Tourism to Slovenia keeps on soaring

Regular readers will know that Gourmet on the Road has great enthusiasm for visiting Slovenia, having enjoyed two recent trips.

It is no surprise, then, to discover that the Slovenian tourism industry achieved remarkable milestones in 2024 despite a challenging environment, outperforming both European and global averages.

With a 7.5% increase in international arrivals and exceptional performance across established and emerging markets, Slovenia strengthened its reputation as a leading green hospitality destination with attractions including delightful capital Ljubljana and Lake Bled (above).

That success sets an optimistic tone for 2025.

The Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport says it will remain committed to fostering balanced tourism growth, guided by the principle of "a little more and a lot better".

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Slovenian Tourist Board (STB), with the country previously part of Yugoslavia.

Tourist arrivals surged by 6.3% compared to 2023, reaching an impressive total of 6.58 million visitors for a very small nation.

Overnight stays also saw significant growth, rising by 4.5% year-on-year to a record 16.85 million, according to the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia.

At a press conference in Ljubljana, Matevž Frangež, state secretary at the Ministry of Economy, Tourism, praised local tourism industry operatives.

Frangež said: "In terms of guest arrivals and overnight stays, we have once again exceeded [pre-Covid] 2019.

"We are seeing moderate and steady growth in guest arrivals, but our focus goes beyond numbers. In line with the adopted tourism strategy, Slovenia is prioritizing quality, aiming to attract more discerning guests, deliver unforgettable experiences for both domestic and international visitors, and, most importantly, generate greater added value for our economy."

Slovenia's capital hits the right notes over summer

The delightful Slovenian capital of Ljubljana comes alive with music and dance over summer.

The Ljubljana Festival is the main summer festival in Slovenia and is one of the oldest festivals in Ljubljana. And it runs for over two months.

Lucky for the locals, they get to experience all the fun for two jam-packed months of warm weather, blooming flowers, arts and entertainment.

The traditional opening concert on June 20 features the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra & Big Band and the RTV Slovenia Youth Choir.

 


Every summer the Ljubljana Festival makes an important contribution to the cultural life of Ljubljana - and entertains visitors - with a program covering a wide variety of genres, including ballet, opera and theatrical productions, musicals, chamber and symphony concerts, the International Art Colony, master classes, and children’s and youth workshops.

Highlights include the Ljubljana Festival events on the River Ljubljanica - the river that runs through the centre of the capital.

Among those participating will be the London Symphony Orchestra, the Concerto Budapest Symphony Orchestra, the ADDA Simfònica Alicante, the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Filarmonica della Scala, and soloists including tenors Jonathan Tetelman and Juan Diego Flórez.

Pianists Mikhail Pletnev and Grammy winner César Camargo Mariano, saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito d’Rivera, violinist Vilde Frang, prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova, and conductors such as Sir Antonio Pappano, Riccardo Chailly, Zubin Mehta, Charles Dutoit, András Keller, Aleksei Kornienko also feature.

Entertainment will be provided by 4,000 artists from more than 40 countries.

The 72nd edition of the Ljubljana Festival will run from June 20 to September 3, when it will end with a gala concert by pianist Martha Argerich.

See https://www.visitljubljana.com/ and https://ljubljanafestival.si/

Meet the city that might be the best-kept travel secret in Europe

Ljubljana is difficult to pronounce, but easy to love: the delightful capital of Slovenia is also surprisingly simple to get to.

Slovenia has just been named one of the top 25 destinations in the world for 2023 by National Geographic - and its capital is both charming and easy to get around.

Less than two hours by bus from Venice in Italy, Ljubljana is vibrant and green with a lively bar and restaurant scene, and plenty of cultural offerings.

It is a cliché, but Ljubljana is really one of the best-kept secrets in the world of travel.

Think lovely architecture, great walking, tons of lively bars and cafes along the banks of the Ljubljanica River and very reasonable prices - all within a just few hours of not only Venice, but also Innsbruck, Munich and Zagreb.

My second visit - a few months ago - confirmed that the city remains charming and accessible.




The people are super friendly and all appear to be impressively multi-lingual, perhaps not surprising given the city's storied history.

Ljubljana is the largest city of Slovenia, which became independent in 1991. It has a population of under 300,000 and is reminiscent of Prague before it was discovered by the masses.

Over 2,000 years old, it is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political, and administrative centre and is easy to walk around. The Old Quarter is the best base for visitors.

The city is known for its university population and many open spaces, including expansive Tivoli Park and the river, which is lined with outdoor cafes.

For those looking for a small, centrally situated boutique hotel, the Hotel Mrak (below) - located in the heart of the old town and just a short stroll from the river - fits the bill. It is quiet and well equipped with helpful staff https://hotelmrak.si/en/




The chic Hotel Vander Urbani is another good option. It has just 20 rooms and a rooftop pool and is tucked away on a cobbled side street. https://vander-urbani-resort.hotel-rn.com/

For those on a grander budget, the Lev Hotel which has hosted world-renowned artists including Luciano Pavarotti, Agatha Christie, and Bob Dylan, recently reopened after a complete refurb. The hotel first opened in 1964, was the first international five-star hotel in Slovenia. It had a spell as an InterContinental. www.union-hotels.eu/en/hotel-lev/

Budget travellers might want to check out the centrally located AI Apartments at
http://aiapartmentsljubljana.com

Gourmets will enjoy the Open Kitchen; a section of the city food market where you can experience the delights of freshly cooked food prepared by different Slovenian chefs right in front of you at their own market stalls.

Every Friday from mid-March to October, the Open Kitchen offers an opportunity to meet Slovenian chefs, taste Slovenian and international dishes, and learn about different methods of food preparation.

The Yummy Market Walk is a recently added tourism option.

Visitors walk around the market, accompanied by a local guide who reveals the most interesting stories and hidden secrets.

Guests get to taste fresh seasonal delicacies produced by local farmers from the vicinity of Ljubljana and finish their visit with a fresh local breakfast.

From the market, hop on the funicular that takes you to Ljubljana Castle for a magnificent view of the Ljubljana basin and the city.

The castle, with elements dating back to the 12th and 15th centuries, towers over the city.

Ljubljana hosts free open-air classical music performances during summer and is easy to get around - and the old city is mercifully quiet with all motor vehicles banned; except for motorised golf carts that transport the old and infirm.

The National Museum of Slovenia was founded in 1821 and is also worth a visit, but Ljubljana, with its mix of Baroque and Art Nouveau architecture, is also a city that rewards the casual stroller or cyclists, who can get around on a bike using the Bicikelj bike-sharing system.

Along the banks of the Ljubljanica River admire arts and crafts that local artists sell from makeshift stalls.



One thing is certain: visitors will eat heartily in Ljubljana. The locals are fond of sausages (try them at Klobasarna, a hole-in the-wall takeaway, above), schnitzels and other warming Central European dishes, while breads, cakes, soups and dumplings all play major roles on local menus.

Try the historic restaurant Spajza (eat inside in one of several small rooms, or outside in a delightful garden) for dishes including an appetiser of cheek of young colt (maybe not for everyone but horse is a staple in Slovenia, along with boiled beef tongue and frog legs).

More mainstream choices are smoked trout with horseradish terrine and veal medallions with local mushrooms (another staple). Also make time for some struklji, local dumplings made in over 80 different styles, both sweet and savoury, but typically using cottage cheese or baked apples.

For dessert – or just a sweet treat - make sure to try the icy popsicles from Lučkarnica.

Wine lovers will want to spend time with https://winetastingljubljana.com/ for an informative and entertaining tasting in the cellar at Dvorni Bar in the city.

Alternatively opt for an informal tasting at wine bars like Suklje, Balthazar and Vinotheka Movia.

For a relaxed experience, you can pick up a boat tour and enjoy a cruise past many of the city’s major sites, including the historic Dragon and Triple bridges, centre points of the old city.

Head to www.slovenia.info or www.visitljubljana.com for up-to-date local info.

Images:  Winsor Dobbin 

This is an edited version of a story that first appeared in Ciao Magazine.   

New hotel boosts capital city rooms by 10%

Ljubljana is one of Europe's most attractive and easily visited capital cities but it suffers from a lack of hotel rooms given its growing popularity. 

Very few of the international chains have opened in Ljubljana, which is puzzling. 

The Grand Plaza (top), a new five-star hotel and congress centre has just opened its doors, boosting the number of hotel rooms in the city by 10%.

It offers 354 rooms and 10 conference halls that can accommodate up to a thousand participants.

The new Grand Plaza Hotel and Congress Centre is the largest hotel in the capital.

The 81-metre-high tower block offers rooms are of various types and sizes.

In addition to standard services, the hotel also offers a fitness center, a swimming pool, private parking, a bar and a garden.

The new hotel is only the third in Ljubljana next to the InterContinental Hotel, which is its immediate neighbour, and the Zlata Ladjica boutique hotel.

We tried out the more modest, but rather delightful boutique Hotel Mrak (above) on our recent trip to Ljubljana.

It is a family-owned hotel set in a brilliant location in the old town of Ljubljana - just short stroll to the river.

Think small but charming rooms (just 34 in all) - and very helpful staff.

Hotel Mrak is the only hotel in the Ljubljana old centre that is accessible by car.

See https://hotelmrak.si/en/

Zagreb and Ljubljana wow visitors

Zagreb in Croatia and Ljubljana in Slovenia (above) lead a new ranking list of cities with a high degree of visitor satisfaction.

The two cities, both part of the former Yugoslavia, were the stars of a survey analyses air connectivity, average hotel prices, the levels of satisfaction and perceptions of visitors.

Having visited Ljubljana for a second time earlier this month, I can understand why it is such a hit. It is vibrant, green, easy to get around and has a lively bar and restaurant offering.

The large European capitals dropped in favour due to their high hotel prices and due to a low value placed by visitors on their tourist offerings.

Mabrian, a leading tourism intelligence company, shared a new study of the best European cities based on the value for money they offered during the month of June this year.

The conclusions were that the travel destination that offered the best value for money during the month of June was Zagreb.

Despite being among the lowest ranked in terms of air connectivity, it had a very high level of satisfaction in most of the areas analysed.

At the same time, it offers a very competitive accommodation price compared to other destinations surveyed.

In second position was Athens, which is better connected than Zagreb but with a slightly higher average price and lower satisfaction levels than Zagreb.

Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, was reported as having the most competitive hotel prices and high levels of satisfaction. It was in third position because its air connectivity is limited.

Dubrovnik, also in Croatia, was the destination with the highest satisfaction levels among the analysed destinations. The average hotel price here is high, however, and air connectivity is limited, which places it in ninth position.

London and Paris, despite being better connected, were penalized by a very high average hotel prices.

Visitors were particularly dissatisfied with the hotel service in London and with the offer of tourist products in Paris.

Other big tourist cities such as Berlin, Barcelona and Amsterdam were at the bottom of the list for their high hotel prices and for the level of satisfaction, which remained low.

In order, the best tourist cities for quality and price in June were: Zagreb (Croatia), Athens (Greece), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Rome (Italy), Vienna (Austria), Lisbon (Portugal), Madrid (Spain), Milan (Italy), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Berlin (Germany), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Paris (France), Barcelona (Spain) and London (United Kingdom).

Carlos Cendra, Mabrian’s director of sales and marketing, said: “There is a growing trend of demand for less crowded and more authentic destinations.

"For this reason, countries such as Croatia and Slovenia and their capitals are highly valued destinations due to their balance between a destination that offers security, a differentiated offer of activities and a very attractive average price.

"The most mature urban destinations are suffering a rebound effect in demand that generates an increase in average prices and a reduction of the customer experience due to the possible saturation at some times and places.”

The popsicle is back as a gourmet dessert treat

The beautiful country is Slovenia can also be, shall we say, just a little bit charmingly eccentric. 

A nation where they eat bear pate (no I haven't tried it!) and relish axe-throwing has to be just little off centre. 

But the good people of the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana might be onto something with their love of new-age popsicles.

That's right, gourmet popsicles are all the rage. Icy poles are back.  

Right in downtown Ljubljana, on the banks of the Ljubanica River you'll find Luckarnica, a shop dedicated to popsicles - whether you'd rather eat in, or take away. 

An offshoot of the town's famous Gelateria Romantika, Luckarnica is billed as being the perfect choice for "healthy treats". 

Each popsicle contains just 4 grams of sugar - but a whole lot of fruity flavour. 

Prefer you popsicle milky, or vegan? No problem. Fruit, fruit-herbal, or fruit-vegetable? All good. 

You can either enjoy a mango, raspberrry, pineapple with mint, or chocolate, perhaps, as a naked treat, or coat, double coat, sprinkle and drizzle it with massive range of additions; ranging from Smarties to diced nuts, dried orange peel or freeze-dried berries.

Either way, you have a taste sensation for just a few bucks. I can see this trend catching on in Australia. 

Luckarnica is at Breg 16, Ljubljana.  

      

Strolling the streets of Ljubljana

The Slovenian capital of Ljubljana is truly one of the best-kept secrets in the world of travel.

Lovely architecture, great walking, tons of lively bars and cafes along the banks of the Ljubljanica River and very reasonable prices - all within a few hours of Venice. Innsbruck, Munich and Zagreb.

Eight years on from my last visit, it remains charming and accessible.

The people are super-friendly and all appear to be impressively multi-lingual, perhaps not surprising given the city's storied history.

Ljubljana[is the capital and largest city of Slovenia, which became independent in 1991. It has a population of just over 250,000.

It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative centre and is easy to walk around. The Old Quarter is the best base for visitors.

The city is known for its university population and green spaces, including expansive Tivoli Park and the calm Ljubljanica River, lined with outdoor cafes.

Here are a few images from last night's walk around town.

 



























For visitors on a tight budget, I can recommend the AI Apartments, booked through Airbnb. See www.airbnb.com/rooms/36964486

For a small, centrally-situated boutique hotel, the Hotel Mrak in the heart of the old town fits the bill. https://hotelmrak.si/en/