Slovenia is mostly known for the amazing lake Bled. Few actually know what this tiny country hides one of the most spectacular Alpine valleys - the Triglav Lakes valley. The purest rivers and mountainous lakes surrounded by silver rocky peaks and karst formations can be found here. Don’t miss this incredible hiking trail - stay a few days more in Slovenia and enjoy the best of what nature has to offer. Contrary to similar places of this sort in neighboring countries (Italy, Austria, Croatia), you won’t find crowds here - therefore the whole area seems even more enjoyable. In this post I’ll describe the trail and how we got here from lake Bled and continued onwards to the Soca River valley.

Soca River in Slovenia is one of the most beautiful rivers I've ever seen. It's only a river but it's​ in no way ordinary. If you know the famous Verzasca River in Switzerland, Soca is similar. However, having visited both, Soca remains my favorite. It's located near the cozy village of Bovec in Julian Alps where you can enjoy many activities: rafting, swimming, hiking and climbing.

Soca River has an unbelievably beautiful hue of turquoise and blue. It's so crystal clear than it could pass for a tropical sea. Although Soca is only a mountainous stream, in places it's deep enough to enjoy a swim or jump on a hot, summer day. Read on to find out where exactly to find the most attractive parts of the river and how to get there from Bovec.

The town of Koper in Slovenia is rarely on anyone's itinerary. Initially, it wasn't on ours either. It was supposed to be simply the first point of entry into the country. Although it is not as spectacular as the neighboring  Piran (a must see when visiting Slovenia - it has the vibe and beauty of the extremely famous Dubrovnik), Koper still boasts the Mediterranean charm and the tiny Old Town covered with red brick roofs is similar to other towns along the Adriatic coast. Near Koper, we also found a little, secluded wild beach shielded by a large white cliff - it's completely off the beaten path and visited by locals only. What a nice surprise it was after the whole day of visiting!

Lake Bled is Slovenia's most popular tourist attraction and although it's getting more and more famous, it's still relatively unknown comparing to other European landmarks. And, in contrast to other places flooded by masses of visitors, the beautiful Bled is not overrated at all. In fact, it is way better in real life than in the photos. The images cannot really convey the clear, deep blue color of water, pristine natural surroundings and charming architecture, all combined together.

The town of Bled is best visited in the summer when you can swim, kayak, hike and use it as a base to explore the amazing, hidden treasures of Slovenian Julian Alps.

The title of this post is a bit tricky - it doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy my time in Ljubljana or that it's an ugly city. I chose this title to be somewhat controversial because this is what attracts people nowadays. In reality, it's the opposite - Ljubljana isn't too big, it's pretty, with little winding streets and for me, has the same charm as Bratislava or Riga. However, Ljubljana was our last stop in Slovenia and after visiting such wonders as Piran and Koper with red roofs and Mediterranean coast, Soca river (which was so clear that it seemed just unreal) flowing through white gorges, spectacular Slovenian Alps, magnificent lake Bled with the famous island in the middle, nearby Vintgar Gorge, lake Bohinj - shores of which resembled tropical seas, the medieval Predjama castle built into the cave and Postojna cave - one of Europe's largest, Ljubljana appeared so bleak and ordinary.

Vintgar Gorge (also called Bled Gorge), carved out by the Radovna River is located just 4 km (2.5 miles) from Slovenia's most popular destination - lake Bled. It's a perfect hideaway from a hot, sunny day - the high walls of the gorge which rise up to 100 m (330 ft.) provide shade and the mountainous stream cools down the temperature around. Maybe Vintgar Gorge wouldn't even be that worth noticing if it weren't for the Radovna river which boasts an unbelievably turquoise-green color. It squeezes through rocks and cascades creating a few spectacular waterfalls and crystal clear pools along the way. The whole scenery looks as if it was copied from a fantasy film - so don't miss it while visiting the beautiful lake and village of Bled!