A 10 Day Road Trip in Slovenia

I moved to Qatar just over 6 months ago now, and looking back it’s been a bit of a rough transition. One thing I’ve been looking forward to for a while is my increased ability to travel – both in the sense that I can afford it (yay tax free-ish salary!) and have lots of vacation days to use. On top of that, Qatar is a Muslim country, landing their holidays in weeklong stretchs vs. your average American long weekend.

As Ramadan concluded, I found myself with a stretch of 10 days of company holiday in celebration of Eid-al-Fitr. With temperatures skyrocketing above 100 F on the regular, I didn’t think twice about sticking around for the holiday break. In fact I’d booked plane tickets a few months back in anticipation of a break from the heat and an escape from the reminders of work. This time I lucked out. When the holiday period was announced – a few days before it began – the extra vacation days I’d booked were refunded to me. My vacation fell into the holiday period, determined by the moon sighting and generosity of the government this year.

The destination I chose: Slovenia. I’m a fan of off-the-beaten-path destinations. I like places with natural beauty, minimal tourists and authenticity. Resorts and cruises can be fun at times, but I generally steer in the opposite direction.

Europe is a quick flight from the Middle East. I debated going to Northern Europe instead, but Slovenia was closer and less expensive, so that’s where I went.

Logistics

Qatar Airways is generally the most efficient way to travel in and out of Doha, though it is often more expensive. I chose to fly direct to Zagreb, Croatia as it was cheaper than flying to Ljubljana. I learned that it’s actually quite easy to cross the boarder between Croatia and Slovenia. Most rental car agencies will allow you to drive a car around Europe provided you let them know where you’re going ahead of time and pay any applicable fees. I booked through CarWiz and they had a $70 one time fee for boarder crossing.

One thing to note is that automatic cars aren’t all that common for renting in Croatia. The largest cost once I landed in Europe was my car rental as I can’t drive a manual and had to pay for the only automatic they had… a Mercedes A Class. It was a great car, but definitely on the expensive side. I do believe it payed for itself in the sheer convenience of having a reliable car to go wherever I wanted.

Below is a map of the approximate route I planned on taking before I headed to Slovenia. It was 11 hours of total driving over 10 days. Some days I drove more, and others I barely drove at all.

Day 1 – From Croatia to Slovenia

I arrived in Zagreb just after 7am in the morning, picked up my car and began driving West. Piran is about a 3 hour drive from Zagreb and there were a few places I wanted to stop along the way.

My first stop was Predjama Castle, about 2.5 hours into the trip. It’s the largest cave castle in the world, situated up on a hill in a small village, surrounded by a lush field of wildflowers when I visited. Entering the castle costs €13.80 for adults. While I find this a bit steep, I did enjoy touring through the castle and the audio guide is complementary so you know what you’re looking at in the different rooms. You can check out this link for more information.

From here I dove around 45 minutes to Skocjan Caves. Unfortunately you’re not allowed to film or take photos here, but this underground cave and UNESCO world heritage site absolutely magnificent. I’ve actually been to quite a few caves at this point – the Cuevos in Nerja, Spain and the Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. But this one was definitely my favorite. I also grabbed lunch here, which was surprisingly good, and affordable. The river side was flooded when I visit, so I did the canyon route. It was €18 when I visited, but the cost does vary slightly depending on the season. If you’re trying to decide between Predjama Castle and Skocjan Caves to save some money, I would 100% recommend the caves. Here’s the link to their website for more information.

Next I finished driving just over an hour to my accommodations in Piran, one of Slovenia’s only coastal cities. I was quite exhausted from my flight in the early morning and one of the longest driving days of my trip, so I didn’t make it down to explore the city in the evening. Instead I got some much needed rest to save up energy for the next day. I’m a huge fan of AirBNB and would recommend this place (especially if you have a car – FREE PARKING)

Day 2 – The Coastal City of Piran

I started day 2 in the coastal city of Piran. Slovenia only has 47 kilometers of coastline but those 47 kilometers are something really special. On this sleepy summer morning the city was slow to come alive, but by around 10am it was bustling with locals and tourists eager to grab a morning cup of coffee and get started with their day. I spent an hour or two just wandering through the streets and sitting by the ocean. There’s tons of places to swim here, and if I had had more time I would have definitely brought my swimsuit. After that I stopped at a cafe for some breakfast around the city center. My favorite part of exploring Piran was view from the top of St. George’s church – for €2 and a hike up some narrow wooden stairs you get the perfect panoramic view of the city. It didn’t open until around 10am, so don’t get there too early – though I did arrive on a Saturday, so it may open earlier during the week. For some more information about the bell tower, see this link.

View of Piran’s city center from St. George’s Church belltower

Next I dove to just over an hour to Dornberk, a small town in the middle of Slovenia’s rich wine country, stopping for lunch on the way. I was staying on a vineyard campground in Dornberk, and the owners personally greeted me when I arrived. That evening, their restaurant was serving dinner, and it was one of the most delicious meals I’d ever eaten. Each of the 5 courses was paired thoughtfully with the wine produced by the vineyard. It was a really great experience. The dining was limited to around six tables and the family served each course, explaining the ingredients and the wine variety to each table. The cost of dinner was €50 and I believe you can join, even if you’re not staying at the campground, by contacting them ahead of time. The cost may seem like a lot, but compared to some dinners I’ve had in the US, it was really a bargain for the quality. I was there on a weekend, so I’m not quite sure if they serve during the week. For more information you can visit their website.

Day 3 – The Wine Country

The next morning I had breakfast (brought some food with me as I couldn’t find any places in the area opened very early), rented a bike and took off to explore the wine country. I did a tasting at Lepa Vida winery, that I set up the night before by emailing the link on their website. It was just me and couple from Australia. We tasted 8 different wines accompanied by an overflowing plate of snacks. It was one of the best wine tasting experiences I’d ever had, and their tasting room is really beautifully designed. Matija took us through a two hour journey, where he spoke about the history of the region and the winery, answering any questions we threw at him along the way.

View of wine country while biking through the gravel paths on the way back from Lepa Vida

There are tons of gravel pathways through the vineyards to explore. It’s quiet and makes you appreciate the simplicity of local vineyards. I biked around for just over an hour through theses pathways on the way back to the campground. When I got back, I took a quick rest and then hopped in my car to head to one of the look-out spots the vineyard owners had recommended. Mind you they recommended this cycling ride (after warning me it was quite difficult). There’s no way I would have made it up here on a bike, but I’m also not the most “in shape” person. Anyways, the view was gorgeous, though the roads to get there are quite narrow (picture a two way street with only room for one car). The viewpoint can be found here: Brje 117, 5263 Dobravlje, Slovenia. After that I stopped for dinner on the way back to the campground, and went to bed.

Day 4 – Rafting the Soca River

On Day 4 I drove to the Soca Valley for some whitewater rafting on the Soca river. The water was surprisingly cold, and the rapids were actually pretty tame. For about 2 hours we floated down the river, taking in the scenery and laughing with our hilarious guide. If you’re looking for a rafting tour, I would recommend Soca Rafting for a quick trip down the river.

Rafting down the Soca River with Soca Rafting

Next I made the drive from Soca Valley to Lake Bohinj. The first part of the drive involved traveling through Vrsic Pass – this part of the drive I was honestly a little worried about. I’d read that it was pretty steep and had a total of 50 hairpin turns climbing up and down the Alps. Mid-afternoon on a weekday it wasn’t actually that bad. The road was fairly narrow, but there was enough room to pass other cars if you take it slow. Campers and buses can get a little precarious, but I think they realize that and tend to drive very slowly, especially around the bends. After I got through Vrsic Pass and it was an easy drive the rest of the way to Lake Bohinj. For the next few days I stayed in a cute little rustic inn in Ribčev Laz. It ended up being a great “home base” for exploring the area, with basically everything being within a 1 hour drive (with the exception of the one day I went back up to Vrsic Pass for a hike). I also preferred it to Lake Bled in the evenings because while there were plenty of restaurants, it was much quieter and more relaxing.

Day 5 – Lake Bled

On day 5, I decided to head back to Lake Bled to see the famous lake, stopping at Vintgar Gorge on the way. This one was quite crowded unfortunately, but the wooden walkways hugging the gorge edge were pretty cool. The hike took about 30 min (or up to an hour if you stopped a lot along the way). At the end of the trail there’s a small coffee/souvenir shop where you can stop and grab a cold drink/ice cream. Despite the crowds, I would still recommend making a stop here. The total cost for myself was €15 ( €10 for entrance to the trail, and €5 for parking).

By mid-morning I was on my way back to Lake Bled. I had gotten a sneak peek of the lake driving past it on the way to Lake Bohinj the day before. The color of the lake is really unbelievable. I stopped for a quick lunch at one of the bistros around the lake before heading out to walk around that path that circles the lake. There’s another hike that I had found online before going that gives you a beautiful panoramic view of the lake. It’s called Mala Osojnica and is a strenuous 30 min hike that snakes back and forth, climbing in elevation, and finally culminating with a long staircase (that is more like a ladder) to the viewpoint. The hike starts on the west side of the lake. There is a bench here and a small sign marking the trailhead. I was dripping in sweat by the time I got to the top, but the view was 100% worth it. After that I finished walking around the lake and stopped for some much anticipated Bled Cream Cake. I had wanted to go to the castle for this, but when I tried to get reservations a few days before, they were already fully booked. I had read the castle itself wasn’t really worth the entrance cost, so I decided to pass on that one. Note that if you do manage to get a reservation for lunch/dinner, entrance to the castle is free.

Day 6 – Vrsic Pass Hike

View of the Julian Alps from Slemenova Spica

Today I headed all the way back to Vrsic pass to hike one of the trails in Triglav park. On the way from Soca Valley to Lake Bohinj after my rafting trip I didn’t have the time (or the energy) to spend a few hours on this hike. I had read that hiking from here was worth it though, so I made the drive back up Vrsic pass and started the hike late morning. I didn’t anticipate the entire trail being covered in snow, but I guess that’s to be expected at high altitude in early June. Crossing the pathway in the snow just before the viewpoint was one of the scariest treks I’ve ever done. My sneakers had very little grip in the snow and I was very afraid I was going to slide down the steep drop off to the side. I went incredibly slow but was determined to get to the viewpoint at the end. I’m glad I did. I would definitely recommend some hiking boots with good traction (or even spikes) and Nordic poles if you plan on attempting this hike in the snow. It would have been 100% faster and I probably would have made it in half the time without all the cautious slippery hiking. Luckily I wasn’t in a rush, so it wasn’t a big deal to take it slow. Below is a map of the trail I followed.

The trailhead is located at the top of the pass opposite the main parking lot. Look for the large white sign with lots of stickers on it. There will be a sign post nearby with a red maker pointing towards Slemenova Špica.

For dinner tonight I ate back in Ribčev Laz at a place called Foksner. This was my favorite restaurant in the area from the few I tried. It’s a burger place (with some other options as well), and everything is grilled fresh right out on the patio. They also have the best selection of craft beers I saw from the restaurants I tried. The deserts looked good too, but I was honestly too full after devouring my pulled pork sandwich and fries to order anything else.

Day 7 – Hiking from Lake Bohinj to Triglav Lakes

The next day I wanted to hike the trails around Bohinj. I started with the Slap Savica waterfall, which was roaring with water from the rainstorms the previous week. I then headed up the trail to Triglav lakes. I had been reading about the beautiful lakes and the mountain huts surrounding them, but what I hadn’t realized was there’s and easy and a hard way to get there… mistakenly I chose the hard way, up the side of one of the cliffs surrounding the lake. I thought the hike from the day before in the snow was scary, but I almost turned back on this one several times. There were parts where you had to use cables and foot pegs to climb around massive rocks. That the narrow trail had steep drop-offs on either side the whole way up. It took me just over two hours to reach the first lake – mind you I was going VERY slow, and stopping to contemplate turning back. When I finally reached the top I had never been so happy to be back on flat land. I continued hiking up to the mountain hut , but didn’t end up stopping there. I believe they serve lunch during the summer months and that had been my original plan to stop and eat some authentic food. It took me longer than I thought to get there though, and I knew it would take me a while to get back down the cliff. From the top of the cliff to the mountain hut took about another two hours of hiking round trip. I stopped at the lake on the way back to sit and eat some trail mix before heading back down the cliff. When I finally reached my car I grabbed a hot chocolate at the restaurant where I had parked at the base of Slap Savica before heading home.

The route I took up to the “Black Lake” and mountain hut. It looks deceptively easy and flat, but was definitely not. If you’re up for a challenge, this hike’s for you.

Tonight I was exhausted, but managed to get some energy to walk over to Restravracija Kramar, about a half mile from Ribčev Laz. This restaurant definitely has the best view of the lake, and I was actually pleasantly surprised by the food (I got a hawaiian pizza). They also have a decent selection of craft beer and the food was really affordable with lots of outdoor seating.

I also have to mention the little gelato shop right near the lake in Ribčev Laz. For €1.20 you can get a cone of gelato. Once I discovered this, I went here for desert every night and ate my ice cream watching the sunset (around 9pm) over the lake.

Day 8 – Lake Bled Part II and Vogel

On my first day in Lake Bled I didn’t have time to do one of the famous boat rides, and I didn’t want to leave without that. So on day 8, I went back to Bled to visit the famous church from the water. I ended up going with a shared shared Pletna boat instead of rowing myself to the island (figured it would be a little awkward to make a romantic solo row). The price was €15 per person and it took about 1.5 – 2 hours total. I picked the Pletna boat place located the farthest from the island because I wanted more than a few minutes on the water. It took about 30 min to row over to the island, where we spent 40 minutes before heading back. I didn’t pay to enter any of the sites on the island, as I thought they were quite overpriced. But I did grab some gelato (shocking) for €2 and spent my time walking around the island.

After that I headed back to Lake Bohinj for the Vogel cable car. This cable car climbs all the way up one of the towering cliffs surrounding Lake Bohinj and ends up at a ski resort. The temperature was significantly colder up here (something I wasn’t prepared for). Even though it was early June, I was very cold without a jacket, and didn’t end up walking the the chairlift because I was too cold. I did the restaurant package with lunch included. I had hoped to sit at a table overlooking the great view, but unfortunately there was a tour group on the cable car just before me and the tables were all reserved. Still lunch here was a pretty good deal, and I was happy to have some warm food. Note that because of it’s location, you actually can’t drink the water here. The sell bottled water at the restaurant.

Day 9 – Triglav Lakes the Easy Way

Some happy mountain cows in a mountain hut village – I wish I could remember the name of this place… but it was on a red signpost from Planini pri Jezeru with a little cheese symbol

On my last day in Boninj I wanted to go back to the mountain huts around Triglav Lakes. This time I did some more research and found a much easier way to get there: making my car climb the cliff and leaving myself with a relatively easy hike. From the village of Stara Fuzina there is a road to Planina Blato. On the way to the parking lot, you pass through a parking meter gate before heading up the hill. The road widens when you get to the trailhead, and there are spaces to park along with a port-o-let. It was fairly crowded when I got their mid-morning on a weekday in June, so during the true high season I’m sure it’s packed. I saw three villages that day, first making my way to Koča na Planini pri Jezeru, then hiking up to [village name unknown – I followed the sign heading right with that had a cheese symbol] before walking back to Planini pri Jezeru for lunch (yes, the mountain hut serves food during the summer, so bring some cash), and then making a short trek up to Dedno Polje. By the time I got back to my car it was mid-afternoon. I drove back to Lake Bohinj to spend my last afternoon at one of the beaches on the lake – forcing myself to jump in the water despite it being absolutely freezing.

Day 10 – Ljublijana

A nightclub in the Ljubliana arts district of Masarykova Cesta

The next day I left to fly home from Zagreb, passing through Ljubliana on the way. The more I travel, the more I appreciate the smaller less touristy destinations, but for a capital city, I actually really liked Ljubliana. I was here on a Saturday, so the markets were out in full force. There was everything from antiques to art shops lining the canal, and plenty of boutiques to stop in on the way. I stopped at Klobasarna for lunch and got a sausage with cheese – it was fast and delicious. My favorite part of the city was the artsy district off of Masarykova Cesta. There’s a full street of buildings covered in artistic graffiti. It looked to me like these were mostly bars and nightclubs as nothing was opened while I was walking through in the morning and they were still cleaning up from the night before. If I’m in the city again, I’d definitely want to check this place out at night.

And that was it! 10 days of adventures behind me, I headed back to Doha. Slovenia was really something special and I’m so grateful for my time there. I’m already looking forward to my next adventure.