10 of the Best Places to Visit in Slovenia

We have four tours that take place almost entirely in Slovenia, giving you the opportunity to cycle from the majestic Alps in the north down to the warm Adriatic coastline, plus seven more tours which extend into surrounding countries.

Your daily rides take you past ever-changing scenery, from rugged mountains and glacial lakes to luscious forests and mysterious caves. Stay in historic towns and cities and expand your cultural horizons with visits to castles and museums.

There is so much to see on a Slovenia cycling holiday, but we've managed to whittle it down to 10 of the best places to visit, each of which features on at least one of our tours.

Between our team we've visited everywhere on this list (I was lucky enough to tick off seven of them in July 2023!), so if you're after personal recommendations then call us on 01273 224066 or enquire online.

The beautiful alpine town of Bled is the starting point for three of our Slovenian tours. Perfectly placed on the shores of Lake Bled, you'd struggle to find a more picturesque setting to begin a holiday.

Rent a traditional rowing boat and paddle out to Bled Island (or sit back and relax on a 'pletna') and visit the church, where legend has it that whoever rings the bell will have their wish come true. With more time to spare, visit Lake Bled Castle, the oldest in Slovenia dating back to 1011, or hike up to Mala Osojnica (~1 hour there and back) for the best views of the lake and town. Back in the town, relax in a lakeside cafe with a delicious Bled Cream Cake.

Bohinj is an idyllic valley in the heart of the Triglav National Park, surrounded by the Julian Alps, and home to the largest natural lake in Slovenia. A morning transfer from Bled takes you up to the Pokljuka Plateau, a high Karst plateau covered with spruce trees, from where you'll cycle down into the valley and the alpine village of Ribčev Laz on the shores of Lake Bohinj.

Relax by the lake or cycle on up to Savica Waterfall, Slovenia's largest at 78m, and, if time permits, take a cable car up the Vogel mountain for spectacular mountain views.

The third stop on the three tours, Škofja Loka is one of Slovenia's oldest towns and is home to the unique Stone Bridge. Built in the mid-14th century, it's the only one of its kind in central Europe.

You'll have an evening to stroll around the charming medieval centre, but as part of your tour you'll also visit surrounding attractions including the historical iron smelting furnaces in Železniki and the picturesque hillside village of Sorica, the birthplace of the impressionist painter Ivan Grohar.

Škofja Loka is where three of our Slovenian tours divide.

If cycling Best of Slovenia - Lakes to the Coast you'll continue on to Ljubljana, which is also the end point of our short break Lake Bled to Ljubljana Bike Tour and the start point for Ljubljana to Piran. One of Europe's smallest capital cities, it's rarely crowded, but that may change in future as it was recently crowned European Best Destination 2022. What better time to visit?

Spend an afternoon exploring the city's stunning hilltop castle, cross its beautiful bridges and enjoy the numerous riverside cafes and restaurants. To quickly see the main tourist attractions, jump on board the circular Urban electric train for €10.

The next four highlights are visited on our Best of Slovenia and Ljubljana to Piran tours.

Postojna Cave is a fascinating underground world formed of magnificent stalagmites and stalactites. It's home to the world's first cave railway (built in 1872) and also the unique 'olm'. The cave-dwelling salamander is often called the 'human fish' due to its pale skin.

If you miss out on Postojna Cave, the lesser-visited UNESCO-listed Škocjan Caves are an option later on in your tour. It's one of the world's largest known underground canyons and has been inhabited since prehistoric times.

Just a few kilometres from Postojna Cave, the medieval Predjama Castle is built right into the middle of a cliff and holds the Guinness World Record as the world's largest cave castle.

If you have time, book a tour inside the preserved interior and venture into the network of secret tunnels.

When most people think of Lipizzaner dancing horses, they think of the famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna, but few know that they're actually bred in Lipica, Slovenia!

Book a tour of the 400-year-old stud farm or catch a show to find out why these horses are so renowned.

The final stop on our Best of Slovenia tour is the pretty Venetian harbour town of Piran on the Adriatic coast. It can be busy in peak summer periods, but tours run May to October so there's plenty of scope to explore the historical Old Town in quieter months.

Attractions include cathedrals, squares and museums, but we most enjoy just wandering the winding alleyways and marvelling at the architecture. The town is known for its seafood and it doesn't get much fresher - plus, it's often cooked with salt from the Piran Salt Pans, which are definitely worth a visit if you stay in Piran for an extra night.

If you opt for our Slovenia's Castles, Lakes & Mountains Bike Tour, instead of heading south to Ljubljana from Škofja Loka, you'll remain in the magnificent mountains in the north-west of the country. On your way to Kranjska Gora, a popular ski resort that hosts walkers and mountain bikers in the summer, we highly recommend a detour to the Sava River and the beautiful Zelenci Lakes.

The spring water attracts people due to its deep, brilliant green colour, and is easily explored by a series of well-maintained trails and viewing bridges.

On the final day of the Castles, Lakes & Mountains tour, you'll cycle through the Radovna Valley's deep, peaceful woods in the heart of Triglav National Park. As you leave the valley and cycle back to Bled, there's time to fit in one more natural spectacle, with an optional stroll to the nearby 1600m long, 250m deep Vintgar Gorge to see the gushing rapids, misty waterfalls and steep rock walls. It's also an optional extra on Best of Slovenia and Ljubljana to Piran!

This is just a taste of what to expect on a Slovenia cycle tour. Every day is filled with natural beauty and fascinating places to visit - you will not want to forget your camera on these tours!

If you want to see even more on your cycling holiday, you can also combine tours and cycle the length of the Istrian Coast down to Pula on the tip of the Croatian peninsula. The best way to do this would be to combine Lake Bled to Ljubljana and Slovenia's Capital to Croatia's Coast. It's also possible to add extra nights in Bled, Ljubljana and Piran if you'd prefer to spend more time exploring Slovenia's cultural highlights.