What to expect of accommodation in Slovenia as a digital nomad? We stayed in Slovenia from the 4th till the 14th of March, 2024. These are the places we booked to both work online from and have fun kayaking day trips in Ljubljana and Brežice.

That Cat Flat in Ljubljana: Our Best Airbnb Experience in Over 200 Stays ⭐

Duration: 10 nights

I can’t recommend this place enough and you’ll be lucky to claim a spot. Fair warning: this place is not suitable for people who are allergic to cats. Please don’t book this place if you have a cat allergy, it’s not fair to the wonderful hosts Kat and Jan, and the cats.

Perfect Communication + Six Sweet Cats

When taking the ferry to Ameland, I was looking for places to stay in Ljubljana. With the help of Heidi from The Southern Space Cadet, I narrowed down the neighborhoods I wanted to stay either in Prule or Trnovo. When looking for 10 days in March and applying a bunch of filters, two places popped up. The first one was That Cat Flat in Trnovo. When I read the description, I told Jonas we’d found our place. He was skeptical, but quickly came around when he read the description:

“If you want to, you can come see our 6 cats! We live right next door. They’d love to play with you, get snacks, and be cuddled.”

We booked the place and wrote an intro message mentioning the cats. We were approved by the hosts within a minute and they wrote back that we could visit the cats next door. They were very communicative about our needs before our arrival, including our wish for one big blanket or two, aka the Scandinavian system.

Fast forward to our train journey from Germany to Slovenia, we wrote about our arrival time by train and our wish to see the cats as soon as possible. They immediately responded that we could meet them half an hour after our arrival. We also asked about prices for taxis in Ljubljana. They gave us the info, but then quickly said don’t bother, we’ll come and pick you up.

We met Kat at the train tracks and she led us to the car. The connection was immediately good. Jan was in the car and also said hello when putting our bulky luggage in the back. We had a nice chat in the car about our trip, then arrived at That Cat Flat, where we first moved into the space and then prepared to meet the cats.

The Space in That Cat Flat

Please note that my photos from That Cat Flat were taken in the evening with not the best lighting.

If good host communication and sweet cats weren’t what you came here for, I got you. Here are the details about the apartment.

Once through the door, there’s a coat rack, a shoe rack, house slippers (it’s a shoe-free space), a lint roller for the cat hair, and umbrellas to borrow. This entryway opens up into the kitchen and dining area with a high table to eat at. There was a welcome note on the table and a care package of fruit and snacks so we didn’t even have to go out to find food this late at night. Very appreciated and all of it was vegan. The kitchen is very complete and has all the tools you need to cook the majority of meals.

Through the arched gateway is the bedroom, the workspace, and the TV lounge area. The bed was very comfy and both sides had a nightstand with wall sockets. There’s cat-themed art on the walls and small items by the same artist based in Croatia. In the closet, there’s space for luggage and clothes, which also holds the drying rack for laundry. There’s no washing machine in the Airbnb, but upon request, it’s possible to do laundry at Kat and Jan’s apartment next door and then hang it to dry in the Airbnb. We also received fresh sheets and towels halfway through our stay as we’d discussed upon arrival.

There are two comfy chairs below the house rules. We moved them to face the TV in the evening to watch Netflix. The TV is a smart TV with a dedicated Netflix profile for guests, so we didn’t even have to log into our account. There’s a reversible air conditioner above the TV to heat the room and also plenty of central wall heating things around the apartment.

Close to the bathroom door is a desk for working remotely. Jonas worked there almost every day. When we told them we’re digital nomads, they said they would upgrade the desk chair to one that’s more suitable for long hours. In a few days, there was a new chair (not pictured!). The organization board above the desk has tons of resources about things to do in Ljubljana and a city map with That Cat Flat marked. And there are plug adapters, spare USB cables to charge your devices, a sewing kit, the guest book, and a self-written book about the stories of all six cats. There’s also a laundry basket, which you can move elsewhere if it’s in your way.

The bathroom had everything one could ever need. Provided shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel, hairdryer, hot water bottles, tampons, panty liners, hair ties, and even packaged toothbrushes and toothpaste in case you forgot. There was always hot water.

This accommodation in Slovenia is on the first floor accessible by stairs only. They have bicycles you can borrow to explore the city. There’s a parking space below and a veranda before entering the private terrace. The patio/balcony is for the guests and though the hosts also walk through it to get to their place, it’s always very clean. During our stay, it wasn’t warm enough to eat meals out there, but in the summer it should be very pleasant. There’s a lock box outside the gate here for self-check-in if needed. The hosts live next door, which is why it’s so easy to visit their cats.

Package of fresh sheets halfway during our stay

I can’t stress enough how much Kat and Jan have thought about providing everything one might need. It’s the best-equipped Airbnb I’ve ever seen in my life. So of course it passes the Scissor Test. Multiple times, actually. It’s not a huge apartment, but it’s very clever how the space is used. The place is very suitable for two (cat-loving) adults. It’s also incredibly clean despite them living next door with six fluffy cats.

Another reason why this is the best Airbnb in over 200 we’ve stayed at is that the hosts have stayed in the apartment while renovating their own. So they know all the things about actually living in the space and not just renting it out for money. We always tell people not to put their space on Airbnb unless they’ve lived in it for at least a week.

Meeting Dočka, Nežica, Levček, Gucci, Shanti, and Kali

Kat and Jan welcomed us into their home next door at the agreed time. After passing through the cat airlock to not have any kitties escape, Shanti the tabby greeted us first. We had a quick introduction to all the cats. Kali the tiny void, Dočka the magnificent grey, Nežica the cozy calico, Levček the shy tabby-and-white, and finally, Gucci, the orange-and-cream. Four girls, two boys. All of them are rescues. Four came from Kat and two from Jan.

Dočka and her mesmerizing eyes with Shanti in the background. Second photo Kali on my lap and Dočka next to me.

Gucci on Jonas' lap, Levček behind him

Nežica

Levček the Loaf. He's usually pretty shy!

Shanti sitting proud and Gucci perching on a pole during play

Of course, we didn’t come empty-handed; we still had some Dutch cat snacks and we always bring a string toy (shoelace). The cats appreciated the gifts and playtime. Kat gave me a brush to give brushies to whoever wanted it most. Both Dočka and Gucci are big fans of the brush.

Like this, we spent several hours talking and petting their six wonderful cats. It was easy because we have a lot in common. They take very good care of their cats and we loved seeing their solutions for not having one very chonky cat and several skinny ones: individual chip-activated feeding stations.

Kali, the black cat, doesn’t always vibe well with the other five. So after a couple of times showing up for cat therapy at Kat and Jan’s place, they offered we could take her for a couple of hours or a day in our space. We were glad to accept, and the following morning, Kali showed up with a litter box, a scratch plank, a snuggly tent, and her feeding station. In total, we had her over four times to our great joy. She’s a wonderful cat who loves to play, cuddle, and be the center of attention. And it was great fun to be Kali’s uncle and aunt for a couple of hours before returning her to her parents.

Angel baby Kali

This wasn’t a catsit like we did a lot in 2023, but we had quite a lot of the same experiences. It’s great to spend time with such a beloved clowder of cats. I would go back to Ljubljana only if we can stay here again. That’s how high the bar is!

Brežice: Hotel Spavlar

Duration: 1 night. Book your stay in Brežice here

The only reason we went to Brežice is that it’s on the Sava River and within a good kayaking distance from Zagreb. Otherwise, we didn’t have much of an opinion about the place. But we heard it has a nice castle. In the end, we quite loved the town.

Initially, I wanted to stay two nights. But without available apartments with kitchens, the prices for eating out in Slovenia don’t make sense to pay for three or four meals out the door. So we booked one night in a hotel that looked decent enough: Hotel Splavar. We took the train from Ljubljana to Brežice and the bus from the train station to the center.

Upon arrival at Hotel Splavar, there was no one to open the door for us. We waited for about ten minutes outside with our heavy kayaking gear. We rang doorbells and looked into the associated restaurant below the hotel, but that one was abandoned. Not a great start.

When someone eventually came down the stairs, checking in was okay. I got the key first to drop off the kayak backpack while Jonas dealt with showing our passports. The room was all the way at the end of the hallway and had the name Jesen (autumn).

The interior was a bit old, but all in all very pleasant. There was an entryway with a big wardrobe and a shoe rack. This room led to the bathroom and the living room. The bathroom was very nice and spacious. There were plenty of towels, shampoos, and soaps. No skimping.

Hallway overview. Sorry for the kayak luggage in the pictures

The living room has a workable desk that Jonas even used for some light work. In the evening, we also did the research on the Sava River together with another chair from the bedroom. There was a mini fridge below the desk that was in the way of our legs and it didn’t work. We used the ledge outside the window to keep our food cool when the sun went down.

The living room also has an extra single bed that was implied as a couch because it faced the TV above the desk. However, it wasn’t very comfortable as a couch because there were not enough pillows. Either way, it was just for one night and we weren’t going to watch TV anyway.

The living room opened up to the bedroom, which was nice. It had a small table with a chair as an extra potential working space. The bed was comfortable and we slept well. The bedroom window looked out on the Brežice water tower and the St. Lawrence church.

View from the bedroom

It’s quite central in Brežice and close to its beautiful castle. We did a 6-kilometer hike to the Brežice Rapids. In the evening, we went out to restaurant Huda, where we ate a very delicious burrata pizza and had some local Brežice craft beer. We asked the receptionist about taxi prices to Mostec, but her info wasn’t applicable to people who can’t negotiate like a local Slovenian speaker. Reception was generally unmanned. I liked the old prints and photographs of rafters on the Sava in the hallway.

Dark reception area

Conclusion: we stayed long enough in Hotel Splavar was nice enough for a short stay. This accommodation in Slovenia is nothing to write home about. I wouldn’t per se stay here again because of the price.

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