Slovenia Hidden Gems: Ultimate Guide to Ljubljana and Lake Bled
Traveled in May 2018
Visiting Slovenia was never on my radar. But it is definitely one of Europe’s hidden gems. Ljubljana is the most charming cobblestone town filled with cute boutiques that make me scream “just take my money!”. And Lake Bled – with its cliffside castle, beautiful lake, and idyllic island – is a beautiful pocket of nature that deserves a couple days to fully explore. If this has you intrigued, use this Slovenia guide as your introduction to this undiscovered gem!
The only reason we discovered Slovenia was because we ended our trip to Croatia in Zagreb. And when I was researching Zagreb I read that side trips to Slovenia were popular. This seemed like a good opportunity to explore another country that I would probably never visit otherwise. So we took the chance and added a couple days in Slovenia and I wish we had more time there! Make sure to explore this amazing country before the other tourists discover it!
Slovenia Itinerary
When to Go
We traveled in late May and the weather was perfect for strolling around Ljubljana, but wet and rainy in Lake Bled. If it is a long winter, then some outdoor activities and hikes may not yet be open in May. This was the case for us, as the Vintgar Gorge boardwalks were still closed when we visited. The weather is usually warmer June to August, but that is the peak tourist season. However, Slovenia is still a bit off the main tourist path so tourist season in Slovenia may not be quite as crowded as in Italy or Croatia. Lake Bled can be crowded on the weekends from May to September.
How to Get There
The only airport in Slovenia is in Ljubljana (airport code LJU). However, it can be cheaper to fly from Zagreb (airport code ZAG) instead. Ljubljana is 2.5 hours away from Zagreb in Croatia by direct train or bus, so it is a great addition to a Croatia trip. Train tickets can be purchased at the station and bus tickets can be purchased online on the Flixbus website. You can also travel to Slovenia on a day tour from Zagreb to get just a taste of the country with less time.
For a longer transfer, Ljubljana is 4 hours away from Venice by bus or 4.5 hours away from Salzburg by train.
Where to Stay in Ljubljana
For the most atmospheric stay, look for accommodations by the river in the Old Town of Ljubljana. Check out our post on the best places to stay in Ljubljana for our hand-picked list of the most convenient and charming places to stay.
If those hotels are all booked up, check out these other highly rated stays in near the river in the Old Town of Ljubljana.
How to Get Around
For a short trip to Slovenia, you can get around with public transportation or hired shuttles. I would not recommend driving since parking can be challenging in Ljubljana and Lake Bled. If you do choose to drive, make sure that you have a toll sticker for the expressways to avoid a fine. If your rental car doesn’t already have a toll sticker, you can buy one at a gas station, post office, or online (once you have your car’s license plate number).
Show Me the Money
Slovenia is part of the European Union, and they use the Euro as their currency. Credit cards were widely accepted, so we mostly relied on our no-foreign-transaction-fee credit card. We use the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Always choose to pay in the local currency rather than USD for a better exchange rate. We did withdraw a small amount of Euros just in case. If withdrawing any cash, look for ATMS run by the local banks and always choose to withdraw the amount in Euros rather than USD for a better exchange rate.
Saving tip: to avoid ATM fees (from the foreign bank and your bank), look for a checking account that offers ATM fee reimbursements. I can personally recommend the Schwab investors checking account and the Betterment checking account for this purpose.
How to Stay Connected
Because we took this trip before e-sims were commonly used, we bought tourist prepaid sim cards for our cell phones during this trip. Orange and Vodaphone are two popular cell phone companies in Europe that sell prepaid tourist sim cards that can be used throughout Europe.
However, if traveling again we would definitely use an e-sim from Airalo.
If you have an unlocked phone, then you can either purchase a prepaid sim card or you can use an e-sim. The e-sim is the cheapest way to get international cell phone data. We had a great experience using Airalo to purchase an e-sim on our trip to Canada and Switzerland. The downside is that you only have data and no phone service when using Airalo e-sims, so it’s a good option if you don’t anticipate needing to make phone calls. You can also top up as you go, and it is really affordable. The Airalo website has great tutorials and I also watched this Youtube video for more installation tips. We usually start the installation process at home to load the e-sim into our phones, and then once we land at our destination we turn off our US e-sim and turn on the international e-sim.
Airalo offers local e-sims for specific countries or regional e-sims for all of Europe. For this Slovenia itinerary, you could either buy just the Slovenia e-sim, or get the regional Europe e-sim if traveling to multiple countries.
Slovenia Itinerary at a Glance
| Day | Activity | Sleep In |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Ljubljana Explore Old Town | Ljubljana |
| 2 | Day trip to Lake Bled, Bled Castle, and Vintgar Gorge | Ljubljana |
Day 1: Old Town Ljubljana
Both the train station and the bus station are a 15-20 minute walk from the center of the Old Town. Much of Old Town Ljubljana is pedestrianized, so it makes more sense to walk than to taxi.
With only two days in Slovenia, consider these activities just the highlight reel. A small taste of what this country has to offer. If you’re like us, then it is enough to whet your travel appetite to find a way to come back and explore more!
Preseren Square
We started our tour of the Old Town in Preseren Square, the heart of the Old Town of Ljubljana. From this square you can admire the river, the Triple Bridge, and some beautiful architecture. This was our first glimpse into the charm of Ljubljana.
Riverside Market
The Riverside Market is just across the river after crossing on the Triple Bridge. This Old Town market spans a stretch of the river and sells local handicrafts as well as local produce. I always like to browse the local markets to find locally produced food souvenirs. Certain days of the week, the market also hosts a street food festival. The market is book-ended by the photogenic Dragon Bridge.
Ljubljana Castle
To get to the Ljubljana Castle, take the funicular across the street from the main market square. There are great views of Ljubljana from the castle given its perch on the hill. The castle grounds are free to visit but you do have to purchase a ticket to visit the exhibits inside the castle. I would definitely come up here for the view, but the exhibits inside are skippable if you’re short on time.
Shopping in the Old Town
The main street of the Old Town is filled with cute inviting boutiques that are made for browsing. The street starts at Cyril and Methodius Square, continues to Town Square, and continues down Mestni Trg and turns into Stari Trg. We spent way longer on this street than we initially intended because every shop is just so cute! If you like handmade items, locally produced treats, and cute accessories and home decor, then set aside a good chunk of time to browse.
For lunch, there is a row of restaurants to choose from on this street. Valvas’or and Julija are both good options with atmospheric outdoor seating and lunch specials.
Ljubljana River Promenade
Walking along the Ljubljana River promenade is a relaxing way to spend the afternoon. The riverbank is filled with cafe tables from various coffee shops and ice cream shops so you can sit and enjoy the view. There is no better way to feel like you’re on vacation than savoring an ice cream over good conversation while watching the world and river go by. We got our ice cream fix at Romantika. Another good option is Cacao.
For dinner, we tried Ljubljanski Dvor which has great pizza with an outdoor riverside terrace.
Day 2: Day Trip to Lake Bled and Vintgar Gorge
From Ljubljana, it is easiest to reach Lake Bled by bus (1.25 hours) or a shared shuttle service like GoOpti. The bus station in Ljubljana is next to the train station, about a 15-20 minute walk from the Old Town. You can buy bus tickets online here or buy them on the bus.
In the summer, the TI operates a shuttle bus that goes from the bus station in Bled to the castle and on to Vintgar Gorge. If the shuttle bus isn’t running for the season yet, you can book a similar shuttle service through Mamut, which is a private company. Mamut’s office is near the Bled bus station. Mamut also offers a group shuttle service back to Ljubljana in the afternoon. We used these services from Mamut to help us make the most of our limited time in Lake Bled, and the service was great.
Vintgar Gorge
The Vintgar Gorge is about a 10 minute drive from Bled. It is a beautiful and easy walk along a river gorge. Buy tickets online here or at the Mamut office if using their shuttle. The hike along the boardwalks takes about 2 hours.
When we visited, the boardwalks were still closed for renovations because of the late winter. However, our Mamut guide gave us some alternate hiking directions from the end of the trail so that we could at least see parts of the gorge.
Bled Castle
Bled Castle is perched on a cliff above the lake, and has fabulous views of Lake Bled below. The best views are from the terrace at the top. The rest of the museum has some quaint exhibits, like a working replica of a printing press. This castle exhibit was worth the entrance fee. If you need a snack, stop for Bled’s famous cream cake (kremna rezina) at the cafe terrace and enjoy your sweets while also enjoying the view.
Walk Around Lake Bled
Walking around the lake is a peaceful way to spend the afternoon. Plan for many photo stops while walking around this photogenic lake, with its island in the middle and fancy villas surrounding it. The lake is pretty big, and it can take a couple hours to go around it. We only strolled for a short while to snap some photos before having to head back to Ljubljana on our shuttle.
Lake Bled is a great jumping off point for other amazing outdoor activities in the area. With more time, you can tour Lake Bohinj and Waterfall Savica or go canyoning for more of an adrenaline rush. After visiting Lake Bled, we wished we had dedicated more time to explore more of this amazing country on this trip. But I’m also just glad that we discovered it at all!
Comments are closed.