Family holidays to Slovenia

Ljubljana’s one of the European cities people are always torn about: on the one hand they want to rave about how lovely it is and, on the other, are tempted to just keep quiet. The second option’s becoming increasingly difficult, since a year as European Green Capital revealed to the world everything from graceful Ljubljana Castle and the red roofed medieval quarter to Baroque architecture that rivals Salzburg and the city’s collection of truly remarkable Art Nouveau buildings.

• Ljubljana’s less than an hour’s drive from Slovenia’s ski resorts; just over an hour from Alpine Bled or Piran on the Mediterranean coast and less than two hours from the spas, vineyards, ancient towns and unspoiled countryside of the Pannonian region.
• Every year the city hosts dozens of international festivals and thousands of cultural events. It’s filled with exceptional museums, galleries and historic sights.
• The average age in Ljubljana is round about 30 so it’s a youthful and energetic city too with excellent shops, restaurants, cafés, bars and interesting places to stay.
• Bike-friendly and easy to walk about, don’t miss: Ljubljana Castle; Tivoli Park; summer-long Open Kitchen; BTC City; Križanke Monastery; National Gallery and Museum of Slovenia; Jože Plečnik’s Art Nouveau architecture and design; Tromostovje; Levstik Square and Rožnik Hill.
• Affordable Ljubljana has hundreds of free family and kids’ events all-year-round, WiFi for all in the city centre and even spring and summer outdoor libraries in its parks.

One of Slovenia’s best family ski resorts, just over an hour from Ljubljana on the Austrian border. Several major international downhill and slalom events are held here every year and advanced skiers have altitudes of over 1200m and spectacular Alpine scenery. Good for beginners and intermediate too, with a wide range of kids’ activities, several ski schools and excellent childcare and kindergarten.

• Like most Slovenian ski-resorts, Kranjska Gora has held on to its traditional Alpine charm while extensively upgrading facilities over the past decade.
• 18 slopes ranging from black to beginner across a compact ski-area with a network of 20 lifts.
• One hour and 10 minutes by road from the Ljubljana Airport.

Cerkno’s the most advanced and award-winning resort in Slovenia. The ski-area’s on Mount Srni Vrh with altitudes of 1300m, 12 slopes and 10 lifts – it’s the only resort in the country with covered lifts and 100% snow-making.

• Excellent family-friendly reputation with good childcare, ski schools and a range of beginners’ slopes close to the resort centre.
• Cerkno also has a terrain park, bike park, swimming pools, leisure centre, kindergarten and winter event programme.
• One hour and 20 minutes by road from Ljubljana Airport.

Slovenia on the Med isn’t enormous but manages to pack an astonishing number of breathtaking seaside resorts, natural phenomena and pretty beaches into a small space. The coast’s less than two hours drive from Ljubljana but, with temperatures of 27˚ and plenty of sunshine, it’s a summer holiday in its own right and far less busy than nearby Croatia.

• Choose to stay in Piran: heartland of Slovenia’s ancient salt-making industry and the loveliest town on the country’s Mediterranean coast.
• Visit Izola for its historic centre, waterfront restaurants, Venetian architecture, ancient traditions and lovely harbour.
• Visit Postojna for the legendary caves and Predjama Castle.
• Take horse-mad kids to lovely Lipica, homeland of the Lipizzaner Horses and where they’re still bred today at the world’s oldest stud farm.

Bled Lake is the largest in Slovenia and has the country’s only island, it’s also the most famous area in the Alpine region and a fantastic base for outdoor adventure holidays in spring and summer.

• Bled’s only an hour by road from Ljubljana and on the edge of Triglav National Park – fantastic for a day out but worth considering a few days for walking, climbing and exploring.

The east of Slovenia is where to find terraced vineyards, gorgeously pretty villages, traditional country festivals, amazing rivers and some of Europe’s finest spa towns. Again, it’s an area close enough to the capital for days out and good for touring around with older kids.

• Don’t miss: wine country round Maribor on the River Drava; Ptuj, Slovenia’s oldest city; walking in the Slovenske Gorice hills; the nesting storks of Prekmurje; Bela Krajina on the River Kolpa; Prlekija for thermal springs.