Things to see and do in Slovenia

Attractions in Slovenia

Slovenian wine: fall in love with local tipples

Goriška Brda is a breath-taking wine region where the climate of the Julian Alps and the Adriatic Sea meet, giving body and freshness to the local wines – especially varieties such as Rebula.

Vipava Valley is another delightful vineyard area with small, family-run wineries producing top whites from rare and ancient grape varieties such as Zelen, Pinela, Klarnica and Pikolit, and top reds from Merlot grapes.

Bovec: take a plunge

Located in Triglav National Park, this pretty little town is a Mecca for adrenalin-junkies, who flock here in the summer for white water rafting, kayaking and canyoning on the Soča River. In the winter, there is skiing at the nearby Kanin Ski Centre (tel: +386 59179301;http://kanin.si/en/).

The Soča Valley is also home to a thousand year old cheese making tradition; its alpine pastures and dairy farmers keep its heritage alive, offering tastings of the famous Bovec and Tolmic varieties and the Planika cheese making museum (tel: +386 5 3841 000; www.mlekarna-planika.si)

Coastal Slovenia: explore its rugged shores

Slovenia may not boast the longest coast, but what it does have is absolutely beautiful. The coastal towns of Koper, Piran and Portoroz are gateways to the country’s best beaches. They are also home to splendid Venetian architecture, excellent waterfront restaurants and top hotels. Every year the town of Portoroz holds a contemporary art symposium with creations on display in the sculpture park, Forma Viva.

Coastal Slovenia: explore its rugged shores

Slovenia may not boast the longest coast, but what it does have is absolutely beautiful. The coastal towns of Koper, Piran and Portoroz are gateways to the country’s best beaches. They are also home to splendid Venetian architecture, excellent waterfront restaurants and top hotels. Every year the town of Portoroz holds a contemporary art symposium with creations on display in the sculpture park, Forma Viva.

Kranjska Gora: Slovenia’s best equipped ski resort

This historic alpine town is Slovenia’s top ski resort, with 30km (19 miles) of runs to choose from. Located in the Julian Alps, the north-western part of Slovenia, the resort is close enough to the Austrian and Italian border to walk to them in two hours. It has a lively central square, a pretty church, two casinos and great views down the valley. There are plenty of hiking and biking trails, too (tel: +386 4580 9440; www.kranjska-gora.si).

Tourist offices

Slovenian Tourist Board in the UK