Slovenia family holidays and breaks

Provided you can embrace a culture that pays no heed to the call of mass tourism, Slovenia can be a great place for active family holidays, especially in the Julian Alps and Soca River Valley, which boast both outstanding natural beauty and a rich history. Other gorgeous areas include Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj, the charming port of Piran on the Adriatic, with its Venetian-style facades, and the spectacular Skocjan Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Capital City	Ljubljana
Flying Time	2 hours
Carbon Footprint	1.11 tonnes CO2
Timezone	GMT +1
Local Currency	Euro

What to Do

Take part in countless activities available in and around the Soca River Valley and the surrounding mountains, including walking, canyoning, mountain-biking, mini-rafting, kayaking and canoeing, white-water rafting and horse-riding.

Visit the Skocjan Caves, one of the world's largest known underground canyons, set in the Skocjan Caves Regional Park, with a unique ecosystem due to the microclimactic conditions. In 2011, a part of the caves that had been close for half a century reopened to the public.

Visi the First World War Museum at Kobarid.

Take the car-train through the mountains to Lake Bohinj for the day, and enjoy a boat trip on the beautiful lake.

Ski: see our feature on Credit Crunch ski destinations.

Where to Stay

Families are most likely to visit Slovenia as part of organised family activity and adventure holidays; see the right-hand column of this page for our recommendations and deals.

Photos

When

In spring, the meadows and valleys of Slovenia are lush and the waterfalls are spectacular. In the summer holidays, the average daytime temperatures are perfect for family holidays, at around 25°C.

Autumn is harvest season, and in October the forested slopes are a blaze of colour.

How

Flights from London Stansted to Ljubljana take about 2hrs 15mins. See our flight deals and family holidays car-hire pages.

Eat

Slovenia is renowned for its excellent home cooking and hospitality. Specialities range from potatoes with cottage cheese, delicious soups and fresh vegetables to marble trout from the River Soca.

Happily for family holidays with fussy kids, being so close to the Italian border you can find great pizza and ice-cream. Adults may also enjoy the traditional home-made schnapps.

Cost

Slovenia is a relatively inexpensive destination for family holidays, both in terms of low-cost flight availability and on the level of accommodation and eating out.