- 6 months ago
Slovenia is one of Europe's hidden gems. Enjoy this travel guide featuring some of my favorite places in Slovenia. From the enchanting scenery of Lake Bled, to the crystal clear waters of River Soća, Slovenia is waiting to be experienced. Where is your favorite place in Slovenia?
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TravelTranscript
00:00What's up guys!
00:01My name is Ryan and I spent the last year exploring the incredible country of Slovenia
00:05and I want to share with you my favorite places and experiences so here is my Slovenia Top
00:1025.
00:16Of all the European countries, I don't think there is a more compact country that offers
00:20just about every landscape you'd expect to find in Europe.
00:23From the incredible scenery of the Kamnik Slovenia Alps to medieval towns on the Adriatic
00:28coast, Slovenia has so much to offer.
00:30Let's start this video off at possibly the most famous place in Slovenia, Lake Bled.
00:35Located just a 40 minutes drive outside of Ljubljana, Lake Bled is one of Europe's most
00:39scenic lakes.
00:40It's home to Slovenia's only island that has a church built on it and it was constructed
00:44around the 16th century.
00:45While we were there, I really enjoyed just walking around the lake.
00:48We wanted to get a good vantage point of the area so we did the hike to Mala Ossosnika.
00:52It was about a 20 or 30 minute hike through the forest and we got to this amazing lookout
00:56that offered an incredible view of Lake Bled.
00:59After we hiked down to the shore and I do regret not bringing a swimsuit, so many people were
01:03paddle boarding or swimming and it just looked so much fun.
01:06Now another incredible feature of Lake Bled is its castle.
01:08It's Slovenia's oldest castle with its history dating back to 1000 AD.
01:13I just love how it's built on a precipice and overlooks the lake and this area is just
01:17so enchanting.
01:18After we're going to visit the River Socha.
01:19I have to say this was the place I was most excited to visit in Slovenia.
01:23It's this incredibly clean river with turquoise water.
01:26When we were there we found this nice spot along the river and I jumped in and had such
01:30a fun time just floating down with the current and the water is so clear and I could see trout
01:35passing me by.
01:36I will say the water was extremely cold even during August so hopefully it's a warm sunny
01:40day when you visit.
01:41Another thing that I also liked about the River Socha is its bridges.
01:44There was this really cool one called the Polines Bridge and then there was this also
01:48suspension bridge that looks super scenic.
01:50After we're going to head down to Slovenia's coast to visit Piran located about an hour
01:54and a half's drive from Ljubljana.
01:56Piran is this medieval town built on this narrow peninsula on the Adriatic Sea.
02:00It began as part of the Roman Empire in the year 178 BC and during medieval times it joined
02:06the Republic of Venice with much of its Italian influence still prevalent today.
02:10I love its medieval charm and orange root buildings.
02:12When we were here it was a rainy day but we had a fun time exploring the city.
02:16I really liked walking around the Tartini Central Square and also exploring the path along
02:20the edge of the city.
02:21If you want a great view of the area you can visit the walls of Piran.
02:25It's these ancient fortifications that were built in the 7th century and I think it offers
02:28some of the best views of the city.
02:30After it we're going to visit another seaside town called Izola.
02:33Located just 20 minutes from Piran, Izola is this beautiful seaside area.
02:37It was established around the 7th century and was originally island but in the 1800s Izola's
02:41medieval walls were torn down and used to connect the island to the mainland.
02:44Today it's an idyllic town and I just love the marina.
02:47There are a lot of nice beaches around Izola perfect for swimming in the summers.
02:51Also nearby there's this place called Bumbay that has a nice cliff side and beach area.
02:56Now afterwards we're going to visit one of the most fascinating places in Slovenia, the
03:00Postonje Cave.
03:01Located about a 40 minutes drive from Ljubljana, the Postonje Cave is a natural wonder.
03:05It costs about 30 euros to enter the cave but when you arrive you get on this train that
03:09proceeds nearly 4 kilometers deep under the earth.
03:12It felt like we were riding into Gringotts Bank from the Harry Potter films.
03:15Now the train took about 10 minutes and after we began the tour throughout the cave, it's
03:20absolutely huge and it's hard to convey the size and scale of it.
03:24Not only was the cave amazing but I was impressed by the man-made walkways, I mean this whole
03:28place was so fascinating.
03:30We spent about an hour walking 5 kilometers throughout the cave.
03:33It was such a cool experience and something definitely worth doing if you're in Slovenia.
03:37After it we're going to visit the nearby Prajama Castle.
03:40Located just 15 minutes from Postonje, Prajama is the world's largest cave castle.
03:45It dates back to the 13th century and has a fascinating history.
03:48The castle was destroyed 2 times and the fortress that you see today was built in 1570.
03:52I really enjoyed doing a tour of the fortress.
03:55There was this beautiful walkway that leads up to it and it was fascinating to walk through
03:59all the rooms and imagine what it must have been like to live here centuries ago.
04:03There were some really nice living areas and there was this one place that led deeper into
04:07the cave behind the castle.
04:08I mean it definitely transports you back into medieval times.
04:11Now after we're going to head to the mountains to visit the Kamnek Slovenia Alps.
04:16Located in the northern region of the country, I think the Kamnek Slovenia Alps may be my favorite
04:20part of Slovenia.
04:21It's home to some incredible alpine scenery and picturesque towns.
04:24One place I really wanted to visit was Yuzirko.
04:27It's a municipality and green valley shadowed over the Alps.
04:30There's this little lake there that has a beautiful view of the mountains and when we
04:33were here we did a nice walk to this valley.
04:35It was just a 15 minute stroll to get there and it's this beautiful opening right at the
04:39base of the mountains.
04:40Now another incredible place in the Kamnek Slovenia area is the Logar Valley.
04:45It's located about 15 minutes drive from Yuzirko and I think it's one of the most beautiful
04:49alpine glacier valleys in all of Europe.
04:51I mean this place is just so picturesque and there was also this really beautiful church
04:55nearby.
04:56On the southern side of the Kamnek Alps is Velika Planina.
04:59It's a plateau home to a high elevation pasture.
05:02The plateau is one of the largest settlements for shepherds in Europe and hosts over 140 huts
05:07which are occupied by shepherds from June until September.
05:10The magical plateau has been inhabited since the middle ages and truly has just an enchanting
05:14feel to it.
05:15You can reach the plateau by cable car and enjoy great hiking in the summer and also skiing
05:19in the winters.
05:20I mean Slovenia just has so many enchanting places.
05:23After it we're going to visit Slovenia's capital Ljubljana.
05:26While Ljubljana is one of the smallest capitals in Europe with a population of around 300,000
05:30it's one of the most beautiful in my opinion.
05:32One thing that I love about Ljubljana is that it's located right in the center of the country
05:36and you can get to pretty much any part of Slovenia with a relatively short drive.
05:40Now the crowning feature of the capital is the Ljubljana castle.
05:43It was built around the 12th century and it's one of the capital's most popular attractions.
05:48After it we're going to visit the Triglof National Park.
05:50I think after Lake Bled this may be another one of the most well known places in Slovenia.
05:54It's this beautiful area and it's home to the Julian Alps which are the tallest mountains
05:58in Slovenia with an elevation of 2,864 meters.
06:03One of my personal favorite peaks in the Julian Alps is called Mangart.
06:06It's located right on the Italian Slovenia border and what I like about it is that you
06:10can drive on Slovenia's highest road to get there.
06:12On the Italian side of Mangart there's this little lake called Lago di Fusini that offers
06:16a spectacular view of Mangart's northern face.
06:20Another beautiful place in the Triglof National Park is Lake Bohin.
06:23Located just a 30 minutes drive from Lake Bled, Bohin is the largest lake in all of Slovenia.
06:28There's a lot to do with the lake and you can take a ferry to reach the other side and
06:32there's so much beautiful scenery around and it's such an enjoyable area.
06:35Afterwards we're going to visit the beautiful town of Kranskagora.
06:39Located right next to the Austrian and Italian borders, Kranskagora is a scenic alpine resort
06:44situated right at the base of the mountains.
06:46There's some beautiful places nearby such as Lake Jasna which offers a beautiful view
06:50of the Julian Alps.
06:52Another really unique place nearby is Zelen Sea Springs.
06:54It's just 5 minutes away from Kranskagora and it's this beautiful protected area.
06:58There's a nice walkway and lookout to view the blue water from.
07:01I mean such a serene place.
07:03Afterwards we're going to head to eastern Slovenia to visit Maribor.
07:06Located about an hour and a half drive from Ljubljana, Maribor is the second largest
07:09city in the country with a population around 100,000.
07:12It was founded around the 12th century AD and began to prosper during the middle ages.
07:17Today Maribor has maintained much of its historic charm.
07:19I love the beautiful buildings and main square and also think it's so cool how the Dorava
07:24river runs right through the city.
07:25After we're going to visit the nearby town of Tui.
07:28Located about a 30 minutes drive from Maribor, Tui is the oldest recorded town in Slovenia.
07:33It was inhabited during the stone age and then served as a Roman military fort in 69 AD.
07:38Today it's a charming area and I love the castle that overlooks the town.
07:43While we're still in the east we're going to visit some of Slovenia's wine country.
07:46Located just 30 minutes from Tui near Croatia and the Hungary's border, Slovenia's wine
07:50country is just this extremely pictures area full of rolling hills and vineyards.
07:54There's a lot of beautiful settlements.
07:56I personally really like this place called Jerusalem.
07:59There's a nice church there and the area is just so dreamy.
08:02Afterwards we're going to witness my favorite animal in Slovenia, the brown bear.
08:06Now there are over 500 bears that call Slovenia home.
08:09They live in the forests in the southern region of Slovenia near towns such as Lowe's and
08:13the best way to see them is by going on a guided tour where you can safely watch the bears
08:18from observation posts in the forest.
08:20Now aside from brown bears, Slovenia is home to other animals such as the Eurasian link
08:24and wolf.
08:25There is so much wildlife and nature in this country.
08:27Now while we're in the southern region of Slovenia we're going to visit Kosta Njavika.
08:31After about an hour's drive from Ljubljana, Kosta Njavika is a small town completely surrounded
08:36by the Kurka river and it's the only town in Slovenia built on an island and this place
08:40is just so unique and it would be so cool to live here.
08:43For our final part of the video we're going to visit some of Slovenia's hilltop churches.
08:47They dot the landscapes and create some of the most picturesque sceneries.
08:51One of the most notable is the church of St. Thomas.
08:53It's located in the town of Selka and has one of the most enchanting views as it's perfectly
08:58place on the hilltop of the Kamnik Alps in the distance.
09:01Depending on when you come, the area might be covering clouds or what not but it's just
09:05always so magical.
09:06I really enjoyed spending the sunset up here.
09:08I mean this place is truly as perfect as it gets.
09:12Now another scenic chapel is the church of St. Primoz.
09:14It's located in the town of Jamnik and this church was built back in the 16th century and
09:19offers one of the most beautiful settings with a path that leads up to the church with
09:22a backdrop of the Alps.
09:24When I came here it was during the fall months and there was so much fog and you couldn't
09:28see the surrounding landscape but I think it added to the magic of the place.
09:31I mean I love the walkway that leads up to the church and there were some cows just eating
09:35and minding their own business.
09:36I mean it doesn't get more spiritual than a church in nature.
09:39Well that is it for my Slovenia top 25.
09:42I love this country so much and I know you will too.
09:44Let me know where your favorite place is in Slovenia in the comments below.
09:48It's Ryan and we will see you later.
09:54We will see you later.
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