The distance from Utrecht to the Slovenian capital Ljubljana is more than 1100 km, so with a 13-hour drive you reach the holiday country Slovenia, which is approximately half the size of the Netherlands in terms of area. Nature lovers will find a green oasis here:almost 60% of the country is covered by forests. A holiday country with a surprisingly diverse range of accommodations, sights and activities. We give four tips for a special activity and place to stay:
Watching bears in Slovenia
Bears, wolves and lynxes – Canada and Scandinavia quickly come to mind. But less known is that you can also see these predators in Slovenia. It is estimated that between 500 and 700 brown bears live in the forests of Kočevje in southern Slovenia. A special experience – and a dream for photographers – is of course to spot bears in their own habitat. You can book a tour between April and October where a guide tells you all the ins and outs about bears, shows animal footprints, you have lunch in the middle of the forest that also contains edible plants and herbs from the forest and after an early dinner with him leave for the observation hut where you will go bear spotting in the evening.
Spending the night at a level between vineyards
You would be forgiven for giving the impression that you are driving through Tuscany but the Goriška region Brda is really in Slovenia – a beautiful region in the west of the country and the rolling hills are ideal terrain for vineyards. For an absolutely amazing view over vineyards you could stay overnight at the Peterc Vineyard Estate in Koshko, a very stylish estate. The rooms are very tastefully decorated with antiques and French furniture. You want a room without a state-of-the-art HD TV – choose the room with only books. Of course the restaurant has a number of wine sommeliers, one of them, Nina Bavčer – has put together a wine list especially for women. There is no way to get bored here:cooking classes and wine tastings, stargazing, fishing, cycling and hiking, horseback riding, hunting, looking for edible plants or mushroom picking in the forest are just a few options.
Glamping for cyclists
Is the lockdown also super annoying for accommodations, the owners of the Ribno hotel near the lake van Bled – the only hotel in Slovenia with a Zero Waste certificate – turned necessity into a virtue:not only was the hotel renovated, but at the same time eight beautiful wooden glamping accommodations were built in the adjacent forest, especially with cycling tourists in mind. The accommodations are suitable for four people, and are very luxuriously equipped with, among other things, a private hot tub and bathroom, terrace, sauna and private shed for four bicycles – with even charging stations for e-bikes. In time there will be a total of 17 cabins plus a swimming pool. Total relaxation after exertion is like nothing else:
Digital detox hotel in Bohinj
The Sunrise 7 Boutique Hotel in Bohinj near the lake of the same name is special in a number of ways:not only has it been around for more than 130 years, it is an exclusive domain for adults, so children are unfortunately not welcome. And they are averse to TV and radio, so staying here is a digital detox – no phone, radio, TV or other high-tech gadgets in your room. And now the manager of the hotel Anže Čokl has made a nice infographic of things worth knowing and sights around Lake Bohinj:"Infographics stick around much longer than pieces of text," he says. Fun fact:Lake Bohinj contains nearly 100 million cubic meters of water, enough to cover the country of Slovenia with water. Click on this link for the infographic.
General tourist information about Slovenia at www.slovenia.info
