For my husband’s 40th birthday in December last year we decided to do something a little different and booked a trip to Slovenia and I think it’s one of the most underrated winter holidays out there. With its frozen lakes, snowy peaks and a little sprinkling of festive cheer it was the perfect fuss-free Christmas trip with crucially no crowds anywhere.
Where to stay in Slovenia in winter
Whilst Ljubljana and Lake Bled are the more well-known tourist hubs in Slovenia we decided to base ourselves in Lake Bohinj, which is a beautiful, untouched area of the Julian Alps with charming boutique hotels that are a lot more affordable than their counterparts in the Swiss Alps and Dolomites.
Hotels we recommend in Slovenia:
Alpik Chalets
Hotel Bohinj
Bohinj River House Spa & Sport
Hiša Križaj
Hotel Plesnik Logar Valley
Hotel Tulie
Where we stayed
Alpik Chalets
We spent our first night in Slovenia in Alpik Chalets, which I found on Instagram and instantly fell in love with. This small collection of alpine chalets close to Lake Bohinj are perfect for secluded, self-catering breaks or skiers who want to be close to Vogel Ski Resort.
Our 2-bedroom chalet was called Zlatorog and it had beautiful traditional décor and balconies overlooking the mountains and streams. We loved the cosiness of staying in a snow-covered chalet with a roaring fire and private sauna but also how there was so many different touchpoints that reminded you of where you were. Even the blankets on the sofa were handmade in Lake Bohinj and these little details, along with the cute Christmas decorations out the front, made the stay feel extra special.
It was also a super convenient choice for our first night in Slovenia as we stopped at a supermarket on the drive from the airport (approx. 1 hour) and could cook an easy dinner and enjoy hot chocolate next to the fire after a long day of travel.
The next morning we had breakfast delivered by a local farmer, which was a lovely way to be introduced to some of the popular foods in this region. Slovenia has a real focus on sustainability and local produce and in Bohinj the farmers offer a homemade breakfast delivery service to a number of guest houses so you can eat like a local in your own accommodation.
There are meat, fish and vegetarian options that all cost 30 Euro for 2 people. We went for the veggie option which probably wasn’t the best value but it was delicious and so much less wasteful than us buying lots of food from the supermarket and having to leave it behind.
Hotel Bohinj
For the second part of our trip we checked into Hotel Bohinj, a boutique eco-hotel with spa and restaurant in the centre of Bohinj. Whilst we loved our self-catering chalet stay we also wanted to enjoy a few nights of having dinner cooked for us! We also couldn’t resist the value for money of this hotel which cost us approx. £170/per night including breakfast compared to the Alpik Chalet which was £300/night.
I absolutely loved the contemporary Alpine décor of this hotel and the beautiful Christmas tree in the lobby. We stayed in a comfort double room that had a cute extra bed for Miles and, erm, an exercise bike and free weights, which I guess ties into their wellness angle.
The breakfast spread was incredible with a large number of homemade pates and local cheeses and a freshly baked strudel every morning that was particularly memorable. We also had dinner in the hotel restaurant twice and thought it was excellent. I didn’t get to use the spa unfortunately as it was adults-only but they have a lovely little indoor-outdoor pool with mountain views that looked magical in the snow.
Overall, this hotel has a really lovely atmosphere with lots of beautiful hikes and trails on your doorstep. We have some really sweet memories of watching Xmas movies in bed here and for the price I cannot fault the experience.
Things to do in Slovenia in winter
We spent 4 days in Slovenia in mid-December and for all but the last day (which was wet) we had gorgeous crisp, cold weather. It’s the very start of ski season with only some slopes open but as we’re not skiers this did not bother us. (We had some fun on sleds instead though – more on that below.)
We hired an electric car to get around (incredible value at 80 Euros for 5 days) and enjoyed a mix of fairytale-like scenery, mini hikes, snow play and even a half day at spa and wellness facility with stunning views of Lake Bled.
These are all the places we think you can’t miss:
1. Lake Bled & Bled Island
Lake Bled is probably the most famous place in Slovenia and is where you’ll find those postcard-worthy views of the island church shrouded in folklore that sits in the middle of it.
I thought the lake looked extraordinarily pretty in winter with snowcapped mountains behind it and we discovered some pretty illuminations and a small Christmas market along the shore of an evening.
Whilst the lake is huge (it takes approx. 90 mins to walk the entire 6km perimeter path) the town of Lake Bled itself is quite small and in my opinion not quite as charming as the area around Lake Bohinj.
I had to dig deep to uncover the best things to do in Lake Bled in winter but I’m pleased to say I uncovered some real gems.
We spent a lovely morning at Wellness Živa inside the Rikli Balance Hotel Bled. We bought a family pass (£30 for 3 hours) to the hotel’s wellness area that includes 6 pools, saunas (recently renovated) and a water slide with beautiful views of Lake Bled.
Hotel guests have priority so when we turned up I wasn’t sure if we’d get in but we needn’t have worried. It turns out the hotel was closed for annual renovations and apart from 1 other couple we were the only people in the pools! It’s not particularly lux (towel hire is extra) but it was clean and scenic and was lovely to have some pool time as a family considering our hotel’s spa was adults-only.
Afterwards we headed to the Oldest Bled Cellar for lunch which is a rustic, old restaurant in Bled that was decorated for Christmas so prettily I thought I’d stepped into a Hallmark movie! We had a lovely, relaxed lunch listening to Christmas songs followed by a taste of Bled Cake, which is a must-try in this area.
In the afternoon we hopped on a boat to explore Bled Island. Bled Island is only accessible by boat and most tourists opt to take a pletna, which is a large, flat-bottomed wooden boat rowed by a single standing oarsman using a centuries-old technique. It is the only option allowed to dock at the main south pier where you get the classic arrival experience and can climb the 99 stone steps directly to the church. The pletna ride costs approximately €18 to €22 per adult return (cash only, paid directly to the oarsman) and the boats only leave once they have filled enough seats.
As we had arrived later in the day the pletna oarsmen said it was too late to take us over so we hopped on a wooden electric boat instead, which was warmer and cheaper. (Although not cheap at 40 Euro return for the 3 of us.) The boats give you approx. 45 mins to explore the island and visit the church. We decided not to go inside as that would have been a further 40 Euros for the 3 of us but we did have a delicious hot chocolate in the café instead.
Before heading back to the hotel we had a little wander around the Bled Christmas Market. It’s not a Christmas Market on the same level as what you’d find in France or Germany but it did have a handful of food stalls and some pretty illuminations with the lake in the background. I think Miles enjoyed it the most to be honest!
Something we would have liked to do but it was way too wet on the day we’d set aside for it was hike to the Lake Bled viewpoint. (You’ll find it saved on the Google map above as Mala Osojnica). I’ve seen pictures of the views from here and they look incredible but the path can be a bit slippery in winter so wear sturdy shoes if you do it.
2. Lake Bohinj
Lake Bohinj is arguably best enjoyed either in summer when you can swim or boat on the water or later in winter when Vogel Ski Resort is in full swing but it looked absolutely beautiful all frost-covered in mid-December.
It’s a lot quieter than Lake Bled, which is fantastic for peaceful walks and photography, but it’s worth noting the lakeside cafes operate reduced hours in low season. I feel like it was a lovely cosy alpine base for us but we did a lot of activities outside of Bohinj due to the time of year.
If you have children then the Zlatorog Fairy Trail is a lovely self-guided circular hiking trail where you search for fairytale characters. We didn’t have time to do the whole trail but we did find a dragon in a playground very close to Alpik Chalets!
If you are a skiers, Vogel Ski Resort, which sits just above Lake Bohinj, relies on natural snow and typically opens around the 19th December. If you’re planning a ski trip then Jan to March would be a much safer bet.
We thought about taking the cable car up to Vogel but as it was quite pricey and we had plans to explore the slopes at Kranjska Gora we skipped it on this occasion. You can learn more about winter activities in Bohinj here.
3. Savica Waterfall/ Slap Savica
Found very close to Alpik Chalets, Savica Waterfall is one of Slovenia’s most famous waterfalls and it looks especially magical in winter when snow and ice transform the surrounding landscape.
I had read that the waterfall was a short walk from the car park so in my head it was going to take us only 5 minutes to reach it but there is actually quite a lot of stairs to climb and it took us about 25 minutes to get there with rest stops.
I’d also read that the viewing platform can get crowded but when visiting in winter we found only 1 other family there and they left shortly after we arrived so we got to enjoy it all to ourselves.
You need to pay for parking but entry to the waterfall is free. We were kindly given a free cup of herbal tea when we arrived too.
4. Zelenci Nature Reserve
The Zelenci Nature Reserve is another of Slovenia’s beautiful natural wonders that we found wonderfully peaceful in winter. Home to the emerald-green spring that forms the source of the Sava Dolinka River, the reserve looks striking throughout winter, with frosty boardwalks and snow-dusted wetlands in the background.
It’s free to enter and there is free parking on site. It’s easy to combine a visit here with Lake Jasna, which is a 10-minute drive down the road.
5. Lake Jasna
Just outside Kranjska Gora, Lake Jasna is a picture-perfect alpine lake framed by snow-capped peaks that gives Dolomites vibes without the crowds.
The lake was almost completely frozen in mid-December and we had a great time walking around its edge and skimming stones across the glittering surface.
We were hoping to grab hot chocolates from the cute lakeside café, Kasabrin Jezero Jasna, but it was unfortunately closed during our visit. I’ve seen pictures of people sitting outside it in the snow so I think it does operate on some days during winter but we couldn’t find any information about their seasonal hours online.
If you want to enjoy a magical meal with a lake front view the Jasna Natur Resort has igloos you can book for dinner in the winter. Find more information here.
6. Kranjska Gora
Prior to visiting Lake Jasna and the Zelenci Nature Reserve we spent the morning at Kranjska Gora Ski Resort.
Nestled between the Julian Alps and the Karawanks mountain range, Kranjska Gora is Slovenia’s premier winter sports destination and offers skiing and snowboarding for all abilities, along with cross-country trails, winter hiking routes and cosy mountain restaurants.
It wasn’t fully open for the season during our visit but as non-skiers this was a bit of a bonus for us as we got to hire some sleds and enjoy some fun in the snow without any skiers around.
The sled hire was very affordable – we paid 9 Euro for half day hire – and we didn’t need to get a cable car or ski lift as the slope was directly accessible from town. We actually parked right next to where we ended up sledding. This was a great fun and affordable activity that we highly recommend.
7. Ljubljana
We couldn’t leave Slovenia without visiting the capital so before flying home we headed into Ljubljana to check out its castle and Christmas markets. The city had a really enchanting atmosphere with festive lights throughout the old town and stalls and restaurants selling warm drinks and festive treats all along the river.
Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side and it was too wet to sit out and enjoy them but I was still pleasantly surprised with the Christmas atmosphere in Ljubliana as its not something we’d expected.
We also visited Ljubljana Castle, which is famous for its view, but couldn’t see anything through the thick, grey clouds.
I’d love to go back to Ljubljana and explore in better weather as it’s a very charming and easy to navigate. Overall, we were glad we decided to base ourselves in Lake Bohinj rather than Ljubljana or Lake Bled though as that was the area we really fell in love with.
Our 4-day family-friendly Slovenia itinerary
Day 1 – Wake up in Lake Bohinj. Enjoy Bohinj breakfast, visit Savica Waterfall and do Zlatorog Fairy Trail.
Day 2 – Explore Lake Bled – swimming & saunas at Zika Wellness Centre, lunch at Oldest Bled Cellar, boat trip to Bled Island, wander Bled Xmas Market and illuminations.
Day 3 – Sledding at Kranjska Gora in the morning. Afternoon exploring Lake Jasna and Zelenci Nature Reserve.
Day 4 – Visit Ljubljana Castle and Christmas Markets before flying home.
Getting there and getting around
We flew to Ljubljana from London Gatwick with Easyjet.
We hired an electric car through Discover Cars and paid 80 Euros for the 4 days. Both hotels had electric charging points installed.
We had such a lovely festive but fuss-free time in Slovenia and I think it’s brilliant value for money compared to other parts of Europe at that time of year. Check out my Instagram highlights for more about this trip.
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Our winter family holiday in the Dolomites
