Most Slovenians would disrecommend a visit to Slovenia in November. If you are absolutely willing to come to the country at this time of the year, be aware that November is not the month that represents Slovenia at its best. Prepare yourself and your luggage accordingly in order to survive the cold and grey weather and the drizzle.
If you have no other timing choice to visit the thousand wonders of Slovenia, get ready for average temperatures between 3 and 10°C. Once prepared to combat the cold and the rain, you will have the chance to enjoy an undiscovered Slovenia with attractive prices and an impressive number of events to brighten up your trip.
Even if November is not the optimum choice for your holidays, gourmets and wine enthusiasts will have the chance to enjoy a beautiful and yet totally uncrowded country. However, do not expect snow in November while discovering the Julian Alps: it rarely falls by the end of the month. Here is a list of November’s major events that will make it up to you!
1. All Saints’ Day
The first event of the month in Slovenia is not least: the All Saints’ Day, which takes place every year on November 1st, is an extremely important time for Slovenians. This day is a solemn holiday celebrated in most countries of Catholic tradition, and it marks the beginning of a chilly period for Slovenia.
However, this is an excellent occasion to remember the departed, and it leads to beautiful processions when Slovenians bring red lanterns and numerous candles to the cemetery. This event is also called All Hallows Day or Hallowmas, but also Feast of All Saints: it indeed commemorates all the church’s saints. In Slovenia, it is well known as Remembrance Day and is a special occasion to get to know the Slovenes habits and customs.
2. St Martin’s Day
If you are a wine specialist or only an enthusiast, you chose the perfect month to discover all the Slovenians customs and traditions around wine. Saint Martin’s day is a national celebration celebrated all around the country around November 11th to mark the time when the fermenting grape juice, also called must, finally turns into wine.
There are many different types of celebrating events organized almost all month long everywhere in Slovenia: here is a selection of the crop’s cream.
Dolenjska Celebrations of St Martin’s Day
Visiting the Dolenjska wine-making region is always a good idea, but it becomes even more interesting around St Martin’s Day. You will have the chance to spawn with the best local winemakers, quality producers, and talented musicians of the area in the fantastic scenery of the Grm Castle.
The Feast of St Martin in Novo Mesto is highlighted by numerous events to assist in with a delicious glass of the top-notch Dolenjska wines after having a taste of the culinary specialties of the day. These events are also an excellent opportunity to meet both tourists and visitors if you find the country a little too deserted at this kind of the year.
In 2020, the Dolenjska celebrations will be held on November 6th.
Grad Grm, Skalickega ulica 1, 8000 Novo Mesto
Contact: Barbara Bojanc, 051 647 179 or dolenjsko.martinovanje@gmail.com
Website: https://www.visitdolenjska.eu/dolenjsko-martinovanje.html
The Feast of Saint Martin in The Konjice Vineyard
In another wine-growing area, in Škalce, you can celebrate St Martin’s Day by being a part of the diversified cultural program that will teach you some about Slovenia’s ethnology. But most of all, you will benefit from numerous wine and culinary delicacies tastings.
The most fantastic part of spending this day in the beautiful Konjice vineyards is the lovely and unforgettable frame of the Zlati grič Wine Cellar. If you want to be a part of this full Slovenian experience, save your November 7th of 2020!
Slovenske Konjice, wine growing area of Škalce
Contact: 03 759 31 10 / info@tickonjice.si
Website: https://www.rogla-pohorje.si/sl/dogodki-in-prireditve/2020021913212761
Martin’s Day Celebration in Maribor
Maribor, the second biggest town of Slovenia, is also known to be its wine capital. Many wine-related events are organized inside the city’s historical walls all year long, and the Feast of Saint Martin is one of the most impressive ones. The Maribor celebration is the most unique and attended event to be held in Slovenia for this occasion.
Indeed, about 20.000 visitors come to Maribor every year to assist in this beautiful tribute to autumn and the rich entertainment program that comes with it. People come from all around the country and the world to discover the Autumn Procession organized annually on November 11th at precisely 11:11 in the Styrian capital.
The procession features wine queens from everywhere in Slovenia, as well as farm women, harvesters, representatives of wine associations, and diverse folklorists that join the celebrations held in the city center. Traditional food and wine are highlighted on this occasion. You can enjoy these delicacies at the stalls of local vine-growers and winemakers, but also in local tourist farms as well as in more traditional restaurants.
Maribor, Trg Leona Štuklja
Contact: Turistično informacijski center Maribor, + 386 (0)2 23 46 611
Website: https://www.visitmaribor.si/si/kaj-poceti/dogodki-in-prireditve/vsi-dogodki-in-prireditve/5927-martinovanje-v-mariboru
Martin’s Festival in Šmartno
Brda inhabitants and its lucky tourists will also be happy with Šmartno’s St Martin’s Festival. This event is the biggest festival organized in the country in honor of Saint Martin’s feast. Many wine tastings are planned annually, highlighted by great music and the frame of a beautiful fortified town.
Thirty winemakers of the area will present their unique products that you will have the chance to enjoy with a complete offer of local food. November is a cold period in Slovenia, but the beautiful views on the medieval walls and its warm-colored trees will give you an overall breathtaking picture. Once in Brda, you can also stop in Medana, another picturesque small town known for its authenticity and outstanding winemakers.
In 2020, these events will be held on November 14th and 15th.
Šmartno, Institute for Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports Brda
Contact: +386 5 39 59 595 / tic@brda.si
Website: https://www.brda.si/tradicionalni_dogodki/2017102114010936/Martinovo%20v%20%C5%A0martnem/
3. The November Gourmet Ljubljana Festival
While Ljubljana is deserted by its tourists in November, the month is traditionally animated by a series of memorable events revolving around Slovenian gastronomy. Every November, the Gourmet Festival of Ljubljana takes place in the heart of the city. In 2020, this will be between November 2nd and 30th. The main highlight, the Gourmet Finale, attracts many fine culinary connoisseurs and enthusiasts in the capital city.
It’s the perfect time of the year to focus on food and culinary traditions while visiting Slovenia: so feel free to assist in every event. You can join the Ljubljana Wine Experience or Taste Culinary tour, as well as an exceptional experience for Beer Lovers put in place by Ljubljana Tourism.
It is also a great occasion to taste the Slovenian tradition by eating in one of Ljubljana’s local food restaurants. Sunday Lunches, brunches, and breakfasts have become a real institution in town, so suit yourself at Sokol or at Le Petit Café!
Enjoy also the Locally Grown Food Exchange or the Little Wine School led by Mira Šemić to become a wine expert and learn everything there is to know about the local producers. This is also time for Ljubljana Craft Beer Week, as Slovenia is becoming more and more renowned in this sector.
4. Ljubljana Wine Route
Ljubljana hosts a traditional wine route annually around St Martin’s Day in order to make you discover the country’s 450 wines through tastings and playful activities. This is one of the highlights of the November Gourmet Festival, and it is organized in the heart of the old town. This year, it will take place around Prešernov trg on November 9th.
The event is free, but it is a great idea to discover wines through a cheap and straightforward tasting system: you have to buy coupons from the stands for 1 euro each, or you can get a glass to taste everything with a simple 10 euros caution that you will be able to reclaim after.
Website: www.ljubljanskavinskapot.si/ljubljana-wine-route-2017 / www.facebook.com/Ljubljanskavinskapot/
5. Visit a Slovenian Cave like Postojna
Postojna Cave, the most visited and touristic Cave one in the country, will give you the ability to discover actual baby dragons that are mentioned in Slovenian legends, as well as an impressive 140 years old railway. You will also find one of the most massive underground stalagmites in the world called the Skyscraper, which is about 16-metre-high.
The cave opening hours for visits from November to March are as follows: 10 am, 12 am, and 3 pm. Here are the prices for the visit beginning through the underground canyon from November to February:
- Adults: 16,00€
- Seniors and students (under the age of 26): 12,00€
- Children: 7,50€
Postojna Caves, Jamska cesta 30, 6230 Postojna
Contact: +386 5 700 01 00 / info@postojnska-jama.eu
Website: https://www.postojnska-jama.eu/en/
6. The Slovenia Wine Festival (Ljubljana)
The 2020 edition of the Slovenian Wine Festival will be the 23rd and will take place at Cankarjev Dom on 14 and 15 November. This is one of the largest food and wine-related events in Slovenia. It offers the opportunity to bring together many different people, from the industry or media, as well as curious consumers.
This event is made to raise the focus on Slovenian food specialties and wine while highlighting the work of local producers and globally promoting the traditional Slovene culture and economy.
Cankarjev Dom, Prešernova 10, 1000 Ljubljana
Contact: events@proevent.si
Website: https://www.facebook.com/slovenskifestivalvin/ / https://slovenskifestivalvin.si/
7. Attend The LIFFE International Film Festival in Ljubljana
The unique LIFFE festival was launched at first, under the name of the Film Art Festival of Ljubljana in 1990. Ever since, it takes place annually in different cultural centers of the capital and wishes to present you Ljubljana’s most significant cinema points of interest. It is organized by the Cankarjev dom Cultural together with the Congress Centre.
Most screenings are in Ljubljana, like in the Kinodvor cinema, the Komuna Cinema, or the Bežigrad Cinema, but also in other cities: you will have the chance to assist in events in Maribor, Celje, or again Novo Mesto. Overall, it will allow you to discover more than the usual Hollywoodian blockbusters, as it gets less commercial every year. It also manages to attract around 50.000 people every year!
Cankarjev dom, Prešernova cesta 010, 1000 Ljubljana
Contact: info@cd-cc.si / +386 (0)1 2417 147
Website: https://www.liffe.si/index.php/en/
8. Visit the Tunnels of Kranj and their Wine Route
In 2020 the 12th edition of the Kranj wine route will be held. This wine-related event is a chance to discover both the Slovenian wines, food, and the underground labyrinth of this beautiful medieval town. About 130 winegrowers and many other producers from all around the country will present you excellent wines, cheeses, meat products, and pieces of bread.
Old Town of Kranj
Contact: +386 (0)4 238 04 50 / info@visitkranj.si
Website: https://www.visitkranj.com/sl/vinska-pot-kranj
9. Assist in the Kaki persimmon Feast in Strunjan: the Occasion to Discover the Adriatic Coast
Lodge on the Slovenian coast, the Adriatic’s influence will allow you to enjoy 3 to 5°C higher than in Ljubljana. The weather will also often be less gray. The Slovenian coast will not be very animated at this time of the year. Still, on a beautiful day, there will be people during a beautiful November day in Piran or Koper, especially on weekends.
While on the coast, you can stop at Strunjan between 13. 11. 2020 and 15. 11. 2020, from 10.00 am, to taste a delicious fresh persimmon fruit or in the shape of an innovative culinary masterpiece.
10. Discover the Monthly Bled Market
The Great Bled Market invites you every second Saturday of every month to discover its excellent products and producers. This November, the market will take place on the 14th, from 8:00 to 12:00 in the courtyard of the Bled cooperative (Rečica – Za Žago 1A).
GOZD BLED kmetijsko gozdarska zadruga z.o.o., Za Žago 1A, 4260 Bled
Contact: +386 (0)4 575 05 13, ursa.visak@gozd-bled.si
Website: http://www.gozd-bled.si/
11. Vilinsko Mesto, “Fairy City” in Maribor
The beautiful city of Maribor organizes every year a festival of light aiming to make people socialize and create. For the 7th edition, in 2020, the city center of the town will be filled with a lot of animation: many events are organized in the medieval streets, from puppet shows to street theater but also creative workshops and great concerts.
Everyone is welcome to enjoy these fantastic moments between tourists and locals in Maribor’s streets, squares, and courtyards. You are welcome there from November 27th to December 28th to enjoy the country before the beginning of Winter!
Maribor centre, Vetrinje Mansion
Contact: +386 2 23 46 611 / tic@maribor.si
Website: https://www.vetrinjski-dvor.si/novice/vilinsko-mesto-2019/
12. Discover the Slovenian Thermal Baths
If it “lije kot iz škafa” in Ljubljana (when it rains heavily), there is nothing better than fighting evil with evil and merely throwing yourself into the water. You will have the opportunity to choose one of Slovenia’s many spas and go for a relaxing cure while listening to the rain. You can try one of Bled’s thermal baths after a trip to the Lake and even a rainy walk.
The well-deserved bath will await you in the shape of Slovenia’s numerous water parks, saunas, and swimming pools that will delight both young and old visitors.
13. Maribor Open, International Dance Tournament
If you are looking for an unusual evening activity, you must assist in the beautiful Maribor Open Dance Festival! Every couple is welcome to dance in rhythms of tango, chachacha, and many other dances. The 2020 competition will take place from November 27th to 29.
You can buy tickets at the hall cashier’s counter on the actual day of the event, so no worries! A seat at the table costs 25 euros, and standing is only 20 euros. It’s the perfect opportunity!
Sports hall of Technical school center in Maribor, Tezno, Zolajeva 12, 2000 Maribor
Contact: Salsero Maribor Dance Club, +386 2 320 44 00 / info@pk-salsero.si
Website: http://www.pk-salsero.si/
A Quiet Month in Slovenia
Whatever you choose to do in Slovenia in November, make sure to keep in mind that this month does not even pay the best tribute to the country and that you will definitely want to come back later!
If you are staying all November long in Slovenia, or if you were just looking for activities to do when it’s cold or raining, you can check this article for new ideas of inside or rainy hobbies.
