October in Slovenia: Tips for Visiting in Autumn (original) (raw)

October is an ideal month to travel to Slovenia. It’s well and truly autumn, which means colorful landscapes, quiet trails, and crisp temperatures.

You can take advantage of reduced, shoulder-season hotel rates, which will save you a significant sum.

Additionally, October is a great month for visiting top attractions and destinations, like Lake Bled and Ljubljana. Though by no means empty, the atmosphere is pleasantly mellow.

Autumn Restaurant Week, Slovenia

Weather in Slovenia in October

Julian Alps Larch Forest, Slovenia

While October is the most visually alluring month to visit Slovenia, it comes with some risk. October is also the wettest month of the year.

Temperatures drop in October. It’s still very pleasant, but you need to pack extra layers: sweaters, rain jacket, and beanie.

When we visited Bled in October, the daytime temperature was 20°C and the nighttime temperature was 7°C. These temperatures were higher than the average, which is usually 14°C during the day and 5°C at night.

If you venture further into the mountains, temperatures will decrease. For example, the average daytime temperature of Logar Valley and the Solcava area is 11°C in October.

We experienced a mix of sunshine and rain.

7 Things to Do in Slovenia in October

1. Autumn Restaurant Week

Boutique Hotel Skipass, Kranjska Gora, Autumn Restaurant Week, Slovenia

Restaurant Week is a semi-annual culinary event in Slovenia which takes place in autumn and spring.

Only the finest restaurants in Slovenia are selected as participants. Each restaurant crafts a multi-course tasting menu for the event and the price is fixed.

This is an excellent opportunity to experience fine dining in Slovenia at an affordable price.

On vivi.si, you can find out which restaurants are participating in the Autumn Restaurant Week. Make reservations as soon as the dates are announced, especially if it’s a Michelin-star restaurant, or one located in Ljubljana, or Bled.

The 100+ participating restaurants are rated with hearts. Their menu pricing is fixed based on their “heart rating.” So, one-heart restaurants will be cheaper than three-heart restaurants.

We dined at three participating establishments in Kranjska Gora, including Triangel Boutique Hotel’s restaurant and Boutique Hotel Skipass’ restaurant. It was one of the highlights of our fall trip.

2. Visit Lake Bled

Mala Osojnica Viewpoint, Lake Bled, Slovenia

Autumn is a peaceful time of year to experience Slovenia’s fairy-tale lake. Hotels and restaurants are open, but it’s neither flooded, nor shut-down.

Furthermore, October is the most scenic month to visit Lake Bled, because the lakeshore and surrounding hillsides are awash in a spectrum of yellows and ambers.

During our trip to Lake Bled in October, we watched the sunrise from Mala Osojnica and Ojstrica, visited Vintgar Gorge, ate Bled cream cake at Slascicarna Zima, and hiked to Debela Peč & Brda.

Best Places to Stay in Bled

Budget | Guesthouse Marko is a top-rated guesthouse in Bled, walking distance to the lakeshore.

Midrange | Old Parish House is a cozy and clean bed and breakfast, 100 meters away from Lake Bled.

Midrange | Hotel Starkl – Heritage & Unique is a darling lakefront hotel with an on-site restaurant and bar. Breakfast is included. This family-run property stands out with its friendly service, exceptional cuisine, and location.

Luxury | Vila Bled is a historic lakefront hotel with 33 rooms. Set in a quiet area of Lake Bled, guests can enjoy the historical flair of President Tito’s former summer residence. Breakfast is included.

Luxury | Bled Rose Hotel is a modern, 4-star hotel in the center of Bled. The hotel features an on-site bar, an indoor swimming pool and spa, a fitness room, and private beach area. Breakfast is included in the room rate.

More Bled accommodations | Old Bled House (midrange guesthouse), JAZZ B&B (midrange) Vila Alpina (midrange guesthouse), Hotel Lovec (luxury hotel), Adora Luxury Hotel (lakefront boutique luxury), and Grand Hotel Toplice (lakefront luxury hotel)

Look for accommodation in Bled.

3. Experience Fall Colors in the Slovenian Alps

Slovenian Alps October larches

A compelling reason to travel to Slovenia in October is the fall foliage. The Slovenian Alps are cloaked in beech and larch, which ripen to shades of red and gold respectively.

The timing of the colors is always dictated by the weather and temperature, so the dates shift slightly each year. Also, different trees lose their leaves at different times throughout the month.

When we visited in late October, the beech trees in the Northern Julian Alps were almost entirely bare. The forest floors around Vrata Valley and the Martuljek Waterfalls were carpeted with cinnamon-colored beech leaves. So, we were about 1-2 weeks too late to see the beech trees in their autumnal glory.

Thankfully, the larches around the Lipanca pasture, above Pokljuka Plateau, were fiery shades of orange. Check out the photos in this Debela Peč & Brda trail guide.

To see a dreamy display of fall colors, we recommend visiting Logar Valley in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, Seven Lakes Valley, Lipanca pasture, and Vršič Pass in the Julian Alps.

The next time we visit Slovenia to see the fall colors, we will aim for early to mid-month.

Where to Stay in the Slovenian Alps

For exploring the Julian Alps and Triglav National Park, either stay in Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj, or Kranjska Gora.

Our favorite hotels around Lake Bohinj are Hotel Bohinj in Ribcev Laz and Hotel Majerca in Stara Fužina.

The best accommodations in Kranjska Gora are Boutique Hotel Skipass and Pino Alpino.

In the neighboring village of Gozd Martuljek, we recommend staying at the Triangel Boutique Hotel, which has an excellent on-site restaurant.

Those looking for a luxurious getaway ought to consider Boutique Hotel Milka at Lake Jasna.

For exploring the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, stay in Logar Valley, or Zgornje Jezersko. The best places to stay in Logar Valley are Lenar Farm and Hotel Plesnik.

In Zgornje Jezersko, stay in the lovely Šenkova Domačija farm, or the Boutique hotel Vila Planinka.

4. Hike in the Slovenian Mountains at Lower Elevations

Brda, Julian Alps, Slovenia

The high-alpine hiking season usually ends in mid-late September. That’s when high-elevation mountain hutsusuallyclose down for the season.

That means that it’s no longer possible to climb Mount Triglav, or tackle any high-alpine hut-to-hut hikes.

However, it’s still possible to embark on lower-elevation multi-day hikes along the Alpe Adria Trail and the Juliana Trail.

We recommend booking one of these self-guided hiking tours if you’re interested in trekking in Slovenia during shoulder season: 4-Day Alpe Adria Trail Adventure, 8-Day Best of Alpe-Adria and Juliana Trail, or 9-Day Mountains to Sea.

October is still a great month for day hiking and hiking at lower elevations.

And, shoulder-season travel, means less crowds at popular places like Vintgar Gorge.

If there’s no snow, we recommend driving up to Pokljuka Plateau and hiking to Viševnik and Debela Peč & Brda. These hikes can be tackled as day trips from either Bled, or Bohinj.

5. Eat Lunch in a Koča

Bled Hut, Blejska Koča na Lipanci, Slovenia

Not all mountain huts (Koča, or Dom in Slovenian) close in September. Many mountain huts, located at lower elevations between 600 and 1500 meters, stay open in October, so long as the weather conditions permit.

When we hiked to Debela Peč & Brda in late October, we enjoyed a warm meal at Blejska koča na Lipanci (1630 m), before continuing to the summits.

This PZS map shows which huts are currently open.

Weather permitting, here are some refuges that typically stay open in October. During shoulder season, some of these huts are only open on weekends and holidays. Double check their PZS page before setting off.

Julian Alps

Kosijev dom na Vogarju, 1054 m

Dom na Komni, 1520 m

Planinska koča na Vojah, 690 m

Erjavčeva koča na Vršiču, 1525 m

Planinska koča na Uskovnici, 1154 m

Planinski dom Tamar, 1108 m

Koča na Gozdu, 1226 m

Mihov dom na Vršiču, 1085 m

Koča v Krnici, 1113 m

Kovinarska koča v Krmi, 870 m

Karawanks

Dom na Kofcah, 1488 m – Read Hiking to Kofcah

Kamnik-Savinja Alps Huts

Češka koča na Spodnjih Ravneh, 1542 m

Dom v Kamniški Bistrici, 600 m

Kamniška koča na Kamniškem sedlu, 1864 m – Read Logar Valley to Kamnik Saddle

Koča na Klemenči jami pod Ojstrico, 1208 m

Dom planincev v Logarski dolini, 837 m

6. Visit Ljubljana

Ljubljana Open Kitchen, Slovenia

Ljubljana is arguably Europe’s loveliest capital city. It’s also approachable and easy to explore on foot.

The Ljubljanica River flows through the middle of the vibrant city center.

Romantic pedestrian bridges arch over the river, linking the inner city together. And, there’s a legion of dragons and a hilltop castle guarding the city.

There are only a handful of must-see sights in Ljubljana – Ljubljana Castle, Central Market, Dragon Bridge – all of which you can see on a pleasant walk.

This isn’t a city of statues, museums, and monuments. It’s a living, breathing, green, university city, which is always innovating and looking for ways to be more sustainable. Ljubljana was awarded European Green Capital in 2016 and has ranked continuously among the 100 most sustainable cities in the world.

Ljubljana’s exciting dining scene is always expanding. During your stay in Ljubljana, check out these fine dining establishments: Pen Klub Restavracija, Restavracija Strelec, and JB.

Ljubljana City and Food Tours

Ljubljana Day Trip Tours

Best Places to Stay in Ljubljana

Budget | Boutique Hostel Angel is a top-rated hostel with dormitory rooms.

Budget-Midrange | New G&P villa offers newly renovated apartments with free on-site parking.

Midrange | B&B Pod vrbo is a top-rated, family-run bed and breakfast with an excellent restaurant and free parking. You can walk to the city center in 10 minutes.

Aparthotel | Green-key-certified NEU RESIDENCES smart stay is an aparthotel in Ljubljana offering sleek air-conditioned apartments with modern kitchens and high-quality furnishings. This sparkling new property provides wonderful facilities including a rooftop pool, fitness room, on-site coffee shop and bar, and private garage parking (25 EUR/night). Breakfast is available at an extra charge.

Luxury | Hotel Heritage is a stylish, 4-star boutique hotel housed in a renovated 16th century Renaissance building in the center of Ljubljana. The 20 rooms of Hotel Heritage are elegant and comfortable and all have air-conditioning, an electric tea kettle, and safety deposit box. Stay here for the location, the rich breakfast (included), and the service-minded staff. Since the hotel is located in the pedestrian zone, there is no on-site parking. But, there is public parking available a few blocks away.

Luxury | Hotel Cubo is a well-run 4-star hotel with modern, minimalist, air-conditioned rooms in the heart of Ljubljana. There is free parking available, but you can also take advantage of their valet parking service.

Luxury | Hotel Čad is a 4-star boutique accommodation with an on-site bistro, free private parking, and a garden and terrace. Set at the foot of Rožnik hill on the city fringe, this lovely property offers a peaceful escape with nonetheless easy city access. Though boasting a modern fresh-faced design, this hotel has been a family-run establishment since 1889. You can walk to the city center via Park Tivoli in 25 minutes. Breakfast is included.

5-star Luxury | Zlata Ladjica Boutique Hotel is the crème de la crème of boutique hotels in Ljubljana. Located on the bank of the Ljubljanica River in a refurbished historic building, Zlata Ladjica offers 15 unique, air-conditioned rooms and one of the most celebrated organic restaurants in the city. The breakfast is generous, fresh, and nutritious. Valet parking and spa treatments are available.

Look for accommodation in Ljubljana.

7. Hike Behind a Waterfall

Upper Peričnik Waterfall, Zgornji Slap, Triglav National Park, Slovenia

Slovenia is blessed with many enchanting waterfalls tucked away in gorges and forests.

In autumn, we hiked to the Martuljek Waterfalls starting in the village of Gozd Martuljek, close to Kranjska Gora.

We also hiked to Peričnik Waterfall in Vrata Valley. This is a very special waterfall, because it’s possible to hike behind both the upper and lower falls. The hiking trail leads under a natural, hollowed out gallery, created by the overhanging conglomerate rocks.

Slap Martuljek and Slap Peričnik are both located in Triglav National Park in the Northern Julian Alps. There is no entrance fee to visit either waterfall.

October is a perfect time to visit popular waterfalls in Slovenia, because of the solitude and easy parking. There are no crowds, which makes the whole experience pleasurable.

Slovenia and Autumn Travel Guides

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