Some countries are places you simply visit; others urge you to travel through them. On foot, by bicycle, paddling across a lake, following a river downstream or heading beneath the surface of the earth. Slovenia clearly belongs to the second group.
This small country of just over 20,000 square kilometres and barely two million inhabitants concentrates an extraordinary variety of landscapes. Around 60% of its area is covered by forest and more than a third of its territory is protected or forms part of the Natura 2000 network.
It is the green lung of the Balkans and also a vast natural stage for anyone who prefers holidays spent on the move.
Hiking, cycling, climbing, kayaking, rafting, canyoning and caving are just some of the options on offer. And distances are short enough that in just a few hours you can go from a Central European capital to an Alpine lake, or from a river of turquoise water to one of the most spectacular underground canyons on the planet.
Over five days we travel around Slovenia in a camper van. It is a particularly appealing way to get to know the country because here the road is part of the journey too.
