Ya’ll this country is gorgeous! Like seriously, please go visit this country. From its lush rolling mountains, to its charming capital city, Slovenia has some beautiful places to offer. I have to admit though, due to our Eurail itinerary being a little tight, we were unable to make it up to northern Slovenia and the gorgeous Lake Bled. There’s always next trip right? Here are the places we made it to:
Postojna/Predjama:
While researching for this trip, I kept coming back again and again to this area in Slovenia. Let me tell you what makes these two towns worth stopping at. Postojna is known for its elaborate cave system tucked inside the limestone filled mountains while neighboring Predjama is known for its cliff hanging Renaissance castle. Both are worth visiting and thankfully its super easy to fit both stops into your day. Visit this site for more details on how you can bundle and save!
Upon arriving by train into the town of Postojna, Chris and I decided to walk down to the city center (about an 10 min walk downhill) and grab some lunch. After refueling with a quick lunch, we left our bags in our hotel and walked down towards the caves (about an 18 min walk).
When we got to cave entrance, I was blown away by how many people were there! My advice would be to buy your tickets online long in advance to avoid some majorly long queues. Thankfully, we had planned ahead and done the same and we were able to simply pick up our tickets from the Hotel Jama lobby. **Pro Tip: Hotel Jama and their Proteus Apartments offer reduced tickets if you are also staying at their hotel. We opted to buy the Two Adventure package and visited the Postojna Caves and Predjama Castle.
Due to the shuttle schedule between the caves and the castle, we opted to visited the castle first (make sure to check their shuttle times, if you’re visiting during the summer months). You guys, this was a windy, curvy packed bus with strangers experience that wasn’t exactly pleasant. If you get motion sickness easily, have some Dramamine on hand because this route takes you down some windy mountain roads!
Once we got to Predjama though, the view was simply amazing. Out of all the castle we visited during this trip, this one was my favorite because of its unique location. Only a smart man would decide to build his castle inside of a mountain, and use a cave system inside as a method of escaping attackers. Brilliant right? By taking a tour, you’ll also get to learn some fascinating history about Erazem and his tragic betrayal and death inside the castle. Really good story, trust me!
After a few hours here, we took the shuttle back to Postojna and toured the caves. We boarded a train that acted as a shuttle from the outside of the cave into the heart of the cave. We passed by huge stalactites and stalagmites, some of which were even pure white. At the end of the cave tour, visitors have a chance to view “baby dragons” or the white salamanders that can only survive within this specific cave system.
After a busy day of touring we headed back to our hotel, the Hotel Jama Rooms and Apartments Proteus (this is usually a cheaper option than the big Hotel Jama) and enjoyed a delicious lamb dinner. We went to bed with full bellies and lots of memories! Ready for another beautiful day in Slovenia!
Ljubljana:
After visiting Postojna, we hopped on a train and headed to Slovenia’s capital: Ljubljana! Our first stop was the Ljubljana Castle where we learned about the history of Slovenia and enjoyed some great views of the capital city. I learned so much from the exhibits in this castle and there were even some neat hands on activities for families with kids! My favorite exhibit gave me a chance to try on some chain mail! I would highly recommend making this a stop while in Ljubljana. **Pro Tip: If you’re itching to save some money, you can hike up to the castle instead of taking the funicular. It will be a good workout for you though! The hills are steep!
After heading down the hill, we ended up in Ljubljana’s central market area. There were hundreds of vendors with fresh produce and homemade items, just waiting for customers to come their way. We unfortunately didn’t take much time to shop, but instead continued our tour of Ljubljana by visiting the Triple Bridge and “The Pink Church” (Franciscan Church of the Annunciation). Both of these places were hopping with tourists so unfortunately, we didn’t spend as much time in these areas as we would’ve liked. Instead we found a quieter street and enjoyed a nice lunch before resting on some steps near the Ljubljanica River.
Although this country isn’t on many itineraries, its buildings are charming, its nature spectacular and its people are genuine. The next time my husband and I visit, we hope to make it up to Lake Bled and the Slovenia Alps for some skiing. There is so much to do in this beautiful country. Make sure not to miss Slovenia!
Where we stayed:
Hotel Jama Apartments (Proteus Apt) in Postojna
What we ate:
Restaurant Proteus–right next to our apartment, downtown Postojna
In Ljublana, we grabbed food at a cafe near the farmers market, but I can’t remember which one! There are some good ones all around!