Explore Slovenia with us
Slovenia has it all
If you get involved in conversations with a Slovene you will surely hear this story:
When God created the earth, he set up mountains, rivers, lowlands and oceans in various locations.
In the end, he saved for himself a little of everything in the most beautiful version. He put this on a small piece of the land, now called Slovenia.
It might well be a true story, because Slovenia really has it all and it is the only land in the world that has the word LOVE in its name.
Greetings!
My name is Saša. I’m an owner of Rohrmann apartments and also a licensed tourist guide. For those who stay in my apartments I organise and guide bespoke day trips around Slovenia, which are adopted to the wishes of my guests.
I love my homeland. I think it is beautiful and unique. Mountain peaks, green meadows and forests, emerald rivers, thermal water springs and the blue Mediterranean sea are her natural assets. All of this is intertwined with interesting history, ancient places, a unique culture and friendly people; all scattered over a small area of this planet. When we add to this beauty a culinary offer, which is mostly based on the use of local products Slovenia simply has to be on your bucket list.
I can take you on a tour around Ljubljana, show you “must see” places of Slovenia and explore with you parts of this beautiful country that are not so well known and besieged, but the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful.
I can also take you to places where your ancestors lived, who left Slovenia many years ago for the promise of a better life elsewhere.
If you want to get to know Slovenia and don’t want to unpack your suitcase and sleep in a different bed every night, than Ljubljana is a great starting point for day trips.
Planning the Itinerary and the price
Our day trips are organised for small private groups such as family and friends staying at Rohrmann apartments.
Therefore, the itinerary is flexible and is agreed with the guests according to their interests and expectations, also taking into consideration the physical abilities of individuals for outdoor activities.
The cost for my service is as flexible as the itinerary. There are two options:
- You can hire me as your guide and driver. For this arrangement I charge 50€ per hour on the tour. The van costs an additional 160€ per trip.
- If you want to drive your own vehicle and hire me as a guide only, the price is 45€ per hour on the tour.
The 22%VAT is included.
All other costs are covered by the guest, such as: entrance fees, parking charges, food and drinks, as well as additional paid activities at the request of guests.
Explore picturesque Ljubljana
Coming to Slovenia, you also have to spend some time in picturesque Ljubljana.
Easy for you who will stay in our Rohrmann apartments, because when you leave the house you are already at the Dragon Bridge, right in the middle of the old city bustle and your exploration of the city has already begun. Everything is within walking distance and most of the attractions are only accessible on foot anyway.
You have to visit the lively Farmers Market, get lost in the cobbled streets of the old town, drink a coffee in one of the small cafes and eat a piece of Potica or Ljubljana cake at one of pastry shops. Admire Art Nouveau buildings, climb the Castle hill, enjoy the views as far as the eye can see from the Castle lookout tower. Take a boat ride along the river, visit the Botanic garden or Tivoli park.
Explore the Roman ruins, visit one of many galleries and museums, enjoy cultural events – festivals, concerts, performances at the Opera house, watch a movie in the Cinema under the stairs. Take time to get to know and enjoy the creations of the world famous architect Jožef Plečnik who had a major impact on the modern architecture of Vienna, Prague and Ljubljana.
Go to the outskirts of Ljubljana and experience the idyllic landscape with many 15th century churches on the tops of the hills and go with the bike to the swampland where the pile-dwellers lived in prehistoric times and where the archeologists unearthed the world’s oldest wagon wheel.
Have a meal at one of the many great restaurants, followed by a drink at one of the bars by the river before immersing yourself in a sweet dream in the Rohrmann apartments which are just a few steps away.
Enjoy the beauties of the places you must see
If you only have a day or two in Slovenia you should visit our iconic places.
Two glacial lakes – fairy tail Lake Bled with an idyllic old church on the island and the mighty old castle standing on the cliff high above the lake. Enjoy the unspoilt nature at Lake Bohinj and observe the mirroring of mountain peaks on the surface of the lake. You can also jump into both lakes to freshen up on a hot day.
Explore the underground world in the mysterious Postojna cave where for millennia, drop by drop, beautiful structures are formed – stalagmites, stalactites, stone curtains and many more. You will see a mysterious creature – an Olm or Proteus anguinus (a Human fish) living in an underground river flowing through the cave. It can live for 100 years and go without food for 14 years.
Visit the Lipica Stud farm where, during the Habsburg dynasty they first started breeding the famous white horses Lipizzaners. See a performance at the Spanish Riding School, visit the stables with horses and walk around the estate.
Go all the way to the Mediterranean sea. Step into the middle ages in the small town of Piran and walk through a maze of small cobbled alleys. Hike to the hill where the Church of St. Georg dominates above the town square and climb the Bell tower, which is a copy of the bell tower of St. Mark’s church in Venice to see the magnificent view.
Explore Slovenia off the bitten paths
To experience Slovenia is not only to visit the most known tourists spots, but it is necessary to take a few extra days and visit places that are off the beaten track. Immerse yourself in the pristine nature, wander around historic places, admire local architecture, visit ethnic events, chat with the locals, participate in adrenaline sports, go underground to one of the mines, try locally produced food and taste wines in any of the three wine regions of Slovenia.
Slovenia is a green country, with almost 70% of its area covered with forest, and is a world leader in the sustainable tourism and a European Gastronomic region in 2021.
Highlights region by region
Despite the fact that Slovenia is very small, it is extremely diverse. The Alpine and Pre-Alpine, Dinaric-Karst, Mediterranean and Pannonia world meet here. Each has its own geographic characteristics that affect the way of life, specific architecture, economy, agriculture, population density, folk customs and cuisine.
The Alpine and Pre-Alpine part of Slovenia
The Alpine world is dominated with high peaks, glacial lakes, deep valleys, waterfalls, steep watercourses of emerald colour rivers. In the Pre-Alpine world however, there the hills are lower and are inhabited with secluded farms. Over the centuries, Slovenes built a large number of small churches on the tops of the hills and thus paid homage to their Catholic faith. Many if these churches are a real cultural and artistic treasure and can be visited by tourists.
It is worth visiting the village of Kropa, where the tradition of wrought iron has been nurtured for centuries. Spend time in the medieval towns of Radovljica and Škofja Loka and visit the old Mercury mine and museum in Idria, which is under UNESCO protection. You can climb the “Divje babe” cave, where archeologist have found a prehistoric flute made from animal bones and is the oldest example of a musical instrument in the world.
This area is is also a paradise for the botanist, as many alpine flowers bloom in late spring and in summer – fields of wild daffodils, edelweiss, bluebells and many others can be admired.
One can also do many outdoor activities in this area –skiing, mountaineering, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking on the rivers and swimming in the lakes.
The Dinaric - Karst region
A day is not enough to explore mysterious Dinaric-Karst world with many characteristic phenomena – intermittent Cerknica lake and Planina lake, spectacular Postojna and Škocjan caves (UNESCO), mighty Predjama castle, high and low plateaus and many underground rivers which every now and then reappear on the surface. One such river is Ljubljanica, which is also called The river with seven names, as it comes to the surface as many as seven times. The last time is just before Ljubljana, whereafter it flows into Sava River.
Much of the high plateaus are covered by pristine forest. Wandering through the woods one can meet a brown bear, lynx or even wolves.
The lowland plateaus are less forested and the population density is higher here. The area along the border with Croatia, where the river Kolpa flows is called Bela krajina. This is one of the most unique Slovenian regions, where many ethnological specialties have been preserved – Bela krajina Easter eggs and white national costume.
In the southeast of this region, you can paddle a canoe on the slow flowing rivers, hike amongst the vines, taste wine in many wine cellars or vineyard cottages and chat with locals who will serve you homemade dishes.
The Mediterranean region
Half an hour’s drive from Ljubljana towards Italy offers a beautiful view of Vipava Valley. Here we can already feel the influence of the Mediterranean Sea as the valley is beautifully green. Here are the romantic old settlements of Vipava Cross and Štanjel, and many vineyards from which they produce top quality wines such as Malvasia, Merlot, the indigenous Pinela. A little further is the Franciscans Monastery Kostanjevica at Nova Gorica, where the tomb of the last Bourbon kings is located. The monastery has a rose garden planted with old special species of Bourbon roses. In May when they are in full bloom, there is a Rose festival in the monastery. Not far from here are Goriška Brda -Slovenia Tuscany, where on the top of the hills are small settlements of stone houses, and the vineyards stretched as far as the eye can see.
On the way to the coast, in the village of Lipica is a Stud farm for breeding white Lipizzaner horses, founded by the Habsburg dynasty. The Lipizzaner was bred by crossing the Slovenian Karst wild horse, with a Spanish, Neapolitan and Arabian horse.
The Slovenian coast is indented, the climate here is mild and the vegetation is typically Mediterranean. The land is cultivated with olive groves, orchards and vineyards and vegetable fields. Three small towns originated here in the early middle ages- Koper, Izola and Piran, and developed at a time when this territory was part of the Venetian Republic. In the Sečovlje salt pans, salt has been extracted since the time of the Roman Empire.
The Pannonian region
To the northeast and east is the Pannonian region, where the plains alternate with hills. This is the most agricultural part of Slovenia and as much as two thirds of all wine produced in the country is obtained from grapes grown on vines on the romantic Pannonian hills. Wine roads lead past many vineyards and vineyard cottages where we can stop, try homemade wine and indulge in some local delicacies. The oldest vine in the world grows in the city of Maribor. The mayor of the city organises a harvest festival every year. Wine produced from this vine is consumed at state protocol events. Because many cereals grow here it is still possible to see old mills on the rivers, which still use water wheels to turn millstones and grind grain into flour. An important crop here is pumpkin, from which locals make thick, green pumpkin oil, which is an indispensable ingredient in many local dishes. The rivers here flow slowly and meander to form wetlands where numerous birds nest. Many of them are migratory and come to this part of the world to nest. One of the most characteristic is the stork.
There are also many thermal water sources in this area, as well as spas and hot water pools – Moravske toplice, Podčetrtek; there are also drinking water springs with healing effects on the human digestive system – Rogaška Slatina and Radenci.
As everywhere in Slovenia, the plains and hills are dotted with small churches, mostly from medieval times, which adorn this beautiful landscape and give it a special romantic inspiration.
Visit places where your ancestors lived
Slovenes emigrated massively from their homeland in two periods.
The largest emigration from Slovenian territory was in the late 19th and early 20th century when our countryside was overpopulated. Large peasant families were not able to produce enough food, and employment opportunities in industry were almost non-existent. Slovenes mainly emigrated to America. Emigration reached its peak between 1880 and 1910. By the start of World War II, about 400.000 people, or about a quarter of our population had gone abroad. In this way, we have placed ourselves at the very top of those European nations that have lost a relatively large proportion of their people through emigration.
The second period of emigration was at the end of World War II, when opponents of the new communist government withdrew from Slovenia. Most of them went to Argentina and Australia. Most of them never returned, but they always carried the homeland and the family they left behind in their hearts.
Today, many descendants of Slovenian emigrants are looking for their roots and researching who their ancestors were and where they lived.
I can take you on a sentimental trip to visit the villages where your ancestors were born, hear the church bells they listened to at baptisms and weddings, walk through the meadows, orchards and vineyards they cultivated and enjoy the views of the hills, valleys and rivers, which they enjoyed as young people before the desire for a better and safer life took them to distant places.
foto: ZRC SAZU
