On the road in Slovenia

The most beautiful sights in Slovenia

Slovenia is small but surprisingly varied: a fairy-tale mountain lake, immense underground caves and a green capital city all lie close together. Many of these highlights sit right along DARS's A1 and A2 motorways, others are reachable with a short detour, and with your vignette, they're all easy to combine with a route through Slovenia.

5 featured sights Easy to combine with a road trip from NL/BE Vignette mandatory on the A1 and A2

Photo: Lake Bled with Bled Castle · Pinky sl · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

From Lake Bled to the mountain pastures of Kamnik: these are five highlights of Slovenia that combine well with a road trip via the A1 (Šentilj–Ljubljana–Koper) or A2 (Karavanke Tunnel–Ljubljana–Obrežje): sometimes right along the motorway, sometimes with a short detour that's well worth it.

Lake Bled & Bled Castle

Slovenia's most famous image: an emerald-green lake with a tiny island church, set against the backdrop of the Julian Alps, with the medieval Bled Castle perched high on the cliffs above.

📍Leave the A2 at the Lesce exit and follow the signs to Bled. Arrive early for a parking spot nearby, as the lake stays popular all year round.

Postojna Cave

One of the largest accessible karst cave systems in the world: a small train takes you 3.5 kilometres into the mountain past enormous cave halls, stalactites and stalagmites, and the remarkable 'olm', a blind cave salamander.

📍Right at the Postojna exit on the A1 between Ljubljana and Koper. Book a time slot in advance during peak season.

Predjama Castle

A castle built literally into the mouth of a cave in a 123-metre-high rock face, the largest cave castle in the world, complete with a secret tunnel leading up.

📍Just 9 km from Postojna Cave, so easy to combine during the same stop from the Postojna exit (A1).

Ljubljana, the capital

A compact, green capital with a castle on the hill, a river lined with café terraces, and Art Nouveau architecture. It's regularly named one of Europe's most beautiful small capitals.

📍The A1 and A2 cross near Ljubljana, so the city centre is easily reached from both motorways. It's car-free, so park at the edge.

Velika Planina

A high Alpine pasture plateau dotted with traditional, pointed-roof shepherd's huts. It's one of Slovenia's most atmospheric spots, especially popular with hikers and photographers.

📍Take the A2 towards Kamnik, then continue by cable car or on foot, a lovely half-day stop between Ljubljana and Karavanke.

This selection is just a starting point. Combine it with the prices and validity periods of the Slovenian vignette to complete your route.