This week’s travel dream: Slovenia—Europe’s best-kept secret

Slovenia, a land of castles, medieval villages, and an “idealistic love of the arts,” can only remain a secret for so long, said Scott Spencer in Travel + Leisure. Formerly part of Yugoslavia, this country with an abbreviated Adriatic coastline also offers Alpine mountains and “wind-raked valleys,” plus highways and cobblestoned streets that wind through vineyards and farms. It’s a remarkably peaceful, cared-for place, too. “In 10 days, my girlfriend and I didn’t hear a raised voice or see an untended garden.”

The country’s capital, Ljubljana, suffered a major earthquake in 1895, so its most picturesque section was built in the early 20th century. The architect Joze Plecnik is a revered figure from this time, and “his sometimes avant-garde, early modern style can be seen all over the city,” from the “monumental” Church of St. Francis to the “always busy” Triple Bridge. Crossing this pedestrian bridge, we find locals everywhere along the waterfront, enjoying beer, coffee, wine, and gelato. One square follows the next, and we pass art galleries, a fair-trade clothing store, and a shop devoted to locally harvested salt. Another short walk takes us to the city’s most prominent landmark, Ljubljana Castle, a stronghold that dates to the 9th century and offers “magnificent views of the serene city below.” After dark, we end up back along the water, watching unexpected fireworks—Slovenians love fireworks—while folk dancers perform below.

Bled, an Alpine town in northwest Slovenia, sounds like a place where a vampire would buy a country house, but we discover it to be “the opposite of gloomy: a sun-drenched town clustered around a brilliant blue lake.” In Ptuj, “a medieval maze of one-way streets,” we marvel at all the women in capri pants who are able to negotiate the “ankle-snapping cobblestones” in “defiant” high heels. We hit the coast last, and find a familiarly relaxed spirit on the streets of Piran, where a five-minute walk in any direction yields a view of the Adriatic. We choose to dine along the waterfront promenade so that we can watch passersby. Nearby, a jazz combo starts up as the sun sinks and the air turns a dark blue.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Doubles at Ljubljana’s Antiq Palace Hotel & Spa (antiqpalace.com) start at $303.