Hi friends!
Paulina here. When Chef James and I were planning our trip to Northern Italy in January of 2026, we were assembling our itinerary and deciding between driving to the alpine city of Bolzano or spending more time in Verona. I was leaning towards Bolzano, despite the snowy drive and the hubbub of the Olympics, when Chef recommended we drive to Ljubljana for a few days instead. I was skeptical at first, not knowing much about Slovenia aside from the few (delicious) wines I’ve tasted. I’m so glad he pushed for it because I loved our time there and can’t wait to return.
Slovenia is a relatively new nation that is culturally still coming into itself after 1,000 years under the Habsburg rule and 80 years as part of Yugoslavia. Their ‘Ten-Day’ war for independence was in June of 1991. Ljubljana is the capital city and the largest city, with a (mostly) car-free city center flanking the Ljubljana river with restaurants, bars, museums and community spaces. The moody Castle of Ljubljana looms over the city which romanticized our winter stay and made us crave a cold beer and a sausage from the Christmas market. The food scene is young, embracing local dairy and artisanal charcuterie products. The tension between high-brow/low-brow dining and drinking is fun and approachable. We were equally impressed by the composed dishes in a bistro as we were with the goulash at the dive bar down the street.
There are many wine regions in Slovenia - remarkable traditional method sparkling, traditional red wine production and ancient orange wine styles. The vines don’t know they are in Slovenia vs. Italy or Croatia, and the resulting wines could easily compete on the global stage. The difference is: Slovenians believe that wine is for the people, so there’s a moral cap on what a bottle of wine should cost, regardless of quality or prestige. We particularly loved the sparkling wines from Domaine Slapšak and the light-bodied reds from Škerk.
Getting around
We drove our rental car from Venice to Ljubljana which is about a 3-hour drive. We broke it up by stopping in Friuli on the way there and the way back (more on that here). You do need a Slovenian toll vignette when driving by car, so be sure to secure that after picking up your car.
Alternatively, you can fly into Ljubljana with a connection in Paris or Frankfurt. The city is incredibly walkable - I don’t think a car is necessary. If you do have a car, parking can be a challenge, so we recommend a hotel with concierge that can assist you.
Where to stay
We stayed at the Hotel Zlata Ladjica - which was a highlight of our 10-day trip! The rooms are gorgeous and the location cannot be beat. The hotel has a restaurant with a lovely Slovenian menu and thoughtful breakfast. We felt so well taken care of during our stay. I would fly to Slovenia just to stay here again. We also considered Hotel Cubo and Lesar Hotel Angel. There are also a ton of apartment Air BnB options if that’s more your style.
Activities
As always, we highly recommend booking a walking food tour when visiting a new city. We luckily booked with Ana from Ljubljana, a Slovenian sommelier who spent the afternoon with us, explaining the history of the city and walking us to hidden gems all over town. Chef James quickly discovered they were born on the same day in the same year and have tattoos of their beloved dogs on the same arm. KISMET! She enhanced our experience greatly, and we’ve maintained a friendship afterwards. I loved visiting Klobasarna in Old Town, dedicated to traditional Slovenian sausage [and my favorite, sauerkraut soup].
Ride a funicular to the Ljubljana Castle, where you can visit the Museum of Puppetry.
Visit Cukrarna - a contemporary art gallery in a renovated sugar factory.
Take a walk through Tivoli Park and the open-air Central Market (or a charming Christmas Market if there in the winter!)
Book an architectural tour of the Plečnik House, or visit Vurnikova Hiša, an art nouveau house and cultural landmark.
Where to drink
Wine bars seem to be on every block in Ljubljana, but beer culture is also thriving. We loved the crispy Union lager which was on tap in every bar.
Šuklje wine bar was next to our hotel and had a great Slovenian sparkling selection.
Ana brought us to Koželj for our wine tasting, which also offers an array of delicious local cheeses. And she knew we wanted a dive bar experience, so she dropped us off at Kavarna Mačkon for blackberry schnapps (robidovec), lager, and a bar dog!
Where to eat
Georgie Bistro - a thoughtful, international menu. Their braised lamb and chickpea dish was heaven paired with Slovenian reds. And we got to try bear salami!
Slovenska Hiša - cured meats, pickles and cheeses.
Trappa for sourdough pizza.
Julija - Slovenian meets Mediterranean.
TaBar - ambitious dedication to Slovenian history, in a tapas presentation.
Altrokè - for truffles and olive oil.
About 30 minutes outside of Ljubljana, is Grič - a one-star Michelin restaurant surrounded by a pastoral, verdant village. They focus on produce from their own gardens and dry-aged proteins. This is definitely on our list for our next visit.
We had lovely espresso at Cafe Čokl, which is tiny and intended for a quick stop. And Kavarna Rog came recommended for breakfast.
Other Slovenian destinations
A day trip to Lake Bled - a fairytale-esque destination for hiking, boating and visiting the Bled castle. Breathtaking, and only 45 minutes from Ljubljana.
Spend a night in Kobarid, visiting Hiša Franko, Ana Roš’ 3-star Michelin restaurant and guesthouse in the Soča Valley. It’s located in a historic 1800s farmhouse, and one of the most celebrated dining destinations in the world.
From Chef James:
If you’re renting a car and have time to explore the country, we learned that the northeast is where the country harvests its famous pumpkin seed oil. It seems that many restaurants incorporates the famous oil into the local cuisine. The southeast is wine country with many producers getting serious about champagne method wines. Slovenia does have a sliver of coast line on the Adriatic, but one could argue Trieste is more culturally and historically Slovenian than Italian. Many Slovenians will travel to Croatia during the summer to enjoy the beaches and the sea.
Bring Slovenia to you!
Watch the Chronicles of Narnia which were filmed in the northwest.
Get yourself some verdant pumpkin seed oil.
Source Slovenian wines from your local wine shop (Western Market, Plum Market and York in Ann Arbor are all great options for Michiganders).
Watch Ana Roš’ Chef’s Table episode.
Invest in this gorgeous coffee table book.
Ljubljana is one of the most underrated places I’ve ever been. It’s been 20+ years so I’m sure it’s drastically changed but even then, it was a special place. The “famous Slovenian pumpkin seed oil” is (I believe) even more prominent and well known from the Steiermark in Austria (the province just north of the Slovenian border and where Bianca is from!). We will bring you a bottle of Steirisches Kürbiskernöl next time we are in!