Why visit Slovenia? Slovenia is a quieter place amidst a busier Europe. It is green and beautiful and offers a relative tranquillity that contrasts to other countries. A Slovenia road trip presents many places to visit which are conveniently packaged in a small country. The attractions range across naturally occurring beauty, cities of culture, recreation and health, mediaeval towns, historical sites and limestone cave systems.
When we put this post together about places to visit on a Slovenia road trip we had in mind first-time visitors to Europe. However, as the post developed we recognised that we could expand the road trip to include the more experienced travellers who as yet had not visited Slovenia.
You will need your licence from your home country, an international driver’s licence and a vignette. The vignette is a local requirement and varies in price between countries. They are readily attainable but perhaps the easiest solution is pick one up at the service station nearest to the border. They are also available online. Slovenia is party to the Schengen conventions and so the border crossing is unsupervised.
Our intention in the post is to give you a sample of what a road trip across Slovenia offers. If what we present appeals to you then you can use the internet to identify additional places to visit when you make your own trip.
- A Route for the Road Trip Across Slovenia
- Places to Visit #1 – Portoroz
- Places to Visit #2 – Piran
- Places to Visit #’s 3 and 4 – Izola and Koper
- Places to Visit #5 -The Postonja Cave System
- Places to Visit #6 – Predjama Castle
- Places to Visit #7 – Lake Bled
- Places to Visit #8 – Ljubljana
- Places to Visit #9 – Ptuj
- Concluding Comments about 9 Places to Visit on Your Slovenia Road Trip
A Route for the Road Trip Across Slovenia
Where you start your drive in Slovenia depends simply on where you crossed the border.
Places to Visit #1 – Portoroz
We began our drive through Slovenia at Portoroz,
Portoroz emphasises recreation and wellness facilities. It is a popular venue for holidays and the region has much to offer – for both vacationer and jaded tourist alike. You can get an idea of what Portoroz has to offer by checking out our post Enjoy Portoroz For A Coastal Holiday And Wellness Focus
Places to Visit #2 – Piran
The next stop on the Slovenian road trip is Piran Piran,
If you peeked at our post on Portoroz you may well have reached the conclusion that in Portoroz the accent was on the body and not on the mind. Well, that’s the impression we came away with. Piran offers a contrast. We wrote elsewhere that “Piran’s attractions of historical charm, scenic beauty, and cultural richness make it a popular destination for tourists exploring the Adriatic coast. Piran old town is a welcome complement to the less historical Portoroz”. If you are into mediaeval buildings that accentuate the Gothic, narrow cobblestone lanes that are reminiscent of the mediaeval, and a lovely coastal setting, then Piran is for you. Again, no need to wonder. Check out our post describing how Piran Charms As A Gothic Attraction. It would be well worth planning to spend some time in Portoroz and Piran, even if only for a day trip.
When leaving Piran, try to catch some of the beaches
Places to Visit #’s 3 and 4 – Izola and Koper
The road trip leads away from Piran on the H6,
The H6 becomes the H5 when past Koper and meets up with the A1, a toll road which is the major route towards Ljubljana. It is also the route to take on your drive through Slovenia to reach Postonja.
The next stop on the road trip across Slovenia is Postonja, the site of limestone caves which are located deep underground. Postonja can be reached within a comfortable hour and a half along the A1 but expect to pay tolls.
The distance to Postonja along the A1
Places to Visit #5 -The Postonja Cave System
It is not surprising that limestone landscapes throughout Europe are plentiful, including limestone caves. The Pindus Range in Greece, the Dinaric Alps which run along the Balkan Peninsula, and the Julian Alps that run across the top of Slovenia, is limestone country – as is much of the European continent.
The limestone karst cave system at Postonja in SW Slovenia has been dated as 2 million years old and their formation has been associated with the Pivka River
It is not only the force of the subterranean water itself that shapes the caves, but the reactions the water promotes. Limestone and dolomite are essentially calcium carbonates. The carbonate dissolves in water where it reacts with dissolved carbon dioxide. The dissolved carbon dioxide forms carbonic acid which reacts with the carbonate to produce calcium bicarbonate. In this way, the carbonic acid proves to be the carbonates’ pacman. The explanation also helps us understand that every visitor to the caves brings exhalations of carbon dioxide which in a moist environment won’t be helpful to the condition of the limestone.
Postonja’s caves are not so much distinguished by their varying limestone structures, such a stalactites and stalagmites. These are typical of what would be expected to be seen in any limestone system. Nevertheless, Postonja is distinguished by its cavernous formations.
Consequently, in order to tour the caves, visitors pay and entrance fee and take a small electric train for 10 minutes and travel underground for 3.7km to a small station. You will need warm clothing because when 115 metres underground the sun doesn’t shine! The temperature lingers at approximately 10 deg Celsius so wear warm shoes with good grip because the ground is usually wet.
The underground passages, caverns and galleries extend for approximately 24 kilometres through the system but the tour is restricted to about 1.5 hours. We have been through the Postonja caves several times but don’t seem to have been diverted away from the established route. You will see the expected and representative limestone structures, some of which have been named so as to infer a special significance.
One of the structures is a large cavern known as the Concert Hall. It is recognised for its acoustics. We were fortunate during one visit to experience them.
When you emerge from the caves you will appreciate the food and drink services available.
The past decade has seen an increase in facilities for tourists who visit the caves. This is in the form of commercial infrastructure. Where arrival at the caves was once greeted by a large sealed car park and a solitary service building, The service building
Further information about the Postonja Caves is available on this link
Predjama
The village of Predjama is just 10 kilometres further along the 913. The short trip will also bring you to Predjama Castle.
Places to Visit #6 – Predjama Castle
Predjama Castle on first sighting is quite breathtaking. An admission fee must be paid to approach the castle and gain entry inside it.
The structure has been integrated within a massive cliff-side cave. The cave is approximately 120 metres high. This location for the castle naturally proved to be strategically invaluable and aided its defence against attacks. Its defensible advantages included a network of underground tunnels to receive supplies and provide escape routes.
Knowledge of the castle can be referred back to 1274. That places its original build within the Gothic period. Many of the Gothic features have been lost due to damage caused by conflicts in the 16th Century. The castle is said to have been restored later in the style of the time – Renaissance. This may have been applied to the preference for semi-circular arches over the ogive arches of the Gothic, and details of the interior. A museum within the castle traces the mediaeval history of the castle.
Predjama, like Postonja, has also seen development over the decade. There was a time when parking at the castle was free as was the admission. The charming little village of Predjama was disconnected from the castle traffic and maintained its past. Now, like Postonja, there has been an increase in commercial infrastructure in the vicinity of the castle. The village has also seen change as a new generation has dressed the old masonry exteriors with coloured render. Nevertheless, there is still a sufficient number of relatively original village houses to represent a bygone period.
So what do we know about the formation of the Predjama landscape?
It would be reasonable to assume that the topography of Predjama is the result of tectonics. Sources of the movement are faults belonging to the Dinaric fault system. Two of these regional faults are still active but their earthquake record is unclear. Nevertheless, they have produced significant rock offsets, landscape change and earthquakes since the last ice age, about 11,700 years ago. (1) We could assume they have impacted the Predjama landscape.
It is time for a change in scenery and so the drive through Slovenia continues to the next point of interest, Lake Bled.
Places to Visit #7 – Lake Bled
The recommended route to continue the Slovenian road trip is to return to Postonja on the 913 and then continue until you find the ramp onto the E61, which is about 2.5 km on from Postonja. The E61 will take you past the outskirts of Ljubljana and onwards to Lake Bled.
The distance for the trip from Predjama to Lake Bled is about 120 kms and will require tolls. Allow about 1.5 to 2 hours for a comfortable journey.
Much has been written about Lake Bled in NW Slovenia. It is distinguished by natural beauty and the Julian Alps to the north only add to its attractiveness. In fact, we were so taken with Lake Bled we decided to feature its image on our home page.
The lake at Bled is not large but has a well-defined shoreline. The lake is 2.1 km x 1.4 km and has a depth of 29 metres.
One of the best ways to see Lake Bled is simply by walking around it (6.5km). The walk will acquaint you with the most prominent natural and constructed attractions the Lake offers. You can cycle if you wish but be sure to stop often otherwise you will ride through the vantage points.
The walking path is underneath an umbrella of foliage and the natural beauty of the Lake is impossible to miss. Stunning turquoise waters are surrounded by forests and crags. The colour of the water is due to the composition of the rock. Sunlight can reflect off the the limestone and dolomite on the bottom of the lake making the water appear blue in the shallows. Additionally, the carbonate salts suspended in the water scatter the light towards the blue end of the spectrum, reinforcing the effect.
The most obvious structures at Lake Bled are the castle and the church. The Church of the Mother of God on the Lake, also known as the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary, or The Church of Mary the Queen, or Our Lady of the Lake.
Bled Castle is situated 130 metres above the lake on a cliff. Its dramatic location is consistent with the time of its build which is on or about 1011 AD. This date is within the Romanesque period when location and design were very much centred on defence. The modern day castle can be visited and offers a museum and restaurant.
One shouldn’t visit Lake Bled without enjoying the waters of the Lake.
The Olimpijski Veslaški Center
A third option is the Castle bathing area on the northern side of the lake. It attracts a fee due to its increased services.
There are a number of additional activities to enjoy.
So how did Lake Bled form?
Glaciers formed an ice cap over the central parts of Slovenia, including the Julian Alps, during the Ice Age, Ice from the Julian Alps accumulated in the Soča glacier south of the alps. The glacier followed the course along the recent Soča river valley that drains into the Adriatic Sea. The Bohinj glacier was the largest glacier on Slovenian territory, and at its maximum thickness exceeded 900 metres. The Bohinj melt drained into the foreland along the glacial/fluvial valleys of the rivers Soča, Sava and Savinja, the Sava being most proximate to Bled.
Tectonic activity during the quaternary resulting in uplift has also reshaped the landscape adding to the present glacial/tectonic form of Lake Bled (2).
Places to Visit #8 – Ljubljana
The road trip across Slovenia continues by pointing the car towards Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. The road becomes a comfortable dual carriageway
Ljubljana is a major destination, a city of culture with many points of interest and no doubt the subject of many posts. We won’t add to them short of providing a few of our images and video to give you an idea of what to expect should you decide to visit during your road trip.
The major sights to see in Ljubljana include the Ljubljanica River which flows through the city centre, the bridges that span the Ljubljanica, Ljubljana castle that overlooks the city and the funicular to reach it, boat cruises, the range of architecture, the Franciscan Church, and the pedestrian places and spaces that are lined with cafes. And so much more! Be sure to identify the plethora of Baroque buildings and their embellishments. We have included some of the things to see in our gallery but also review the link to an Architectural walking tour of Ljubljana.
When finished visiting Ljubljana, there is one last venue we recommend you visit on your Slovenia road trip, and that is Ptuj.
Places to Visit #9 – Ptuj
Ptuj is 140 km east of Ljubljana and we recommend you allocate a couple of hours for the drive. This will allow for a few ins and outs of the car. You will be travelling through the rurals along the major links between Slovenia and Hungary. Your road trip across Slovenia continues east from Ljubljana along the E57 which intersect the E59 towards Ptuj near Orehova vas.
Ptuj is 140 km east of Ljubljana and we recommend you allocate a couple of hours for the drive. This will allow for a few ins and outs of the car. You will be travelling through the rurals
We visited Ptuj because it was promoted as ‘Slovenia’s oldest city’ and because it was on our route to Hungary. Once again, we won’t provide any information about Ptuj here but instead refer you to our comprehensive post describing the city Visit Ptuj And Its Roman And Mediaeval Past.
Concluding Comments about 9 Places to Visit on Your Slovenia Road Trip
Slovenia is a small country and so the shorter distances in comparison to larger countries value adds to the road trip. Points of interest and places to visit in Slovenia can be quite close to each other whereas they are often separated by hundreds of kilometers in other European countires.
The driving in Slovenia is not stressful. Much of the road trip is along relatively straight roads without signicant undulation. And apart from the Julian Alps, there aren’t any switchbacks or white-knuckle drives overlooking the side of a cliff.
The purpose of the post was to engage with attractions that range across naturally occurring beauty, cities of culture, recreation and health, mediaeval towns, historical sites and limestone cave systems. This is certainly the case with Slovenia.
Sources
(1) Grützner, Christoph & Aschenbrenner, Simone & Jamšek Rupnik, Petra & Reicherter, Klaus & Saifelislam, Nour & Vičič, Blaž & Vrabec, Marko & Welte, Julian & Ustaszewski, Kamil. (2021).
Holocene surface-rupturing earthquakes on the Dinaric Fault System, western Slovenia.
Solid Earth. 12. 2211-2234. 10.5194/se-12-2211-2021.
(2) Chapter 29 – Glacial History of Slovenia
Miloš Bavec, Tomaž Verbič
Developments in Quaternary Sciences
Volume 15, 2011, Pages 385-392
