Kojnik is a wooded hilltop south of Slavnik with an excellent view of Slavnik and Golič ridges. You might want to go there when you see hordes going to the vastly more popular Slavnik; it might also be a lovely destination for a longer family hike.

Want to experience expansive meadows with beautiful vistas in the middle of nowhere? Golič, a multi-peak ridge south of Slavnik, might be just what you’re looking for.

Hiking to Cerje, a hilltop with a fantastic view high above Vipava valley, was fun before it was graced with a gigantic Monument of Peace. Gravel roads got a needless coat of asphalt, and the old footpaths turned into wide rocky trails… but if you’re creative and take plenty of detours, you can still have a lovely Karst experience.

Every self-respecting European city has a castle (or, at the very least, the castle ruins) on a nearby hill, and Vipava is no exception. Ascending to Vipava’s Old Castle is a lovely family hike worth combining with phenomenal ice cream at Bar Marjanca.

Otliško okno (Otlica Window) is a large natural window at the edge of the Gora plateau high above Vipava valley. It’s just a short walk from Otlica, a village on Gora, but it’s more fun to hike there from the valley.

Goldilocks would love the hike from Prešnica to Slavnik. It’s not too long nor too short, it’s not too steep nor too dull, and it’s in a lovely shade, but the forest is thin enough to let some winter sunshine through.

Smrečje is a giant hollow and a cold-air pool in Trnovo Forest – even though it’s barely above 1000m, the local information tables claim you could get below-freezing temperatures in July – making it a perfect summer destination when you’re tired of heat waves and summer crowds.

Roblekov Dom is a legendary mountain hut high on the slopes of Begunjščica ridge with a great view of Stol, Vrtača, lake Bled, and the Julian Alps with Triglav.

I had the mountain bike packed in my car but had to be back home for lunch, so I was looking for a short but steep ride, and the Zavratec Plateau Trail turned out to be an excellent choice, including lovely views of the Julian Alps and Idrija hills.

When the low clouds hugging the peaks above the Pokljuka plateau make hiking unpalatable, it’s time to explore the less-visited parts of this natural gem. Let’s grab a mountain bike and visit Klek Alp.

The hilltops south of Ljubljana Marsh are dotted with small churches; the most popular of them is probably the church of Saint Ana – you can reach it in half an hour from any nearby starting point.

Kavčič is the easternmost peak in the Kraški Rob (Karst Edge) ridge, with a beautiful view of surrounding meadows and hills.

If you’ve explored all the footpaths to the Čaven mountain hut, it’s time to bike there. We’ll start in Predmeja; if you’re looking for a much longer ride, choose Lokavec as your starting point.

Zajamniki is the most picturesque Pokljuka alp; Uskovnica has the best vistas. You can visit both of them and a half-dozen other alps on the southern slopes of Pokljuka in just a few hours. Let’s go!

Mala Lazna is a lovely clearing deep in the Trnovo Forest. A chance geological accident resulted in an unusual soil composition welcoming plants you would not find anywhere else in western Slovenia. You can reach Mala Lazna via an asphalt road from Predmeja to Lokve, making it a perfect destination for a short road biking trip.

Lokvarski Vrh (also known as Vrhovec or Šebreljski Vrh) is one of the highest peaks on the ridge between Idrijca and Kanomlja valleys, with a phenomenal 360-degree panorama of the Julian Alps, Cerkno hills, Vojsko, and Trnovski Gozd. You can get there from Oblakov Vrh, Idrijske Krnice, or Šebrelje.

Šebrelje is a village on a sunny plateau high above Idrijca valley, best known for the nearby Stone Age archeological site. You can hike to the northern part of the village or take the asphalt road and then explore Šebrelje by bike.

Šentviška Gora is the largest settlement on a lovely high plateau between Idrijca and Bača valleys. The nearby vista point on Arbišče offers beautiful views of Cerkno and Idrija hills, Trnovski Gozd, Vojsko, and the Julian Alps.

Široko is a vista point on the northern edge of Banjšice Plateau, high above the confluence of Idrijca and Soča. Getting there takes a steep and strenuous ascent regardless of whether you hike there from Most na Soči train station or bike from the village center, but the rewarding views of the southern ridges of the Julian Alps are well worth the effort.

Oblakov Vrh (Cloudy Peak) is a saddle between Kanomlja and Hotenja valleys with a beautiful view of the Idrija Fault (both valleys resulted from that fault). We’ll bike to Oblakov Vrh from Dolenja Trebuša and enjoy a panoramic view of the Julian Alps on the way back.