Slovenia – SŽ

Slovenia by train – in search of adventure

With its unspoiled nature, countless beautiful places, sea and mountains, Slovenia is perfect to be discovered by train. Regardless of whether you are coming for a weekend visit, a short or a long holiday, the easiest way to reach Slovenia is by train. From Austria (Villach, Salzburg, Graz, Vienna…), Germany (Munich, Frankfurt), Italy (Trieste, Monfalcone, Udine), Switzerland (Zurich), Hungary (Budapest), Croatia (Zagreb, Opatija, Rijeka, Pula)… carefree, comfortable and… without changing trains. You will arrive at your destination rested and energized for new experiences.

And then? No worries!

Every passenger train in Slovenia is a tourist-oriented train. Each day, over 500 trains operate in Slovenia and by one of these you will be able to visit the near and far corners of our beautiful country. There is a wide range of interesting places in Slovenia that are accessible by train. We are also pleased to inform that 52 new modern passenger trains already running on our tracks.

Slovenia is beautiful at any time of the year, either in springtime when it is the right time to visit one of the many spas, in summertime when it is time for festivals, rock campsites in Tolmin or the Soča Valley, in fall when the harvest is on… or in winter, at the most magnificent time in the year, when fairy-tale fairies will await you and accompany you on the train to Celje…

We invite you to find your way to:

EXPLORE THE CITIES

A Visit to Ljubljana – masterpiece of architect Plečnik
Ljubljana is beautiful at any time of the year. It boasts attractive small squares, winding streets, baroque-style arches and façades, a castle above the city centre, fountains, riverbanks etc. There is always something interesting to find in Ljubljana.

The ancient Ptuj
The town’s over a thousand years of rich history make it a unique historical and cultural treasure. A trip by train to Ptuj is a pleasant experience.
When you arrive by train at the railway station Ptuj you can start exploring the medieval town and Ptuj Castle. Take a walk through the chambers and under the arches of Ptuj Castle and you will be able to feel and experience the life of nobles over the centuries.

Maribor and the green Pohorje plateau
Maribor is a city at the foot of the evergreen Pohorje. Images of the renovated Middle-Age houses on the left bank of the Drava river – Lent – will remain in your memory for a long time. Pohorje, “the lungs of Maribor”, offers a fantastic view of the city and its surroundings.

Celje and the Counts of Celje
Celje, a town near the Savinja river, boasts a rich history that particularly flourished in the period of the dynasty of the Counts of Celje. We are reminded of them by the Old Castle of Celje, which offers a wonderful view of the town and its surroundings. The old town centre with its many historical monuments is still well preserved. You are welcome to visit Herman the nice fox and through various games organised in his den children will learn about the world of adults. The unique children’s gallery opened in the castle featuring art works created by children from all over Europe.

By train to Laško – a tour round the town and brewery
The Savinja river splits the town into left and right banks. On the left side, there is the Hum hill, the town’s guardian, and, on the right side, the pride of the town – Šmihel. While walking through the town, you will discover brewery and find out that there is a week dedicated to beer every year in July, and you will wish to come back. You can treat yourself with honey and in the end relax yourself in healthy water of Thermana and Wellness center Laško.

Šentjur – the town of composers from the Ipavec family
There are not many towns in Slovenia whose roots run as deep as those of Šentjur. The traces of cultural history at Rifnik and in the green valley below stretch back to the New Stone Age. Šentjur is famous for its contributions to Central European culture. Four composers from the Ipavec family, who created Slovenian romantic music, were born here. There is also the parish church at Zgornji trg, mentioned for the first time in the year 134.

Savinja Valley – a visit to the valley of green gold
The hop is the symbol of the lower Savinja Valley, which is also called the Valley of Green Gold. The train will take you to Šempeter v Savinjski dolini, where you can start a tour around Šempeter to see the Roman necropolis. Nearby is the karst cave Pekel, part of the natural monument called Ponikovski kras. Besides other interesting karst features, there is also Slovenia’s highest underground waterfall. After that, you can visit Žalec where you can take a walk around the town and see the remnants of the defence tower (Turkish architecture), the church of St. Nicholas and the home of the composer Risto Savin.

Rogatec and the open-air museum – taste of heritage
Rogatec lies at the foot of the mountain Donačka gora, where the brooks Sotla and Draganja come together. Today’s reminders of Roman and Midle Ages times are the old borough core, the remnants of castles, churches and other monuments of history and art. Its biggest attraction is the open-air museum. The Rogatec open-air museum is the largest museum of its type in Slovenia. The guide will present to you the architecture and cultural tradition of life in the last two centuries. The museum organises ethno workshops where you can create your own “baker’s” products and place them in a baker’s oven, you can try your hand at traditional craft techniques in the museum’s blacksmith’s shop (braiding of cornhusks, forging) or even stilt walking.

Prekmurje – Where past and present walk hand in hand…
Murska Sobota is the largest town in Prekmurje. Its Pannonian structure offers a range of attractive places.
The Regional Museum on the Castle premises will reveal details about the region’s history, development and specific features. Its permanent exhibition tells the story of life as known in the region of the Mura river from prehistoric times until today. Listen to the whisperings of the Mura and meet the friendly people! You will leave Murska Sobota full of new experience and knowledge, pleasant memories and a desire to return. So, until we meet again…

Nova Gorica – where the past meets the future
Nova Gorica is a nice small town, built after World War II. The town with good climate and friendly people is open the whole year for visitors from all over the world. The history of Nova Gorica is beautifully presented by the museum collection “Station – State border in Gorizia from 1945 to 2004”. In the train station building, the oldest public building in the city, you can see the museum’s collection on history, the border… Take a walk to the famous Square of Europe, where both Gorizias, Slovenian and Italian, merge. The market is adorned with a floor mosaic. If you look at north, you will see the exact time on a sunny watch, which is made from a steam locomotive wheel. Near the city, on the hill, stands the Kostanjevica Monastery, which offers views of Nova Gorica and Gorizia with its surroundings. The monastery is best known for the tomb of the last king and descendants of the French royal relatives of the Bourbons who took refuge in Gorizia. The monastery library with a collection of about 10,000 books is very rich. Walk along the south wall of the monastery. It has one of the most complete and largest collections of bourbon roses in the world, which blooms in the spring. It is the second largest collection in Europe, just behind the one in Paris, but with much richer flowers and a wonderful scent.
You can walk to Sabotin Hill and listen to exciting stories of World War I and if are lucky, you may also see a whitehead hawk. After that, get down to Solkan to the famous railway bridge Solkan and emerald beauty Soča. The bridge has the longest stone arch in the world. After lunch, continue to explore Sveta Gora, with a magnificent view of the Julian Alps.

Sevnica – a treasure trove of adventures
Sevnica is a city where everyone is welcome. The eye rests with views of the beautiful expansive landscape. Hiking, biking and equestrian trails are organized, hiking, thematic and educational trails are very interesting. Here you will find some of the most beautiful fishing trails in Europe. The most famous and popular hiking spot is Lisca, interesting for mountaineers, cyclists and paragliders. The most beautiful view of Sevnica is from the mighty castle above the old town, Sevnica Castle. Many of the vineyards produce unique wines, from light and fresh white and red wines, from zucchini and blue frank to unique sparkling wines. In the basket of homemade delicacies, you will find homemade salamis, various bakery products, homemade milk and honey.

Krško – the town of natural and cultural heritage
Krško has a very rich history, as the fates and life trails of many historically important figures intertwined in its territory. Natural heritage with extensive forest areas, watercourses, waterfalls, karst world with its characteristic phenomena… are worth discovering and seeing.

Brestanica – escape from the hustle and bustle of the city
Brestanica is a small town, but rich in its history. Once upon a time, the place was called Rajhenburg, which means a rich place in German. It was renamed to Brestanica in 1952. The city has a rich historical past, which is reflected at every turn. Lovers of thermal pleasures and nature will find here a paradise for traveling, cycling or relaxation.

Brežice – a small town with a big heart
Brežice – a town with more than 660 years of tradition holds the rich cultural and historical heritage that you will discover on a walk through the city and in the Brežice castle. The green world at the confluence of the Sava and the Krka, thermal springs and vineyards are the reason why many call Brežice the place where different worlds meet. The hillsides lie at a tectonic turning point and are extremely rich in thermal water springs. At Terme Čatež, one of the most recognizable thermal spas in Europe, you can recharge yourself with the energy, which you will need for recreation and active leisure. There are numerous cycling trails and hiking trips around the surrounding hills.

Novo mesto… where adventures have a tradition
The green beauty Krka made a detour along the way and found its place in Novo mesto. With a piece of carrot cake and a glass of zucchini, get into the experience! You will find turbulent times when walking around the city centre and the famous Breg, which is one of the city’s most endearing motifs for paintings. In the central part of the old town you will be enchanted by the beautiful Main Square. Slide along the riverbed and count all the stars of the sky above Krka from under the hayrack.

GET UNDERGROUND

The Škocjan Caves (Škocjanske jame) Park
To visit Škocjan Caves (Škocjanske jame) you will take a train to Divača station and then you can walk for about 40 min, or take bus in front of the station – the bus ride is free of charge for passengers with valid railway ticket. The spacious halls and underground canyons of Škocjan caves occupy a special place among Slovenia’s more than 7,000 caves. They consist of eleven caves, valleys, ponors or sinkholes etc. The system is also marked by the Reka river which falls in cascades, runs wildly in rapids and then slows down in pools and small lakes. The still water reflects many interesting cave images that keep surprising us.

The Šalek Valley and Velenje
For most people, the Šalek Valley with Slovenia’s largest coalmine and thermal power plant is merely an industrial region. However, we are sure you will be surprised to see its blue lakes and experience a trip through its underground areas all the way down to the thickest layers of coal. The train will take you to Velenje and the way lead you to walk to the Lake Velenje and alongside of Lake Velenje to the Old Shaft where guides from the Coal Mining Museum of Slovenia will take you around. You will descend about 180 metres down into the underground world of lignite through the Old Shaft, which was constructed in 1889. The guides will tell you the story of the hardworking miners of that time. You will have the chance to have a meal in the lowest dining room in the world. The visit ends with a ride on the underground train.

Postojna cave (Postojnska jama) – the kingdom of the cave dragon
To visit Postojna cave you have to travel by train to Postojna station and then to walk for about 15 min or take a taxi. The mysterious Postojna cave world is the part of Slovenia which has been carved, shaped and created by water through millions of years, drop by drop, year after year… Visitors are taken for a tour by a special cave train, accompanied by experienced guides. A visit takes an hour and a half. With its magnificent stalactites and stalagmites, Postojna cave is one of the most famous Karst caves in the world.

WATER FLOWS

Koper – the city of the hundred suns
Koper is the main Slovenian port and the entrance to the inland of the Central Europe. It is located on the “top” of Istria. Koper was an island until the 19th century. Later the town and the island were connected with the mainland. Old town centre boasts with the rich architecture and cultural monuments.
To reach PIRAN or IZOLA you have to use local busses or take a taxi. Piran is an old Mediterranean town, which is situated at the cape of the Piran peninsula. The town is actually one large museum with medieval architecture and rich culture heritage. Narrow streets and tight houses are a special charm of the town. Izola is an old fishing town with rich history. With its pleasant position and the marine, it is also an important nautical centre.

Bled and its Lake
By train, you can travel to Bled Jezero station from Nova Gorica or Ljubljana, but if you travel from Ljubljana, you have to change trains at Jesenice. The first thing you see on Lake Bled is certainly Bled Island. On the island, there is a magnificent baroque church. If you want to visit the island, traditional Bled boats can take you there. Bled is surrounded by plateaus Pokljuka, Jelovica and Mežakla. Only 4 km from Bled there is Blejski Vintgar Gorge, which is decorated with waterfalls, pools and rapids. In summer, Bled offers, in addition to water sports (swimming, diving, boating on the lake, and fishing), biking, hiking, horseback riding, fly a balloon, golf… During winter, alpine skiing and cross-country skiing are at the forefront.

Bohinj and Bohinj Lake
Beside many natural attractions, Bohinj is also rich in culture, museums, monuments, churches and distinctive architecture. The train ride to the station Bohinjska Bistrica is from Nova Gorica and from Ljubljana (with train change at Jesenice). Lake Bohinj is the largest permanent and natural lake in Slovenia of glacial-tectonic origin. From the mountaintop of Soriška planina, which is a perfect starting point for many shorter and longer hiking trips, there is a scenic view of all around the area. Great wealth of Bohinj are also waterfalls: Savica Waterfall, Waterfall Mostnica and Waterfall Grmečica. With all these natural resources, Bohinj offers many opportunities for recreation. During the summer months, water sports, hiking, fishing, and fly fishing are at the forefront, while in winter you can enjoy skiing at Vogel, Kobla and Soriška Mountain.

Most na Soči – the place where the emerald beauty Soča relaxes for a moment on its way to the sea
From the railway station Most na Soči you can walk around the lake or take a walk along the cultural and historical trail of Most na Soči. The path is arranged on both sides of the lake. It is set right by the water, so we are always accompanied by a glimpse of the emerald beauty that has been left here to tame.

TICKETS & DISCOUNTS

The easiest way to discover Slovenia by train is to buy Interrail One Country Pass Slovenia, a ticket that is intended for persons who reside in Europe. Customers who reside outside Europe are entitled for the Eurail One Country Pass Slovenia. There are tickets for three, four, five, six or eight travel days within one month. InterRail One Country Pass Slovenia can be bought already in other European countries, but it is also available in Slovenia at the stations Brežice, Celje, Dobova, Jesenice, Koper, Kranj, Ljubljana, Maribor, Murska Sobota, Nova Gorica, Postojna, Ptuj and Sevnica.

Explore Slovenia’s sights in your way ! Check the map here

For all additional information on train travel, you can visit our website https://potniski.sz.si/en/ or send us an e-mail to potnik.info@slo-zeleznice.si.

When are we meeting at one of Slovenia’s railway stations?