After visiting Budapest, Bratislava, and Vienna, my winter break trip continued with a visit to Slovenia. While in Slovenia, I saw both a large metropolitan city, Ljubljana, and a small, nature-filled town, Bled.

While these places may not be the world’s most popular tourist destinations, my time in Slovenia was definitely a highlight of my trip as a whole. Be sure to add Lake Bled in particular to your travel bucket list!

Day 1: Ljubljana

My bus from Vienna to Ljubljana took up a significant amount of time (about five hours), but it also provided me with an opportunity to reflect and get back into the mindset of empowering solo female travel. Plus, I got in some blog drafts!

When I arrived at Ljubljana’s main bus station, I grabbed a large bottle of water and headed to the hostel. While it wasn’t the accommodation I originally booked, I chose to switch over to Hostel Celica the night before for the experience…

On Hostelworld, Hostel Celica describes itself as “One-of-a-kind, artistically transformed from a military prison into a funky hostel.” Yes, I stayed at a former military prison turned into a “unique” hostel.

Honestly speaking, though, this was a super cool place to stay. I loved exploring the different rooms and hallways, and it was great to see an accommodation so focused on sustainability and eco-friendly practices.

Once I got settled in a bit, I knew I had no time to waste, so I headed out for an afternoon of exploring. I wandered around the old town Ljubljana area, popped into some shops, and took the funicular up the mountain to check out the castle.

I love a good city view, and the top of the castle’s lookout tower sure was the best viewpoint of the area that I could ask for!

Once I had seen everything on my list, I quickly headed back to my hostel to chill and get some things situated before dinner. I had a delicious solo meal at Julija Restaurant to finish off the day.

Day 2: Lake Bled

While I enjoyed checking out Ljubljana, I felt like a day was enough to get a feel for the city, so I took a day trip during my second day in Slovenia. I dropped my bags at the hostel front desk and headed back to the bus station to hopefully get a ticket to Bled.

I had originally signed up for a group guided tour from Ljubljana to Bled, but because of the limited number of tourists in the area during off-season, this was cancelled and I was left to figure it out myself. Thankfully, the person at the bus station was super helpful, and within 15 minutes, I was on a bus to Bled.

Once I arrived in this quaint town, I took my time wandering around the lake and marveling at how magical the area is in real life. I didn’t feel the need to visit the castle or church, as I preferred to just take in the nature and spend my time relaxing by the sparkling blue lake.

I took a detour from the main trail around the lake to hike up to a viewpoint. There, I got an unbelievable look at the lake, church, castle, and surrounding mountains. I promise that it’s worth the hike!

After my adventure alone in the mountains of Slovenia, I was ready for lunch. Thankfully, there was a restaurant open near the lake, so I took this opportunity to try some authentic sausage, potatoes, and sauerkraut. And a glass of Slovenian wine, of course!

Then, it was time for dessert. I bought a large slice of the iconic Lake Bled cream cake and enjoyed it on a park bench near the lake. The views, the fresh air, and the delicious dessert made me feel truly fulfilled by my trip from Ljubljana to Bled.

That being said, I was still a bit confused about the local bus system and needed to make sure I wouldn’t have any issues with the next leg of my journey, so I headed back to the Bled bus station, and eventually, back to Ljubljana. I grabbed my bags, sipped on an espresso, and prepared myself for a long overnight bus trip to Croatia!