1 destination · 10 things to do

Slovenia

Ljubljana is one of Europe’s most likeable small capitals: a green, car-free old town on the banks of the Ljubljanica river, crowned by a hilltop castle and shaped, bridge by bridge and market by market, by the architect Jože Plečnik. Its riverside cafes, dragons and Baroque churches can be walked in a day, which leaves time for the reason many visitors come to Slovenia in the first place. Within about an hour lie Lake Bled, with its church on an island and its castle on a cliff, the vast underground halls of Postojna Cave, where an electric train carries you deep into the karst, and Predjama Castle, built into the mouth of a cave in a sheer rock face. This guide books the tickets and tours worth booking, points you to the free walks and viewpoints that beat the paid ones, and matches you to the right hotel, from an Art Nouveau grand hotel in the centre to a lakeside classic in Bled and a good-value base a short walk from the old town.