Slovenia is One of Europe’s Most Underrated Countries. Here’s Why.

When people think of destinations for a European summer escape, you’ll usually hear the likes of Italy, Greece, and Spain being thrown around, but not Slovenia.

I come from Slovenian heritage and was part of a traditional dancing group in the small local Slovenian community in my home city of Windsor, Ontario Canada growing up. I have fond memories of being raised on Slovenian dishes like vinaigrette potato salad, krofi donuts, and potica, a traditional Slovenian nut bread that my grandma would make.

Slovenia has always been a country I’ve wanted to visit as a way of further exploring and learning about my heritage.

After paying a visit to this Eastern European nation in 2023 with my cousins and thoroughly enjoying myself, I can’t seem to understand why it’s not more popular!

The country has all you could ask for in a holiday and more in my opinion: local culture, history, affordability, amazing food, and a mixture of city and scenic landscapes.

I’m here to defend Slovenia’s honor and give you a few reasons why I think it shouldn’t be slept on.

The Small but Mighty Country is Filled with History

One of the greatest things that many European cities offer as a way to learn more about their history and culture is free walking tours of the city. 

We attended a great one in Ljubljana where we met outside of the famed pink church, the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation, and had the opportunity to learn a lot about the city’s history while wandering around for two hours. They offer two tours a day at 11 am and 3 pm.

My favorite learning from our history tour was about the legacy of Jože Plečnik, a famous Slovenian architect. He was responsible for the majority of Ljubljana’s design, including the University, and was known for his ability to transform the city into a work of art.

Affordability and Local Charm, a Perfect Pairing

In my opinion, a huge perk to visiting Ljubljana as opposed to other famous European cities is how affordable it is. I think this is largely due to the fact that it isn’t nearly as popular of a tourist destination as somewhere like London or Paris, so the market prices haven’t skyrocketed. 

Eastern Europe typically tends to be more budget-friendly than other parts of Europe, particularly Scandinavia, which is very expensive. I really felt as though I got to truly soak in a lot of Slovenian culture over the course of a long weekend, without having to break the bank to do so. 

I live in London, and I can say with confidence that it costs me less money to go on this vacation than it would have to stay in London for the weekend.

As you can see in the photo, I picked up some wonderful local strawberries at the Farmer’s Market for a mere few Euros. Another delicious item we tried was a blueberry liqueur, also known as “borovničke”, which is comprised of hand-picked wild forest blueberries.

Fewer Tourists = a More Peaceful and Unique Experience

As I mentioned above, Slovenia is still hitting its stride when it comes to tourism, and there were a few things that really reinforced this. 

One was the fact that you could try the famous top-rated traditional restaurants in Ljubljana without needing to make a reservation. This is unheard of in London, so it was a nice change of pace from the busyness of the Big Smoke that I’m used to. It also allowed for a lot more spontaneity, which is always fun.

Another thing I noticed was that the streets were decently busy, but not crowded. I never felt like I was in the way of anyone and we didn’t have to push through big crowds of people anywhere in the city. 

Ljubljana is completely walkable and also very safe, and it was super refreshing being able to roam the streets freely and enjoy the sights without a bunch of other tourists crowding around. 

Variety is the Spice of Life

I had the privilege of getting to experience both the city atmosphere of Ljubljana and take in the serene surroundings of Lake Bled during the same holiday. It truly felt like I was going on two completely different trips in one, which was such a bargain, given I only had to pay for one flight! 

Lake Bled is just over an hour from Ljubljana by bus or a short 40-minute drive by car, and I would definitely recommend making the trip if you’re already in Ljubljana and want to see some of nature’s finest scenery. 

Not only is it picturesque to look at, but you can actually rent a boat and go out on the water to take in the scenery up close! We did this and did not regret it, although we almost got stranded when someone else on the island took our boat, but that’s a story for another time.

There is also Bled castle, so you can also maximize your history intake in this part of Slovenia as well. The castle has an incredible lookout, providing one of the best views over Lake Bled.

I still remember this incredible bakery we visited on the way to Lake Bled, right before you get closer to the lake. It was super authentic and the scent you’re greeted with will make you want to purchase everything in the shop. Bled is famous for a cream cake, so we tried that and it was incredibly sweet but quite delicious!

All that to say, there is so much diversity in Slovenia, and you can really cater the trip to a wide range of interests and activities, whether that’s hiking, nature, exploring a city center, tasting traditional food, history, and so much more.

Easy Access to Other European Countries in One Go

My final argument that I’ll share on why Slovenia is one of Europe’s most underrated countries, is the fact that it is so close to other incredible places to visit, bordering on Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia.

This makes it easy to go on a multi-destination Europe trip in one, how efficient! If you’ve read my Travel Lemming author page, you will have learned that Croatia is my favorite country, so I would definitely recommend a hybrid trip to Slovenia and Croatia for a mixture of beaches, hiking, stunning landscapes, and incredible local food.

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Slovenia is truly one of the most beautiful countries in the world for many reasons: the breathtaking scenery, the friendly people, and the local culture and community feel. 

It is not often that you hear Slovenia being mentioned when talking to others about the top of their travel lists, but I hope that might change for you after reading about some of the amazing things the country has to offer.