Packed with outdoor activities, from kayaking to canyoning, and swimming to wildlife watching, Slovenia is a fantastic family adventure. Safe, affordable and accessible (just over two hours by air from London), it’s a place where kids will feel genuinely welcome. There are castles, caves and beaches, medieval fairs, zip lines and adventure parks, fabulous food and organic farms, and campsites set amid breathtaking natural scenery.
It’s impossible not to fall in love with Slovenia’s great outdoors. “To grow up in Slovenia with the Julian Alps as a back yard is an enormous gift,” says local mountain guide Rok Zalokar who did just that. “And the best part is, after all these years, now with my own family … our favourite place is still here.”
If you are dreaming of adventures that the family will still be talking about years from now, join our whistlestop tour of wild and wonderful Slovenia and all it has to offer …
Take to the water
In the south-east, the slow-flowing Kolpa River is one of the country’s warmest rivers, reaching temperatures of about 25C in summer. This makes it a perfect setting for kayaking or wild swimming with children, while staying at a peaceful farmstead or campsite by the water’s edge or nearby, and enjoying delicious cuisine (kids are sure to love Slovenia’s ice-cream and kremšnita, an irresistible custard cream slice that originated in Bled, a resort town in the foothills of the Julian Alps).
For something a little more fast-paced, head north-west to the Julian Alps themselves, where you can sign up for an instructor-led family kayaking adventure on the emerald-green Soča River – or, if you’re ready to up the adrenaline level, white water rafting.
Find their place in nature
Opportunities for hiking are practically limitless, and finding an easy trail suitable for families which still comes with awe-inspiring views is unlikely to be an issue wherever you are in Slovenia. In the Julian Alps, there are beautiful waterfalls to marvel at, many of them at the end of short, easy trails that can be combined with a picnic: the Kozjak falls near Kobarid; the Peričnik falls in the Vrata Valley; and the Savica falls near Lake Bohinj, to name just a few.
Ready for even more adventure? Join a family-friendly via ferrata course – there are good routes suitable for children near Kranjska gora, an idyllically located alpine village, where you’ll find equipment hire and experienced guides.
For a hike that offers a different perspective, stroll through the fairytale world of the mountain shepherd at Velika Planina, in the Kamnik–Savinja Alps, north of Ljubljana. Take a cable car from Kamniška Bistrica to a magical plateau that is dotted with 140 traditional herdsmen’s huts where the shepherds live every summer as they tend their flocks. The style of the huts is quite distinctive with roofs clad in spruce shingles that almost reach the ground.
For the best in family cycling, look to a section of the 80-mile Parenzana trail, a popular cycle route following the line of a former narrow-gauge railway, its viaducts and tunnels, in Slovenian Istria. Then there’s the Drava cycling route, which runs for 90 miles along the Drava River in north-east Slovenia from Dravograd to Ormož – choose the right stage for you and your family as there are some climbs. Another experience that will take your breath away (in a good way) is a relaxing cycle in the heavenly Logar Valley (Logarska dolina), a glacial valley set below the soaring peaks of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps.
Caves of wonder
Slovenia is home to some stupendously impressive caves. In the south-west, the Unesco-listed Škocjan Caves contain one of the largest underground river canyons in the world, the size of which is simply staggering – up to 140 meters (460ft) deep in places. Guided tours lead through this breathtaking canyon and include a footbridge spanning the canyon and giving great views of the torrent 45 metres (150ft) below.
From birds, to bears, to beaches
In terms of sheer wonder, encounters with wildlife are right up there – and wildlife is something Slovenia has plenty of, from ibex and chamois in the Julian Alps, to soaring raptors and huge numbers of waders and waterbirds, and masses of butterflies and dragonflies. There are also brown bears, mainly concentrated in the dense forests of Kočevje in the south of Slovenia – join a wildlife watching tour for your best chance of seeing these magnificent animals (for bear watching tours, participants generally need to be aged at least 10 or above).
Forests abound in Slovenia, but for a truly unique journey through the trees, head to Rogla, in the north-east, in the heart of the Pohorje hills. Here, you will find a 1km tree-top hike along walkways high in the forest canopy, offering a unique perspective and fantastic, spruce-lined views. Stop to soak in the vistas at the 37-metre (120ft) high viewing tower, before a thrilling descent down the trail’s 62-metre slide.
If birds are your thing, one of the best places for birdwatching is Lake Cerknica, the largest intermittent lake in Europe, which appears near a town of the same name, about 50 miles south-west of Ljubljana. More than 270 species of bird have been recorded there, along with at least 100 species of butterfly and an astonishing array of rare and endangered plants.
Finally, there’s Slovenia’s 29-mile stretch of lovely Adriatic coastline, which you shouldn’t miss. Along with swimming, paddleboarding and sunset gazing, be sure to visit the historical Sečovlje salt pans, which are still in operation, and which are fantastic for birdlife, as is the small Škocjanski zatok nature reserve near the port town of Koper. When it’s time to relax, you’ll find some of Slovenia’s best beaches for families at Izola and Portorož.
