I love a good road trip, and road trips in Europe are an entirely different beast to an Australian road trip – it’s all about the distance. Driving across Australia takes days and is all in one country (and while some might find the desert a bit boring, I find it quite refreshing). Driving across Europe means you can constantly encounter an entirely new country. And driving into Slovenia on a summer road trip while I lived in Germany was another one of those moments where I felt that thrill of being about to discover something new.
The first impressions were good. We approached Slovenia through a tunnel, had our passports stamped (and goodness, you can see from the passport stamp above how long ago it was – it feels like yesterday!) and then one of our first views of the country itself was this – the highway lined by enormous fir trees, the mountains towering around us. This was in the middle of summer so I can imagine in winter it would be a snowy scene instead. In essence, this first impression of Slovenia – green and clean – was the right one for my experiences there. Slovenia is quite a special little country, one that was tucked away behind the Iron Curtain yet didn’t suffer quite as badly as most of the others, and has long had help from its close neighbour Italy to keep it modern; it’s one of the richest countries from the former eastern bloc. And it’s lovely. Don’t leave it off your list when you’re exploring Europe!
Thinking about combining cycling and rail trip in Slovenia. I believe it generally has nice weather too, being on the right side of the mountains.
That sounds like a lovely trip Jenny, I look forward to reading about it. Have you been to Slovenia before? I’d love to go back.
This is one of the best ways to really see a country. However you should be in quite a decent shape to make your way over the rolling hills of Slovenia.
If you will be looking for some local advice, you can drop by my blog and drop me an email/comment. I am always happy to offer a hand to fellow travelers.
I haven’t been to Slovenia in years, but it’s beautiful. I found Ljubljana quite charming. I look forward to going back some day.
I agree Curt, Ljubljana is a really sweet city. Not too big but lots of heart and culture.
Those mountains would certainly look beautiful in winter.
Absolutely. You can almost imagine the snow cover on them just from the summer picture!