Facts at a Glance
Full country name: Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija)
Area: 20,251 sq km (7898 sq mi)
Population: 2,051,000
Capital city: Ljubljana (pop 330,000)
People: Slovenian 91%, Serbo-Croatian 7%
Language: Slovenian, Croatian, Serbian, German, English & Italian
Religion: Roman Catholic 80%, Eastern Orthodox Christian 2.4%, Muslim 1% & Protestant 1%
Government: Democratic Republic
Prime Minister: Janez Drnovsek
President: Milan Kucan
Slovenia occupies about 2% of central Europe - 20,251 sq km (7898 sq mi) of land area - and it's about the size of Israel or Wales. To the north is Austria and to the south Croatia. Shorter borders separate Slovenia from Italy in the west and Hungary in the east. Slovenia is predominantly hilly with more than 90% of its surface over 300m (984ft) above sea level. Forest covers almost half of the country (making Slovenia one of the world's `greenest' countries) and agricultural land - mostly made up of fields, orchards, vineyards and pastures - covers a further 43%.
There are six main regions within the country: the Alps; the pre-Alpine hills; the Dinaric karst (a limestone region of caves and underground rivers) below the hills; the Slovenian Littoral, 47km (29mi) of Adriatic coastline; and the `lowlands', making up around one-fifth of the country mostly in the east and north-east. The interior is drained by rivers including the Sava and the Drava which empty into the Danube, the Soca flowing into the Adriatic, and the Mura. The Kolpa river marks much of the border with Croatia.
Savica waterfall, source of the mighty Sava-Bohinjka River
The country is home to 2900 plant species and many are unique to Slovenia. Triglav National Park is especially rich in endemic flowering plants. Common European animals are abundant in Slovenia, including deer, boar, chamois, bear and lynx (all of which are hunted), and it's also home to rarer beasts such as the moor tortoise, cave hedgehog, scarab beetle and various dormice. Proteus anguinus, the `human fish', is unique to Slovenia's karst caves, and is one of the world's most mysterious creatures.
The north-west has an Alpine climate and temperatures in the Alpine valleys are moderate in summer but cold in winter. The Adriatic coast and much of the Primorska (westernmost) province have a Mediterranean climate with warm, sunny days and mild winters. Most of eastern Slovenia has a Continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. January is the coldest month when the average daytime temperature is -2 °C, (28°F) and July is the warmest with an average of 21°C (70°F).
Off the record: The Human Fish
The early Slovenes settled in the river valleys of the Danube Basin and the eastern Alps in the 6th century. In 748, Slovenia was brought under Germanic rule, first by the Frankish empire of the Carolingians, who converted the population to Christianity, and then as part of the Holy Roman Empire in the 9th century. The Austro-German monarchy took over in the early 14th century and continued to rule (as the Austrian Habsburg Empire from 1804) right up until 1918 - with only one brief interruption. Over these six centuries, the upper classes became totally Germanised, though the peasantry retained their Slavic (later Slovenian) identity.
Predjama Castle once hid a 15th century Slovene Robin Hood
In 1809, in a bid to isolate the Habsburg Empire from the Adriatic, Napoleon established the so-called Illyrian Provinces (Slovenia, Dalmatia and part of Croatia), making Ljubljana the capital (which it still is today). Though the Habsburgs returned in 1814, French reforms in education, law and public administration endured. The democratic revolution that swept Europe in 1848 also increased political and national consciousness among the Slovenes, and after WWI and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Slovenia was included in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. During WWII much of Slovenia was annexed by Germany, with Italy and Hungary taking smaller shares. Slovenian partisans fought against the invaders from mountain bases. Slovenia joined the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1945 and remained behind the Iron Curtain for several decades.
Slovenes worried when Serbia started to make moves in the late 1980s to assert its cultural and economic leadership among the Yugoslav republics. In late 1988, when Belgrade abruptly ended the autonomy of Kosovo, Slovenes feared that the same could happen to them. Pushing the Slovenes to split from Yugoslavia was the fact that for some years Slovenia's interests had been shifting to the capitalist north and west. Meanwhile, it's ties to the rest of Yugoslavia had become an economic burden and a political threat.
In the spring of 1990, Slovenia became the first Yugoslav republic to hold free elections and slough off 45 years of Communist rule; the following December the electorate voted overwhelmingly (90%) in favour of independence. Fearing the worst, the Slovenian government began stockpiling weapons and, on 25 June 1991, it pulled itself out of the Yugoslav Federation. To dramatise its bid for independence and generate foreign sympathy, Slovenia deliberately provoked fighting with the Yugoslavian federal army by attempting to take control of its border crossings. A 10 day war ensued, but resistance from the Slovenian militia was fierce and, as no territorial claims or minority issues were involved, the Yugoslav government agreed to a truce brokered by the European Community (EC). Slovenia got a new constitution right away and, on 15 January 1992, the EC formally recognised the country. Slovenia was admitted to the United Nations in May 1992 and is being considered for membership into NATO and for full membership of the European Union.
GDP: US$16 billion
GDP per head: US$8110
Annual growth: 5%
Inflation:15%
Major industries: Agriculture, textiles, timber products
Major trading partners: Germany, Croatia, Italy, France, Austria
Slovene is a South Slavic language written in the Roman alphabet. It's closely related to Croatian and Serbian, but the languages are not mutually intelligible. Slovene is grammatically complex, with lots of cases, genders and tenses. Fortunately for non-Slovenian speakers, virtually everyone in Slovenia speaks another language: usually Croatian, Serbian, German, English and/or Italian (in that order). English is the preferred language of the young.
Slovenia's most beloved writer is the Romantic poet France Preseren (1800-49), whose lyric poems set new standards for Slovenian literature and helped raise national consciousness. Since WWII, many Slovenian folk traditions have been lost, but compilations by the trio Trutamora Slovenica go back to the roots of Slovenian folk music. Popular music runs the gamut, but it was punk in the late 1970s and early 1980s that grabbed straitlaced Slovenia by the collar and shook it up. Postmodernist painting and sculpture has been dominated since the 1980s by the multimedia group Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK) and the five-member anonymous artists' cooperative IRWIN. Many notable buildings and public squares in Slovenia were designed by architect Joze Plecnik (1872-1957), whose image adorns the 500 SIT note.
Feeling fruit for a family feast
Slovenian cuisine is heavily influenced by that of its neighbours. From Austria, it's klobasa (sausage), zavitek (strudel) and Dunajski zrezek (Wiener schnitzel). Njoki (potato dumplings), rizota (risotto) and the ravioli-like zlikrofi are Italian. Hungary has contributed golaz (goulash) and paprikas (chicken or beef stew). And then there's an old Balkan standby, burek, a greasy layered cheese, meat or even apple pie served at takeaway places. There are many types of dumplings; cheese ones called struklji are the most popular. Traditional dishes are best tried at an inn (gostilna). Slovenia produces some noticeable red and white wines, a strong brandy called zganje and Union and Zlatorog brand beers, which are very popular.
The International Summer Festival is the nation's premier cultural celebration, featuring music, theatre and dance performances in Ljubljana and Bled during the months of July and August. The Cows' Ball (Kravji Bal) in Bohinj is a kitschy weekend of eating, drinking and folk dancing in mid-September to mark the return of the cows to the valleys from their high pastures. It doesn't get any more Slovenian than this.
Bovine Bohinj, home to the Cow Ball
January and March bring ski competitions - the January Women's World Cup Slalom and Giant Slalom Competition is one of the major ski events for women, held on the slopes southwest of Maribor. In March, the Ski Jumping World Championships host three days of high flying in Planica. In between the two, there's a rite of spring called Kurentovanje, held every February for 10 days up to Shrove Tuesday. This is the most popular Mardi Gras celebration in Slovenia; most of the festivities are centered in and around Ptuj.
Visas: Citizens of Australia, Canada, the EU, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and the US do not require visas for stays of up to 90 days. Citizens of other countries can get 90 day visas in advance at any Slovenian embassy or consulate, or 30 day visas on arrival.
Health risks: None.
Time: GMT/UTC plus 1 hour
Electricity: 220V, 50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric (see the conversion table.)
Money & Costs
Currency: tolar (SIT)
Exchange rate: US$1 = SIT171.72
Relative costs:
- Budget meal: US$5-10
- Mid-range restaurant meal: US$10-15
- Top-end restaurant meal: US$15 and upwards
- Budget hotel: US$10-30
- Mid-range hotel: US$30-50
- Top-end hotel: US$50 and upwards
Slovenia's still much cheaper than neighbouring Italy or Austria, though prices are increasing. To travel in comfort and style, expect to spend around US$100 a day; those happy to stay at guesthouses and eat at medium-priced restaurants should get by on $70 a day. Those putting up at hostels and eating at self-serve restaurants can cut costs to around US$35.
Nearly all prices are in tolars, but some hotels, guesthouses and campgrounds still quote rates in German Deutschmarks (Dm), to which the tolar is linked. It's simple to change cash and travellers' cheques at banks, post offices, travel agencies and any menjalnica, the ubiquitous private exchange offices. There's no black market, but exchange rates can vary. Banks take a commission of 1%, while tourist offices, travel agencies, exchange bureaus and hotels take up to 5%.
Credit cards are accepted at upscale restaurants, shops and hotels, but elsewhere you must use cash. Only a few of Slovenia's ATMs are accessible to foreign account holders. Credit card holders can get cash advances in tolars from some banks.
A 'circulation tax' (not unlike value-added tax) is added to the purchase price of most goods and services. Many hotels in Slovenia levy a 'tourist tax' on overnight visitors of about US$2. Don't worry about tipping since most restaurants add a 10% service charge to the bill.
When to Go
September is an excellent month to visit because it's the best time for hiking and climbing, and the summer crowds have vanished. December to March is high-time for skiers, while spring is a good time to be in the lowlands and valleys because everything's in blossom. Try to avoid July and August, when hotel rates rise and there are lots more tourists, especially on the coast.
Ljubljana is a smaller Prague without the hordes of tourists. By far Slovenia's largest and most populous city, it feels like a clean, green, self-contented town rather than an industrious municipality of national importance.
Ljubljana began as the Roman town of Emona, and legacies of the Roman presence remain throughout the city. The Habsburgs took control in the 15th century and later built many of the pale-coloured churches and mansions that earned the city the nickname 'White Ljubljana'. From 1809 to 1814, Ljubljana was the capital of the 'Illyrian Provinces', Napoleon's short-lived springboard to the eastern Adriatic. Despite the patina of imperial Austria, contemporary Ljubljana has a vibrant Slavic air all its own. The 20,000-something students who attend Ljubljana University keep the city young.
Most of the city's sights are along the banks of the Ljubljana river. On the southwest side is the Municipal Museum, stocked with a collection of Roman artefacts, plus a scale model of Roman Emona and some terrific period furniture. Further northwest from it is the National Museum, which has the requisite prehistory, natural history and ethnography collections. The highlight is a Celtic situla, a kind of pail or urn, from the 6th century BC. Diagonally opposite is the Museum of Modern Art, where the International Biennial of Graphic Arts is held every other summer. If looking at all this art incites the need for some R&R, head for peaceful Tivoli Park, in the northwestern quadrant of the city. A recreation centre within the park contains bowling alleys, tennis courts, swimming pools and a rollerskating rink.
Adrenaline seekers in Slovenia head for three-headed Mt Triglav (2864m/9394ft), the country's highest peak. It presides over the Julian Alps, which cut across Slovenia's northwestern corner into Italy. The Alps are visited by hundreds of weekend warriors, not all of whom are on ambitious treks. Early Slavs believed the mountain to be the home of a three-headed deity who ruled the sky, the earth and the underworld. Since the days of the Habsburgs, the 'pilgrimage' to Triglav has been a confirmation of Slovenian identity. Today Triglav figures prominently on the national flag.
The glorious Julian Alps - a great reason to stay in bed
Bled's quintessentially medieval castle was the seat of South Tyrolian bishops for over 800 years and was later used as a summer residence by the Yugoslav royal family. Set atop a steep cliff above Lake Bled, the castle has great views. A small museum within peeks into the area's history through a manly collection of swords and armour. On Bled Island, at the western end of the lake, is a white 16th century belfry with a 'bell of wishes'. It's said that anyone who rings the bell will get what they wish for; naturally everyone and their Slavic grandmother rings it over and over again. The land around Lake Bohinj, 30km (19mi) southwest of Bled, is undeveloped and exceedingly beautiful, with high mountains rising directly from a basin-shaped valley. The best routes up to Mt Triglav start from nearby Savica Waterfall and Stara Fuzina.
It's Bled-y lovely
Bled is 51km (32mi) northwest of Ljubljana and is well-served by both buses and trains.
The large underground Skocjan Caves lie below the desolate land of the Karst region. Millions of years ago this area was covered by a deep sea which left a thick layer of limestone deposits. Visitors can pass through these deposits thanks to an artificial tunnel built in 1933. The tunnel passes through the Silent Cave, a dry branch of an underground canyon that stretches for half a kilometre (545yd). The first section, called Paradise, is filled with stalactites, stalagmites and flow stones; the second part, called Calvary, was once the river bed. Silent Cave ends at the cavern known as the Great Hall - a 120m (394ft) wide and 30m (98ft) high jungle of dripstones and deposits. The caves are home to 250 varieties of plants and five types of bats.
The caves are within the village of Matavun, 110km (68mi) southwest of Ljubljana. There are frequent bus and train services via Divaca.
There are several bustling beach towns along Slovenia's short Adriatic coast. Italianised Koper, only 21km (13mi) south of Trieste, Italy, was the capital of Istria under the Venetian Republic in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Old Town's medieval flavour lingers despite the surrounding industry, container ports and superhighways.
Scrummy seafood and little lanes in coastal Izola
Pretty Piran is a gem of Venetian Gothic architecture with narrow streets which tend to be a mob scene at the height of summer. Its name derives from pyr - the Greek word for fire - referring to fires lit at Punta, the very tip of the peninsula, to guide ships to the port at Koper. Piran's long history dates back to the ancient Greeks, and well-preserved remnants of the medieval town walls still protect it to the east. The Maritime Museum, in a 17th century harbourside palace, has compelling exhibits on seafaring and salt-making, which have been important to Piran's development over the centuries.
The nicest beach along the coast is nearby at Fiesa. From its clean sands and boat-restricted waters you can see Trieste's Miramare Castle.
Piran is 17km (10.5mi) south of Koper, which in turn is 163km (101mi) southwest of Ljubljana. Bus service to both towns is frequent from Ljubljana and Trieste; buses also conveniently link all the coastal towns. A train also links Koper to Ljubljana.
The Soca Valley, defined by the aquamarine Soca river, stretches from Triglav National Park to the Italian border town of Nova Gorica and is one of the most beautiful and peaceful spots in Slovenia. It wasn't always. During much of WWI, this was the site of the infamous Soca Front, which claimed the lives of an estimated 1 million people and was immortalised by Ernest Hemingway in his novel A Farewell to Arms.
In 1917, combined Austrian, German, Hungarian and Slovenian forces met in Kobarid, on the front, and defeated the Italian army. It was the greatest breakthrough of WWI. Visitors flock to Mediterranean-style Kobarid (known as Caporetto to Hemingway) to relive these events at the award-winning, anti-war Kobarid Museum.
Half a dozen buses travel between Kobarid and Ljubljana daily. Kobarid is about 150km (93mi) northwest of the capital. Due north 21km (13mi) is Bovec, an adventure sports centre full of hiking, kayaking, mountain biking and skiing opportunities.
Central Slovenia's red-roofed castles
Slovenia has been making wine since the time of the Romans, and it now produces many high quality varieties. The country has 14 distinct wine-growing areas, but two of the most important for white wine are just outside the town of Ptuj: the Haloze Hills and the Jeruzalem-Ljutomer districts. From Ptuj, the vineyards are accessible on foot, by car or by bicycle.
The Haloze Hills extend south of Ptuj to the border of Croatia. The Haloze Trail (Haloska Pot) takes in this land of gentle hills, vines, corn and sunflowers; it's easy to pick up the path near Borl Castle, 11km (7mi) southeast of Ptuj.
The Jeruzalem-Ljutomer vinska cesta (wine road) begins at Ormoz and continues for 18km (11mi) north to Ljutomer via the hilltop village of Jeruzalem. There are bundles of cellars and restaurants along the way where the region's local whites can be sampled.
Rogaska Slatina is Slovenia's oldest and largest spa town. It's a veritable cure factory, with therapies ranging from spruce-needle baths to painful-sounding lymph drainage. Set among scattered forests in the foothills of the Macelj range, the area's two highest peaks, Boc and Donacka Gora, are visible from the centre.
Legend says that the magnesium-rich Slatina spring was discovered by the winged horse Pegasus when Apollo advised him to eschew the 'make believe and glitter' of the magic Hippocrene fountain and drink here instead. While it's true that the spring was known in Roman times, Rogaska Slatina didn't make it onto the map until 1574 when then-governor of Styria, Wolf Ungnad, took the waters on the advice of his physician. A century later a publication examined the curative powers of the Slatina springs and claimed they helped the ailing viceroy of Croatia. News spread to Vienna, visitors started arriving in droves, and relaxing inns opened their doors to cash in.
Rogaska Slatina is 125km (77.5mi) northeast of Ljubljana. Buses and trains link the town to the capital via Celje. The border crossing into Croatia at Rogatec is 7km (4mi) to the southeast.
Skiing is by far the most popular sport in Slovenia, and every fourth Slovene is an active skier. There are well-equipped ski resorts in the Julian Alps, especially at Vogel, which has impressive ski runs overlooking the Bohinj valley. The ski season lasts from December to March.
Hiking is almost as popular as skiing. There are 9000km (5580mi) of marked hiking trails and 165 mountain huts - which is quite considerable for such a small country. The full grandeur of the Julian Alps can be experienced in Triglav National Park at Bohinj. Veteran mountaineers should tramp the Slovenian Alpine Trail, which crosses all the highest peaks in the country.
Happy hikers in awe of the Alps
There's excellent rough and tumble white-water rafting on the Soca river; the town of Bovec makes a good starting point. The uncrowded roads around Bled and Bohinj beg to be bicycled.
Slovenia's national airline, Adria Airways, has nonstop flights between Ljubljana's Brnik Airport and practically every major city in Europe, as well as from Tel Aviv. There's a departure tax of US$16 for passengers leaving by air, which is usually included in the ticket price.
Buses travel between Slovenia and Italy daily, using Nova Gorica in Slovenia as the easiest exit and entry point. Koper also has good bus connections with Italy: some 17 buses a day go to and from Trieste, 21km (13mi) to the northeast. It's also easy to travel by bus to and from neighbouring Hungary. The main train routes into Slovenia come from Salzburg (4-5 hrs away), Trieste (3 hrs), Vienna (6 hrs) and Zagreb (2-3 hrs) in Croatia. Trains between Amsterdam and Ljubljana take 18 hours. There are dozens of international border crossings if travelling by car, motorcycle, bicycle or even on foot. On weekends between April and mid-October, it's possible to sail between Venice and Portoroz (one of Slovenia's Adriatic coast towns) by catamaran.
Except for long journeys, bus is the preferred way of getting around Slovenia. There are frequent departures and the network has an octopus' reach across the country. In some cases, there's no choice; travelling by bus is the only practical way to get to Bled and Bohinj, the Julian Alps and much of the coast from Ljubljana. You might need to make a reservation on Friday afternoons, when many students leave Ljubljana for the weekend. The train is best left to sightseers: one of the prettiest rides chugs through the Soca Valley.
Driving a car can be a good way to get to some of the most beautiful and isolated towns and villages in Slovenia, and rental prices are reasonable. Rental agencies at Brnik Airport and in Ljubljana have the most competitive rates. The country's tolls and petrol prices are relatively inexpensive. Slovenians drive on the right.
- Independent Slovenia: Origins, Movements, Prospects is a good compilation of essays by Slovenian activists and analysts explaining the hows and whys of Slovenia's independence movement.
- A superb book, with excellent photos and text that delves into Slovenian culture, history and folklore, is Mountains of Slovenia (Cankarjeva Zalozba) by Matjaz Kmecl.
- Slovene for Travellers by Miran Hladnik not only has conversational phrases by topic but also includes excellent cultural information and travel tips.
- The Tenth Brother (Deseti Brat) published in 1866 by Josip Jurcic was the first full-length novel in Slovene. It's the tragic and realistic story of an illegitimate son's desire for revenge.
- Playwright Ivan Cankar has been called 'the outstanding master of Slovenian prose', and his works, notably The Ward of Our Lady of Mercy (Hisa Marije Pomocnice) and The Bailiff Yerney and His Rights (Hlapec Jernej in Njegova Pravica), influenced a generation of younger Slovene writers.
Lonely Planet Guides
Travellers' Reports
On-line Info
Environment
History
Economic Profile
Culture
Events
Facts for the Traveller
Attractions
Off the Beaten Track
Activities
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Recommended Reading
