Slovenia

Slovenia packs alpine lakes, karst caves, a short Adriatic coast and a compact green capital into a country you can cross in three hours. Distances are small enough that a single base can reach mountains in the morning and the sea in the afternoon, which makes it unusually efficient for a one-week trip. Public transport works between the main towns, but a car unlocks the valleys where the country is at its best.

Cities

Ljubljana

Slovenia's capital is small enough to walk end to end, with a car-free old town wrapped around the Ljubljanica river and a castle on the hill above it. Plečnik's bridges and colonnades give the centre its distinctive look, and the riverside is one long run of cafés and market stalls. It works best as a two-day base at the start or end of a trip, with day trips to the lakes and caves.

Piran

Piran is a Venetian-era town on a narrow headland, with tight stone lanes opening onto a marble main square and a sea wall on three sides. Cars stop at the edge of town, so the centre is walkable and quiet outside July and August. Most visitors come for a day, but staying overnight gets you the town after the coach groups leave.

Ptuj

Ptuj is the oldest recorded town in Slovenia, a compact Drava-side centre of red roofs below a hilltop castle. The Kurentovanje carnival in February fills the streets with sheepskin-clad Kurent figures and is the reason many Slovenes visit at all. The rest of the year it is quiet, cheap and easy to combine with the thermal spas and vineyards of the surrounding hills.

When to go

See all seasons

• Spring: Green valleys, cool mornings, waterfalls at full flow.
• Summer: Warm and busy; lakes and the coast are at their fullest.
• Autumn: Clear hiking weather, vineyard colour, thinner crowds.

Entry & visas

Entry rules for this country aren't published here yet.

Always confirm entry rules with the official source before you book.