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It’s one of those places everyone says is supposed to be absolutely stunning but have never actually been to.

Surrounded by Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, Slovenia is a small country, with a population of just two million people who are very proud to call it their home.

We arrived at a practically empty airport outside the capital Ljubljana and were whisked to our hotel by a taxi driver full of interesting information about his beloved home.

“Yes, we eat people here,” he said with a completely straight face. “You know this, yes?”

After sharing a few nervous glances with my girlfriend Gemma, I realised this was our introduction to Slovenian sarcasm – a very special brand of humour.

The journey north from the airport to Triglav National Park was stunning.

Roads wound through valleys surrounded by wooded mountains, a common feature as most of the country is covered in forest. The National Park itself is dominated by the Julian Alps, which offer amazing views during the summer season when the sky is clear and the sun is shining.

We were dropped off at Hotel Jezero and shown to our room, where a balcony looked out on to Lake Bohinj and the mountains beyond.

We came to the country knowing practically nothing about it and couldn’t have been happier with what we saw – an area of nature that was virtually untouched. Triglav is Slovenia’s equivalent of our Lake District, and offers a paradise for hikers, mountain bikers and canoeists in the summer season, while in winter it switches to a ski resort offering beautiful runs down the Alps overlooking Bohinj.

It’s the closest you can get to the natural beauty of New Zealand while staying in Europe and not paying a fortune for the privilege.

We hired mountain bikes and rode around the lake, taking along a picnic provided for us by the friendly hotel staff. Sitting on a lakeside beach, we felt like we could have been the only two people in the world. It was as if we had really escaped busy Britain and arrived in the great outdoors.

The food at the hotel was fantastic, with a buffet in the evening catering for full-board customers, as well as a separate a la carte restaurant if you fancied something a bit more selective.

Along the lakeside there were a few quiet bars and restaurants where people wandered into in the evenings, taking in the views of the lake from an old stone-built bridge just outside the hotel.

We took a bus ride to the west of Slovenia to visit the Postojna cave system, a labyrinth of passages, filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and wonderful rock formations.

Travelling through it on a mini-train, the type you see youngsters riding on at Alton Towers, the couple in front of us said: “It’s like something out of Lord of the Rings.” And it was true. It felt like taking a ride into another world of vast, jewelled caves deep under the earth.

The great thing about staying at the peaceful Lake Bohinj is that you don’t feel under any pressure to do anything at all.

All you need is a book and some wine and you could happily stay the whole week there.

However, for those who want to stay active, there is no shortage of choices.

There’s a waterfall which overlooks Bohinj and requires a bit of stamina if you decide to cycle to it.

And there’s a cable car you can catch up to Mount Vogel – which is definitely something I’d recommend. The top of the mountain offers panoramic views of the whole valley and beyond.

After a few more days of relaxing around our hotel, we decided that we ought to do some more exploring, and took a bus to nearby Lake Bled.

(Image: Getty)

It’s more touristy than Bohinj, with more shops, restaurants and bars, as well as a small casino. We hired a boat and, after a brief “discussion” about who would row, I took us out to the island in the centre of the lake where the Church of the Assumption has sat for hundreds of years.

We rang the bell and, as the locals insisted is the custom, made a wish, before heading back and eating at a cafe by the side of beautiful Bled.

The buses in the area are top notch, and we were had a wait of only 10 minutes before one came along to take us in comfort back to our hotel.

We spent the night before our flight home wishing we’d come for two weeks, and not just one.

The same taxi driver arrived to pick us up for the airport run.

“You see, we don’t eat people after all!” he grinned.

Thank God for that.

Get there

Balkan Holidays has 7nts B&B at the 4* Hotel Jezero from £447pp inc flights from Stansted to Ljubljana and transfers. Based on 2 sharing and departing on Sept 25. Call: 0845 130 1114.

Tourist info

slovenia.info/