Love wild swimming? Wait till you try it in this tiny, beautiful country
There was the startling beauty of Ukanc, a pale sandy beach on the bank of Lake Bohinj, a clear blue body of water under the Julian Alps. And the Sum waterfall in Vintgar Gorge that left my skin so soft I couldn't stop stroking it. Then there was the Jezersko Valley near the Austrian border where I swam in a lake that was the shape of a heart.
That's just a snapshot of what Slovenia has to offer wild swimmers. With its clean, turquoise waters and dramatic alpine landscape, this eastern European country is a paradise for those who like to take a dip.
Hikers and skiers, foodies and spa fans have long been coming, but I can't be the first wild swimmer who has spotted the potential of its 1,200 or so lakes and rivers. In fact, there are dedicated holidays for swimmers here, including those run by SwimTrek, while other tour operators, such as FlashPack and WeRoad, incorporate swimming into their packages. But it's easy enough to arrange a tour yourself, so I booked a rental car and three hotels in different areas that would give me access to several swim spots that appealed most.
• Read our full guide to Slovenia
Admittedly, I am more of a fairweather swimmer, mainly going to Hampstead Heath ponds in London in the warmer months, so it was with some trepidation that I committed to an entire holiday focused on being submerged. But as anyone who does it regularly can attest, nothing makes you feel more alive or more grounded than swimming in natural waters — especially while surrounded by mountains.
Along with me for the ride was my friend Ally, a keen swimmer who'd come with me on a previous trip to Slovenia's coast in 2018. I'd seethed with envy when friends who'd stayed longer told me how incredible it was to swim in Lake Bled, the vast blue lake beneath the Julian Alps with a tear-shaped island in the middle, so I'd sworn to return.
Ally came armed with wetsuits, swim hats and safety floats to tow. With just a few bikinis and a towel in my hand luggage, I realised we were approaching this trip from somewhat different experience levels.
From Ljubljana, we set off northwest to Bled for our first swim. Grajsko Kopalisce is the lake's dedicated bathing zone on the eastern side, and was pretty crowded when we arrived. But jumping straight in to cool off after our flight felt like the perfect start to the trip. We stayed a few hours before moving on to our far less touristy next stop, 25 minutes' drive west, at Lake Bohinj. This is the largest natural lake in Slovenia, covering 790 acres within the Triglav National Park, which centres around the country's highest peak.
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You can swim anywhere in the lake but our favourite spot was the tiny village of Ukanc, for its jaw-dropping view of the mountains. Near the shore was a lovely campsite, Camp Bohinj, that we wished we were staying at, though we could still make use of the toilets, showers and a restaurant serving delicious pizzas for £12 and beers at £3 a pop (camp-bohinj.si). This was at the cusp of the summer season at the start of May, so there weren't many swimmers around. The water was bracing — we estimated it at around 12C — though it creeps up to 20C later in the summer. Ally managed 25 minutes' swimming around the perimeter while I mostly splashed about.
Afterwards we strolled into the Triglav park, making our way up through the forest to Savica, a 78m-high waterfall. It isn't swimmable (the water isn't accessible from the viewpoint) but we did manage to dip in the emerald green river, Sava Bohinjka, which ran from the falls into the lake, though this was much colder, a-few-seconds-in-the-water-before-you-start-squealing-like-a-piglet-cold, providing more of a plunge than a swim.
We stayed nearby at the eco-friendly Hotel Bohinj, where rooms have balconies overlooking the lake, and there was an impressive spa with an outdoor whirlpool, Turkish and Finnish saunas (naked ones, as is the tradition). Retreating there after a day of hiking and swimming was a real treat.
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Our next stop was the most remote: the Jezersko Valley, inhabited by just 668 people and surrounded by the snow-topped summits of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps. Signs dotted around the valley encourage good behaviour from visitors — 'On Jezersko: we always greet when we meet someone, we love and appreciate peace and quiet' — and to buy local produce.
We also walked through the nearby Mostnica Gorge, full of emerald pools and complex rock formations, and the Vintgar Gorge, like something from a fairytale with its crystal clear water rushing between mossy rocks. At the end was Sum waterfall, where we took a freezing cold dip that had our hearts beating and endorphins flowing.
Our hotel in this area was Vila Planinka, a 22-room boutique hotel with a sauna that guests can hire privately (no awkward nude interactions here) and wood-clad rooms reminiscent of a luxury ski lodge. One afternoon we hired mountain bikes and cycled through the valley, eventually cooling off in the man-made heart-shaped lake in the middle of the valley, which was created by locals in the 1950s in homage to a larger glacial lake that had long ago drained away.
Afterwards, we pushed on to Ank's waterfalls for another extremely cold dip in some small plunge pools, and visited a famous mineral water spring, Jezerska Slatina, in a rural spot nearby, which is said to have the highest magnesium content of all mineral waters in Slovenia and which can be drunk from a tap pouring into a wooden trough. Dubbed 'healing water', it tasted a little like flat San Pellegrino and we gulped it down for our health.
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The food was special too. At Vila Planinka, guests are served four-course menus designed daily by the chef with everything sourced locally. We loved the beef broth with Slovenian pasta and a pickled quail egg, as well as a delicious strawberry soup served with sour-cream ice cream.
Our final stop was Piran, a picturesque seaside town in the style of nearby Venice and once part of the Venetian empire. The weather had turned for this portion of the trip, so we spent much of it in the indoor pool (and the obligatory naked saunas) at our hotel, the Kempinski Palace Portoroz, a much grander and more opulent residence than our previous hotels. Eventually, one last sliver of sunshine appeared and we made it to Moon Bay, a pebble beach with crystal-clear water, encircled by cliffs within the Strunjan Nature Reserve, which Ally and I had swum from together in 2018. Sitting on a rock with our toes dangling in the sea, we reflected on all the ways our lives had changed since then, how lucky we felt to have returned, more dedicated to swimming than ever, and how peaceful we'd felt for the past few days. Then we dived in together and enjoyed one last swim. This time, the water was warm.Olivia Petter was a guest of Vila Planinka, which has B&B doubles from £258 (vilaplaninka.com), Kempinski Palace Portoroz, which has B&B doubles from £219 (kempinski.com) and Hotel Bohinj, which has B&B doubles from £219 (hotelbohinj.si). Fly to Ljubljana
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