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3 cities
Region · Thermal Pannonian Slovenia
Savinjska
Celje and the Counts of Celje Castle, the Logar Valley and the Kamnik–Savinja Alps, and the thermal spas of Laško and Rogaška Slatina.
In the photo: Old Castle of Celje, in Savinjska.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The region
Get to know Savinjska
Savinjska is in central-eastern Slovenia and is named after the Savinja River, which descends from the Kamnik–Savinja Alps to Celje. To the north are mountain valleys; in the center, the Žalec valley with hop fields; to the south and east, hills with thermal spas and vineyards, reaching the Croatian border. Celje is the largest city.
Celje was the Roman Celeia and, in the Middle Ages, the seat of the Counts of Celje, whose lineage once rivaled the Habsburgs. The three golden stars from the counts’ coat of arms appear on Slovenia’s coat of arms. Old Castle of Celje, on a hill above the Savinja, is the country’s largest castle complex, and the town center has museums and the main square.
To the north, the Logar Valley (Logarska dolina) is a glacial valley surrounded by cliffs, with the Rinka waterfall at its end. It is part of a landscape park, and the Solčava Panoramic Road runs along the surrounding slopes, with views of the Kamnik–Savinja Alps. Further south, Velenje has a castle and a lake formed over former mining areas.
The region has several spa towns. Laško, on the Savinja’s banks, has thermal baths and a brewing tradition. Rogaška Slatina is known for mineral water rich in magnesium and for its crystal production. In Podčetrtek, near Croatia, are the thermal baths and the Olimje monastery, with an old frescoed pharmacy. Near Slovenske Konjice, the ruins of the Žiče Charterhouse sit in a forested valley.
Destinations
2 destinations in Savinjska
Cities
4 cities in Savinjska in the guide
Savinjska
Capital
Celje
Slovenia’s third-largest city, in the Savinja valley. It was the Roman Celeia and the seat of the Counts of Celje, who ruled much of the Slovenian lands in the 14th and 15th centuries. The family castle, on a hill to the southeast, is the country’s largest medieval fortification. In the old town, the Princes’ Palace preserves the skulls of the counts and the Roman ruins beneath the ground, and the Stara grofija features Celje’s painted ceiling.
Savinjska
Laško
Small town on the banks of the Savinja River, at the foot of Mount Hum, known for its thermal waters and for the brewery founded in 1825, the largest in the country. The Church of Saint Martin, of Romanesque origin, dominates the center. Every July the town hosts Pivo in cvetje, a beer-and-flowers festival. Trails climb Mount Hum, with views over the valley.
Savinjska
Rogaška Slatina
Spa town in eastern Slovenia, near the border with Croatia, with centuries of treatment traditions. It is known for Donat water, high in magnesium, which is drunk in the Pivnica water hall, for the spa park with 19th-century buildings, and for its crystal tradition. The Anin dvor museum tells the town’s history.
Savinjska
Solčava
A small village in the upper Savinja valley, seat of a municipality of about 500 inhabitants, at the entrance to three glacial valleys: Logar, Robanov kot and Matkov kot. It has the Gothic church of Mary of the Snows and the Rinka visitor center. It is the base for the Logar Valley, the Rinka waterfall and the Solčava Panoramic Road, which runs along the slopes among mountain farms.
When to go
The Logar Valley and the Kamnik–Savinja Alps are busiest in summer; on the high trails, snow often stays into early season. In autumn, the forests turn color and the southern hills harvest grapes. The region’s thermal baths operate year-round. The northern valleys typically have snow in winter.
Getting there
Celje is about an hour from Ljubljana via the A1, which continues to Maribor. Trains between the capital and Maribor stop at Laško and Celje, and from Celje trains run to Rogaška Slatina and Velenje. Ljubljana Airport is the closest; Graz Airport in Austria also serves the region. For the Logar Valley, a car is convenient because there are few buses from Celje.
Your questions
Frequently asked questions about Savinjska
How do I get to the Logar Valley?
By car, along the road that climbs the Savinja valley from Celje and Mozirje, a drive of about 1½ hours from Celje. There are buses from Celje, with limited departures. At the entrance to the landscape park, cars pay to enter: check in advance.
What to see in Celje?
Old Castle of Celje on the hill, the historic center with the main square and St. Daniel’s Church, the Regional Museum and the Roman Celeia ruins exposed beneath the town. The city is about an hour from the capital by train or car.
Where are Savinjska’s thermal spas located?
The best-known are in Laško, on the Savinja, in Rogaška Slatina, near Croatia, and in Podčetrtek, by the Olimje monastery. There are also spas in Dobrna and Topolšica. They operate year-round.
Do you need a car in Savinjska?
For Celje, Laško and Rogaška Slatina, no: trains connect these towns with Ljubljana and Maribor. For the Logar Valley, the Solčava Panoramic Road, Olimje and the hill villages, a car is very helpful.