Sustainable Slovenia

The only country with LOVE in its name and one of the greenest and safest countries in the world!

Slovenia—the only country with LOVE in its name—is one of the most sustainable countries in the world. One of the greenest countries in Europe, this almost-landlocked country has some of the best freshwater lakes you can find. It’s also one of the safest countries in the world. So, if travel safety, sustainable tourism and travelling in a green country (literally) are at the top of your list of travel priorities, you can’t go wrong with a trip to Slovenia. Read on to find out more about Sustainable Slovenia.

How sustainable is Slovenia?

In 2016 Slovenia was the first “green” country in the world and its capital city was also the European Green Capital that year.

Having long enjoyed a green, active and healthy lifestyle, Slovenia scored high in terms of environment and climate, culture & authenticity, nature and biodiversity, and more.

Bordered by Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, this small European nation is surrounded by mountains, lakes, thermal springs and sea. With 60% of the country’s surface covered in forest, a third of the surface area protected, 18,000 miles of watercourses, 1300 lakes and 20,000 animal and plant species, Slovenia is one of the greenest countries in the world.

A world leader in eco-travel and healthy tourism, Slovenia’s sustainable development included the implementation of the Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism (GSST), which awards destinations a ‘green’ label (gold, silver or bronze), based on global criteria. Over 100 Slovenian destinations and service providers have received the award to date.

Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, one of the smallest and greenest capitals in the world, has not only been awarded Slovenia Green Destination (Gold), it was also awarded the accolade of being Europe’s Greenest Capital by the European Union.

Ljubljana claims to be the first European city to move towards zero waste. To that end, city buses run on natural gas, there is an urban electric train and 46 percent of the land within the municipality is indigenous woodland.

With so much green space, Ljubljana is an ideal destination for a city break, especially if you’re a nature lover. But to really experience and appreciate Slovenia’s green philosophy (that it IS green, ACTS green and PROMOTES green), you need to immerse yourself in its culture by exploring the country (by road or rail), spending time outdoors in nature, tasting Slovenia’s award-winning farm to table gastronomy, experiencing hospitality at a “tourist farm” AND hiking, biking or trekking in the mountains or parks.

Slovenia is also considered a very safe country to travel to. So if you’re looking for a green, safe and sustainable destination, put Slovenia on your bucket list.

How safe is Slovenia?

Slovenia is one of the safest countries in the world. See where it ranks below.

Iceland
New Zealand
Portugal
Denmark
Austria
Canada
Japan
Slovenia
Singapore
Norway

With an overall safety index of 87 Slovenia is a very safe country to travel and is particularly safe for solo female travellers according to TravelSafe-Abroad.com. As with any destination, if you’re female and you’re tavelling solo, take the usual safety precautions.

Where to go in Slovenia

If you’re planning a trip to Slovenia, here are four sites worth adding to your list of places to visit. You can also read about Seven incredible must-see sights in northern Slovenia here.

Predjama Castle, Slovenia

This Renaissance castle was built within the mouth of a cave in the historical region of Inner Carniola, in south-central Slovenia. Located in the village of Predjama, it’s about 11 kilometres from the town of Postojna and 9 kilometres from Postojna Cave, a 24,340 m long karst cave system, the second longest in Slovenia and well worth a visit to see the amazing underground world of magnificent cave formations and diverse fauna.

Church of the Mother of God on the Lake, Lake Bled Island Slovenia

Lake Bled, Slovenia

Lake Bled is not the largest lake in Slovenia, but it’s probably one of the most recognized. Located in the centre of the lake is Bled Island and the Church of the Mother of God on the Lake. Originally built in the 12th century, the brick church was rebuilt in the gothic style in the 15th century, however, there is evidence of prehistoric settlements on Bled Island dating as far back as the 11th century B.C. Located in the Julian Alps in the Upper Carniolan region of northwestern Slovenia, Lake Bled is one of several lakes in this landlocked country and is definitely worth visiting if you love history.

University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Founded in 1919, the University of Ljubljana (or UL for short), is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. The university, which has approximately 41,000 enrolled students, is also the largest scientific research institution in Slovenia. The school is renowned for its quality social and natural sciences and technical study programmes.” The university is just one of the many historical buildings to visit in Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana.

Velika planina, Slovenia

Located on a karstified mountain plateau in the Kamnik–Savinja Alps northeast of Kamnik, Slovenia, Velika planina is the largest shepherds’ settlement in Europe. At an elevation of 1.5km ASL, it’s also one of only a few surviving high mountain herdsmen’s villages. Best reached by cable car and ski lift, the views from Velika Planina are well-worth the climb.