Our Instagram account might be full of beautiful landscapes and awe-inspiring vistas, but here on the blog, I try to keep it real with the sometimes-less-glamorous side of full-time travel. So it’s no secret that after our time in Morocco, we were a little disillusioned, ready for something, anything different than what we’d been putting up with for the last month on the road. We needed a break, some relaxation, above all, something easy and unchallenging, and we got that in Turkey, the next country we visited. Serbia was next on the list, and it was fun too. But by the time our train was pulling out of the Belgrade station, heading for Slovenia, I felt like I had had enough time to hit the reset button, now it was time to get excited again, to be inspired.

I thought Slovenia would be the right place to kickstart that excitement, and boy, was I right. From the moment our train crossed the border out of Croatia, the flat pastureland tilted up into green hillsides, a river joined the train tracks and ran alongside us, and little villages dotted the hillsides–it was like a scene from an Austrian fairytale. The sun set as we pulled into Ljubljana, and already I could tell we were going to love it here.

The scenery and villages only got more scenic throughout the rest of our trip. Their charm was enhanced by the fact that wine was cheaper than soda, people everywhere were super friendly, and gelato shops could be found on every corner. But instead of telling you how much we loved Slovenia, I’d rather show you. Here are some of our favorite pictures from our three-week road trip through the Slovenian mountains and coast.

Ljubljana

The Beautiful Capital City

Slovenia, Travel, Europe

Lovely Ljubljana from the Castle HIll.

Slovenia, Travel, Europe

Kongresni Trg (Square)

Slovenia, Travel, Europe

The Ljubljana Dragon, guarding its namesake bridge.

 

The Slovenian Alps

Mountains, Waterfalls, Gorges, and more…

Slovenia, Travel, Europe, Hiking

The Julian Alps from the Sava Valley.

Slovenia, Travel, Europe, Hiking

Behind Slap Pericnik in the Vrata Valley.

Slovenia, Travel, Europe, Hiking

Magical forests were everywhere.

Slovenia, Travel, Europe

The town of Zasip near Lake Bled was a nice, quiet alternative to the hustle and bustle of Bled.

Slovenia, Travel, Hiking

Vogel and Vrh nad Škrbino from the summit of Šija.

Slovenia, Travel, Hiking

The other-world colors of the Tolmin Gorge.

Slovenia, Travel, Hiking, Europe

The Soča Valley from the Tolmin Castle Hill.

The Adriatic Coast

Slovenian Istria, Venetian charm minus the madness

Slovenia, Adriatic Coast, Travel

Prvomajski Trg in Piran, Slovenia.

Slovenia, Istria, Travel

The Adriatic Sea from the town walls of Piran.

Slovenia, Travel, Istria

Seaside in Piran.

Slovenia, Travel, Istria, Adriatic Sea

Piran from the Town Walls at sunset.

We had a hard time knocking the number of pictures down to just 15. Slovenia lived up to, and then blew past, our expectations.

 

 

Ljubljana: A fairy-tale city in Central Europe
Much Madness is a Beach Vacation