Things to do in Slovenia and best tourist attractions
Have another day to spend in Slovenia, but it seems like you have already visited all of the famous tourist sites? Read this article to find some new ideas.
There are many things to do in Slovenia since the country with its green landscape offers various natural and historical gems. Experience the natural highlights of stunning lakes, valleys, hills, high mountains, rivers and caves. Explore the karst underworld, the Mediterranean lively atmosphere of the Slovenian coast, take a trip through the wine-growing regions and touch the pristine emerald rivers.
There are also many things to do in Slovenia when visiting towns with their cultural heritage and folkloric customs, where you can taste delicious traditional cuisine. Find your peaceful spot in thermal spas or experience the country through numerous sports activities.
Take a trip
Observe the traditional salt production in the Sečovlje Salt Pans
Take a walk around the Sečovlje Salina Nature Park, one of the last salt pans in the Mediterranean, and observe the traditional salt production, where the salt is still manually obtained, using several centuries old methods. If you are curious on what other things to see in Slovenia in the Sečovlje Salina Nature Park, then visit the Museum of Salt-Making, where you can also find out about the world-class fleur de sel (flower of salt), a unique product of Sečovlje Salt Pans.
Visit Celje with a touch of the Middle Ages
Take a stroll around the old city center with paved streets and visit the mighty Celje Castle above the city and the Savinja River, which flows along the Celje basin. Enjoy exploring the castle where you will have the opportunity to get to know the past medieval life of knights, dames, and count
Experience mesmerizing views from the lookout tower in Lendavske gorice
There are several things to do in Slovenia when touring the Mura region in the northeast of the country. Among them there is also the highest viewing platform, to which you can climb up the stairs or use an elevator, on a 54-meter high lookout tower Vinarium, standing in the middle of the wine-growing hills in Lendavske gorice. The platform on a lookout tower Vinarium offers 360-degree panoramas, from where you will view the entire Mura River basin and the plains and hills of four countries, Slovenia, Austria, Croatia, and Hungary.
Explore the mysterious karst underworld in the Škocjan Caves
There are many things to do in Slovenia in the Karst region. Among them is a guided tour in the Škocjan Caves, the largest underground canyon in Europe, under the protection of the UNESCO World Heritage. In the Škocjan Caves system, you will walk along the high natural bridges, passing by mighty stalactites, cave halls, tunnels, dolines, and picturesque swallow-holes of karst rivers.
Enjoy festivals and carnivals
Dress in a carnival costume at the carnival parade in Ptuj
Ptuj, one of the oldest towns in the country, annually organizes largest cultural-ethnographic carnival parade in the country. Join other visitors of the parade in the old city center of Ptuj and together with kurenti, traditional carnival masks, send away the winter days and invite the spring on the land.
Enjoy summer festivals in Ljubljana
Every summer in the capital city of Ljubljana there are many art events and free entry open-air festivals. If you would like to know more about the Slovene culture and history of art, then there are other things to see in Slovenia in Ljubljana, such as the National Museum and the National Gallery of art.
Take a ride in beautiful nature
Drive the highest mountain pass Vršič
Take a drive across the highest mountain pass in the eastern Julian Alps, where a paved road with 50 hairpin turns will lead you to the top. If you would like to find out what are things to see in Slovenia when driving the Vršič mountain pass, then join us on an Alpine Wonders tour where you will discover the greatest natural wonders of this high mountain world.
Go for a ride with a steam locomotive along the old Bohinj railway route
Get on the old museum train with a steam locomotive that runs on a hundred years old Bohinj railway route, where the journey will take you to the time of the former Austro-Hungarian monarchy. There are various things to see in Slovenia during a ride on the Bohinj route, as you will pass by the picturesque alpine valleys, Lake Bled, the emerald Soča River and a wine growing region of Brda Hills. A unique journey with an old locomotive will also take you through thirty tunnels and sixty stone bridges, among gorges and ravines, vineyards and alpine meadows.
Enjoy the wonderful views
Feel the sea air on the highest cliff on the Adriatic coast
Take a walk to an 80 meters high flysch cliff in the Strunjan Nature Reserve. Strunjan cliff has been declared as the highest cliff in eastern Adriatic coast. From here you will have beautiful views of the Piran city walls, Gulf of Trieste and Moon Bay below the cliff.
Enjoy the wonderful views from Piran city walls
Climb the medieval Walls of Piran, above the seaside town with a rich cultural heritage. Stairways between defense towers will lead you to the top of the Piran city walls. When standing on the top there are various things to see in Slovenia with its coastline, as from here you will have wonderful views of the Saint Jurij’s cathedral, the central Tartini Square and the cape with a lighthouse. The views extend all the way to the Croatian and Italian coastline. On sunny days you will also get to see the highest peaks of the Julian Alps.
Taste delicious traditional cusine and drink
Have a slice of Bled cream cake on a Bled Castle terrace
Climb the old Bled Castle, standing on a cliff above Lake Bled, and on its outdoor café terrace, try the famous Bled cream cake, also known as kremšnita. Enjoy the flavors of vanilla cream and whipped cream with a rich crispy crust and crispy butter dough texture. From the Bled Castle terrace, you will have wonderful views of the city of Bled, Lake Bled with its island and the surrounding alpine landscape.
Savor top-quality wines in the Goriška Brda Wine Cellar
Visit Goriška Brda Wine Cellar in the heart of the region with the highest number of best winemakers and top-quality wines with international recognition. The biggest wine cellar in the country, surrounded by vineyards on hills, fruit trees, and farms, offers a wine tasting experience of different wine sorts typical for this wine-growing region. Savor rich flavors of white wines such as Rebula and Sauvignon and red wines such as Merlot.
Taste the best Slovenian beer in the beer fountain in Žalec
Taste several different types and flavors of local beer from the Green Gold fountain in Žalec, which is the hops-growing center in the country. From the beer fountain, located in the city park, you can pour yourself a glass and choose between different types of hops. Homegrown welded beer from local hops will cool you even on the hottest days.
Relax in spa
Pamper and treat yourself in Thermal Spa Olimia
Relax in the Olimia Thermal Spa, the biggest wellness center in the country and the first selfness center for everyone who would like to create a harmonious connection with surrounding nature. Discover a peaceful oasis with different wellness programs, saunas, massages, and indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Feel the beneficial health effects of natural thermal water, which with its natural springs is oozing out onto the surface in the vicinity of the spa.
Experience the country through sports activities
Go on an underground kayak tour through the abandoned mine tunnels in Mežica
There are many things to do in Slovenia when visiting the Carinthia region. One of them is kayaking on a crystal-clear water deep in the underground of Mount Peca in Mežica. Under the former mine, which is now transformed into a Mining Museum, explore one of the lowest mining tunnels that were flooded by underground waters after the mine stopped operating. On a guided kayak tour, you will paddle on the magical underground lakes, passing flooded and abandoned mine passages.
Cycle a trail along the former Parenzana railway line
There are many things to do in Slovenia when choosing sports activities where you can enjoy the fresh air and at the same time learn about the rich cultural heritage of the seaside towns. Cycle a trail, that will lead you along a hundred years old narrow-gauge railway line Parenzana, which was connecting 33 Istrian towns from Trieste to Poreč. You will cycle along the Slovenian coast, surrounded by hills that are sown with vines and olive trees, and at each stop, you will be able to get to know the history about the route of a former railway.
Jump into the crystal-clear water pools in Kozjak canyon
If you are looking for things to do in Slovenia, where sports activities are full of adrenaline, then canyoning Kozjak is the best choice. On a tour, you will experience the natural features of the Kozjak canyon with narrow gorges, waterfalls and deep caverns. Here you will have many opportunities for 10 to 18 meters high jumps into deep crystal-clear pools, for rappelling down narrow walls and sliding on natural water tunnels.
Conquer Mt. Triglav – Slovenian national symbol
Triglav, the highest mountain in the Julian Alps and in the country, even ranks on the national coat of arms. They say that every Slovene must climb the top of the mountain at least once in a lifetime. If the highest mountain peak with wonderful views from the top is also on your list of things to do in Slovenia, then book climbing Mt. Triglav tour with experienced mountain guides, who will safely guide you to the top.
Play golf on the Mokrice Castle Golf Course
The Mokrice Castle Golf Course is an ideal choice if you are a fan of golf and would like to practice your pitches, putts, chip shots and tee-shots and at the same time play in the wonderful setting of unspoiled nature in a Lower Sava region. Enjoy golfing on a dynamic golf course with 18 holes that stretch across 70 hectares of centenary castle forests with an old English park surrounded by Mokrice Castle medieval walls and castle towers.
Climb the natural rock wall in Bohinjska Bela
If you would like to find out what things to do in Slovenia when visiting Lake Bohinj, then put yourself to the test that is waiting for you in natural rock-climbing walls in Bohinjska Bela. Climb the rock wall with the help of instructors who will protect you by using special climbing equipment. You can choose between different climbing routes with the length between 8 and 33 meters and between different difficulty levels. Rock climbing near Lake Bohinj is a unique experience for active holidays.
Ride a horse across the beautiful alpine Radovna Valley
If you love the animals and you are wondering what things to do in Slovenia, to get in touch with animals, then the guided horseback riding tour across the Radovna Valley is an excellent choice. After horseback riding across the alpine valley in the heart of the Triglav National Park, you will reach the crystal-clear Lake Kreda. From here you will ride off to Krma Valley, that offers wonderful views of the surrounding Julian Alps.
Bait and catch a giant carp in Šmartinsko Lake
Buy a fishing permit and enjoy in fishing carps, catfishes, perches, and pikes that are swimming in Šmartinsko Lake near Celje. Discover the fishing districts and peaceful oases in one of the largest artificial lakes in the country where you will be able to enjoy in unspoiled surrounding nature. As the Šmartinsko Lake exceeds the depth of 10 meters in certain places, it is known for big fish. Every year they catch many carps that are weighing between 20 and 30 kilograms.
Relax on a horse-drawn carriage as you ride through the Lipica Stud Farm park
Coachmen and elegant white Lipizzaner’s will drive you through the centuries-old avenues on a unique karst landscape in the Lipica Stud Farm park. Taking a carriage ride on a stud farm park with a rich history of horse breeding is one of the most captivating things to do in Slovenia when you would like to experience an unspoiled karst nature. In a carriage, you will also have the opportunity to observe the great herds of Slovenian purebred Lipizzaner horses.
Hike around the valley of Triglav’s seven lakes
There are many things to do in Slovenia in the Triglav National Park, including hikes around the high mountain valley of the Triglav’s seven lakes. On this tour, you will hike along the length as well as the altitude and discover all seven alpine lakes where each of them is glistering in breath-taking colours. A hiking trail will also lead you through mighty forests and alpine meadows. Book your tour for hiking around the seven Triglav lakes and join us on an unforgettable adventure.
Go down the rapids of the emerald Soča River
There are many things to do in Slovenia if you are a water sports enthusiast and would like to experience an authentic touch with nature in the picturesque alpine valleys. The Soča River rafting tour is an excellent choice for the perfect adventure on the crystal clear emerald green Soča River, where you will paddle in calm waters in the upper section of the river with emerald green pools and river gravel beaches and then go down the river with fast rapids, passing rocks, and small gorges. Secure your place with qualified guides for the Soča River rafting tour in Bovec.
Explore Lake Cerknica by SUP
There are many things to do in Slovenia if you are a water sports enthusiast and would like to experience an authentic touch with nature in the picturesque alpine valleys. The Soča River rafting tour is an excellent choice for the perfect adventure on the crystal clear emerald green Soča River, where you will paddle in calm waters in the upper section of the river with emerald green pools and river gravel beaches and then go down the river with fast rapids, passing rocks, and small gorges. Secure your place with qualified guides for the Soča River rafting tour in Bovec.
Ski down the white slopes in Mariborsko Pohorje
Rent ski equipment and ski down the slopes in ski resort Mariborsko Pohorje, which with its 42 km of trails and 20 cable cars, is the largest ski center in the country. Things to do in Slovenia when visiting Mariborsko Pohorje in the wintertime also include sledding, night skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and ski touring. Do not forget to warm up with mulled wine or tea in the huts on the slopes.
Explore Lake Velenje by canoe
In the boathouse, you can rent a canoe and head to the peaceful and clean Lake Velenje, with its beach and bathing site. When paddling, you will encounter ducks and swans, as well as a variety of fish, such as wild carp, catfish and pike.
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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!
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