Information on Slovenia and its regions

Slovenia is the only country in the world to be shaped like a chicken! Roughly the size of Wales, Slovenia is comprised of nine regions including the capital Ljubljana, each with of which has something to recommend it and very often its own distinct feel. Click on the map below for information on each of the regions of Slovenia.

Slovenia’s capital is situated geographically right at the centre of the country – and is also very much at the heart of cultural, political and business life in Slovenia with by far the largest population of any town in the country at around 350,000.

The self assurance that Ljubljana is afforded by its status within Slovenia is balanced perfectly by its ability to retain a friendly, small town feel – the centre of Ljubljana can easily be walked from one side to another in an hour.

The city itself is centred around an enchanting and compact old town full of magnificent Hapsburg, Baroque and Art Nouveau architecture and which is overlooked by a pretty hilltop castle. It is dissected by the leisurely Ljubljanica river which is lined with cafés and spanned by a number of lovely bridges, most notably the Tromostovje or “Triple Bridge” which is just one of the city’s many works by Joze Plečnik – Slovenia’s most famous architect.

Ljubljana is also a vibrant and increasingly cosmopolitan city with new shops, bars, restaurants and riverside cafés seeming to spring up every time you visit. This gives it a sense of confidence and prosperity that is light years away from what you might be expecting.

Gora in Slovenian means mountain and Gorenjska certainly lives up to its name being home to most of Slovenia’s biggest mountains, including the highest of them all – Triglav (three heads) standing at an impressive 2,865m.

The Julian Alps and the beautiful Triglav National Park are the main features of the region – offering not just outstanding scenery, but a wealth of plant and animal life and an abundance of outdoor activities including hiking, skiing, ski-touring, white-water rafting and paragliding.

It is also home to the unforgettable lakes Bled and Bohinj. It is almost impossible to decide which one you prefer – Serene Bohinj and its majestic mountain setting or fairytale Bled with its seventeenth century church on an island overlooked by a castle perched on a rocky outcrop.

Pri morju in Slovenian means near the sea – and indeed, one of the Primorska’s main attractions is the 46km stretch of coastline that separates Italy from Croatia. In places the coast is extremely pretty with the highlight undoubtedly being the delightful Venetian city of Piran, jutting out into the sea on a compact peninsula.

But the province – Slovenia’s most diverse – offers far more that just coast, with three other distinct regions each outstanding its own way: the beautiful Soča Valley offers all manner of outdoor pursuits including Slovenia’s highest ski resort at Kanin, its best watersports and world class fly fishing in the Soča river itself.

Central Primorska is perhaps of most interest for its rolling hills and valleys and lovely wine growing regions. Finally, the Karst region is an intriguing forested limestone plateau characterised by picturesque stone villages, vineyards, UNESCO protected caves and the world’s largest underground canyon at Škocjan.

In many ways Notranjska is a relatively undeveloped region, where lots of authentic tourist free experiences await those who visit. Certainly visitors do come to some parts of the region – in particular the fabulous caves at Postojna, the dramatic “castle-in-a-cave” at Predjama and the ‘disappearing’ lake at Cerknica (in Summer the lake recedes and disappears) – but the less well known Snežnik castle is also well worth a visit as are the Snežnik mountains running along the border with Croatia. 

Dolenjska is the largest of the regions in Southern Slovenia and the best endowed with historical sites, of which the magical castles at Otočec and Brežice and the ancient Stična monastery are the best known and most visited.

It also has more than its fair share of natural beauty – with the Kolpa and Krka river valleys offering a huge amount of picturesque scenery: ideal walking country, but also able to provide for adrenalin junkies with the full complement of river sports such as rafting and kayaking.

In the far South Eastern corner of the country lies Bela Krajina, a quiet and often remote-feeling region characterised by vineyards, wine villages and rolling hills covered with silver birches. It is also known as a centre for Slovenian folk culture.

The regions of Štajerska, Koroška and Prekmurje make up the North Eastern part of the country, much of which is characterised by gently undulating farmland and is Slovenia’s most important agricultural region. Štajerska is by far the biggest of them – in fact it is the biggest province in the country – and whilst not offering the tremendous variety of landscapes found elsewhere in Slovenia it has much to recommend it.

It is home to Maribor and Celje, Slovenia’s attractive second and third cities and to Ptuj, a lovely jumble of medieval buildings sitting below a superb hilltop castle and arguably Slovenia’s most important historic town. Štajerska offers ample Winter sports and mountain pursuits in the Pohorje Massif near Maribor and the much celebrated Logar Valley further to the west. There are also a number of grand old spa towns such as Rogaška Slatina and perhaps Slovenia’s best known and most beautiful wine road running between Ormož and Ljutomer.

Koroška is Slovenia’s smallest region – a mountainous place with plenty of good opportunities to sample the great outdoors but with few sights as such – with the exception of the charming medieval town of Slovenj Gradec. Prekmurje is another small and tranquil region. It occupies a broad plain sitting at the extreme eastern end of the country and has a strong Hungarian influence in its look and feel.

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