Region guide · 20 minutes to an hour from Ljubljana
Around Ljubljana: Kamnik, Kranj, Idrija & Our Favourites
The best half-day and day trips close to the capital: medieval Kamnik and the Kamniška Bistrica valley, Kranj above its canyon, UNESCO Idrija, the Volčji Potok Arboretum, Krvavec, Stična Abbey, Valvasor’s Bogenšperk, Turjak Castle and the springs of the Ljubljanica.
What's onThis week in Ljubljana
What to see
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Once the capital of Carniola
Kamnik and the Little Castle
A small medieval town under the Kamnik Alps, crowned by the Little Castle with one of Slovenia’s earliest Romanesque chapels.
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Gorges, springs and a cable car
Kamniška Bistrica Valley
A glacial valley ringed by the Kamnik–Savinja Alps, with the source of the Kamniška Bistrica, gorges, a waterfall and the cable car to Velika Planina.
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Slovenia’s most visited botanical park
Volčji Potok Arboretum
An 85-hectare arboretum near Kamnik with 3,500 plants from around the world, seasonal flower shows and glasshouses of cacti, orchids and butterflies.
Volčji Potok 3, RadomljeExplore View on map
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Skiing 25 km from Ljubljana
Krvavec
Ljubljana’s nearest ski resort, 25 km from the city and 8 km from the airport, with a year-round cable car and summer adventures.
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A canyon south of the city
Iški Vintgar Gorge
The rocky gorge of the Iška river at the edge of the Ljubljana Marshes, with pools, sandbanks and alpine flowers.
Iška 28, IgExplore View on map
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Founded in 1136
Stična Abbey
A Cistercian monastery founded in 1136, still home to monks, with the Slovene Museum of Christianity.
Stična 17, Ivančna GoricaExplore View on map
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Valvasor’s castle
Bogenšperk Castle
The 16th-century castle where the polymath Janez Vajkard Valvasor wrote The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola, now a museum.
Bogenšperk 5, Šmartno pri LitijiExplore View on map
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Slovenia’s largest round bastion
Turjak Castle
A picturesque castle about 20 km south of Ljubljana, first mentioned in 1220, with the largest round bastion in Slovenia.
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Mills, smithies and sawmills
Technical Museum of Slovenia, Bistra Castle
Slovenia’s technical museum in a former monastery at Bistra, with a working mill, a water-powered smithy, a Venetian sawmill and transport collections.
Bistra 6, BorovnicaExplore View on map
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Where the Ljubljanica is born
Močilnik and the sources of the Ljubljanica
A valley near Vrhnika where underground streams rise to form the Ljubljanica, under the overhanging Devil’s Crags.
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Dolenjska’s finest cave
Županova jama
A show cave near Grosuplje, discovered in 1926, with six chambers, dripstones, sinter pools and ice formations.
Cerovo 9, GrosupljeExplore View on map
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The world of the Carniolan bee
Carniolan Bee House, Višnja Gora
An interactive centre in Višnja Gora devoted to the Carniolan bee, with exhibitions, multimedia and guided visits to the apiary.
Mestni trg 2, Višnja GoraExplore View on map
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Above the Kokra canyon
Kranj
A historic town 30 km north of Ljubljana, its old centre perched above the 30-metre-deep Kokra canyon, with wartime tunnels beneath.
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UNESCO Heritage of Mercury
Idrija
The old mercury-mining town in the hills west of Ljubljana, inscribed by UNESCO with Almadén in Spain, and home of Idrija lace and žlikrofi.
Getting there
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Trains, buses and driving
Getting around the Ljubljana region
How to reach Kamnik, Kranj, the Arboretum, the castles and caves around Ljubljana by train, bus or car.
Share your Around Ljubljana experience
Been on a day trip around Ljubljana? Share your experience and tips with other visitors.
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