October - December

By October, the country is in the shoulder season, which goes on through mid-November. Temperatures begin a steady decline, with highs around 60 nationwide in October, declining to the upper 40s and low 50s by November and the 30s and 40s by December. The second of two rainy seasons starts in October and persists through November. The first snowfall happens in Lake Bled on average in early November and in Ljubljana by the third or fourth week in November. Snow can be expected in nearly every part of the country by the second half of December. The Christmas market season is a popular time of year and many tourists come to Ljubljana, Lake Bled, and other locales to peruse them. It is a high point in an otherwise low season, which begins in this month and continues through the end of February (except for the ski resorts in Alpine Slovenia and Styria, which see an uptick in visitors due to the snowfall).

Holidays and festivals:

Mid-October (2 weeks): Maribor Theatre Festival, the oldest theatre festival in the country, hosted in the Slovene National Theatre.

October 25: Sovereignty Day (Dan suverenosti), commemorating the day the final Yugoslav soldier left Slovenian territory in 1991. It is a state holiday but not one many people get off work. It is the newest holiday, instituted in 2015. (holiday for state workers in Slovenia)

Late October: Ljubljana Marathon

October 31-November 1: Reformation Day (Dan reformacije), in remembrance of the day the Reformation officially began: October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, in what is now Germany. Also observed is the Day of the Dead (Dan mrtvih) the next day. Widespread nationwide business and infrastructure closures to be expected. (national holidays in Slovenia)

November 11: St. Martin`s Day (Martinovo), which is observed across Slovenia and is the official start of the wine harvest. Many towns and villages celebrate with wine festivals.

December: Christmas market season in Slovenia, including the Festive Winter Village in Lake Bled and the Ljubljana Christmas Market in the nation`s capital.

December: Christmas events at Postojna Caves, Postojna. There is a live nativity tableau presentation inside the caves, and there is a Christmas market outside the caves.

December 25: Christmas (Božic), not a national holiday, but a day everyone gets off work just the same. Widespread nationwide business and infrastructure closures to be expected.

December 26: Independence and Unity Day (Dan samostojnosti in enotnosti), honoring the certification of the country`s plebiscite results (held on December 23, 1990), in which 95% of Slovenes voted to declare independence from Yugoslavia. Widespread nationwide business and infrastructure closures to be expected. (national holiday in Slovenia)

December 31: New Year's Eve (Novo letni vecer). There are celebrations and fireworks displays in Ljubljana, Bled, and other cities across the country. (some closures expected)