Undisturbed in Slovenia

Slovenia isn't on the top list of places people go to - but if you're really, really into travel, then it should be. A pristine country with huge swathes of untouched land, Slovenia is sadly often overlooked as it sits right next to its much more prominent neighbour, Italy.

We got on a direct bus from Venice Mestre to Ljubjana for just €25, a nice convenient way of getting in between these two cities. In just four hours we'd arrived in Ljubjana, a tiny place and more of a town than a city, but the capital of Slovenia nonetheless.

Unfortunately we didn't spend any time exploring Ljubjana at all since the primary reason for our coming to Slovenia was to see the Škocjan Caves in Divača.

Just an hour and half away by train, getting to Divača is fuss-free, and there is a free shuttle-bus transfer to the Škocjan caves from the train station.

Tranquil walks on the train in Škocjan Caves Regional Park.

Phenomenal panorama viewpoint, looking into the Reka River.

A Unesco World Heritage site, the Škocjan caves appear even on the oldest maps of the area, and have long been recognised as an important feature of the land.

Standing on the edge of a panorama viewpoint, looking down to the Reka river thundering and pouring crystal-clear turquoise water below you is a wonderfully invigorating experience that needs to be experienced to be believed.

Interior of the Škocjan caves.

The cave has several chambers, each given fanciful names such as the Murmuring Cave, Silent Cave, and Great Hall. Photography wasn't allowed in the caves, and this is a good thing in retrospect - these caves are so massive and otherworldly that they need to be seen in person to be believed!

The Great Hall was particularly spectacular - walking through the enormous stalactite and stalagmite formations reminded me of IMAX theatres in the Science Centre that I used to go to as a child, except that instead of watching nature documentaries I was walking through one :')

Photos via Pinterest

Photos via Pinterest

Caves are amazing - a whole underground world, a massive cavern of space right beneath your feet, whether or not you know they're there. The Skocjan Caves felt to me like taking a journey to the centre of the earth.

Exit of the cave. Look how tiny the people are!

The wonders of Slovenia are many - the next day after coming back from the caves, we saw this beautiful sight passing by us on the train. Beautiful, clear turquoise waters. Apparently, this river was also where some of the scenes in Narnia were filmed - so I guess you could say I found Narnia!

The Soča River.

Alpine valley village.

Will you put Slovenia on your itinerary for your next trip?