Recapping my trip with SGDF in Slovenia in 2019. If you love nature, then visit Slovenia. It reminded us so much of New Zealand with its nature, parks, lakes, and scenic drives. It’s on our list of must-go-back places.

Some logistics

• Accommodations: In Ljubljana, we stayed central at Hotel Lev Ljubljana. In Bled, we stayed at Penzion Berc.
• Transportation: Rented a car, very easy to drive around

City center: It’s a small city that you can explore in a few days, but extremely beautiful since the river flows through and there are countless bridges. We walked along the streets, peaking into shops and boutiques.

Ljubljana Castle: I recommend walking up the hill (you can also drive) to catch some great viewpoints and explore the grounds.

River dining / drinking: Grab some food / drinks by the river. We stumbled upon Pizzeria Ljubljanski dvor for some beers on their terrace.

Metelkova: This is the cultural and art area of the city center where you can find museums and some cool and interesting street art.

Park Tivoli: Huge park if you want to escape the city into some greenery or for a picnic. It was our last stop in the city center before our road trip around Slovenia.

Lake Bled: Less than an hour drive (which the drive itself is very scenic) from Ljubljana, we arrived to Penzion Berc (left image below) which also houses a great restaurant. This hotel is just a short walk from Lake Bled, which is home to the iconic church in the middle of the lake. Head up to Paviljon & Kavarna Belvedere (right image below) for a coffee or drink and some great views of the lake. I remember we were craving pizza and found a gem called Rustika and got ice cream at Blejska Sladoglednica by the lake on the way back.

Ojstrica “hike” (walk): Sunrise hike (really a walk uphill) at Ojstrica. It was packed with people (and photoshoots), which made sense since it was only a 20 min walk to the viewpoint. There is parking nearby at the Camp or you can walk / bike from your hotel to the trailhead.

Triglav National Park: Must go. Beautiful scenery including the Savica Waterfall.

Lake Bohinj: Also amazing. Clear water surrounded by lush mountains.

Tolmin (photos below): I can say driving to Tolmin was worth it and we stopped by another gorgeous lake called Ladja Lucija. We ended up at the National Park, Tolmin Gorge in Soca Valley. On the way back to the airport, we stopped by Skalca Grill and Bar (great place for lunch with some views; 2nd to the last photo) and Napoleon’s bridge (last photo below) where you can see Nadiža river.