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In the past years, Slovenia made it to the top of the bucket lists of many travelers and internet is bursting with advice on where to go in Slovenia and what to do in Slovenia. Most guides to Slovenia mention major Slovenian tourist attractions, such as Lake Bled, Ljubljana, Piran and Postojna caves. However, these places to visit in Slovenia are full of tourists during the summer. 

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For a small country, Slovenia has many beautiful places to visit.  After living in Slovenia for seven years and exploring the country, Tereza hopes to show you which Slovenian tourist attractions are worth skipping and some alternatives to the most famous places to visit in Slovenia. 

[author] [author_image timthumb=’off’][/author_image] [author_info]Born in the Czech Republic, Tereza found her second home in beautiful Slovenia. She is an outdoor lover and adventurous soul, therefore she mostly seeks hiking opportunities and outdoor activities during her travels. If you are searching for hiking and adventurous travel tips around the globe make sure to check her blog www.czickontheroad.com[/author_info] [/author]

Mountain views and peaceful stroll around the lake

The photos of Lake Bled with the little church in the middle are known all over the world. The place is really picturesque, but it’s also overcrowded in any season and highly overpriced. Did you know, that not that far from Lake Bled is another lake? It is bigger, peaceful and, with much fewer tourists. 

Luckily for you, you have to pass Lake Bled to get to Lake Bohinj. The road there is non-stop in a traffic jam, so nothing will be easier than jump out of the car (or bus), take a quick photo of the church and the castle, and then continue your journey to enjoy the beauty of Slovenian nature and mountain views at Lake Bohinj.  You can even go stand up paddle boarding along the lake!

Escape from the busy center of Ljubljana

The capital of Slovenia is Ljubljana and it’s also the most beautiful city in the country. With its population of only 250,000 people, it cannot compete with other European capitals, but its charm can win the best of them over.   

Ljubljana is so small, so you really only need one day to see Ljubljana while having time to get off the beaten path.  There’s plenty of time to escape the buzzing center to rest in less touristy but not less fabulous areas. After a walk in the center and visit of the castle, you sure will want to enjoy a drink and small bite in some of the cute bars by Ljubljanica river.

Don’t stop at the first bar you will see.  Instead, take a walk against the river stream (south) until you reach a bridge with cars, dividing the pedestrian zones of the center with the Trnovo city quarter – that’s where you are heading. In this area, you’ll find numerous bars and restaurants with great atmosphere, filled by the local people. Here you can enjoy delicious food and drinks for much less than in the center.

The perfect alternative to picturesque Piran

Slovenian has some stunning seaside cities along its 43 kilometers of sea.  The most beautiful one …and the most visited seaside city in Slovenia is Piran. With its narrow stone-paved streets and old walls overlooking the city, it has a special charisma you won’t find elsewhere.

However, the narrow stone-paved streets can be found also in other coastal towns.  Switch the old walls with a white cliff overlooking the Piran bay and you have arrived at Izola.

Izola is one of my favorite cities in Slovenia to visit.  It’s great for swimming and lying on the beach, enjoying the seaside city atmosphere and doing hiking in the natural park that connects Izola with neighboring Strunjan.

Nature Park Strunjan is the longest part of the natural seashore in Slovenia and connects both towns with an undemanding hike with great views. You can still get your perfect picture of Piran from the Park.  Everyone will be asking where this stunning place in Slovenia is!

The best other cave in Slovenia

Once you arrive in Slovenia, you can’t overlook advertisement for Postojna caves, one of the largest karst caves in the world, which was so far visited by 38 million people. I will not blame you if you want to join them as these caves is a remarkable one day trip.

If you care more for interesting nature, history, and a unique experience, head south to Skocjanske caves, less touristy and much cheaper place to visit. This park offers 3 different tours in the caves – 2 guided tours inside of the cave and 1 guided or unguided (free of charge) educational trail above the caves.

The hiking nearby is absolutely stunning, so you will want to stop off here for a whole day to take in the stunning gorge and the underwater river that flows through underneath… Bring your picnic basket with you because you can easily spend here the whole day getting lost in the beauty of Slovene nature.

Click to read about 15 beautiful Slovenian cities that you’ll want to visit!