Slovenia

We spent 5 nights in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Our short-term rental apartment was located near the principal railway/bus station. This was perfect as the walk to all the charms of the city were within a few blocks, a short walk. Charms of the city? To name a few - the bridges, central market, Old Town, St. Nicholas Church, Ljubljana Castle, and numerous cafes, bars, and restaurants. This is a culturally rich city so surely there will be something uniquely interesting to you.

If you need some dining recommendations, these were great for us:

• Baščaršija - for traditional Balkan cuisine (we made a reservation)

• Pop's Place - burgers (I don't believe they accept reservations)

• Pop's Pizza - wood-fired pizza (not sure if they accept reservations, we had short wait)

• Moji štruklji Slovenije - for the traditional Slovenian dumplings. We had sweet, but I believe you can choose savory

We did spend a full day in a small group tour (there were 6 of us) to Lake Bled and Bohinj. I would recommend this for anyone visiting Ljubljana. In fact, I would guess that it would be worth it to spend a couple of nights in that area during the summer. Gorgeous! (One tip I have for you if you wish to go to the viewpoint at Lake Bled: the Ojstrica Trailhead is known to be the less-challenging hike versus the Mala Osojnica Trailhead. I am told that both give you the same view).

Another day we took a bus to the Postojna Cave Park. I did enjoy this and found it very interesting, but I don't think it's an absolute "must-see" for visiting Slovenia - unless you have kids with you, then yes, it was very family-friendly.

I find it exciting that the Ljubljana is gaining more popularity among tourists in recent years. I hope it's on your itinerary!