Jackie_in_Italy

This summer, we are considering heading up to northern Italy--Trentino, Friuli Venezia Giulia--and then thought about heading into Slovenia as well. We are doing all of this by car (we live in central Italy--Le Marche), and while I'm not so worried about the Italy itinerary, I have never been to Slovenia before, and was wondering about the city of Ljubljana and around.

I have read a lot of positive reviews of Ljubljana, and I was wondering what some good things to do there are, how long we should stay in the city, etc. The whole trip will probably be about 2 weeks long, including the Italy part. We really like being free from too much of an itinerary, but some parameters are of course necessary. I'd also like to hear about places to visit from Ljubljana--I've heard wonderful things about Lake Bled and Pirano, but that's pretty much it.

Any feedback is much appreciated! Sorry that I don't have more to offer in terms of an itinerary. We're really in the planning stage just now.

bobthenavigator

Jackie, We have done that and enjoyed it. You can see my trip report at slowtrav.com but we did miss Lake Bled because of weather. Do not miss Piran but perhaps stay at Portorocz for the coast scene. Plan on 2 days in Ljubljana.

equitraveler

Slovenia is safe, beautiful and very enjoyable. Its a small country and getting around by car is easy. And lets face it - any country that would chose a drinking song written by their national poet as their national anthem clearly has a sense of humor. In the areas near the italian border the signs are even bilingual (Slovenian/Italian) because that area was part of Italy for a while. There are good wines (and terrible ones too) and interesting foods. If you are coming in from Trieste do consider a stop in Piran perhaps for lunch and a stroll. Portoroz can be fun, but don't expect much from the beach. Croatia's are way better. As you head inland you could visit Lipica, the original stud of the Lipizzaner. Also don't miss the caves. Skocjan is a World Heritage site and truly spectacular. Also Postojna. Ljubljana is charming, with the old city right at the base of castle hill. Union is a good hotel and right downtown. There is sculpture all over the city and walking tours to visit many of them. Bled is certainly worth a visit, as is Bohinj. The little lake there is ice cold and crystal clear. Even the fish are translucent. There is good alpine hiking around Bohinj. Toward the east are some interesting white wine areas, castles, etc, and the town of Ptui, which is worth a visit as well. I have visited Slovenia many times for business and would be happy to provide more information.

Jackie_in_Italy

thanks bob. 2 days is what i'd been reading, although other people have said just 1 day. i think i prefer 2 anyway--if we're going to go all the way up to ljubljana, might as well stay the night . i will definitely check out your trip report.

equitraveler: thanks for all of the great ideas and suggestions. you have given us a lot to think about! we are definitely interested in art, so the sculptures around the city will be nice. does ljubljana have a nice art museum? also, i am a vegetarian--will it be hard for me to find vegetarian food in slovenia? i haven't had any trouble in italy, but i imagine the cuisines are quite different?

also, regarding the caves: we are spelunkers and will be quite interested in those. how close are they to the italian border or to ljubljana? i don't want to cram too much into this 2 week period, but at least one cave is almost mandatory on our travels (especially in slovenia!).

thanks for any further info, and the info you've given us so far!

equitraveler

Hi Jackie,
Glad to share. Lets start with the caves. If you are a spelunker, then I think you should not miss Skocjan. It is truly spectacular. Here is the url: http://www.park-skocjanske-jame.si. You might be able to prearrange for an individual guide and an in depth tour, or you could take the standard (which is still amazing.) Do plan on lots of walking and lots of up and down. as to distance, remember this is a small country. Ljubljana is only two hours from every border. Click on the Skocjan website's 'Useful Information" and you will find a map. The caves are just off the main highway from the coast to Ljubljana.
Next food - the italians have had enormous influence on the Slovenian cuisine, expecially in the western part of the country. Lots of pasta and fresh vegetables, salads, buckwheat, great breads, cheeses. Of course there is lots of meat around, but a vegetarian will not starve. The Slo word is vegetarijanstva (with the j pronouced like a ya). And don't skip deserts. Because Slovenia was part of the Austro Hungarian Empire, there are pastries a la Vienna. The traditional parties such as potica are good too. One way to enjoy the food and wine is to take a wine road tour, stopping for tastings.
Now to art. Slovenes are big on culture: Ljubljana, a city of 200,000 has 3 symphonies, and there are often outdoor musical performances and you should check with the Slo or Ljubljana tourism folks to see who is playing when and where. This is a great site with lots of hot links and pictures.
http://www.ijs.si/slo/ljubljana/
http://www.slovenia.info.
There are at least 4 museums in Ljubljana: the National Museum, the Modern Art Gallery, the International Graphic Arts Museum and the Ethnographic Museum.
Money is an issue: they still use tolars, which you need to change in-country. Some places take euros but they do not go to euros til 07. Lots of places take credit cards. And one last point - the road from the coast to Ljubljana is a well marked divided highway, with tolls.
Cheers, Equi

SloJan

Just to add a few points:
The Summer Music Festival just started in Ljubljana and there are many, many performances going around. Here is the website http://www.festival-lj.si/en/about_f.../presentation/

Also, do you like canyoning? Go to the Soca River valley for that. If you are there in late July, you can attend the Reggae Festival in Tolmin.

Cheers,
Jan

Jackie_in_Italy

thanks everyone! this is all very helpful. i will probably have more questions later, but just a quick thing for Jan: we might be interested in white water rafting (I read something saying slovenia has good rafting)--would that be in the same area?

thanks! off to a belated 4th of July barbeque!
-Jackie

Syl

Jackie,
Check out www.explore-more.com
We booked an adventure day trip with Domen at 3glav Adventures in Bled for September.It includes all the gorgeous mountain sights plus rafting/hiking.

SloJan

Jackie,
yes, white water rafting is all over that area. It is a lot of fun.
Cheers,
Jan

Zoe

We booked the Emerald River Adventure (a full 12 hour day trip) along with 2 other activities (canyoning and skydiving) with Domen as well the beginning of July this year and absolutely loved it! Domen and all the guides took exceptional care of us - can't say enough good things about them! You will love it. We left a piece of our heart in Slovenia.

Worktowander

We're thinking about a similar trip, so ... flagging.

aeiger

Hi
We visited Slovenia several years ago. I just wanted to comment on Piran or Portoroza. We stayed in Piran, found it much quieter, good restaurants and a nice place to walk. we drove to Portoroza the nesxt day and found it very touristy, noisy, much busier and generally not as nice as Piran. The Italian influence is heavy and enjoyable. We watched the boats come in and the Italians go to the duty free store for items especially wine. The seafood was excellent. Our room over;ooke the Adriatec and from our terrace we drank wine and watch the blue sea. As we stayed at a hotel in Piran, we were give a paper that stated we could park our car by the hotel overnight for free.

Jackie_in_Italy

thanks to everyone for all of the information! the white water rafting sounds like it would be a lot of fun. not sure what all we can fit in, as i think we'll be going for a total of 10 days on this little trip.

a quick question: what is summer weather like there? I'm assuming that the coast is much like Venice in summer (HOT), but Ljubljana? Bled? Info on that would be a great help!

also, good restaurants in Ljubljana?

also, aeiger, Piran does sound nice. My husband's not much into the beach scene (are there beaches in Piran?), but the pictures I've seen of the area are gorgeous. We'll see. I'll be happy to report back on what we do in Slovenia! (and Northern Italy, for that matter)