This is a good news story where we are happy to report about lots of great little improvements that we have noticed going on to help Green tourism in Green Slovenia..

We are so lucky to live here in Green Slovenia and love exploring a lot, so we do tend to notice things that you might take for granted when you finally do get here and other stuff that you might NOT even know about and that you might enjoy seeing!

So be prepared for a fairly random Green list below, painting a positive changing picture.. You will almost certainly encounter a few of these tips on your Slovenian adventures.. and if you don't, then you have missed out BIG TIME!  

lovely new benches on the way to Kozjak waterfall..

It is worth pointing out that in your country, most spots needing a bench or a nice street light or a pavement to protect pedestrians from speeding drivers have pretty much been sorted by now..

Slovenia would look fabulous without all that in any case, but it is very handy indeed that especially a lot of European money has been splashed out here to make improvents that will help you enjoy travelling around even more. 

In the ten years we have been living here, we have really seen great improvement to the tourist infrastructure.. not everything, but now we are gonna tell you a bit more about what we have noticed..

fully repaired bridge high over the Kamnik gorge..

In general, we have noticed lots of little things popping up, like new wooden benches, seats and picnic tables in EXACTLY the places they are needed.

Wooden bridges across secret streams, rivers and gorges are being repaired or replaced, paths are being built or restored in places that you would be very lucky indeed to find without using our SECRET PLACES TO VISIT section..

So when you sit down to have a snack on your hike to the Kozjak waterfall, do not take for granted that your lovely picnic table, perched on the stunning stone track lined with massive overgrown tree roots next to the crystal clear river that runs from the waterfall into the uberstunning Soca river was aways there.. cos it wasn't.

the Hobbit bridges to Kozjak Falls have also been refurbished..

A little wooden hut has also popped up on the stunning river path that leads to Kozjak Falls to charge a small entrance fee and we are absolutely supportive of this.. as long as this money is put into repairing paths, protecting nature and providing facilities for Green tourism then this is a great idea.

Let's make one thing very clear now about charges and costs here.. Green Slovenia is an incredibly good value country to come visit and enjoy Green nature, so we don't have a lot of time for those cheapskates who come here looking for a "cheap as chips" holiday and then moan about having to pay small amounts for preserving nature here, paying to use fantastic motorways or whinge about stuff like lake Bled being a bit busy in the middle of the summer..

For those who want to enjoy, respect and connect with the most beautiful Green country in Europe.. then this website could be really handy for you!

We hope it might help you find at least one or two or even more places that you had not known about or considered.. You can get a really great value hol here and do not be surprised when you sit down at that new wooden picnic table or cross a lovely new safe bridge to notice that you might be the only people there to enjoy that special moment!

you will usually find some help exactly where you need it in Green Slovenia.. just like Hogwarts..

Prices and Parking..

Another key point for the penny pincher brigade to take into account is, in our humble opinion,  the ONLY two places in the whole of Green Slovenia that are actually priced correctly as world class attractions are the Postojna Cave and Predjama castle.

Indeed if you were lucky enough to have anything half as good as the most visited cave in Europe or the most unique castle in the world in your own country you would almost certainly have to pay more to see them!

Maybe the way to look at it is this.. ALL those other amazing Green attractions, many of which would surely be TOP TEN attractions in your own country.. are very probably still underpriced here.. so sure, make the most of this incredible value available, but do not forget that hiking in Green paradise is mostly free!

new, much needed gravel car park en route to the Kozjak waterfall.. and only costs a few Euros..

BUT OF COURSE, there are a few examples of overcharging to be wary of that can leave a nasty taste in the mouth and most of these are for Parking.. so in some cases you will need to decide whether to bite the bullet and accept the overcharging in certain spots or do something about it yourself..

It is usually clear to see when you park up if your money is likely to be reinvested in the environment & tourist facilities or just go into a pocket somewhere.

Maybe you could park a bit more away from where you are visiting that day to avoid being ripped off and then just walk a bit further.. it will also do you some good!

Or even better.. what about not using a car at all and seeing about biking or hiking to your objective.. As an example, you can Hike, Bike or E Bike to Predjama Castle and Postojna Cave directly from the Lodge and we absolutely encourage guests to do so.

Here is an idea for Bled for example.. one simple and obvious way to cure Lake Bled's traffic problems would be to ban most traffic entering the town in the first place and set up Park & Rides in unused nearby industrial parks or whatever near the motorway exit..

Drivers could then be rewarded for leaving their cars away from one of the most beautiful lakes in Europe with free parking and a fleet of frequent E Busses going to and from the lake along designated car restricted routes.. easy, job done!

And it is possible.. have a look now what the amazing, beautiful little Alpine town of Tolmin have organised just for you on a smaller scale, but nevertheless with massive success..

this is one of the rewards you get coming to Tolmin..

Tolmin Gorge Parking.. A Success story..

Several years ago there were no real alternatives to the main car park on site at Tolmin Gorge, one of the most beautiful places in Green Slovenia.. The Gorge is several km from Tolmin past a village called Zatolmin..

Well, we thought it was a bit extortionate when the only solution offered to the crowded midsummer parking was to slap high car park charges on tourists to park there..

But since then another larger free car park was built just outside Tolmin with a free bus ride to the Gorge.. 

It gets better, this year we are absolutely delighted to tell you a new Hiking Path from the Tolmin car park to the Gorge has been completed, so you have another great new choice to use your legs and hike just over a km directly to the Gorge site across country!

This is a really brilliant example of what can be achieved and exactly what we are talking about when we say we can see little Green things improving for you all the time here.

We so much want to help you use this new hiking trail when you go visit the Tolmin Gorge that here is some micro detail, how to find and do it.. 

OK, so drive into Tolmin up the hill and go LEFT at the traffic lights in the very small town centre and up through the last residential bit of the town.. then just as you leave the town towards Zatolmin, you will find the free car park immediately on the right.. From here you can follow the new path just over 1km DIRECTLY to the Gorge OR wait for the free summer bus which runs constantly between 10-4 every day.. AMAZING, WELL DONE TOLMIN!

And it gets even better, there is ALSO another free bus from the main Tolmin bus station right in the centre of town to the uberbeautiful Javorca Church.. which is yet another unmissable Green attraction just a few km above the Tolmin gorge.. from the church car park you could also hike along the stunning Tolminka river to the springs (2hr 30 roundtrip).. wow, you could easily spend your whole day in Tolmin in stunning green nature..

So the TIC (Tourist Info Centre) are really doing amazing things at Tolmin and they asked us to tell you they have a new office in the town in an old yellow building.. still go LEFT at the traffic lights and you can park somewhere behind the pizzeria to drop in, have a chat and find out more about the wonders of Tolmin!

the trees and small disappearing lake were saved on the new bike path to Postojna..

Lots of New Tracks and Bikes Paths..

Green Slovenia was already blessed with so many amazing stone tracks all over the place to explore Green paradise, but without aps like KOMOOT you would realistically not find too many of these.

So we also want to mention the good news that bike tracks are popping up all over the place, particularly and very handily exactly where YOU might want be going, often near to busy roads to protect you more in the better known tourist places.

We are delighted that a new bike track will connect the Lodge with Postojna and the Postojna cave so now you can Bike, E Bike or Hike easily and safely there instead of going by car.. much more of an adventure and guess what, apart from saving the planet you will also be saving the parking fee at the cave!!

We are still itching to test out the new bike path created along the Soca river that runs from Nova Gorica to Kanal.. we will let you know how to do that one soon!

This very secret spot is where the repaired wooden bridge leads you.. the Kamnik gorge..

E Chargers..

We are noticing more and more E Cars coming to Slovenia and we try to encourage that at the Lodge with our own overnight E Rechargers, powered by the Slovenian sunshine!

We can report that more and more "attractions" have at least a couple of E spaces, maybe not fast chargers, but at least something.

But of course the Lodge is so well positioned between the mountains and the coast that our guests can get to all of the best places to visit here with just your overnight charge!

Rapunzel just got a staircase down..

Rapunzels Tower has a new Staircase!

Last but not least, we are so excited that finally we will be able to go up and have a peek inside our favourite Medieval tower in Green Slovenia, just 15 mins from the Lodge in the village of Planina.

We call it Rapunzel's Tower cos you will surely never have seen a tower so likely to be hers, but if you need to find it on a map, then look for Ravbar stolp.. (Robbers tower).

Well Rapunzel can put her long hair into a bunch now and confidently kick the prince into touch as she can walk down her sparkly new staircase and go shopping with Cinderalla whenever she wants!!

Planina car park now all done..

Not only will you now be able to climb that very staircase up the tower and see the stunning views over Planina and one of Slovenia's most beautiful disappearing lakes, there is also a decent little new car park by the tower where you can park to also go visit YET ANOTHER stunning Green Slovenian secret place.. the uberstunning Planina cave!.. wow..

bridge over to fantatic river walk up to the Pericnik waterfall from Mojstrana..

So we hope you can see that this little pocket rocket of a Green country is going in the right direction and we hope you will find and enjoy some of the simple, natural little improvements put in place for your comfort and enjoyment.. cos these were probably not there even a few years ago!