SLOVENIA
Present-day Slovenia was for centuries part of various great empires — Roman, Carantanian, Habsburg, Yugoslav — and from all these layers has developed a unique cultural synthesis. The capital Ljubljana flourished as Laibach under the Habsburgs and retained its Central European feel despite all the changes. In 1991, after the dissolution of Yugoslavia, Slovenia became independent and quickly developed into the most stable democracy of the former Yugoslav states, today a full member of the EU and NATO.
NATURE & CLIMATE
Mount Triglav (2,864 m) is the symbol of Slovenia — its three-headed summit graces the national flag. The eponymous national park protects the heart of the Julian Alps. Further south the Karst opens up, a bare limestone landscape with spectacular cave systems (Postojna, Škocjan). The Soča glows turquoise through its valley, and Lake Bled with its small island church is among the most photographed spots in Europe.
CUISINE
Slovenian cuisine mirrors its geography: Mediterranean influences from Koper and the Karst, alpine heritage from the mountains, Pannonian pastries from the Styrian borderlands. Potica (a rolled walnut cake), Idrijski žlikrofi (small dumplings from Idrija), Kraški pršut (Karst cured ham), Bovec sheep's cheese and the Karst Teran red wine — Slovenia eats and drinks with identity.
HIGHLIGHTS
Lake Bled with its island church and hilltop castle, Ljubljana with its Baroque centre and fortress, the Postojna and Škocjan Caves (UNESCO), the Soča Valley, the coastal town of Piran with its Venetian old town, Triglav National Park and the Lipizzaner stud farm at Lipica.
