Cultural and historic attractions in Slovenia

Slovenia is a green destination and you will absolutely love it if you enjoy active holidays. But there are also many historical and cultural sites and attractions to visit. Old towns, numerous churches, mysterious monateries, breathtaking castles and unusual museums. Here are some ideas for your list “to visit”:

 

Towns

• Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, old town centre, castle, cathedral
• Maribor, the oldest vine in the world, one of only two synagogues in the country
• Ptuj, the oldest Slovene town
• Bled, a town in the Julian Alps with a lake and a small island in the middle
• Škofja Loka, a medieval town
• Piran, old Mediterranean town with salt pans and the traditional production of top salt
• Kostanjevica na Krki, a town situated on the river Krka

• Štanjel, an ancient Roman and Turkish fortress in the Karst region with a church and the remains of a medieval castle
• Celje, an old town with a medieval castle
• Radovljica, a small historical town close to Bled.

 

Culture & History

 

Religious Buildings

• Churches: thousands of churches, often isolated on hill tops, the majority are Catholic, but there are also some evangelist churches based in Prekmurje region. There is also one Orthodox Church in Ljubljana and two synagogues in Maribor and Lendava. The most known: Franciscan church and the cathedral in Ljubljana, Ptujska gora, Hrastovlje

• Monasteries:  there are more than 30 monasteries still operating, 5 of them are reserved for women. The majority produce and sell homemade wine, cheese and spirits:
  – Kostanjevica Monastery,
  – Stična Cistercian Monastery, founded nearly 900 years ago,
  – Olimje Minorite Monastery and its old chemist that offers homemade herbal infusions and other remedies (read about it also on our blog)

– Pleterje Carthusian Monastery
– The remains of the Žiče Carthusian Monastery,
– Križanke old monastery in Ljubljana
– Kostanjevica near Nova Gorica Franciscan Monastery with the tombs of the last members of the Bourbons, the French royal family

Castles

Ljubljana
Bled

Predjama
Celje
Ptuj

 

Museums

• Open air museum: Rogatec, Drča (next to Pleterje monastery), Floating mill on the Mura river (island of love)
  
• Museums and galleries:
  – First World War museum in Kobarid
  – Peca underground museum (visit of an ancient mine)
  – Antony’s shaft, mercury mine museum in Idrja (read about it also in our previous article)
  – Franja partisan hospital
  – Planika, Dairy products museum Kobarid
  – Ljubljana, Ptuj, Celje

 

Read more about the places to visit in Slovenia in our previous articles:

• Top 5 destinations to visit
• Hidden gems to visit in Slovenia, part 1 and part 2 
• Activity holidays: hiking, cycling, rafting, kayaking…