Slovenia has 27,000km of rivers, streams and lakes to be explored.
Exploring Slovenia by paddleboard gives visitors a unique and often breath-taking perspective, writes Abi Jackson.
What would a dream holiday scene look like to you?
For me, there would be trees, mountains, water and unspoilt natural landscape.
Slovenia, I recently discovered, has this in spades - but I didn't just get to stop and look at the view, I stepped into it.
Well actually, I paddled into it, standing up, a little wobbly-kneed at first, on a stand-up paddleboard.
Almost 60 per cent of this small south-eastern European country (you can drive from one side to the other in a few hours) is tree-covered, and although Slovenia has only 47km of coastline - it's more or less one giant bay in the Adriatic Sea, tucked neatly between Croatia and Italy's Gulf of Venice - the land boasts 27,000km of rivers, streams and lakes.
It's these that I've come to explore by paddleboard, an activity that's becoming increasingly convenient and accessible thanks to SipaBoards, a Slovenian start-up whose small but passionate team has created the world's first electric and self-inflating stand-up paddleboards. Traditionally paddleboards are inflated manually requiring a fair bit of elbow grease, which is fine if it's just one board; not so fine if there's a group of you or you're out for the day with your family, and all that pumping takes a chunk out of your precious time and energy reserves.
"It was paddleboarding with my kids that inspired the designs," explains SipaBoards founder Sebastjan Sitar. "It would take ages to pump up boards for the whole family. Our boards inflate in seconds, with zero effort."
The addition of motors was another family-inspired brainwave, after Sebastjan's young daughter struggled to paddle back to shore one day. Operated via a switch at the top of the paddle, the motor doesn't exactly propel you along full pelt, but the extra momentum certainly helps when you're up against winds or currents, and it helps stabilise the boards, too.
You still have to paddle, and engage those core muscles to keep balanced (SUP is a great full-body workout), and you can switch the motor off whenever you want - it simply means that anybody, even those who are nervous about the water, a bit unsteady or who need that little push, can hop on board and enjoy it.
We start with a paddle along Ljubljanica River, which runs through Ljubljana. It takes only a couple of minutes to get used to standing on the boards, then off we go, sailing past the capital city's historical streets and under bridges, glancing up at the castle's tower.
It's a novel way to take in the sights, and Ljubljana also makes a great base for exploring more of the country. We stay at the Antiq Hotel, a stone's throw from the river, pretty squares and coffee shops.
Right now Ljubljana - along with the whole of Slovenia - is relatively quiet. It's not an obvious spot on the tourist map, but that's changing. The European Travel Commission recently reported that Slovenia is one of the countries that recorded the greatest increase in foreign tourists (by up to 13 per cent) last year.
It's easy to see the appeal. Slovenia is running rings around much of Europe in the green stakes - the air, the water, the streets, everything is so clean and fresh. The vibe is fantastic too: relaxed, safe and welcoming.. After a two-hour flight from London, I immediately feel I've been transported somewhere far further, to a land of Narnia-esque natural beauty where all your outdoorsy dreams come true.
After getting to grips with the boards in Ljubljana, we spend the next couple of days exploring Slovenia's lakes and coast.
An essential stop on every itinerary is Lake Bled, nestled among the Julian Alps in the country's north-west, overlooked by the medieval Bled Castle and made instantly recognisable by the tiny island that sits just off centre, boldly sprouting a cluster of bushy trees, old buildings and a 52m-tall church tower.
After a fuel stop at Sava Hotel's Park Cafe, where I tuck into the famous "Original Bled Cream Cake" (aka "kremsnita"), a doorstop slab of puff pastry, custard, cream and vanilla sugar, we find a quiet patch of shore to inflate our boards, then spend a blissful couple of hours on the water.
It's low season, so we have the lake to ourselves (June to September is the most popular time of year). I paddle out, soaking up the peaceful wonder of it all, as twinkling ripples lap gently at the sides of my board.
Less well-known than Bled, but not to be missed, is Lake Bohinj. Whereas Bled has the picture-postcard charm, Bohinj really draws the gasps. It is utterly dreamy.
There are some great walks and hikes in the area, too, including a trail leading to the Savica Waterfall in the heart of the Triglav National Park.
Active holidays aren't just a great way to see a country - working up a sweat means you can really indulge on the food front too. And although Slovenia doesn't yet boast any Michelin-starred restaurants, there is a bounty of beautiful grub on offer.
We treat ourselves to some fine dining at Vila Podvin (7km from the centre of Bled) and sample outstanding seafood at AS Aperitivo and RiziBizi (both in the capital).
Slovenia is also the only European country that connects the Alps, the Mediterranean and the Pannonian Plain, and our jaunt to the coast highlights that this little country really is a land of vast geographical contrasts.
Mountain peaks and alpine forests give way to lush pastures, olive groves and vineyards, and the temperature cranks up a good few degrees as we make the hour-and-a-half drive from Ljubljana to Secovlje.
The coast has a real Mediterranean feel, and you can paddleboard off the beach when the water's calm enough, or explore near the Secovlje salt flats, where salt has been produced that same way for 700 years.
After a morning on the boards, we ditch our paddles for a stroll around Piran, an old coastal town that's all painterly narrow streets and pretty squares, bordered by dazzling blue sea and bobbing fishing boats.
Our trip ends with a visit to Kamnik, an unassuming little town nestled among some of the most breathtakingly stunning countryside I've ever seen.
Similarly, from the outside, our hotel Gostilna Repnik looks cosy and traditional - and it is, but it's also home to some super stylish rooms and a supremely talented chef, who whips up an array of dishes showcasing local produce, including the famous "boob cheese" (I'll leave you to discover how it got the name).
We only have time for a short hike, but you don't have to venture far to lose yourself among the forests, shimmering rock faces and bright turquoise streams.
This is the true beauty of Slovenia: it has everything and all of it's nearby.
CHECKLIST
Getting there
Insight Vacations' European itineraries for 2018 include many tours taking in Slovenia, with early payment discounts.
Details
For information on SipaBoards self-inflating, electric stand-up paddleboards, go to sipaboards.com.
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