Slovenia's rivers and what to do on each one

Which Slovenian river can you swim in?

The Kolpa river is the answer. Springing up where the Kočevje forests end, it marks the Croatian border along Bela Krajina, and the tourist board rates it Slovenia’s warmest river. There are campsites and glamping along its banks, and it’s where I’d spend an unhurried summer day.

In Dolenjska, the Krka river is another good option, with bathing spots at Žužemberk, Straža and Kostanjevica na Krki. It’s the only river in Slovenia with tufa barriers, which give it its green colour, and around 30 beaver families live on its banks.

The Soča, the one everybody wants to see

The Soča river is the famous one. It has that emerald green that doesn’t look real, plus gorges, pools and white water for rafting and kayaking, and anglers know it for the Soča trout. For me it’s the most beautiful river in the country, and in summer also the busiest.

The Drava and the Mura, rivers of the east

The Drava enters Slovenia at Dravograd and leaves at Ormož. It passes Maribor, home of the world’s oldest vine, and Ptuj, among vineyard hills, before opening out onto the Pannonian plain. The best way to see it, according to the tourist board, is by bike along the international Drava cycle route.

The Mura is lazier, with backwaters and meanders such as the so-called Island of Love. The Mura area is a UNESCO biosphere reserve thanks to its biodiversity, and you can still cross it by ferry and visit the restored mill at Ižakovci.

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

The Sava, the longest

The Sava river is the longest, with 221 km in Slovenia according to the government. Oddly, it has two sources. The Sava Dolinka emerges in the Zelenci nature reserve and the Sava Bohinjka at Savica Falls, and the two meet at Radovljica. From there it crosses the Ljubljana basin and reaches Posavje as a calm river, leaving the country at Brežice. Upstream there’s rafting; downstream, at Radeče, wooden timber rafts still carry visitors.

The rivers that belong only to Slovenia

Besides the big rivers that cross borders, the tourist board picks out several that are purely Slovenian. The Ljubljanica rises at Babno Polje, disappears several times under the Karst and resurfaces before flowing through the capital. The Savinja springs up in the Logar Valley, among the Kamnik-Savinja Alps. And the Vipava has a source shaped like a delta, which the tourist board describes as unique in Europe.

If I had to pick one plan per river, it would be rafting on the Soča, canoeing on the Krka, cycling beside the Drava, a ferry on the Mura and a swim in the Kolpa.

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

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