Sandwiched between Italy, Croatia, Hungary and Austria, Slovenia might be small but it’s a surprisingly diverse country. Venture just an hour or so from the compact capital, Ljubljana, and you’ll find nearly 50 kilometres of sunny Adriatic coastline, tranquil wine regions and the stunning Lake Bled, backed by the soaring Julian Alps. Travel a little further and you’ll hit the dramatic Logarska Dolina, karst plateaus riddled with cave systems and Maribor, the country’s engaging second city. It’s no wonder Rough Guides readers voted Slovenia as one of the world’s most beautiful countries. To find out more, this year we’ve explored the country season by season.
Winter
In winter, our adventure travel expert Helen Abramson took to the slopes in the Julian Alps. Trying her hand at cross-country skiing, snow-biking and a couple of black runs, she found out why Slovenia is one of the most affordable and accessible European ski destinations.
Spring
Spring saw Lottie Gross explore the country out of season. Over five days she cycled and paraglided without the summer crowds in Logarska Dolina, overindulged on a food tour in Ljubljana and sampled a taste of traditional life on a tourist farm.
Photograph © Lottie Gross 2014
Summer
Over a sunny summer weekend in late August, Tim Chester hit the coast on a short tour of the Slovene Riviera. Never straying far from the Adriatic, he scouted out the seaside city of Piran, Izola’s fish festival and salty spa treatments at Sečovlje.
Autumn
To round off the year, this autumn Eleanor Aldridge travelled to Slovenia’s far west. Visiting the Vipava Valley and Goriška Brda at harvest time, she met some of the country’s pioneering orange winemakers and discovered the natural beauty of these rural regions.
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