The Slovenian capital exudes a similar European charm and café culture as its Czech counterpart but with half the tourists.

After considering several sites around Slovenia, particularly along the border with Italy, they chose the Grad Štanjel, a castle set inside a walled, medieval city perched atop a hill.

Slovenia is known for being one of the most picturesque countries in Europe. Teeming with brilliant turquoise lakes, impressive caves, majestic mountains, quaint villages, and so many castles ...

Slovenia is a stunning country that's one of the few in Europe that still has a number of brown bears, and is well worth a visit before it becomes a tourist hotspot ...

Standard castle tickets – which cover entry to the castle's Viewing Tower, its Museum of Puppetry and an exhibit about Slovenian history – cost 10 euros (about $11) for adults and 7 euros ...

who co-founder the Ljubljana-based travel company Luxury Slovenia with Mattej Valencic. A castle in the countryside. His enthusiasm for his country drew me in: I could indulge my love of hiking to ...