Slovenia's capital — a car-free green old town with the Triple Bridge, Prešeren Square, a funicular up to the hilltop castle, Plečnik's market and the Dragon Bridge. Within about an hour: Lake Bled (island church, pletna boats, cliff-top castle, cream cake), Vintgar Gorge, Lake Bohinj, Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle, the UNESCO-listed Škocjan Caves and Piran on the Adriatic coast. Calm and safe, great for nature, hiking and family holidays. No direct flights from UB — connect via MIAT to Frankfurt, or via Istanbul. Mongolian citizens need a Schengen visa; for Slovenia, applications are taken by the German Embassy in Ulaanbaatar (VFS Global).
🛂 Visa: Visa required · 90 days✈ Flight: 14h☀ Best months: May, June, July, August
#Lake Bled#caves#Alps#hiking#old town#Schengen visa
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: May, June, July, August, September.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Prešeren Square and the Triple Bridge
CityFree24 hours
The heart of the old town: the pink Franciscan church, the statue of the poet Prešeren and Plečnik's three-pronged bridge over the Ljubljanica. The centre is car-free, so it is easy to walk with children; riverside cafés, evening lights and summer boat rides on the river.
Culture€15; ages 7–18 €10.50; family €36; with funicular €19 / €13.50 / €46; under 7 free
Travel guide
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goSlovenia has no embassy in Mongolia, so Schengen visas for Slovenia are taken by the German Embassy in Ulaanbaatar (VFS Global). Slots fill up and decisions take weeks, so start early.+
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Schengen visa: German Embassy, VFS Global
According to Slovenia's foreign ministry, Slovenia is represented in Mongolia by the German Embassy. If Slovenia is your main destination, book a VFS Global appointment and go in person to the embassy building to give fingerprints — no trip to Beijing or Chinese visa is needed. Fee €90 (ages 6–11 €45, under 6 free) plus the VFS service fee of 100,000₮. Apply between 6 months and 4 weeks before travel; processing takes at least 15 days.
Tip: If you will spend longer in Austria, Italy or Croatia, apply under that country's rules — the country of your longest stay decides.
Medical insurance valid in all Schengen states with cover of at least €30,000 is mandatory. Attach the return ticket, hotel bookings, bank statements and employment letter; list day trips to Bled or Postojna in your itinerary. Your passport must be valid for more than 3 months after you leave.
Instead of passport stamps, the EES system records your fingerprints and face at the Schengen border (fully live since 10 April 2026); the first entry may take longer. ETIAS is for visa-exempt travellers, so it does not apply to Mongolians with a Schengen visa.
🛬Landing and getting to the cityLjubljana Airport is north of the city at Brnik; there is no train — go in by bus, shuttle or taxi.+
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Arriva bus
From the stop opposite the terminal, Arriva buses reach Ljubljana bus station (next to the railway station) in 45–50 minutes, roughly hourly from 5 am to 9 pm. The fare is about €4 — pay the driver by card or cash.
Tip: Going straight to Bled? In summer a direct bus runs from the airport to Bled; at other times book a shuttle.
GoOpti and Nomago shared shuttles drop you at your hotel — from €6–12 if booked early. A taxi to the city usually costs €40–60. If you come via Frankfurt, Schengen passport control happens there and you land in Ljubljana like a domestic flight.
If your phone supports eSIM, buy and install a travel eSIM from Airalo, Holafly or similar before you leave — it works as soon as you land. A Europe-wide plan also covers the Frankfurt or Istanbul connection and neighbouring Italy and Croatia.
Tip: Coverage is patchy in parts of the Julian Alps and around Bohinj — download maps in Google Maps for offline use.
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Slovenian prepaid SIM
A1, Telekom Slovenije and Telemach prepaid SIMs are sold in city shops, kiosks and petrol stations; bring your passport. EU 'roam like at home' rules mean it works in other European countries too.
🚇Getting aroundThe old town is small and car-free — walk most of it. Reach Bled, Bohinj, Postojna and Piran by bus or on a tour.+
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City buses (LPP)
Drivers don't sell tickets — pay with an Urbana card (€2, from kiosks and machines) or the mobile app. A zone 1 ride is €1.30, with free transfers within 90 minutes. Children under 6 ride free.
Arriva buses run from Ljubljana bus station to Bled many times a day, taking 1 h to 1 h 20 min. Direct buses also run to Bohinj. By train, go to Lesce-Bled station and take a bus to the lake.
A car is the most flexible way to combine Postojna, Škocjan, Piran and the Vršič Pass. Slovenian motorways require an electronic vignette (e-vinjeta); check whether your rental includes it. Winter tyres are required on mountain roads in winter.
Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere and contactless is common. Keep some euros in cash for Bled's pletna boats, markets and mountain huts. Tipping is optional; round up if you are happy.
Tip: If the card reader offers to charge you in tögrög, say no — choose euros.
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Tourist tax
Ljubljana, Bled and other towns charge a hotel tourist tax per person per night; if it is not in your booking price, the hotel adds it at check-out. Check the total price when you book.
Non-EU visitors who spend above a minimum amount in a shop showing the 'Tax Free' sign can reclaim the VAT. Ask the shop for the form and have it validated by customs at the airport where you leave the EU.
🍜FoodSlovenian food mixes Alpine, Italian, Hungarian and Balkan influences — simple, tasty and moderately priced.+
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What to eat
Bled cream cake (kremna rezina), štruklji (filled dumplings), kranjska klobasa (Carniolan sausage), jota (sauerkraut and bean soup), potica (walnut roll) and seafood on the coast. Wine and beer are 18+.
Tip: Many restaurants serve a cheap weekday lunch menu (malica) with soup and a main course.
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Markets and groceries
Mercator, Spar, Hofer and Lidl are the cheap supermarkets. Buy fruit, cheese and honey at the Central Market, where the Odprta kuhna street-food festival runs on spring-to-autumn Fridays. Take your own food and water on mountain outings.
Weather in the Julian Alps changes fast and summer afternoons bring thunderstorms — start early and check the forecast. With children choose easy marked trails; the steps at Vintgar and Škocjan are wet and slippery.
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Medicines and pharmacies
Pharmacies (lekarna) have a green cross; Ljubljana has an on-duty night pharmacy. Bring regular medicines with their prescription. Theft is rare, but watch your bag in crowds in peak summer.
'Dober dan' (hello) and 'Hvala' (thank you) go down well. Slovenians are reserved and calm — avoid speaking loudly. Be careful not to confuse Slovenia with Slovakia or call it Yugoslavia.
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In nature
In Triglav National Park stay on the trails, don't pick flowers and leave no litter. Swim only in permitted parts of Lake Bled — follow the signs and don't swim to the island. Swimming is banned at Vintgar and Savica.
Book Vintgar's timed tickets, Postojna Cave and Škocjan on their official sites in advance — summer slots fill fast. Visit Ljubljana covers events and the Ljubljana Card. Google Translate's camera translates Slovene menus.
The Arriva bus from the bus station to the airport takes 45–50 minutes and runs hourly. The airport is small, but allow time for security, the EES exit check and Tax Free stamps. If you connect to MIAT in Frankfurt or Turkish in Istanbul, a single ticket is safest.
Leave the Schengen area no later than the date on your visa — EES records your exit day automatically, and an overstay will hurt your next application. Flying home via Istanbul you exit Schengen in Ljubljana; via Frankfurt, the exit check happens in Frankfurt.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
Daily from morning to evening (closing time varies by season)
A medieval castle on the hill above town — from the Outlook Tower you see the city and the Alps beyond. Slovenian history exhibition, a puppetry museum and the 'Time Machine' tour. The glass funicular from the old town takes under a minute, or walk up in 15–20 minutes.
FoodFreeOpen-air market Mon–Sat from early morning; closed Sunday
Fruit, cheese, honey and fish in Plečnik's colonnaded riverside market. On spring-to-autumn Fridays the Odprta kuhna street-food festival takes over. Next door is the Dragon Bridge (1901) with four bronze dragons, Ljubljana's symbol — children love photos with them.
A large green park 10 minutes' walk from the centre: open-air photo exhibitions on the Jakopič Promenade, playgrounds, a pond and forest paths up Rožnik hill. Good for a picnic; Ljubljana Zoo is nearby.
CultureFreeOpen to look around by day; clubs open in the evening
Former Yugoslav army barracks taken over by artists in 1993, now a cultural centre covered in graffiti, sculpture and mosaics. Interesting for photos by day, alternative clubs and concerts at night. The Museum of Contemporary Art (MSUM) is next door.
NaturePletna boat €20, ages 4–12 €10 (cash); island church €12, child €5Boats in daylight hours; church hours vary by season
About an hour from Ljubljana by bus: the Church of the Assumption on an island in a green lake. Ride a traditional wooden pletna boat, climb the 99 steps and ring the wishing bell. The 6 km path around the lake is easy with children; swim in clear water in summer. Don't miss Bled's cream cake, kremna rezina.
Culture€19; ages 6–14 €7; under 6 freeApr–Oct 8:00–20:00, Nov–Mar 8:00–18:00 (last entry 30 min before closing)
Slovenia's oldest castle (first mentioned in 1011) on a 130 m cliff above the lake. Superb views of the island and the Julian Alps, a museum, an old printing workshop and a wine cellar. A 20-minute uphill walk from town.
Nature€15; under 15 €5 (shuttle and parking included); timed tickets onlineApril–October, daytime; closed in winter
4 km from Bled: a 1.6 km gorge with wooden walkways over the clear green Radovna river, ending at the 15 m Šum waterfall. A one-way loop — about 3 hours in total. Only 245 people are allowed in at once, so book a morning slot in advance.
NatureLake free; Savica waterfall ~€3–4, child €1.50–2Waterfall spring to autumn, daytime
Slovenia's largest glacial lake, in Triglav National Park — quieter and wilder than Bled. St John's church, kayaking and the Vogel cable car for views. From the west end, 500-plus steps lead to the Savica waterfall. In summer you can drive over the Vršič Pass (1,611 m) to the Soča valley.
KidsCave €34.90; castle €24; cheaper as a bundleDaily all year, tours usually every hour
50 km from Ljubljana: a 24 km cave you enter on a 3.7 km electric train — stalactites, the 'Brilliant' column and the blind olm or 'human fish'. The tour takes ~1.5 h and it is ~10°C inside all year, so bring a warm layer. 9 km away, the 800-year-old Predjama Castle built into a cave mouth feels like a fairy tale to children.
Nature€16–24 (by season); child €7.50–12.50; under 6 freeDaily, guided tours at set times
A UNESCO-listed underground canyon: the Reka river runs through a 146 m deep gorge, crossed by a bridge 45 m above it. Wilder and more dramatic than Postojna; ages 6+, a walk of over 2 hours with many steps. Photography inside is restricted.
About 2 hours from Ljubljana: a Venetian-era town of narrow lanes on a peninsula, Tartini Square and sea views from the town walls. Swim off the rocks and eat seafood in summer. The Sečovlje salt pans nature park is nearby.
