Laško, the town of beer and warm water

Things to do in Laško: the castle and Hum

Below Hum rises Tabor Castle, built in the 11th century, which served the Counts of Celje as a hunting lodge before becoming part of the town’s defences. It now houses chef Marko Pavčnik’s Pavus restaurant. In the old town, three squares keep their townhouses, such as the Lilie family castle, the Špital building, the Kislinger house and Laško Mansion. Above it all, Hum reaches 583 m, with a woodland trail and viewpoints over the valley.

For something different, the house where the first barrel of Laško was brewed now holds an escape room about beer, the first in the world on that theme according to the tourist board.

The Thermana spa

Thermana Laško sits by the Savinja in the middle of town. The water rises at 34 to 38 °C with 370 to 430 mg of dissolved minerals, and it’s used in the pools and for rehabilitation. The tourist board suggests starting at the thermal drinking fountain and moving on to the thermal park beneath a glass dome. Beer finds its way in here too, with a sauna inside a brewer’s kettle, a beer-emulsion massage and the Gambrinus bath for two. So does honey, with apitherapy treatments, as Laško holds the title of bee-friendly municipality.

Laško, thermal water and beer

According to SURS, Laško has 3,340 residents and its municipality 13,023 on 1 January 2026, across 85 settlements. In 2025 the municipality recorded 80,522 arrivals and 275,338 overnight stays, largely thanks to the spas, which makes it one of the heavyweights of tourism in Savinjska. Laško carries the platinum Slovenia Green Destination label and has been recognised by the European Commission as a European Destination of Excellence.

Beer has been made here since 1825. The Zlatorog recipe hasn’t changed in years, and one of its ingredients is the brewery’s own water. If you’re curious, my guide to Slovenian beer fills in the rest of the map.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Laško before prices climb.

Around Laško

A few kilometres away lies Rimske Toplice, with its spa and a park of sequoias. In Senožete, the poet Anton Aškerc’s birthplace is a museum, and the municipality has dedicated 2026 to him for the 170th anniversary of his birth. In the Gračnica valley, the 12th-century Jurklošter charterhouse ranks, says the tourist board, among the three oldest medieval charterhouses.

Fitting Laško into a trip

Laško is very close to Celje, and I see it as a quiet base for exploring the valley. Compared with other spas in Slovenia, this one has the advantage of being right in town.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Laško and choose by the reviews.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Laško before prices climb.