If you’re planning a trip to Slovenia with your dog, this article will answer all the questions you may have. As I don’t have a dog and always try to publish articles that are genuinely useful for your holiday, based on real-life experiences, I asked my readers who have been to Slovenia with their dog to share their experiences, their impressions and, above all, their good advice. So it’s their advice that you’ll find in this article (and for once, not mine).
Good advice for travelling to Slovenia or visiting Ljubljana with a dog
Here you’ll also find advice from French people who live in Slovenia and have a dog. In short, you’ll find answers to the questions I very often receive. Here are a few examples of the questions I receive.
- “We’re going with a small dog, will it be accepted in restaurants and in the Triglav National Park?
- “Are Slovenians “dog friendly”? Do you have any tips for travelling with a dog in Slovenia?”
- “We have a small dog, can it enter the Skocjan and Postojna caves?”
- “Is it easy to find accommodation with a dog in Slovenia?”
- “We would like to swim with our dogs in the lakes 🙂 But is this allowed in Slovenia?”
You’ll find the answers in the testimonials below.
Advice from Jérome – French in Ljubljana
- Slovenia is clearly a dog-friendly country.
- Dogs are often an opportunity to break the ice with Slovenians
Apart from a few exceptions, access to Slovenian bars and restaurants is problem-free. In Slovenia and Ljubljana, you’ll always find yourself sitting on a terrace in summer.
- Short- and long-term rentals often refuse pets (but not in Booking.com accommodation in Slovenia).
- Slovenians systematically pick up after their dogs in town. If you don’t, you’ll face local disapproval and fines.
- Dogs are allowed everywhere in the forests and mountains. Signs often indicate that they must be kept on a lead to prevent them frightening wild animals.
- There are virtually no mountain pastures in Slovenia, apart from Velika Planina and a few other places, so there are no particular problems with livestock.
- Dogs are not allowed in food shops.
Note: If you didn’t take a good look at the photo of Jérôme’s dog, take another look, he has a “big dog”.
Mathilde – traveller
Overall, if the dog is properly trained, Slovenia is a very dog-friendly country and poses no problems. We were accepted everywhere despite the size of my dogs.
As far as accommodation is concerned, you need to plan ahead because it’s more complicated when you have a dog. You can find all the dog-friendly accommodation in Slovenia here.
It’s important to always have a poop bag with you because Slovenia is a very clean country. It’s important not to soil it.
Visiting Ljubljana with a dog
We were allowed into all the shops , including restaurants, snack bars, souvenir shops and clothes shops.
Water: Lots of people offered water for our two dogs, even if they didn’t know us, and it was very pleasant.
Slovenians? As the town is pedestrianised (the centre), I was able to untie my dog as he does very well on his own. People are very respectful towards them (Slovenians ask permission to pet them and don’t let other dogs bother them).
Tip : You can let them loose in Ljubljana on the path leading to the castle. It’s a very pleasant walk that gives you a lovely view of the Slovenian capital. Don’t take the funicular, though, or you’ll miss out.
In summer : in the middle of the day, as in any city in August, the ground is warm and it can get hot. So the dogs had to wear small shoes to avoid burning their paw pads. Well equipped, we also had cooling waistcoats if we needed them.
It wasn’t easy, but we managed to find a hotel overnight in Ljubljana (it wasn’t easy because all the accommodation was fully booked). We stayed at the Design G Hotel in Ljubljana, which doesn’t charge extra for dogs if they don’t mess up. It was a 1-star version of the 4-star hotel, but it was clean and pleasant. The manager is a dog lover and really adorable.
Visiting Lake Bled in Bohinj with a dog
At Lake Bled, you can let your dogs loose everywhere , as there are plenty of paths leading up to the viewpoint over the lake. They were accepted without any problem at the restaurant (on the terrace, as the weather was fine). Water was provided for them at every restaurant, no questions asked. Dogs can be hired and paddled.
At Lake Bohinj, we were there early in the morning, so no-one was there. It was possible to swim and also let them roam free without any problems. We didn’t stay long because of the cost of parking.
The Vintgar Gorge opens at 7am, so we were there at 6.55am. There was no-one there, so for us and the dogs it was perfect. Dogs were welcome, but a lead was compulsory once through the entrance gate.
Soca Valley with a dog
The people we met at every point along the Soca were not at all disturbed by the dogs and were very friendly towards them (well, at the same time, they weren’t bothering anyone, but that’s always nice).
Wewalked along the banks of the Soca River and in the town of Bovec without any problems. We were able to go into the shops with the dogs (not the supermarket-type food shops, but for hygiene reasons we hadn’t asked anyway). You have to be careful with the very cold water in the Soca, which can burn your dog’s paw pads if he stays in it too long (unfortunately, one of our two dogs suffered the consequences, so he had to wear his shoes the next day).
The hike to Krnsko lake is open to dogs, but they must be kept on a lead. This is probably for the peace and quiet of the cows, which are very intrigued (unfortunately for us) by dogs. At lunchtime, at the lake, we were able to let them roam free as there were very few people and no access to the cows. There’s a free fresh water dispenser in the gîte next door, so you can fill up your water bottles. You should plan to take breaks on the way up and on the way back down, as the steep gradient may surprise the dogs.
On the road to Trenta, where there are free-roaming sheep, this can be a surprise, so keep your dogs on a lead to avoid disturbing them. There are a lot of sheep and cows on this road, so be careful to keep your dogs under control.
In the Tolmin Gorge, as in the Vintgar Gorge, we were there at the opening and dogs were welcome but kept on a lead for safety reasons.
You can see Mathilde’s beautiful photos by following her on Instagram.
Julia – A trip to Slovenia with 3 dogs
In Slovenian restaurants, dogs were accepted everywhere, but we ate on the terrace. We were always made to feel welcome, and the waiters often even brought us a bowl of water. As for accommodation, we easily found whole flats on booking; a whole flat is more practical with 3 dogs.
As for the lakes, only in Lake Bohinj was there a sign prohibiting dogs from swimming in certain places, otherwise they bathed in the Soča several times even though the river was very cold.
I found the Slovenes very dog friendly, we hiked in the Kobarid region, in Nanos, we did the Tolmin gorges. We also went to Piran and Izola where they could swim….
We also took the funicular up to Velika Planina, although you’ll need a muzzle.
Sophie – 20 days in Slovenia with a dog
We went to Slovenia with our dog for 20 days and there were no problems! Slovenians are dog friendly, in restaurants,
whether on the terrace or indoors, having a dog was never a problem. I can confirm that the waiters spontaneously brought us a bowl of water, which was very much appreciated and pleasant.
At Velika Planina we didn’t encounter any difficulties except that you need a muzzle in the cable car. What’s more, if you have a large dog, we wouldn’t advise you to take the chairlift up to the refuge once you’re at the top of the gondola. However, the (somewhat strenuous) ascent takes 30-40 minutes without any problems and we were accepted in the refuges on the plateau.
There were no problems in Ljubljana either, either in the parks or in the restaurants. We even took the train with her. We paid a small supplement, I think, but it wasn’t much.
Lake Bled no problem, she was kept on a lead and we were able to swim.
On the Slovenian coast, at Izola, dogs were not allowed on the concrete beaches during the day but in the evening, as soon as they were empty, they were allowed.
As for accommodation, we stayed on a campsite and I don’t think there were any problems, in fact we never paid any extra!
Slovenia is a great destination and thanks to your advice we were really able to enjoy and do most of the country! Thank you for your great advice!
Christophe – 2 trips to Slovenia with a dog
We’ve been travelling in Slovenia with our dog for two years now. For me, Slovenia is one of the most dog-friendly countries close to France. We’ve always been made very welcome everywhere (Ljubljana, Tolmin, Piran)
Slovenians are very tolerant as long as the rules are respected. (Example: muzzles must be worn on the funicular up to Ljubljana Castle). Dogs on a lead, picking up poo, in short, civility and nothing more, ensure that everything goes smoothly.
I’ve never been turned away in any of the restaurants, and the usual precautions are always taken. No worries in rentals if you give advance notice.
And thank you to your site, which has opened our eyes to this country 🙂 If we’re going back again this year….encore, it’s partly because of the welcome we get for dogs, who can follow us anywhere. They are welcomed in a friendly and open way.
Climb Babij zob with your dog!
Vanessa – A week with a dog in Slovenia
A wonderful one-week road trip in Slovenia. We’re a family of 4, including 2 teenagers and 1 globetrotting dog.
– Choose shady hikes in the middle of summer and there are lots of them (for example in the hills above Lake Bohinj)
– A very dog-friendly country: dog bowls are given out almost automatically at restaurants in Ljubljana
– On the other hand, dogs are not allowed in parks where there are games for children, or on the “beaches”.
at all
– We found a rental property that accepted our pooch without any problems by going through the list of hotels that accept dogs on booking.com
– At Lake Bled, dogs are banned almost everywhere. However, 2 minutes from the lake, along the river, we found a “beach” where we were alone in the world! In short, when you’ve got a pooch, rivers are the best place to be (and humans too 
).
Séverine and Rovie in Slovenia
We spent 15 days this summer in Slovenia (2 adults, 2 teenagers and especially Rovie, our 2-year-old dog).
- Stay: Mountain/capital/coast.
- Here’s a quick summary to complete your article for visitors with four-legged friends…..
- When I see Slovenia, I find it very sad how France welcomes our furry friends.
It’s great to feel welcome everywhere with your dog.
– Accommodation (flats and hotels) found without a hitch on Booking
– A very warm welcome in all the restaurants and bars, with a water bowl for the dog every time
– Natural parks accessible!!! as well as the main natural tourist attractions.
– A pleasant capital with wide open spaces and shops where dogs are welcome.
– Ice cream for dogs!!!
In the Slovenian mountains
– kobarid historical trail.
-tolmin gorges (touristy but great with the dog, plus he can swim)
-planica site and its nice little hikes
-gorges de Pokljuka (beautiful walk, you have to do the long tour)
-gorges de vingtar (quite a disappointment, perhaps because of the lack of water this summer)
-lake Bled (very crowded and the only place where we had to tie up our dog)
Ljubljana with a dog
We’ll be back without the dog to visit the museums, as the city is small we didn’t take public transport so I can’t give my opinion.
- no problems in the restaurants.
- We were able to enter the shops with the dog (in fact most of them welcome dogs on their doors)
- Very large Tivoli park where you can walk for miles and go up and down with some great discoveries.
Between the capital and the coast
Visit to the Postojna caves and Predjama castle: these 2 sites are not accessible to dogs. However, it is possible to leave them in a supervised area while visiting the two sites, free of charge. The person looking after the dogs was very reassuring and friendly (Rovie was not traumatised)
The seaside
We didn’t stay long, preferring the mountains. It was hot but the dog didn’t suffer too much and it was there that we encountered the first bans on dogs (beaches and surrounding area)… shame.
Our favourites in Slovenia with a dog
–The Pericnik waterfall : a very nice walk if you go back under the rocks and come down through the forest.
– Velika Planina : Rovie was able to take the chairlift, but don’t forget the muzzle, otherwise they hire them out)
4 other testimonials from trips to Slovenia with dogs
Aurélie: “FYI: there’s a “kennel” (free) if you visit the Postojna cave. Just ask nicely at the reception
Christelle: “I’ve been going to Slovenia with a dog for 10 years. Nothing to say, always a great welcome. I even had to go to the emergency vet with my previous dog… very happy with the care he gave her! Dogs are also accepted on the tourist boat in Ljubljana and the one that crosses Lake Bohinj.
Sandra: Dogs (even with muzzles) are not allowed on buses. Example: at the beginning of September in Bovec, my dog and I stayed on the station platform with two other couples with dogs. On the train, however, there’s no problem if they’re in a piece of luggage or muzzled. See here
Constance: This winter I went to Slovenia with my dog:) It seems to me that there are no problems in any of the national parks. However, it was impossible to visit the caves with him. Slovenians are pet friendly. I had no problem finding cheap accommodation that accepted dogs. As for Lake Bled, there doesn’t seem to be any problem swimming there with your dog.
Julie: I went to Slovenia 3 years ago with my dog and I was there again briefly a month ago. I really didn’t have any particular problems. Slovenians are quite dog friendly. I was easily accepted in accommodation, in restaurants too…in short, don’t be afraid to go to Slovenia with your doggies because it’s a wonderful country!