Bled

A glacier left Bled almost too perfect: an island church on a green lake under a clifftop castle, a resort since the Habsburgs.

Drive 30 minutes on and Lake Bohinj opens up bigger, emptier and wilder inside Triglav National Park, where the Soca runs the brightest turquoise in the Alps.

Fly into:

• Ljubljana Joze Pucnik Airport LJU

Local buses link Bled and Bohinj every hour or so for a few euros, while a rental car opens up the Soca Valley and the Vrsic Pass. Around the lakes, flat cycle paths and your own feet are the best transport.

Row to the island before 9am, while the lake is glass and the bell is yours. Then hike to a mountain hut above Bohinj, where Slovenians do their real socialising over a bowl of jota and a shot of schnapps.

Best in Summer

Summer: warm sunny days around 22 to 28C, fresh evenings, with the odd afternoon thunderstorm rolling off the peaks.

• waterproof hiking boots for mountain trails
• a swimsuit for lake dips
• a light rain shell for sudden storms
• a daypack for excursions
• a refillable water bottle