Best Wheelchair-Accessible Holidays in Slovenia

02. 11. 2021

Are you planning to spend your next holiday in a new country and are struggling to find accessible cities you would like to visit?

Slovenia is well known for its accessible tourism, offering unparalleled options for travelling with a disability. You will find reserved parking spaces for the disabled, accommodation options with special access as well as toilet facilities for disabled persons in the majority of hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers. Pavements that are easier to use for disabled persons have been built in numerous Slovenian cities. And more good news—the disabled receive discounts for many tourist attractions, while some of them are even completely free.

Even though Slovenia is a fairly small country, it has so much to offer, not only in terms of adjustments for the disabled but also because of its plethora of amazing attractions. To make the decision about where to stay easier, we have put together an overview of different regions and disabled travel destinations in Slovenia. Check out our accessible travel tips!

Alpine Slovenia

Are you a mountain and nature enthusiast? Then Slovenia truly is the right place for you! We would recommend you to stay in the Upper Carniola region, which includes picturesque towns such as Bled and Bohinj. In both there is a vast offer of eco hotels and accessible accommodation options built to help you relax and have the best wheelchair-accessible holidays possible.

By staying in this region, you can enjoy the beauty of our biggest natural lake Bohinj which is a part of the Triglav National Park. The lake is situated between some of the highest mountains of Slovenia and truly offers some amazing views.

If you would like to admire nature from high above, you can visit the winter ski resort of Vogel located 1,625 meters above sea level. Thanks to the cable car that takes you up to the resort, it is completely accessible for wheelchair users. From the resort, you will be able to enjoy the view of Triglav, which is the highest Slovenian mountain and a national symbol, while at the same time admiring the view of the picturesque lake in the valley.

During your holidays, you must drive to Bled to admire its lake with a church nestled on the island in the middle. Not to mention there is also a thousand-year-old medieval castle on the rock above the lake—a true fairy-tale-like setting! Once you are back on land, take a trip around the lake and stop at a sweetshop where you can try the typical Bled cream cake called “kremšnita”.

Make sure you check out Bled and the church in the middle of its lake.

In case you are planning to visit Slovenia in winter, you can also try paraskiing in Kranjska Gora, a winter resort about an hour drive away from Bohinj. With our para-alpine skiing equipment and ski instructors who have years of experience, what more could you possibly need for the best wheelchair-accessible holidays?

Central Slovenia

If you prefer cities rather than nature, we suggest you stay in the Central region where you can find Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.

Ljubljana has received the Silver Access City Award and is one of the most wheelchair-friendly places to visit. Explore the old part of Ljubljana with its embankments, the city centre with its accessible parks, galleries, museums, and more. Thanks to all this our capital has become one of the most popular wheelchair destinations in Europe.

If you are planning to stay in the capital, you can enjoy a boat ride on the Ljubljanica river and explore the city centre with knowledgeable guides. Do not miss the main sight, Ljubljana Castle, reached via accessible funicular or bus-train. Ljubljana is also well-known for its culinary offer, being home to many fine dining restaurants that will leave your taste buds longing for more.

An accessible funicular can take you up to Ljubljana Castle where you will be able to admire amazing views.

There are also a number of tours you could take to explore the other parts of the country. Only 30 minutes away from the capital, you can visit Arboretum Volčji potok, a wheelchair-accessible park with more than 2,500 different trees, shrubs, and flowers from all over the world!

Staying in the Central region is therefore the best option for those who love the city vibe and plan to take a couple of tours for people with disabilities to discover other cities as well.

Thermal Slovenia

If the main purpose of your holidays is to recharge your batteries and relax as much as possible, we recommend you to visit one of the natural spas you can find in the country.

Laško, a spa town in eastern Slovenia, comes up pretty often as the location for the best wheelchair-accessible holidays. One of the main reasons for this is the town has earned the title of the European Destination of Excellence by putting a lot of effort into planning the development of accessible tourism and offering access for physically impaired guests. This means you will be able to find accessible routes for people with physical and other disabilities as well as accessible accommodation, restaurants, spa centers, and more.

The area offers two spa options, Thermana Laško and Rimske Terme, which are both wheelchair friendly facilities that also allow the stay of assistance dogs. Moreover, portable induction loops are available at Thermana Laško for guests with impaired hearing.

This means you will truly be able to relax on your holiday and spend some time in thermal water to enjoy its healing properties.

Mediterranean Slovenia

Are you not such a fan of pools and prefer the seaside? Luckily for you, you can find both in Slovenia. Although we only have 46.6 km of coastline, it is the quality that counts.

The Slovenian coast is located between Italy and Croatia and represents a perfect destination for holidays for the disabled. We recommend you to stay in Portorož or Piran, both amazing disabled travel destinations in Slovenia. The mostly flat landscape as well as friendly seaside paths are perfect for you to enjoy your break by the sea and breathe in that invigorating Mediterranean air.

Piran is a medieval town settled on a peninsula. It is home to the attractions such as the Piran Aquarium where you can meet the various creatures that inhabit the waters around the Slovenian coast, Tartini Square, named after a famous violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini, or several interesting museums.

Tartini Square in Piran is simply something you have to see if you visit Slovenia.

If you would like to experience something new, do not miss the visit to the Sečovlje Salina Nature Park less than 5 kilometers from Portorož to get familiar with the rich, more than 700 years old tradition of salt making in Slovenia. The area also offers some wheelchair-friendly paths, so travelling with a disability will not be an obstacle.

By staying on the coast, you will be close to Italy, which means you can combine your visit to Slovenia with adding another country to your list. Book a day trip to Venice and explore the city by an accessible water bus.

If you decide to spend your holiday at the Slovenian seaside, you will definitely not run out of things to do!

Karst

Even though Karst is close to the Slovenian coast, we believe it deserves to be mentioned separately as it is simply full of different things to see on your wheelchair-accessible holiday.

One of the main attractions is Škocjan Caves, listed on the UNESCO world heritage list. Since the cave is protected, it is unfortunately not possible to visit it in a wheelchair. Instead, those travelling with a physical disability can take a virtual 4D tour of the cave, which is a very realistic alternative so you will not miss a whole lot!

If you are a wine enthusiast, you will be happy to learn that Karst is full of small hills covered with vineyards so wine tastings are a must in that area. Additionally, one of the world’s most famous stud farms, Lipica, is located there. The stud farm is the home of the white Lipizzaner horses that have been born and bred there since the 16th century. It is simply one of the disabled travel destinations in Slovenia you do not want to miss!

Staying in this region or combining it with a stay at the seaside is definitely something you do not want to miss if you decide to spend your holidays in Slovenia.

As you can see, the regions of Slovenia offer something for everyone and the best news is everyone will be able to enjoy its wonders, including travelers with disabilities!

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