Slovenia, officially called the Republic of Slovenia, is a small
country located in Central Europe between the Alps and the Mediterranean.
Travel Insurance for Slovenia:
Area: Europe *
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FCO Country Advice for Slovenia
It
borders with Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary
to the northeast and Croatia to the southeast. The country
has a small area of coast, approx. 40 miles long, on the Adriatic
in the southwest of the country between Italy and Croatia. It
is a mountainous country with approximately half of the country
being covered with forest land and hills in the eastern and central
parts. The highest peak is Mt. Triglav at approx. 9,300
feet. The main rivers are the Drava and Sava. The
Alps, which include the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, Julian Alps, the
Karavanke Chain and Pohorje are located in the north of the country,
bordering with Austria.
The population is comprised of mainly Slovenes with Croats,
Serbs, Italians, Hungarians, Bosnians and others. The languages
spoken are Slovenian and Serbo-Croatian. The dominant religion
is Catholic, with some Orthodox, Christian and others.
Historically, the Slovene areas were a part of Austria and the
Roman Empire, joining with the Croatians and Serbs to form Yugoslavia
in the early part of the 19th century. After WWII Slovenia
was a communist part of Yugoslavia, establishing independence
from Yugoslavia in 1991. Slovenia has since joined
NATO and the EU in 2004. Slovenia’s economy has grown
since achieving independence and tourism has grown along with
it.
The capital and largest city, Ljubljana, is situated in the
centre of the country along the banks of the Ljubljanca River. It
has a lovely old town area with three bridges crossing the river. Any
of the border areas are accessible within a drive of just a few
hours. When Slovenia became an independent nation Ljubljana
became its political, economic and cultural centre. Legend
tells that Jason and the Argonauts fled to this area carrying
the Golden Fleece and Jason slew a dragon – which is now
depicted on the coat of arms. The city is dominated
by the towers of the 17th century Ljubljana Cathedral which contains
some impressive frescoes. The castle is set on a
hill overlooking the river. There are several museums,
some of which contain Roman artifacts.
Slovenia’s second largest city, Maribor, is located in
the northeast close to the Austrian border. It is a lively
place with good restaurants, street cafes, and has many museums,
art galleries and theatres. It is also close to the
Alpine area of Pohorje, which is one of the country’s main
skiing areas, and other neighbouring areas with vineyards and
Roman remains.
Slovenia boasts over forty park areas, along with regional parks
and a national park. The Slovene Adriatic coast is green
with vegetation and has very high cliffs. It is also
famous for its subterranean world of caves, springs, sinkholes
and sculpted limestone monuments at Karst. As this is such
a small country, it is possible to ski in the mountains and also
visit the beaches in the same day.
The Julian Alps are popular for skiing in winter, and especially
the resorts of Kranjska Gora and Bovec. The Triglav National
Park is set in these mountains and offers plenty of opportunity
for hiking. The resort of Bled, set on
Lake Bled, is near the Austrian and Italian borders and offers
activities such as skating in winter and fishing and swimming
in summer. Other resorts in the area have facilities
for skiing and ski jumping in winter.
The coastal area is very popular with tourists, especially the
resort of Portoroz. The cave at Postojna is close by and
is a must-see for visitors in the area with its enormous hall and
gigantic stalagmites.
Slovenia is a country which offers
plenty of opportunity for active holidays with skiing in the winter, cross-country
skiing, skating and sledging . In summer hang-gliding, ballooning, fishing,
sailing, hiking, bicycling, sailing and golf are popular.
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