Slovenia

If you’ve visited Britain’s Lake District and have explored the Italian lakes and you’re dreaming of finding an area of equal natural beauty that is unscarred by the pressures of tourism, then Bohinj in Slovenia may be just what you’re looking for.

Nestled in the Julian Alps and set in the stunning Triglav National Park, Lake Bohinj is the country of Slovenia’s largest permanent lake. Fed by the glacial melt waters of the surrounding mountains, the water is as clear as glass, and in summer it is warm enough to entice bathers, kayakers and sailors to its pristine beaches.

But, despite the natural beauty of the lake, I found one of the most appealing aspects of a holiday here was the sensation that I’d stepped off the tourist trail and into an authentic Alpine way of life that has been consistent here for hundreds of years.

From the unspoilt natural beauty (with some of the most beautiful displays of Alpine flowers I’ve ever seen) to the traditional food, this was a holiday in which I felt enriched by discovering a country I’d hardly known anything about before I arrived.