View from Mt Mangart, Slovenia

View from Mt Mangart, Slovenia

Photo by Christian Mehlführer (wikimedia commons)

Slovenia Geography

Postojna Cave - Slovenia - photo by Sylfred1977 (wikimedia commons)Postojna Cave - Slovenia - photo by Sylfred1977 (wikimedia commons)

Small but perfectly formed, Slovenia is one of the less well known countries of Europe.  In fact, if you say to your neighbours ‘we’re taking a motorhome rental holiday in Slovenia’ you may get a polite nod, a smile and ‘oh that’s nice’ when what they really want to say is ‘were on earth is that?’ or words to that affect.  So, where is Slovenia?  Well, it’s to the east of Italy, south of Austria, west of Hungary and north of its former Yugoslavian cousin Croatia.

Bearing more resemblance to its neighbours Austria and Italy, Slovenia only gained its independence in 1991 and despite its size it is packed with incredibly diverse terrain. There are the beach resorts of the Istrian peninsula which rise to the peaks of the Julian Alps and in between some very beautiful hills, lakes and lowlands.  

The country is divided into six regions the Coast and Karst with towns such as Postojna and Piran, this is the south western corner of the country with 42km of coast, rolling hills and some amazing caves.  

To the northwest are the Julian Alps which incorporate the popular area around Lake Bled, the Triglav National Park and the ski resort of Kranjska Gora; only 6km from the Austrian and Italian borders.

Central Slovenia which is home to Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana (pronounced lube-le-auna); a beautiful prosperous city built on the river of the same name with some very well preserved historic buildings.  The city has a very lively atmosphere with plenty going on and diverse entertainment and places to eat due to the large student population.  

The other regions are smaller and less well known; there is the South Eastern region, home of the Krka and Lower Sava rivers, the Eastern Region, the wine producing region with a strong Hungarian influence and finally Pohorje-Savinjska which is the mountainous region to the north incorporating the Savinja River valley.

Each of the regions has something different to offer visitors with campervan hire and all have some important towns, cities and pristine outdoor locations to explore.  We already know about the capital Ljubljana, but other places of importance are Bled, the picture perfect lakeside resort with its island and castle, Brezice a medieval city close to Slovenia’s largest spa resort, Nova Gorica the city that ‘sits’ on the Italian border, Piran a Venetian port, Postojna with its important cave complex and Ptuj (pronounced P-too-ee) one of the country’s oldest cities.

So, whether it’s beautiful cities or the great outdoors that you are looking for scenic, clean and safe, Slovenia is a perfect destination for families and couples holidaying with a campervan hire or motorhome rental. This county is like stepping back in time in the best possible way, modern conveniences with the relaxed pace of life which will allow you to go at your own speed and immerse yourself in the surroundings, you won’t be disappointed.
