Slovenia: A True Hidden Gem
What’s next on your travel list? If it’s not Slovenia, trust me – make an edit!
There are few places in the world where I’ve arrived and immediately felt at home, the first was Scotland, but I can now add Slovenia to that short list. Being in the travel industry, I try not to return to destinations as there are so many on my list, I simply don’t have time. However, I’ve now returned to Scotland three times, since living there for two years. I feel confident the same will be true of Slovenia. This was my first, but certainly not my last trip!
No matter what destination is currently at the top of your travel list, I highly recommend you move it down to number two (it’ll still be there next year) and add Slovenia to the top spot! Crowds are still light in this lesser-known destination, at least in the spring and fall, but it’s only a matter of time before it’s the next “it” country for Americans and the crowds flock in.
There are certain places in the world that need to be experienced to fully understand the hype, and I believe Slovenia is one of those destinations. No words or photos can really do it justice. It’s the people, the food, and the natural landscapes that bring this country to life! We traveled for nature and adventure activities – mainly hiking, but we fell in love with the people and the culinary delights!
Here were some of our trip highlights:
Visiting one of the last remaining print shops, with an actual old-fashioned printing press. Marko is fabulous and is trying to keep the tradition alive. We had the opportunity to learn how printing works and were able to make our own take-home prints. A unique and custom souvenir!
Adventure activities are abundant in Slovenia. I embarrassingly haven’t been on a bicycle since I was a kid, I won’t say exactly how long it’s been, but trust me it’s been a while. Anyway, Blaž was wonderful, kind, patient, and a great instructor. I felt safe and had an incredible time! We biked through some beautiful countryside and when we got to our destination, after a few hours of e-biking, a colleague came and picked us up to save us time in order to make it back for some exciting afternoon rafting on the incredibly beautiful Soča River!
We joined a new friend, Mojca, for some foraging in the meadow hills. Learning about the various plants and how they're used. We collected some edible flowers and herbs and then enjoyed a delicious snack using the foraged items. I've never done anything like that before, but it was fascinating and such a fun activity bringing us closer to nature and the local community's way of life.
Written By: Amanda Jamieson