Slovenia - Austria - Croatia
- Rotem Haskia
- Apr 18, 2020
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 22, 2020
If you ever wondered what is it like to be inside of postcard- This trip is for you! This 3 countries trip plan is great for the whole family, with amusement parks, fascinating nature, beautiful views and mesmerizing towns not a single person I sent on this trip came back disappointed.
Day 1- landing in Slovenia.
This day was a short one due to our flights schedule; we started with a drive to
A lovely coastal town named Koper where we spent our first night. On the way to Koper we drove 177 km (two hours) and made a stop and the fascinating Škocjan Caves, a 6 km long cave that was carved out by the Reka River. In this remarkable cave with a total depth of more than 200 meters you will see many waterfalls and one of the largest known underground chambers. After Škocjan Caves we continued for 33 km (half an hour) to Koper where we had a lovely afternoon walk and explored he city.
Day 2- crossing to Croatia.
We started the day with a beautiful city tour in Piran- a town in southwestern Slovenia, sits at the tip of a narrow peninsula and extremely hard not to full in love with. From the picturesque Piran we crossed the border to Croatia and drove around an hour to Rovinj, our first destination in Croatia. Rovinj is located on the southwestern coast of the Istrian peninsula and is a favorite tourist destination for many. You can visit this city's beautiful churches, active fisherman port, amazing squares and magnificent old town.
Day 3- Pula and Opatija.
We opened the morning with a short 40 km drive (around 40 minutes) to a city named Pula. Pula is the largest city in Istria County and situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula. This beautiful old town is known for its multitude of ancient Roman buildings, the most famous of which is the Pula Arena, one of the best preserved Roman amphitheaters, and its beautiful sea. After exploring the magical Pula we continued for 101 km (around 1.25 hours) to Opatija a lovely town that surrounded by the sea on one side and by the green and impressive Ucka Mountain on the other. In Opatija we enjoyed a pleasant afternoon and night.
Day 4- Plitvice Lakes National Park.
This extraordinary day is one of my favorite days in the entire trip and after seeing waterfalls all around the world including the Niagara Falls I can truly say that Plitvice falls are my favorite falls so far. This 300 square kilometres peace of heaven is Croatia’s most popular tourist attraction and inside you will find sixteen lakes, inter-connected by a series of waterfalls, beautiful woods populated by deer, bears, wolves, boars and rare bird species. This park highest point at 1,280 meter will expose you to the breathtaking view of the many clear turquoise and blue lakes all connected to each other with beautiful falls, this is literally a must see heaven on earth. From Plitvice Lakes National Park we continued about 25 km (half an hour) to Rakovica, here we enjoyed the beautiful town and spent the night.
Day 5- Crossing back to Slovenia.
We drove a very short drive to Slunj, a lovely town in the mountainous part of Central Croatia that is famous for its little waterfalls and the well-preserved corn mills. From Slunj we crossed the border back to Slovenia and drove 116 (around to hours) to Novo Mesto where you can enjoy from countless options that this amazing city has to offer you: from cycling and hiking, boating, plane or hot air balloon flights to fishing and horseback riding or simply relax in the nearby spa. Afterward we drove for another 45 km (half an hour) to Catez, where we enjoyed an exciting water park and for the more relaxed of us we enjoyed a health water spa.
Day 6- Full day at Terme Catez facilities.
Day 7- Ljubljana.
From the exciting water activities we continued for 149 km (around one hour and a half) to the capital and largest city of Slovenia - Ljubljana. With traces from all periods of its rich history and a lovely river that runs through it, Ljubljana is a fascinating, beautiful filled with culture city that you cannot miss! Tip: If you are into shopping in Ljubljana you may visit the wonderful city mall!
Day 8- Visiting towns.
This day is an amazing one! We will taste from many unique and beautiful towns with short driving distances. With a short 23 km drive (half an hour) we started the day at the pastoral town named Kamnik. Kamnik is one of the oldest towns in Slovenia and has ruins of two castles as well as many examples of historical architecture. After the lovely Kamnik we drove another 29 km drive (almost one hour) to the bottom station of the cable car to Velika planina. Velika planina is one of Europe's few surviving high mountain herdsmen's villages where traditional Alpine herdsmen's culture is still alive, in it you will admire its typical architecture, wash your eyes on Kamnik-Savinja Alps, enjoy the magical hikes and bicycle routs and visit a Vast meadows with cows like from some chocolate advertisement. After the one of a kind Velika planina we drove 78 km (hour and a half) to Bled- one of my favorite towns from all around the world!
Day 9- Bled.
No it's not a dream it's really that beautiful! Welcome to my number one destination in Slovenia. Bled is a heavenly town on Bled Lake that attracts tourist from all around the world. This Alpine lake with the only island in Slovenia and the iconic Bled Castle perched on a rock overlooking the entire town has been known as a paradise for centuries. In bled you can climb to the marvelous castle that rest on the huge cliff, enjoy the most beautiful view of the lake, it's lonely island and the surrounding. You can also take a boat trip and visit the small island in the middle of the lake that is the home of Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church where many ring the church's bell for good luck. Tip: Make sure you don't miss the town's traditional "Cremeschnitte" - vanilla and cream pastry. Be careful since its "addictive" we ate 2 of them each day.
Day 10- Nature.
A bit sad to leave Lake Bled and the delicious Cremeschnitte we started the day with a short 22 km drive (25 minutes) to Savica Waterfall, a 78m high waterfall fed by a karst spring also called Savica just above it. This impressive fall crashing into a crystal clear pool below, and all the beautiful area around it makes it the most famous waterfall in Slovenia. Just near Savica Waterfall (6 km) we arrived to Lake Bohinj, a crystal-clear beautiful lake that is the only one that give a fight to Lake Bled. Lake Bohinj is the largest natural lake in Slovenia with endless opportunities for outdoor activities- from swimming, boat riding, wind surfing, kayaking, canoeing, fishing and diving in warmer months, to even ice skating in winter. I have to admit that this place just takes your breath away and is amazing to spend time in for the entire family. Also very close to Lake Bohinj (10 km) we visited the amazing Vogel Mountain, a part of the southern Julian Alps and the Triglav National Park. Here no matter the season you will be impressed from the 1537 m cable ride over the impressive view underneath you. In the summer you will enjoy the beautiful hikes in a completely green environment and in the winter you will enjoy one of Slovenia's best ski center.
Day 11- The Beautiful Kobarid.
This morning we encountered some difficulties, we started the day in the lovely Bohinjska Bistrica where we also took the famous car train that is an interesting experience! We intended to save a lot of time on our way to kobarid but after one station the train had a problem and we were forced to take the long drive way- Hopefully you will have better luck! We finally arrived to kobarid, this town holds amazing historical stories and located between marvelous mountains but the thing that got my whole attention and stuck in my mind is the color of the clear water of the river that run through it- till' this day is one of the most beautiful rivers I have seen.
Day 12-14- Crossing to Austria!
Since we had such short time in Austria we didn't have a trip plan only landmarks and traveled spontaneously. Here are our landmarks (I recommend adjusting it with your own trip route): 1. Viena- the beautiful capital city of Austria that considered to be a cultural haven for music, fine art, and architecture lovers from all over the world.
2. Salzburg- a spectacular town surrounded by the breathtakingly epic Alps mountain range.
3. Salzkammergut - is a pastoral resort area surrounded by serene blue lakes, green hills, and snow-peaked mountain ranges- A living postcard picture.
4. Innsbruck- in the heart of the Alps Innsbruck is considered to be one of the best winter sports destinations in the world. Also you may visit the Innsbruck Cathedral, the bell-making museum, or a number of local restaurants.
5. Zell Am See- Surrounded by majestic alpine mountains and tranquil blue lakes this unique town is for the nature loving between you.
To those of you who followed me for a while you know that my favorite type of trips includes a lot nature so it's safe to say that this trip was absolutely heaven. With so many different types of green and blue, massive mountains, waterfalls and hidden gems in every corner- Croatia, Slovenia and Austria- You have been a delight!
For more pictures click here or search @Travel_Rotem on Instagram.
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