Come January, a lot of us try and start the year by adopting healthy habits and usually have heaps of motivation to do so. One of the things a lot of people opt to do is Dry January, where you simply don't drink a drop of alcohol for the month. If you're someone who has quite an active social life or you live somewhere where the main activity to do is go out for food and drinks, then here are some other fun things you can do in January that don't involve drinking alcohol. 

1. Go for coffee dates

2. Play Games

If you don't own any boardgames and are still a bit broke from the Christmas period, then there are plenty of online free games you can play too. Me and my partner have found this site to be quite entertaining, as there's over 50 types of games on there. A couple of fun ones I have played are  'Merge Salad' where you need to match identical ingredients in a row and prepare the veg/fruit for the salad and prepare the salad and 'Brush Master' where you have to duplicate the painting show by clicking the painters in the correct order. The instructions on each game are clear which means they're easy to pick up! 

3. Join a club 

When I'm not eating or drinking out, two social things I enjoy doing are going to the cinema with friends and then having a chat about the movie after, and reading and discussing books with the Book Club that I'm in. If you want to join a community who share the same interests, have a look online in your local area. Or if you're feeling up to it, start your own club! I have a friend who started a 'Sunday Swim Club' which has had quite a good turn out and she's made some great friendships from it. 

4. Explore your city (or country)

5. Invest time in your relationships

If you're someone who usually enjoys a glass of wine at night on the weekend with your partner or an after work drink, try and find a non-alcoholic drink that you really enjoy and look forward to. Lately I've been obsessed with passionfruit Nestea, so I look forward to that more than I do a glass of wine at night! I hope you've found this post useful and has inspired some new ideas for you

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Slovenia is such a beautiful place! One of the great things about it is that it isn’t a huge country, meaning that you can cover a lot of ground in a week. Its proximity to Italy, Croatia, Hungary and Austria means that it’s perfect if you want to extend your trip around Europe. You’ll also see these influences in their cuisine too! To travel around Slovenia, you could choose to rent a car or simply base yourself in Ljubljana and explore the nearby places from there. On our trip that is exactly what we did, so here is my itinerary for a perfect 5 days in Slovenia. 

Day 1 in Ljubljana 

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Ljubljana is a fairly small city, so one day is perfect to see everything worth seeing. That being said, Ljubljana has so many great restaurants, so if you’re basing yourself here you’ll have plenty of chances to try out the culinary scene! I always check the Michelin Guide to see what’s good in the area. 

Morning 

Start your day by walking up to Ljubljana Castle, which will take you around 20 minutes. Some areas of the castle are free but if you want to visit the viewpoint tower, Puppetry museum or some of the other exhibitions, you will have to pay 12€. 

After exploring the castle, walk back down and one street to your right you’ll find Cafe Cokl. Which is said to have ‘the best coffee in Ljubljana’ as they import fair trade coffee from South America. If you sit outside, keep an eye out on the Puppet Theatre building adjacent as you’ll see some puppets come out of the clock tower with music on the hour. If you’re after some  hot chocolate instead, then head to Cacao!

Afternoon 

In the afternoon, I highly suggest taking a Food Tour of Ljubljana with Ljubljana Yum. You will get to try a variety of Slovenian food and drink and what I really enjoyed about it is that our guide would connect the tastings to different parts of Slovenia. One of our stops was also in a Michelin guide restaurant that was on my list to try, so I was happy this was included! 

The food tour cost 85 euros and I think it was worth the cost, as we had around 10 dishes to try (including dessert!) and 5 alcoholic drinks. We got to try more modern ‘tapas’ style dishes as well as traditional Slovenian cuisine such as the carniolan sausage (kranjska klobasa) and a barley stew (ričet). I was really a fan of the variety of liqueurs they produce in Ljubljana and I even brought back a bottle of the blueberry liqueur and also some honey, as Ljubljana has one of the highest number of beekeepers in Europe. It was also a great way to get our bearings around Ljubljana as we walked around the Old Town. 

Once you’ve finished up with the food tour, walk to the alternative district of Metelkova. This will take you around 20 minutes from the last point of the food tour. This place is worth seeing for the graffiti and the quirky buildings. I read that they usually host cultural events here in the evenings, but when we went in the afternoon there were just a few skaters hanging around but it was still cool to see! 

Evening 

If you’re still after more traditional food, then I recommend Julija or Restaurant Šestica for dinner. One Slovenian dish you need to try is their rolled dumplings. We tried mushroom & ricotta dumplings at Sestica and I also had a bowl of Goulash with homemade Polenta which was delicious. One thing I learnt in Ljubljana is to always book in advance! As some restaurants were fully booked when we tried to walk in for dinner. 

If you like your drinks with a view, then head to Nebotičnik - Skyscraper for a night cap with a great view of the city. Prices for drinks weren’t too bad here as I paid 6.50€ for a Hugo Spritz. Or for something more cosy, head to Kolibri Cocktail Bar and try one of their signature cocktails. 

Day 2 - Lake Bled

Lake Bled is just a one hour drive from Ljubljana. If you haven’t hired a car you can either get there by train or through a tour with GetYourGuide. We did the latter and found it was enough time for what we wanted to see and do. 

Firstly, our driver drove us to Bled Castle. Entry to the castle is 17€ and for me the best part about this was the view we got of the lake and Bled Island. If you're not that interested in the castle, then you can get a great view of the lake from Ojstrica viewpoint (and you won't have to pay). 

After this, you could take a ride on a pletna boat or hire a rowing boat to Bled Island. A ride on a pletna boat is 18€ per person, whereas if you hire a rowing boat it's 25€ per hour and that covers up to 4 people. You’ll only need an hour to do the roundtrip from the Island, as there’s not much to see once you’re there. 

You also can’t leave Bled without trying the Bled cream cake, a delicious layer of custard, cream and pastry. We had ours at the Park Cafe which is home to the original cake. 

If you have more time in Bled, you can go summer tobogganing on a sledding track, we didn't have time for this but it looked pretty fun. Although be prepared to queue for 45 mins when it’s busy. Another activity worth doing if you’re staying in Bled more than a day, is visiting the Vintgar Gorge as it’s absolutely beautiful. 

Day 3 - Soca Valley 

This day will take you through the beauty of the Soca Valley, but your experience might be dependent on the weather! We got quite a rainy day so the turquoise river quickly turned to white and then brown, but I suggest you Google what this place looks like in the summer as it's beautiful.

Soca Valley is located in the North West of Slovenia, and the river flows through the Julian Alps. The River Soča, which has a very picturesque emerald green colour. 

There’s a few guided walking trails you can take here, and you’ll come across viewpoints and waterfalls. It was also great to see the Alpine towns that surround the river, such as Bovec, Kobarid and Tolmin. 

Day 4 - Postojna Cave and Škocjan Caves  

Postojna Cave and Škocjan Caves are two of Slovenia's most famous and impressive cave systems. A lot of people often wonder which of the two caves is better, but I think it’s worth visiting both as they’re only a  25 minute drive from each other. If you’d rather just visit one here is a bit more information on each to help you decide:

Postojna Cave

• 40 minute drive from Ljubljana

• The cave stretches over 24 kilometres, and is known for its stunning formations, including stalactites, stalagmites, and other unique features. 

• The most iconic thing about this cave is the train ride you have to take (in the cave) before starting the walking tour. 

• You’ll also find a variety of amphibians living here!

Škocjan Caves

• 1 hour drive from Ljubljana 

• Škocjan Caves is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, for its exceptional natural beauty and biodiversity.

• The caves feature one of the largest underground canyons in the world, with a river flowing through it. In the summer this can also have turquoise waters which look beautiful when contrasted with the darkness of the cave. 

Scokjan Caves

Day 5 - Piran

An hour and a half drive from Ljubljana, you’ll find the coastal town of Piran. Piran was built under Venetian influence, and you’ll be able to see that as you wander through the narrow streets. However when you look at it from above, the birds eye view of the town reminded me of Dubrovnik in Croatia. 

To start your day here, climb up to visit St George’s Church to get panoramic views of the town and the Adriatic Sea. After this you could explore Tartini Square and stop at a local cafe for breakfast, such as Caffe Teater. 

In the afternoon, for 2€ you can walk along the town walls of Piran and you’ll be able to get some great views from above. After this you could take a walk around the Seaside Promenade and visit the Maritime Museum if this is of interest to you. 

For lunch, I suggest finding a seafood restaurant as its proximity to the sea means you’re guaranteed to get the freshed catch of the day! One restaurant I recommend is Fritolin Pri Cantini. 

As you can see there is a lot you can explore in 5 days in Slovenia, this isn’t an exhaustive list so I’m sure if you’re travelling from far and would prefer to extend your stay, there’s a lot more to explore! If you have any questions on where to stay or want more recommendations for Slovenia, feel free to reach out to me on my social accounts!

1. Say yes to things. 

2. Always have some money to fall back on. 

3. Audit your life and friendships now and again. 

4. It's ok to change your mind about what you want to do with your life.  

5. Stop thinking you're never going to find anyone. 

6. Look after yourself. 

7. Think of how you'd like to be remembered.

8. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. 

9. Don't compare your journey to others.

10. Stop thinking 'you have time'

VILNIUS, LITHUANIA

RIGA, LATVIA

• House of the Blackheads (pictured below)
• St Peter's Church
• Livu Laukums Square - we sat here for a drink in the afternoon and tried the local liquor 'Black Basalm'
• Powder Tower
• The Three Brothers

For dinner, we fancied something different so we ate at the popular spot RigaRamen. If you want more traditional food then we were also recommended Domini Canes. We also ate at the food court BURZMA at the top of the shopping centre next to our hotel, and there was everything from Mexican food to sushi. 

One thing I love to do when travelling is finding a rooftop bar (where applicable) or simply having a drink with a view! After dinner we went to the Skyline Bar Riga which had the best views over the Old Town and quite a cool cocktail menu. Just expect that these drinks will start at 12 euros. For a nightcap we stopped at Bar Stock Exchange, where the drink prices vary depending on demand!

On your second day in Riga, these are some more things I suggest doing to fill up your day:

• Bastion Park, Freedom Monument & Opera House: you can either walk 15-20 minutes out of the Old Town or grab an Uber to this area. In Bastion Park you can also take a cruise around the canal and it's quite picturesque. 
• Corner House Museum: this used to be an ex-KGB building in the city during the Soviet era. Here you'll be able to read about the shocking acts during the period Latvia belonged to the USSR, including forced migrations to Siberia, torture and espionage. 
• Art Noveau District: this area is perfect for your Instagram feed as the buildings are so beautiful! There is also a museum you can visit. 
• Central Market: Riga Central Market has an outdoor area and then 5 different 'warehouses' each dedicated to something different (fish, meat, dairy etc). It's worth seeing and you can sit and eat in some of them, but I'd avoid the fish one if you're sensitive to smells!

Next up, we flew to the capital of Estonia, Tallin. If you don't mind another coach ride then it's the cheapest option (approx 15 euros) and the coach will get you there in 4 hours and a half. 

TALLIN, ESTONIA

• Tallinn Town Hall
• Alexander Nevsky Cathedral 
• St Olaf's Church
• Viru Gate
• Kohtuotsa viewing platform (photo below)

For lunch we went to Balti Jaama Turg, a food market that's just a short walk outside the Old Town. Here I had some mini pancakes and then I couldn't resist getting a bacon and cheese smash burger too from another stall. 

In the afternoon, we jumped on some Bolt e-skooters and rode to the Kalamaja district where you can see traditional colourful wooden Estonian houses. From here, we went to Fotografiska (the contemporary museum of photography, art and culture) and it's definitely worth a visit! 

In the evening, we sat in the Town Square to have a drink before heading to dinner at Margherita Pizza & Trattoria and both the pizzas and pastas were delicious. Another place we went to for dinner was HARG which we saw was listed on the Michelin Guide. 

For the rest of your time in Tallinn, I recommend the following:

• A day trip to Lahemaa National Park: Just an hour away from Tallinn, you'll find this National Park which is also home to the Jagala Waterfall. If you take a tour, you'll also get to explore an old fishing village, the seaside and walk along a forest trail. 
• Visit the Eesti Museum: This is an interactive maritime museum, and you'll even find a pre-WW2 submarine hare and flight sumulators. Cost to enter the museum is 20 euros at the time of this article. 
• KGB museum: if you didn't get round to visiting in the other two cities or simply fancy learning more about this time in history, then you can visit one of the two KGB sites in Tallinn. 

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If you fancy ticking another country off your bucket list, then I recommend taking the 2 hour ferry ride to Helsinki! A one way trip cost us 30 euros and the ferry felt like we were on a cruise line, as there were a few bars, cafes and a Burger King on board. 

We really enjoyed our time in these 3 cities, and found ourselves comparing the Old Towns to a few Disney movies such as Beauty and The Beast and Pinocchio. You will definitely have your pick of postcard worthy photos here! 

I hope you've found this guide useful! Although this guide is for a spending a week in the Baltic capitals, if you're short on time this trip can easily be done in 5 days. If you have any questions or want any more recommendations, feel free to reach out to me on one of my socials below! 

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