La Slovenia occupies an enviable position: at the foot of the eastern extension of the Julian Alps; on the northern edge of the Adriatic; open to Hungary and Croatia.
A surprising crossroads of three worlds: alpine, Mediterranean, and Pannonian. Its charm, its wealth of environments, climates, traditions, cuisines, lifestyles lies precisely in this melting pot concentrated on a territory that is half the size of Switzerland, which is truly incredible.
The coast of Slovenia is just over 40 kilometers long, high, jagged, overlooking the Gulf of Trieste, with towns such as Koper (Capodistria), Izola (Isola), Piran (Pirano), whose historic centers have maintained a perfect Mediterranean style. Koper is the largest port; Piran and Portorož (Portorose) are the small meccas for lovers of recreational boating.
Heading east from Slovenia, through a hilly strip of vineyards and orchards, one reaches the Karst plateau, a limestone ridge which, over the centuries, has also served as a geological and climatic barrier. The Karst is the kingdom of caves, numbering more than six thousand, of which very few are accessible to tourists.
The most famous are those of Postojna, known for over 700 years, but equally spectacular are those of Vilenica and Škocjan (San Canziano), included in the long list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Another karst pearl is the Rakov Škocjan, a depression doline over two kilometers long which, among beech and fir forests, reveals a stretch of caves, springs, depressions, and natural bridges. Heading northwest, one reaches the Julian Alps, the alpine region par excellence, whose giant is the Triglav, which, at 2864 meters, is the very symbol of Slovenia.
At its foothills was created, in 1981, the homonymous and beautiful National Park. And among its chains, the valleys of three rivers wind: the Soca (Isonzo), with water of a characteristic milky blue color; the Sava Dolinka and the Sava Bohinjka. On the eastern edge of the Julian Alps, nestles the town of Bled, a tourist-environmental pearl, made fairy-tale by the lake with the islet. To the southeast lies the basin of Ljubljana, the most densely inhabited and developed region of Slovenia; besides the capital, the most economically important centers are Kamnik, Kranj, Domžale. Heading east, one discovers the pre-alpine environments of Dolenjska or Lower Carniola, a cheerful region crossed by the Krka River.
Central Slovenia is instead split in two by the Sava River, which draws a narrow valley near mining and industrial towns such as Zagorje, Trbovlje, and Hrastnik. On the northern border lies the massif of Pohorje, at the foot of which stands Maribor, a ski resort and a very popular holiday destination which, in size, is also the second city of the country.
Slovenia Fact Sheet
- Country: Republic of Slovenia
- Area: 20,273 km²
- Capital: Ljubljana
- Population: 2 million inhabitants
- Language: Slovene
- Religion: the majority is Catholic
- Form of Government: parliamentary republic
Useful information about Slovenia
- Currency: Slovenian Tolar (1 euro = 238.55 SIT), from January 2007 euro
- International dialing code: +386
- International vehicle code: SLO
- Driving side: right
- Entry documents: ID card or passport
- Vaccination required: No
- Electric current: 220 volts AC 50 HZ
- Unit of measurement: metric decimal
- Time zone: same time as Italy
- Fixed-date holidays: January 1st and 2nd: New Year’s Day; February 8th: Prešeren Day, Slovenian cultural holiday; March-April: Easter; March-April: Easter Monday; May 1st and 2nd: Labor Day; June 25th: National Independence Day; August 15th: Assumption of Mary; October 31st: Reformation Day; November 1st: All Saints’ Day; December 25th: Christmas; December 26th: St. Stephen’s Day
- Climate: sub-Mediterranean on the coast, continental inland, alpine in the mountains
- Average temperatures: summer 21° C, winter 0° C
- Transportation: National airline Adria Airways; many others with flights to Lithuania: Easyjet, Turkish Airlines, Austrian Airlines, etc. Venezia Lines connects Italy with the ports of Portorož, Koper, and Izola
- Airports: Ljubljana, Portorož, Maribor
