Slovenia hidden gems are like little pearls, formed by nature and admired by both locals and tourists. When you discover your first one, you will want to search for more undiscovered amazing greenery, National parks, crystal blue water, secret – but not so famous lakes, the most beautiful small villages in Slovenia, or other Slovenia hidden gems, which were formed by nature itself. Every place mentioned in the article, be sure: is not as crowded as other more known Slovenian places for tourists. Get to know Triglav National Park with Martuljek waterfalls, Notranjska Regional park with Rakov Škocjan, Lake Cerknica and Slivnica, Škocjan caves Regional park with Štanjel, Krajinski park Logar Valley with Rinka Waterfall, Sečovlje Salina Nature Park with Koštabona village and Škocjanski Zatok Nature Reserve with Karst edge. Find all the hidden places in Slovenia with us!
Triglav National Park is most definitely an attractive place where you can feel the real and true connection between man and nature and is one of the perfect Slovenia hidden gems. It is the biggest protected area and the only National Park in Slovenia. One of the most magical Slovenia hidden gems is hidden at gorgeous Martuljek waterfalls, which is usually unknown to Slovenian locals, too. The Martuljek waterfalls are located under the Špik mountain, where you can find the Upper Martuljek Waterfall, which is 100 meters high and Lower Martuljek Waterfall, 29 meters high. Even though it seems the names are similar, there is quite a lot of difference in sight. If you are looking for a picturesque and interesting trip to the Alpine wonders, we suggest you take a trip to Lower Martuljek Watterfall, which is perfect for lovers of easier walks, or a bit more advanced walk to the Upper Martuljek Waterfall, where you will be oriented by blazes. If you want get even closer to the Waterfall and take a short “shower with water drops of spring water”, then you will need a safety helmet. The Alpine atmosphere will take you to the magical spots, where you will enjoy the fresh mountain air, authentic farms nearby, breeze of wind and a few water drops of Martuljek Waterfall.
Just 60 minutes from Bled you can take a great trip to Notranjska regional park, where you will find a variety of iconic natural and cultural gems in the area of more than 220 square kilometres. Seems like a potential for one of the Slovenia hidden gems, right? Nearby mountain peaks in southwest Slovenia are hugging the Notranjska regional park, which is most known for Rakov Škocjan Valley. The 2,5 kilometres long Valley will introduce you to the crystal clear water above the 37-meters-high Big natural Bridge “Veliki naravni most”, which was made by nature when the ceiling of an underground trench collapsed. The most hidden gem in Slovenia will thrill you with 360 ° Panoramic Views. Nearby you can find a brook named Rak, which flows under the Big and Small Natural Bridge, then sinks again into the karst underground of the Tkalca cave and towards Planinska cave.
We are sure you won’t take all the amazing views for granted, but your camera (or phone) will be full of shots from this UNESCO nominated Slovenian Valley. features all the geological processes you can observe in a day and then take an afternoon walk to the Lake Cerknica “Cerkniško jezero”, which is known for its “Lake draining” and is literally one of the most convincing hidden gems in Slovenia. If the term is not familiar to you, then you will want to observe this idyllic natural environment even more. When a long-period rainfall happens (after autumn rain season and thawing of the ice), the Lake fills up and becomes the largest Lake in Slovenia. And on the other side: the Lake dries out during the dry season, usually up to 4 weeks. And where does the water disappear? All the water seeps in the Slovenian underground. If you will be searching for hidden places in Slovenia in February, there is a traditional Carneval in Cerknica too. On the eastern side of Cerknica, there is The Plum Mountain, by locals known as Gora Slivnica. The well-known mystery about Witches who found their home on Slivnica, still remains in nowaday stories and is bursting with fantasy of how the witch Uršula and her companions brewed magical potions in the beech forests. Even though witches weren’t seen in this area, the intrigue remains. Slovenia hidden gems really have a special meaning to the locals too. Hikers can access the mountain very easily from each nearby village and usually choose the highest peak – Velika Slivnica.
The reason Škocjan Caves have a worldwide recognition is because they have had their place on the UNESCO World heritage list since 1986. If you feel like a true explorer, the Regional park is 45 000 hectares, but the protected area is 413 hectares big. However, there are plenty of Slovenia hidden gems in that area, but let’s focus on our favourite. What actually makes a huge difference between Škocjan caves and other caves in the World? Škocjan caves have an exceptional volume, which makes underground world in Slovenia even more rich and great to observe. The caves are known as a unique phenomenon of mother nature and a creation of Reka River, which after reaching the Karst, dissolves through limestone surface. If you are a true underground lover, there are exiting tour options in Škocjan caves.
But what about even more hidden gems in Slovenia in this area? One of the most historically rich and still a bit of a hidden gem is the settlement Štanjel, one of the oldest in the Karst area. The architect and mayor Maks Fabiani left a mark on the people and city, where in a period of 20 years, he made majestic technology steps further of that time. Ferrari garden with villa complex and the garden itself is one of the most beautiful scenes in Slovenia, but you will still find your peace under the sun, because mainly locals visit this place. The owner of this area was a doctor from Trieste (Italy) Enrico Fabiani, the nephew of Max Fabiani. Just 1,5 hours of driving from Bled to Štanjel you will be amazed by the quiet landscape, filled with green paths and traditional Karst houses. Your walking options are even longer if you take a walk from Štanjel to Kobdilj, where you can admire the benches of Maks Fabiani alongside the way. You can find amazing AirBnb options there and prolong your trip around Regional park Škocjanske jame and experience a night with breakfast in typical Karst house. The extraordinary volume of the underground canyon is what separates the Škocjan Caves from other caves and places them alongside some of the world-famous underground sights in the world.
Located in the centre of Savinja Alps, Logar Valley is a synonym for a green fairy-tale and one of the greatest gems in Slovenia. After reaching and enjoying the wavy road among green meadows, you will reach beautiful iconic sights of Kamnik-Savinja Alps. It is known as one of the most beautiful glacial valleys among Europe, made by a glacier in the last Ice Age. As a protected natural park, you must pay an entrance fee: 7 EUR for a car, 5 EUR for a motorcycle and 8 EUR for a van. But if you plan to enter the Logar Valey by foot or bicycle, the entrance is free. The 7 kilometres long valley is famous for various hiking and cycling options, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, but also hides a lot of Slovenia hidden gems. Among them Waterfall Palenk, Brložnica Fall, The Rastovški skok Falls and even Spring of Črna River. But the main Slovenian hidden gem is the Waterfall Rinka. How to reach it? At the end of the Valley, there is a parking lot, from where you can start your 10-15 minutes’ walk through the forest towards Waterfall Rinka. The smell of the forest will be even richer when you will reach the Waterfall, which is the second highest Waterfall in Slovenia. Waterfall Rinka is a 105-meters high Waterfall, which freezes in the winter season and it is a perfect hidden gem in Slovenia for ice climbing too. If you are even more enthusiastic, you can start your trip from the entrance of the Valley to Slap Rinka by foot. It will take you approximately 2 hours in one direction to catch your well-deserved hidden gems in Slovenia
Not far away from previous Slovenia hidden gems is the Škocjanski Zatok Nature Reserve. On the border of the Land and Sea you can easily plan yourself an afternoon in Slovenia’s largest brackish wetland. The enthusiasts who crave for bird-watching in such Nature reserves, will know that most of the birds can be observed in the morning, even before the sunrise. You will stumble upon dragonflies and butterflies, or even hear the frogs croaking, that’s why it is not a surprise the Škocjanski Zatok Nature Reserve is a great peaceful gem for families too.
Even though this Nature Reserve is pretty popular among Slovenians, we have an even better idea for your next trip. As a peaceful oasis you will be thrilled by the view from Karst edge »Kraški rob«. If you want to discover the area by bike, the route runs through vineyards, villages, forests and meadows. The variety of options is good, but most bikers start from Hrastovlje, continue through Kuped and Gradišče, and then go left to Moravže to Rakitovec, where you will reach the steep ascent. Then you descent to the village Zazid and Podpeč, and after that you will reach your happiness with a descent back to Hrastovlje. The most iconic pictures of this Slovenia hidden gems can be made at near town Sočerga (Spodmola). Asparagus lovers will choose the spring season, but hiking tours among Karst edge are possible during cold season also, as long as bora winds will not interrupt your trip.
Slovenia hidden gems can also be admired from the sky. One of those can be Sečovlje Salt Pans and the village Koštabona. But let’s take it one step at a time. No matter which season you will choose to visit Slovenia hidden gems, you will be amazed by magnificent colours of Slovenian sea, whiteness of salt and storytelling in the nearby museum. After an hour and 45 minutes of driving from Bled to Sečovlje Salt Pans, you will start admiring the paths by the sea salt pans, which spread over 650 hectares. As the locals say, the present and past can really be as one in the Salt pans, because the tradition of Slovenian salt-making, which dates from the 14th century, and is still practiced in the Museum of Salt-making. Even though the Salt pans are more than 700 years old, we are sure you will find one of your favourite Slovenia hidden gems in this iconic and patient tradition as one of your favourites. Speaking of favourites: have you found your perfect Slovenian village before coming in Europe? Maybe Koštabona Village will catch your heart with its small size, heartful locals, fairy-tale impact and natural sceneries. A combination of peaceful village life and beautiful green scenery is known for being architecturally shaped into an ellipsis. Koštabona can even be a perfect starting point for a road trip to Waterfall Supot.
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Thank you all for the great reviews!
Aleksandra (our guide) provided an excellent day out with lots of beautiful sightseeing and lovely hikes! It was a full jam packed day (10 hours) which had enough breaks with a lovely spot for lunch. We loved it so much that we are going to go on another tour with Alpine Activities!
