Izola here!
DAYS 11 - 12: Maribor
Famously, Slovenia’s second largest city isn’t that large. Historic Maribor sits in the north-eastern high-lands of the country, and is home to some of the best wine in Slovenia, and Slovenia’s largest ski-resort, Pohorje. While the resort may be slightly smaller than some of the rivals resorts around the Alps, Pohorje charges extremely low prices for a day of skiing (24 euro for an adult), and the runs on offer during a good season aren’t bad!
Maribor, however, is a thoroughly beautiful city, and one that will reward the visitor. While in town definitely tuck into some Slovenian wine (for a beginners guide read my post on the topic), and go check out the world’s oldest wine-producing vine at the Old Vine House in town.
If feeling like stretching your legs, take a brief hike up to ‘Piramida’, a collection of archaeological ruins clustered at the top of a series of vineyards to the north of town. The walk will only take you twenty minutes from the centre of Maribor, and the views from the top are stunning - you won’t find better in town.
For ideas on food and drink in Maribor, read my guide over here!
DAYS 13 - 14: Ptuj
Pronounced ‘tooey’ (kind of like you’re sneezing), Ptuj is Slovenia’s oldest city, and a UNESCO listed site, famed for its natural beauty, stunningly photogenic old town, and famed winter festival that occurs every February. Ptuj is an ideal place to round off your trip in Slovenia. While the town itself is small, the place is atmospheric, and the castle that crests the hill in town is utterly stunning. Ptuj is the perfect place to wind down and simply soak in the best of Slovene culture: the city has stood for millenia and will likely go on standing. Take a walk through the ancient streets, have a glass of Malvazija somewhere, tuck into some down-home cooking and marinate in the perfect two weeks you’ve just experienced. Moreover, visit during February, April or August, and you’re likely to run into one of the many festivals that occur in Ptuj. One of the biggest and best is the Kurentovanje festival, which we visited in 2020 and had a ball at. To read more about that head here.
And there you have it! Two awesome weeks in Slovenia! Any questions, comments or concerns? Hit us up in the comments! Like what you’ve read? Don’t be afraid to hit subscribe down below!
Our guide on what you need to know about Ptuj.