11 Reasons Why Slovenia Is the Perfect European Country

I think Slovenia is the perfect European country.

Okay.

Maybe this is an exaggeration because I truly love every European country I’ve been to.

But, hear me out on this because Slovenia has some things going for it that some other countries don’t.

Where exactly is Slovenia?

Slovenia is  in Central Europe.

It used to be part of Yugoslavia before it broke up in the 1990’s.

This little country borders Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia and has a wee bit of coastline on the Adriatic Sea.

And Slovenia has a diverse and stunning landscape.

Let’s dive into those reasons why I think it’s the perfect European country.

11 Reasons why Slovenia is the perfect European country

#1 Slovenia is small

Slovenia is truly small enough to drive across in a few hours.

It’s roughly the size of the state of New Jersey at 20,273 square km/7,827 sqare mi.

And it has a population of 2.084 million.

Yup.

It’s quite small.

This means you can see a LOT on your short holiday.

Although I’d recommend slowing down and truly spending time in this wonderful pint-sized country.

#2 Compact, beautiful and pedestrian friendly capital city

Just like the country itself, Slovenia’s capital city of Ljubljana is small.

It’s gorgeous — the river running through it, cafes and restaurants lining the waterfront.

Ljubljana is easy to walk around at a leisurely pace, drinking in the the every day life of Slovenians.

There aren’t a lot of sites, but there are some lovely churches, the impressive castle up on the hill, some pretty squares with statues and a few beautiful bridges.

The open air market is a must as well.

I find this city easy to navigate.

And, because it’s not big, it’s not intimidating for those of us who aren’t city people.

#3 Nature — Mountains, Caves, Coast, Lakes, Rivers, Forests

For me the number 1 reason why Slovenia is the perfect European country, is because of its natural beauty,

And, really, Slovenia has it all!

While there’s not much in the way of coastline — about 47km — there is just enough to satisfy those of us who want some time by the water.

And that tiny bit of coastline is diverse with some nice beaches, charming towns and some spots of rugged, cliff-lined coast.

The caves of Slovenia are famous — Postojna and the UNESCO Skocjan.

I highly recommend a visit to Skocjan.

Impressive as hell!

One of my first reactions as I drove from Rovinj, Croatia north toward Ljubljana was, “Wow! Look at all the trees!!”

There are loads and loads of trees in Slovenia.

This means forests to walk through.

Simply stunning!

There are actually 59 rivers in this small country or that run through it.

The Sava River is one of the longest as it runs through some other countries in Central Europe and is actually a tributary to the Danube.

But it’s the Soca River with its gorgeous aquamarine color that captures travelers’ eyes.

And it’s the one many decide to get out on via kayak or raft, fish in or simply walk along.

Then there are a couple of magnificent lakes.

Lake Bled is definitely the super model with its turquoise colored water.

And it’s worthy of time.

But my pick is Lake Bohinj with its more natural setting in Triglav National Park.

Bohinj is surrounded by mountains that slope down to meet the waters.

And yes, if you love mountains then do visit Slovenia.

It may be the main reason why Slovenia is the perfect European country — at least in my opinion.

The Julian Alps, as they are known, are breath taking.

You can ski or snowboard in winter and hike and bicycle in summer.

The mountains of Slovenia are awesome!

#4 — Small towns

If you’ve been to Europe then you know there are lots of small, charming towns in every European country.

And Slovenia is no different.

There are small towns such as Piran — along the coast, Bovec — at the southern end of Triglav National Park, Kranjska Gora — at the northern end of Triglav National Park, and Ptuj — in northeastern Slovenia and thought to be the oldest recorded city in Slovenia.

There’s no shortage of beautiful towns and villages in Slovenia.

#5 — Cultural crossroads

Slovenia has always sat in a crossroads position — geographically and culturally.

Because it’s not quite in western Europe and not in eastern Europe and doesn’t have a lot of coastline, this little country is in a unique position.

As a result the culture is mixed, eclectic and truly Slovenian.

I think this is another reason why Slovenia is the perfect European country.

Its proximity to Italy means you get some Italian influences, especially in the southern part of the country.

Slovenia is also Slavic — specifically southern Slavic — so their are influences from places like their Balkan neighbors — Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia.

You’ll see the influences in the food and the language for sure.

And Slovenia is also Germanic since it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for a long time.

Plus Austria is just to the North.

These 3 cultural influences meld into Slovenia — food, language, art, traditions.

And this mix makes it all uniquely Slovenian.

#6 — History

There is such an intriguing history in Slovenia because of #5 (see above).

And what I love about Slovenia and its history is that the people are in tune with their history — their unique place in Europe.

Did you know that when the 1991 Balkan War started Slovenia was already in the process of becoming an independent country.

The Yugoslav Peoples Army tried to stop this from happening and a 10 day war broke out.

In the end, Slovenia became its own country and avoided getting involved in this nasty war.

But Slovenia saw a lot of fighting during WWI when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

In fact, many Slovenes died fighting in this war and there was very heavy fighting near the border with Italy.

Today you can find lots of remnants of this time in history making Slovenia the perfect European country to visit for WWI history lovers

#7 — Delicious food

Because of its cultural crossroads (#5) the food in Slovenia is pretty damn good.

One thing Slovenia is known for are these one pot dishes such as jota and bujta repa which are stew-like.

Buckwheat and potatoes are commonly used and pork is common.

Pumpkin is also used in certain parts of the country and I found pumpkin oil and pumpkin seeds and pumpkin soup in some restaurants in Ljubljana.

Tasty!

Desserts are delicious too with gibanica being the one you’ll see (and eat) the most.

It’s a layered, pastry treat with different fillings — apples, seeds, nuts, cheese — in between.

Yup.

Slovenian food is another reason why Slovenia is the perfect European country.

#8 — Wine

Kind of like the small town reason, wine is another reason Slovenia is the perfect European country.

Because just about every European country — at least those on the continent — make wine.

And yes, Italy, France, Spain and Germany have some of the best wine.

But don’t discount the wine from countries like Slovenia.

I found some good wines here with Refošk, an indigenous red grape of the Istria region, being one of the best.

It’s a dark, red wine with lots of dark fruit flavors like black berry or dark cherry.

Refošk, Refosco in Italian, is a good wine for meats and fall dishes with mushrooms.

Bordon is a vineyard I visited in the Rižana river valley near the town of Dekani.

This is near the city of coastal city Koper.

Malvasia is the main white varietal of the Istria region.

It’s an easy-to-drink-on-a-warm-day white.

You’ll find some of the common white varieties such as Rebula, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, and reds such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Teran is a red wine made from the refošk.

But because it’s made in the Karst area — which is where you find the caves mentioned in #3 — it’s a bit different due to the soil.

Still full bodied, just different.

And to the north of the Istria region lying close to the Italian border is the Vipava Valley where you’ll find some of the common varietals along with indigenous grapes such as Zelen, Pinela, and Pikolit.

This is a region I’d love to explore more as it’s loaded with vineyards and tasty food!

#9 — Spa time

For a small country, Slovenia really does have it all — including thermal waters.

This is just another reason why Slovenia is the perfect European country.

You know how Budapest, Hungary has its thermal pools?

Now imagine those thermal pools in small towns and villages surrounded by green rolling hills.

Yup.

This is what you’ll find in the far eastern parts of Slovenia — Thermal Pannonian Slovenia.

Now, I’m not knocking Budapest.

But if you’d rather be in a less busy destination, surrounded by nature, then visit this piece of Slovenia.

And enjoy some of the best thermal spas in the world.

#10 — Wonderful people

While I would put nature as the number one reason why Slovenia is the perfect European country, its people come in at a very close second reason.

I find the Slovenian people to be so friendly.

They are also very proud of their country.

Many people under the age of 40 speak English so communicating is pretty easy with younger people.

The older folks don’t speak English so much, but you can find ways to cross the language barrier.

Fun ways that have you laughing your ass off!

I really love the Slovenian people.

#11 — Affordable

Lastly, Slovenia is a damn good bargain.

Look at those above 10 reasons.

Now imagine having all those wonderful things rolled into a country where you’ll pay about 2/3 of what you’d pay in Italy.

No.

Slovenia is not rock bottom cheap like some of the Eastern European countries are.

But it’s less than most of the Western European countries.

See.

Perfect.

Because in the Eastern European countries you may have to be concerned over tourist infrastructure.

Not so in Slovenia.

So you get good tourist infrastructure like in Western Europe but at a discounted price.

You can find simple, clean family run accommodation for $35US/person/night (with breakfast).

It’s easy to find simple meals with a beer or a glass of wine for $10-15US with street food being even less.

Slovenia is a good value for sure.

So do you see why Slovenia is the perfect country in Europe?

Ok.

Perfect is a strong word.

But I think you can see from these 11 reasons that Slovenia is an amazing destination.

It really has something for everyone.

I can’t recommend this country enough.

So as you plan your trip to Europe, why not add Slovenia to that list?

You won’t be sorry!

PS And ask me to help you plan that trip as I’d love to help you.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. This means I will earn a commission – at no extra cost to you — if you click on the link and purchase anything from these trusted companies. It helps Wander Your Way, a small business, stay in business. Thanks for your support!

Like it? Pin it!