Slovenia or Slovenija is a member of the European Union, Schengen Agreement and NATO. Not to be confused with Slovakia. The country lies in South Central Europe in the Julian Alps at the northern end of the Adriatic Sea, bordered by Austria to the north, Italy to the west, Hungary to the northeast, and Croatia to the southeast. Despite its small size, this Alpine country controls some of Europe's major transit routes.
Previously one of Yugoslavia's six constituent republics, present-day Slovenia became independent in 1991. Historical ties to Western Europe, a strong economy, and a stable democracy have assisted in Slovenia's transformation to a modern state.
Slovenia's main industries include car parts, pharmacy, electronics, electrical appliances, metal goods, textiles and furniture. It has a Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers, and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east.
Slovenes settled the region in the 6th century, when they were incorporated together with Bavarians and Franks. At that time, Christianisation took place. Afterwards, the Slovene lands were part of the Holy Roman Empire, and later they were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the dissolution at the end of World War I in 1918 - when the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was formed, and turned into a multinational state named Yugoslavia in 1929.
After Slovenia was occupied by the Axis powers and later liberated by the Partisans with the help of Western Allies in World War II, Slovenia became a republic in the renewed Yugoslavia, which although communist, distanced itself from Moscow's rule. Dissatisfied with the exercise of power by the majority Serbs, Slovenes succeeded in establishing their independence in 1991 after a short 10-day war.
Slovenia acceded to both NATO and the EU in 2004, and joined the eurozone and the Schengen Area in 2007, completing the final steps of accession to the European Union.
Slovenia became the first 2004 European Union entrant to adopt the euro on 1 Jan 2007 and has experienced one of the most stable political and economic transitions in Central and Southcentral Europe. With the highest per capita GDP in Central Europe, Slovenia has excellent infrastructure, a well-educated work force, and a strategic location between the Balkans and Western Europe.
Privatization has lagged since 2002, and the economy has one of the highest levels of state control in the EU. Structural reforms to improve the business environment have allowed for somewhat greater foreign participation in Slovenia's economy and helped to lower unemployment. Slovenia became the first transition country to graduate from borrower status to donor partner at the World Bank in March 2004.
Slovenia became an OECD member in 2012. Despite its economic success, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Slovenia has lagged behind the region average, and taxes remain relatively high. The labour market is often seen as inflexible, and legacy industries are losing sales to more competitive firms in China, India and elsewhere.
The global recession caused the economy to contract through falling exports and industrial production, by 8%, and unemployment to rise in 2009. The economic growth resumed in 2010, but dipped into negative territory with the unemployment rate approaching 12% in 2012.
Older Slovene cities have historic influences by baroque (Austrian) and Roman (Italian) architectures. Part of both, the countryside and city architecture in the northwest, shares many commonalities with neighbouring Austria, including countless baroque shrines and steeples. The Ljubljana capital was founded in Roman times; today its university has over 50,000 students.
The most famous Slovenes include the poet France Preseren (1800-1849) who penned the Slovene national anthem, and the architect Joze Plecnik (1872-1957) who is credited with Ljubljana's iconic Triple Bridge.
Four major European geographic regions meet in Slovenia: the Alps, the Dinaric area, the Pannonian plain and the Mediterranean. Slovenia's highest mountain, the three-peaked Triglav, is depicted on the national flag. Main tourist attractions include the famous caves with their decor of stalactites and stalagmites in Postojna.
Slovenia has a 46 km long coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountains and valleys with numerous rivers to the east. Slovenia's highest point is Mount Triglav at 2,864 m. Natural resources include lignite coal, lead, zinc, building stone, hydropower and forests.
Regions of Slovenia
- Coast and Karst (Ilirska Bistrica, Piran, Postojna, Sežana, Koper)
- The southwestern side of Slovenia with hills, caves and the coastline.
- Julian Alps (Bled, Idrija, Jesenice, Triglav National Park)
- The mountainous northwest lakes and Mount Triglav.
- Central Slovenia (Kamnik, Kranj, Ljubljana)
- The central region with the capital city.
- Southeastern Slovenia (Dolenjske Toplice, Kočevje, Novo Mesto)
- The southeastern region with Krka and lower Sava rivers.
- Pohorje-Savinjska (Savinja and Šalek Valley,Celje, Trbovlje, Velenje, Žalec)
- The northern region with mountains and the Savinja river valley.
- Eastern Slovenia (Maribor, Ptuj, Murska Sobota)
- The northeastern region with the Drava and Mura rivers, and numerous vineyards.
Cities of Slovenia
Ljubljana — the picturesque, pint-sized capital
Maribor — Slovenia's second largest city
Celje — one of Slovenia's oldest cities
Kranj — largest city in the northwest
Novo Mesto — largest city in the southeast
Nova Gorica — largest city on the Italian border
Koper/Capodistria — largest city on the Slovene coastline
Velenje — the eighth largest city in Slovenia
Attractions in Slovenia
Solcava Panoramic Road, Savinja and Šalek Valley.
Logar Valley Natural Park — one of the most beautiful alpine valleys, Lonely Planet described it as "a land of incomparable beauty"
Savinja and Salek Valley — great place for active holidays, picturesque land of natural parks and Pippi Family Festival
Bled — mountain lake with an island and a castle
Skocjan Caves — a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Julian Alps — hiking, skiing, Nordic walking
Postojna Caves — enjoy the 5 km ride through giant caves
Soca/Isonzo Valley — where the emerald-coloured river flows
The Kolpa River — one of the intact rivers in Slovenia comprised of a 113 km long strip of land that borders Croatia
Triglav National Park — home of the national symbol, Mount Triglav where you can enjoy exploring the Posočje area, canyoning, rafting, paragliding, hiking and mountaineering
Radovljica - tiny picturesque town in the Upper Carniola
Piran/Pirano - charming picturesque coastal town
Ankaran/Ancarano - pleasant town on Adriatic coast beween Triest and Piran
Slovenia is a member of the Schengen Agreement.
There are no border controls between countries that have signed and implemented this treaty - the European Union except Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Likewise, a visa granted for any Schengen member is valid in all other countries that have signed and implemented the treaty.
But be careful: not all EU members have signed the Schengen treaty, and not all Schengen members are part of the European Union.
This means that there may be spot customs checks but no immigration checks travelling within Schengen but to/from a non-EU country or you may have to clear immigration but not customs,travelling within the EU but to/from a non-Schengen country.
The Ljubljana Bus Station,Avtobusna Postaja Ljubljana provides composite information about international and airport bus services. Connections between the Italian city of Trieste and nearby Koper and Piran are frequent on weekdays.
There's also a daily bus trip between Trieste and Ljubljana, and there are trips between Gorizia in Italy and its neighbor/twin town of Nova Gorica in Slovenia at least every hour throughout the day, although the trip can also be made on foot. This supplements the railway connection between the Italia and Slovenia, or an alternative entry point from either Trieste or Venice.
The Ljubljana Airport formerly called Brnik is Slovenia's primary international airport and the hub of national carrier Adria Airways, which flies to numerous cities across Europe and offers connections to Southeast Europe. The cheapest air connections are available via easyJet's daily flight from London Stansted Airport in England.
The Irish Ryanair runs flights from Dublin to Pula across the border in Croatia. Another convenient gateway to western Slovenia is via Italy's Trieste airport, which is an hour-long drive from Ljubljana via highway. The airport in Klagenfurt, Austria, is also an option. The Italian Treviso Airport, serving Venice and Treviso, offers alternative entry points to Slovenia.
Slovene railways are well connected to all neighbouring countries, except Italy where railway connections have gaps. The most popular routes connect from Vienna or Villach in Austria, from Budapest in Hungary, from Zagreb in Croatia.
To get around the poorer railway connection to Italy, travelers can board a train from other points in Italy to Gorizia and then take a bus, or walk to its neighbouring town Nova Gorica in Slovenia, where there are regular train lines to Ljubljana. For entries from Trieste, it is advisable to take a bus or a taxi to Sezana where another train can be boarded.
Several international routes and special offers exist for some destinations. Some destinations have tickets on contingency basis that can run out fast, but are usually very cheap, such as Ljubljana - Prague line priced €58 for a return ticket,compared to a normal price of €200. For return trips originating in Slovenia, open-dated City Star tickets, which usually require a weekend stay, are usually the cheapest choice.
With the Euro26 youth card, a discount can be received on most international lines the discount does not stack up with other special deals. The same card also applies for all domestic lines, with a 30% discount.
The Slovene highway network is well connected to all neighbouring countries, with a few poorer connections to Croatia on the Slovenian side. Slovenia requires that all vehicles with a permissible gross weight less than 3.5 tonnes buy a vignette (road tax) before using motorways or expressways.
For passenger vehicles, the vignette costs €15 for a week, €30 for a month, or €110 for a year. For motorcyclists, this costs €7.50 per week, €30 for 6 months, and €55 for a year. Using highways without a valid vignette can result in a fine of €300 or more. Vignettes are usually sold at borders and gas stations.
There are posted signs advising a vignette purchase and border agents sometimes pass a flier advising travellers to buy one.
From Austria
Vienna → Graz → Šentilj → Maribor
Villach → Karavanke Tunnel → Jesenice
Villach → Wurzenpass → Podkoren → Kranjska Gora
Klagenfurt → Loiblpass → Ljubelj → Kranj
Wolfsberg → Lavamünd → Vič → Slovenj Gradec
From Italy
Venice → Trieste → Fernetti → Sezana
Trieste → Skofije → Koper
Venice → Gorizia → Nova Gorica
Tarvisio → Rateče → Kranjska Gora → Jesenice
Cividale del Friuli → Stupizza → Kobarid → Tolmin
A fast ferry between Venice and Izola runs with an irregular schedule mainly during the summertime; the journey takes 3 hr.
Venezialines runs another fast ferry each week between Venice and Piran. During the summertime, there is a fast craft service operated by Trieste Lines between Trieste in Italy, Piran in Slovenia, Porec and Rovinj in Croatia. The portion of the journey between Piran and Trieste lasts 30 min, which is pretty much the same as a journey by car.
Hitchhiking may be your best option to move around for free. Maps can be bought at gas stations for about €10, or at book stores for a slightly lower price. Getting around by car is generally painless when using highways, but those require a purchase of a vignette. Travellers may experience tougher times off the highways, or when using public transport.
Bus schedules in particular have been slashed, so some planning ahead is required. Services are sparse and limited on Saturdays and Sundays.
Hitchhiking in Slovenia works and is generally safe, but be aware that by hitchhiking you are playing a gambling game as some of the times you may not get a driver who doesn't expect you to beseach him or her for a favor of a free ride. The general rule is if the gut feeling is telling you to not take a ride when someone pulls over to pick you up, just ignore them and keep hitching.
Hitchhikers may also have a better experience with female drivers, though they might not be the ones to offer you a ride as often as the male drivers.
The 1,228 km long Slovene Railways or Slovenske Zeleznice (SZ)) train network will get travellers to most destinations in the country, although there are a few gaps in the network and routes can be circuitous, therefore train travel often requires passengers to move to another train in Ljubljana where all Slovene railway lines converge.
Trains are usually 30% cheaper than buses, and return discounts are available on weekends. It's advisable to buy tickets before boarding, as there is a surcharge for any tickets bought from the conductor - except if tickets are not sold at the station. A €1.20 surcharge also applies to InterCity trains.
The railway system has been relatively modernized. The railway station names are typically only visible on station building signs, so figuring out to which station the train is arriving means constantly looking outside the correct window,sometimes it's on the right side, other times it's on the left side. A few newer trains have a voice announcement system that announces to which station the train is arriving.
Trains are punctual except some of the international trains, so travellers should check the expected arrival time and previous station names to be sure where to get off. For figuring out the next train from a station electronic signboards are rare, but printed schedules are always available): odhod (yellow) means departure, while prihod (white) means arrival, although this is usually also indicated in English.
Buses fill the railway gaps, and are usually a better option for some towns not directly served by train,like Piran. Some bigger bus stations have electronic search engines for schedules and fares.
The 38,925 km long Slovene road network is usually well maintained and signposted. Although travellers may encounter several roads being limited or blocked to traffic due to maintenance work or urgent repairs especially in wintertime, travelling on main roads usually isn't problematic. There are many taxi services in Ljubljana, as well as car rental services, some of which are offering older cars for a lower price.
The national Slovenian language is spoken natively by 91.1% of the population, only 4.5% are native speakers of Serbo-Croat, but it is widely understood. 4.4% minority communities near the national borders speak Italian and Hungarian. Spoken English is on the level of other European countries in the nearby region. Many Slovenes also have some knowledge of German, especially in the eastern region.
Slovene schools teach foreign languages from primary school onwards. Students can study two foreign languages most commonly English and German by the time they get to grammar school. Grammar schools often teach an optional third foreign language French, Italian or Spanish.
While most of the younger Slovenes speak English fluently, older residents are more skilled in Serbo-Croatian and German, while some of them can also read Cyrillic.
In conclusion, Slovenian language is a part of Southern-Slavic languages, so in case you don't speak English but do speak other Slavic languages especially Serbo-Croatian is widely understood, you can try it, as Slavic languages are very related to each other.
The National Museum of Slovenia in Ljubljana Presernova 20, entrance from Muzejska Street, is the oldest and largest Slovene museum. It was founded in 1821. The museum building on the Museum Street was built in 1888. It was the first building assigned solely to Slovene culture.
Today, the museum stores a rich collection of valuable objects. The oldest ones date back to the Stone Age, while there are also newer ones that are still used in today's modern times.
The new building of the National Museum of Slovenia on the Metelkova, Maistrova Street 1, exhibits collections of the applied art heritage of Slovenia. The permanent exhibition brings together objects of applied arts from the 14th century to the present day.
In Savinja and Salek Valley there are many Slovenian natural and cultural pearls:
- Logar Valley Landscape Park with splendid Rinka Waterfall (90 m),
- Solcava Panoramic Road with great vistas on Kamnik-Savinja Alps,
- Cathedral of St Mohor and Fortunat in Gornji Grad the most voluminous Slovenian chatedral
- Snezna jama Cave, the highest tourist cave in Slovenia,
- Coal Mining Museum with three Velenje lakes.
The mountains and rivers of the Julian Alps and of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps provide the perfect location for skiing, hiking, mountain biking, rafting and kayaking.
The southern region is an area of numerous caves.
Travellers can enjoy different spa resorts in the eastern region, take a dive in the Adriatic Sea, visit cities, or enjoy the countryside cuisine and local wine.
Travellers can also visit Bled's alpine resort and its lake with an island, the massive stalactites and stalagmites in the Postojna caves where the graffiti indicate that the first tourists came there in 1213, pure, picturesque and nostalgic alpine world of Savinja and Salek Valley, the lively coastal town of Piran, the Soca river, or the Trenta valley.
Stores are friendly and filling stations usually provide free access to toilets, water and quick washing necessities by the sink.
Slovenia has the euro (€) as its sole currency along with 24 other countries that use this common European money. These 24 countries are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain official euro members which are all European Union member states as well as Andorra, Kosovo, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino and the Vatican which use it without having a say in eurozone affairs and without being European Union members.
Together, these countries have a population of more than 330 million.
One euro is divided into 100 cents. While each official euro member,as well as Monaco, San Marino and Vatican issues its own coins with a unique obverse, the reverse, as well as all bank notes, look the same throughout the eurozone. Every coin is legal tender in any of the eurozone countries.
Prices are generally high compared to the rest of the European Union. Some prices vary depending on location. For example, a half-litre beer is usually sold at half the price outside Ljubljana compared to pub sales inside the city.
A value-added tax (VAT) of 22% with a reduced rate of 9.5% usually applied to foods and some soft drinks is charged on most purchases, and is always included in the displayed price tags. Non-EU residents are entitled to get this tax back for purchases over a certain value when the goods are exported.
Travellers can ask the cashier to write down their name on a bill, then they can show this bill for tax returns when leaving Slovenia through Ljubljana Airport or any of the main border crossings with Croatia.
Tipping was not to be expected in Slovenia. However, in recent years, tips are becoming more common, especially in some of the areas highly visited by tourists.
You can make relatively cheap purchases of groceries and other common supplies in several supermarkets, such as the Slovene supermarket chains of Mercator the international retailer with city-malls with various other smaller local and international stores and Tus, or the foreign international supermarket chains of Dutch Spar, German Aldi (Hofer) and Lidl, Italian Eurospin, French E. Leclerc and Hungarian CBA.
The standard opening hours are M-Sa 8:00-20:00, with some stores also having opening Su 8:00-10:00 or 15:00.
The old saying there is no free lunch is true in Slovenia. Served foods can be expensive and are commonly not appropriate for vegans, so the best way to get cheap foods to your liking is buying it directly from the local supermarkets.
At the top of the list of places to eat in Slovenia is the common restaurant or restavracija, followed by common bars called gostilna and gostisce and rustic inns in the countryside. The international McDonalds fast-food restaurants are available in larger cities. Hamburgers are also served in grills and smaller snack bars called okrepcevalnica.
Slovene cuisine is heavily influenced by that of its neighbours, including the Austrian Strudel and Wiener Schnitzel, the Italian risotto and ravioli including pizza and several sorts of pasta, and the Hungarian goulash. Unique dishes include the air-dried ham derived from the Italian prosciutto called kraski prsut, potato dumplings derived from the Italian gnocchi called Idrian zlikrofi, a variant of Italian polenta called zganci and ajdovi zganci made of buckwheat, Austrian-derived dumplings struklji prepared in 70 different ways of stuffings with sweet fillings, meat or vegetables, and Italian-derived jota,a type of soup made of beans, sauerkraut, potatoes, bacon, spare ribs and garlic.
The traditional Slovene cake called potica, which is made by rolling up a layer of dough covered with walnuts, and a cake-like pastry called gibanica, which is made of poppy seeds, walnuts, apples, raisins and cheese, topped with cream.
Slovenes have also adopted several foreign fast foods, such as the Serbian spiced-up hamburger patty pljeskavica, the Bosnian/Serbian spicy meatballs cevapi, the Bosnian variant of Turkish Borek that is a large flaky pastry stuffed with meat/cheese/apple called burek, and the Arab/Turkish Shawarma called doner kebab.
Slovenian cuisine is a mixture of the Central European cuisine especially Austrian and Hungarian, the Mediterranean cuisine and the Balkan cuisine. Historically, Slovenian cuisine was divided into town, farmhouse, cottage, castle, parsonage and monastic cuisine. Due to the variety of Slovenian cultural and natural landscapes, there are more than 40 distinct regional cuisines.
Ethnologically most characteristic Slovene dishes were one-pot dishes, such as ricet, Istrian stew (jota), minestrone (minestra), and zganci buckwheat spoonbread; in the Prekmurje region there is also bujta repa, and prekmurska gibanica pastry. Prsut prosciutto is known (prsut) in the Slovene Littoral. The nut roll (potica) has become a trademark and symbol of Slovenia especially among Slovene diaspora in America.
Soups were added to the traditional one-pot meals and various kinds of porridge and stew only in relatively recent history.
Each year since 2000, the Festival of Roasted Potatoes is organized by the Society for the Recognition of Roasted Potatoes as a Distinct Dish, attracting thousands of visitors.
The roasted potatoes, which have been traditionally served in most Slovenian families only on Sundays—preceded by a meat-based soup, such as beef or chicken soup—have been depicted on a special edition of post marks by the Post of Slovenia on 23 November 2012.The best known sausage is kranjska klobasa.
Slovene foods are generally heavy, meaty and plain. A typical three-course meal starts with a soup often made of beef or chicken broth with egg noodles, after which a meat dish is served with potatoes and salad with vinegar. Bread is often served on the side. Common mains include cutlets, a sausage and goulash, all usually prepared from pork, lamb and game, and there is also a large choice of fish and other seafood further away from the coast.
Other Slovene foods made of pig include blood sausage, roasts, stuffed tripe, smoked sausage, salami, ham and bacon. Recipes for the preparation of poultry, especially turkey, goose, duck and capon, have been preserved for many centuries. Foods made of chicken and squid are also commonly available.
Slovenia is not the best place for vegetarians, although some inns offer fresh salads and fried vegetables per request. Strict vegans won't find more than a handful of vegan restaurants in the country. However, even the smallest grocery store offers non-meat foods for sale. In the cities, the Mediterranean chickpea staple falafel and vegi-burger can be found on some fast-food menus.
Many restaurants in Slovenia offer a vegetarian plate, which includes potatoes and fresh or boiled vegetables with soya steak. In coastal cities, local seafoods include fish, squids, mussels and octopus.
All restaurants and bars usually sell drinks like beers, wines and spirits. Tap water is drinkable.
The coffee culture is widespread in Slovenia. 'Coffee' usually stands for a tiny cup of strong Turkish coffee. Coffee with milk or whipped cream is also commonly available.
Tea is not as popular, and only sorts of fruit-flavoured and herbal teas are usually available instead of the basic black cup. Tea can also be served with lemon or honey.
Beer is the most popular drink in Slovenia. The main two Slovene beer brands are Lasko and Union. Common beer amounts sold at pubs range from 'large' (0.5 L) to 'small' (0.3 L). The Union Radler Grapefruit is also good. There are also few Slovenian craft breweries that have rosen up in the past few years and you can try their beers in some pubs in Ljubljana and other towns.
Wines are usually ordered by the deciliter. The western region of Slovenia produces reds and the drier whites (in Italian/French style), while the eastern region produces semi-dry to sweet whites, which cater more to the German/Austrian-type of palate. Local wine specialities include Riesling, Teran (a very dry red from the southwestern Karst region), and Cvicek (a very dry/light red from the southeast).
A brandy derived called zganje/rakija/snops, distilled from various fruits, is very common. Other popular spirits include a honey-sweetened brandy called medeno zganje or medica.
Sleeping outside in a public area,outside of designated camping grounds is not recommended. Aside from the climate's moisture posing a problem, not many Slovenes may be comfortable with seeing homeless people, and sleeping outside in a public place especially inside a city and especially at night can get you into trouble.
However, Slovenia has a wide variety of high-priced accommodations, including five star hotels, secluded cottages in the mountains, and 'tourist farms' in the countryside.
Sleeping in your car, though uncomfortable, is a cheap and viable option especially during the summer season, and you usually won't get bothered in secluded public parking places, though you might not want to stay at the same place longer than a day or two.
The free parking places of settlement areas are your best bet, as well as some parking places of restaurants, but you should avoid the more obvious parking areas such as the ones of supermarkets, as those are very often monitored by various securities especially at night.
Camping is not permitted in the national parks of Slovenia, but there are various designated camping grounds. It's advisable to come with a camping mat, as travellers will more likely find pitches consisting of small stones instead of comfortable grass.
There are hostels in all of the high-tourist areas in Slovenia. The average price for a basic bed in a dorm ranges from €10 to €20. Some of the student dormitories are converted into hostels in summertime, but these tend to be poorly located and badly maintained.
Mountain Huts can be found in Triglav National Park. Information about these huts can be found at tourist information offices that will also help tourists plan their walks around the area and phone the hostels to book them. The only way to get to these huts is by foot, and the lowest huts are at around 700 m altitude. There are clear informational signs stating how long it will take to travel between the huts indicated.
Slovenia has four universities, located in Ljubljana, Maribor, Nova Gorica and Koper, as well as business schools like IEDC Bled,DOBA Maribor and VPŠ ERUDIO. The university in Ljubljana is the oldest and largest educational institution in the country, offering three art academies: Theatre and Film; Music; and Fine Arts.
Citizens of the European Union, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland can work in Slovenia without the need to apply for visa. Citizens of some non-EU countries are permitted to work in Slovenia without the need to obtain a visa or any further authorization for the period of their 90-day visa-free stay.
English-speaking graduates can get work teaching English in Slovene schools for a one-year period.
Slovenia is a relatively safe country to visit. LGBTI travellers are generally not in danger, although there have been reported attacks in the past. Be cautious in the evening and at night, especially in bigger cities. Some may also become aggressive in crowded bars.
To call police, dial 113. There are emergency phones stationed along highways and some main roads. The closest SOS phones can be found by following the signposts, which are usually put right in front of the phone station, so driving slowly is advisable.
Hygiene standards are high and tap water is generally clean and drinkable. The nationwide emergency number is 112.
It's advisable to use tick repellents in the woods due to the dangers of widespread Lyme disease and Meningitis. If bitten by one of the two known species of venomous adders in the Julian Alps, you should seek medical help to provide you with antiserums although these are seldom administered. Tourists may encounter a bear in the forests to the south, though actual attacks are rare.
Slovenes are generally friendly, so don't hesitate to talk to them since many understand English especially the younger generation and may be able to help you. Using simple English will help to avoid misunderstandings.
It's common to shake hands when introduced to someone. In the younger generation, hugging is not uncommon between friends. Greeting people with dober dan or good day is also common.
The general rule is to rely on the cities for most shopping options and choices in big supermarkets, as well as for other related businesses. For best experience with the residents, you should avoid some of the larger cities and rely more on the smaller towns with populations below 37,000. You can also find many pleasant rural areas.
The international calling code for Slovenia is 386, the prefix for international calls is 00, and the area code prefix is 0. Some number blocks are reserved for special use: 080 are toll-free numbers, and 090 are expensive commercial services.
Telecom Slovenia (Telekom Slovenije) operates around 3500 phone booths. These require the use of smart cards, which are sold for €3 - €15.
Mobile networks use the common European frequencies 900 and 1800 MHz. Three mobile companies, the Slovene Telekom Slovenije (formerly Mobitel) (major) and Telemach (formerly Tusmobil), as well as the Austrian Simobil, provide good GSM/HSDPA and LTE coverage.
Roaming between European phone companies is becoming cheaper due to the EU regulation setting a maximum of €0.42 per minute for calls made and €0.132 for calls received, while calls to or from non-EU providers remain expensive. Pre-paid GSM SIM cards are widely available in supermarkets, post offices and gas stations.
Slovenia is covered by over 415,580 internet hosts from several companies, offering services to 1.298 million internet users. WiFi is common in cafes and bars; the service is usually free of charge, however guests may need to ask staff for login details.
Some cities such as Ljubljana offer limited free WiFi throughout central areas. Internet cafes are less common, however can be found in cities, and internet access is offered by most hotels and hostels.
The national Radio-television Slovenia,Radiotelevizija Slovenija (RTV) is a public radio and TV broadcaster that operates a system of national and regional radio and TV stations. Slovenia has 35 domestic commercial TV stations,operating nationally, regionally and locally, and more than 75 regional and local commercial and noncommercial radio stations. About 60% of households are connected to multichannel cable TV.
The offices of Post Service Slovenia or Posta Slovenije are very common. They can be found by spotting a black French horn-like sign on a yellow background. Mail delivery takes one day within Slovenia, a few days within Europe, and usually less than two weeks worldwide. DHL is also available.
Slovenia offers tourists a wide variety of landscapes: Alpine in the northwest, Mediterranean in the southwest, Pannonian in the northeast, and Dinaric in the southeast. They roughly correspond to the traditional regions of Slovenia, based on the former four Habsburg crown lands Carniola, Carinthia, Styria, and the Littoral.
Each offers its own natural, geographic, architectural, and cultural features. Slovenia has mountains, meadows, lakes, caves, and the sea, making it an attractive destination in Europe.[
The nation's capital, Ljubljana, has many important Baroque and Art Nouveau buildings, with several important works of the native born architect Joze Plecnik. Other attractions include the Julian Alps with picturesque Lake Bled and the Soča Valley, as well as the nation's highest peak, Mount Triglav.
Perhaps even more famous is Slovenia's karst named after the Karst Plateau in the Slovenian Littoral. More than 28 million visitors have visited Postojna Cave, while a 15-minute ride from it are Skocjan Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Several other caves are open to public, including the Vilenica Cave.
Further in the same direction is the Adriatic coast, where the most important historical monument is the Venetian Gothic Mediterranean town of Piran. The neighboring town of Portoroz is a popular modern tourist resort, offering entertainment in gambling tourism.
The former fishermen town of Izola has also been transformed into a popular tourist destination; many tourists also appreciate the old Medieval center of the port of Koper, which is however less popular among tourists than the other two Slovenian coastal towns.
Styria is known for its white wine, especially the Ljutomer Riesling, after the ski resort Pohorje, after summer cultural festivals in Maribor, and after pumpkin seed oil. It is also known as a hop growing area producing Styrian Goldings, a variety of the English aroma hop Fuggles.
The northeastern Prekmurje region is known for its distinctive cuisine. Among traditional dishes, the best known are a pork, turnip and millet casserole called bujta repa and a layered pastry called prekmurska gibanica. An important spa town in the region is Moravske Toplice, which is attracting many German, Austrian, Italian and Russian visitors.
Rural tourism is important throughout the country, and it is especially developed in the Karst Plateau region, parts of Inner Carniola, Lower Carniola and northern Istria, and in the area around Podcetrtek and Kozje in eastern Styria. Horse-riding, cycling and hiking are among the most important tourist activities in these areas.
Triglav National Park or Triglavski narodni park is a national park located in Slovenia. It was named after Mount Triglav, a national symbol of Slovenia. Triglav is situated almost in the middle of the national park. From it the valleys spread out radially, supplying water to two large river systems having their sources in the Julian Alps: the Soca and the Sava, flowing to the Adriatic and Black Sea, respectively.
The proposal for conservation dates back to the year 1908, and was realised in 1924. Then, on the initiative taken by the Nature Protection Section of the Slovene Museum Society together with the Slovene Mountaineering Society, a twenty-year lease was taken out on the Triglav Lakes Valley area, some 14 km². It was destined to become an Alpine Protection Park, however permanent conservation was not possible at that time.
In 1961, after many years of effort, the protection was renewed this time on a permanent basis and somewhat enlarged, embracing around 20 km². The protected area was officially designated as Triglav National Park. Under this act, however, all objectives of a true national park were not attained and for this reason over the next two decades, new proposals for the extension and rearrangement of the protection were put forward.
Finally, in 1981, a rearrangement was achieved and the park was given a new concept and enlarged to 838 km² – the area it continues to cover to this day.
The Karavanke mountain range and the Kamnik Alps are also important tourist destinations, as are the Pohorje mountains. Unlike the Julian Alps, however, these areas seem to attract mostly Slovene visitors and visitor from the neighboring regions of Austria, and remain largely unknown to tourists from other countries. The biggest exception is the Logar Valley, which has been promoted heavily since the 1980s.
Slovenia has a number of smaller Medieval towns, which serve as important tourist attractions. Among them, the most famous are Ptuj, Skofja Loka and Piran. Fortified villages, mostly located in western Slovenia (Stanjel, Vipavski KriZ, Smartno), have become an important tourist destination, as well, especially due to the cultural events organized in their scenic environments.
Most tourists in 2016 staying in Slovenia were from the following countries of nationality
1 Italy 523,779
2 Austria 311,183
3 Germany 307,410
4 Croatia 152,981
5 South Korea 113,615
6 United Kingdom 109,420
7 Serbia 102,850
8 Hungary 101,180
9 Netherlands 95,490
10 Czech Republic 91,596
Total foreign 3,032,256
Tourism Observer
