Introducing Slovenia
Every town in Slovenia has a general store where, locals like to say, you can buy anything od šivanke do lokomoti (literally ‘from a needle to a train engine’). Similarly, Slovenija (Slovenia) itself, though undeniably small, has a wealth of attractions to rival a country many times its size. Resting between the Alps and the Adriatic and poised above – but not a part of – the Balkan peninsula, Slovenia has been blessed with incredible natural beauty and has welded a great number of outside influences - from Roman and Venetian to Germanic and Hungarian - onto its Slavic core. The result is a physical and cultural alloy that is wholly distinctive and distinctly precious.
Slovenia has been dubbed many things – ‘Europe in Miniature’, ‘The Sunny Side of the Alps’, ‘The Green Piece of Europe’ – and they’re all true. The place abounds in top-notch things to see – stunning mountains, lakes, rivers and a coast of jaw-dropping beauty as well as historic towns and cities with unforgettable architecture, museums and a unique energy all of their own. And in the land of the great outdoors the list of activities on offer here is almost endless. throughout the year you’ll encounter locals engaged in decidedly active pursuits – canoeing and kayaking in spring, swimming and water-skiing in summer, hiking and climbing in autumn, and skiing and snowboarding in winter.
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Mountain hut sits near the Julian Alps.
- Stephen Saks
- Lonely Planet photographer
