We’re talking about Slovenia, a tiny jewel tucked between Vienna and Venice, a small-scale alpine republic with a large-scale landscape. Slovenia is a peaceful, charming, and uncrowded corner of old Europe, from the Julian Alps rising to over 9000 feet to its vineyard-covered hills and royal blue sea. The historic towns are unspoiled, the mountain valleys pristine, the hospitality superlative and the hiking opportunities endless, with beautiful trails everywhere, from the spectacular limestone peaks of Triglav National Park to ancient Piran on the deep blue Slovenian Coast.

To help you along, we’ve put together a Top 10 list of what to see and do this summer in Slovenia. All recommendations are courtesy of Slovenian national and well-known photographer Bostjan Burger, who also provided fullscreen panoramas of each location to whet your appetite.

But first, a little background:

The Slavic ancestors of the present-day Slovenians settled in the area in the 6th century. (Non slavic ancestors of Slovenians were Veneti from 1300 BC). The Slavic Duchy of Carantania, the first Slovenian state and the first stable Slavic state, was formed in the 7th century. In 745, Carantania lost its independence, being largely subsumed into the Frankish empire and later brought under Germanic rule two centuries later. In the 14th century the Austro-German monarchy took over and continued to rule up until 1918, resulting in the majority of upper classes totally Germanized while the peasants retained their Slavic, and later Slovenian, identity. After WWI and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Slovenia was included in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Much of Slovenia was annexed by Germany, Italy and Hungary during WWII and immediately after the war Slovenia joined the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

In 1990, Slovenia became the first Yugoslav republic to hold free elections and vote in favor of independence. Efforts to secede gradually were rejected, and a series of confrontations between the Yugoslav army and the newly established Slovenian army followed. On June 25, 1991 Slovenia declared its independence and a 10-day war ensued, but facing fierce resistance from the Slovenian militia, and with the world watching, the Yugoslav army backed down. No traces of war or terrorism, common to all Balkan states, can be found in Slovenia, due to its relatively calm divorce from Yugoslavia and Belgrade. Since then, the country has displayed exceptional peacefulness and economical stability. Slovenia, which has slightly over two million people and occupies an area comparable in size to Massachusetts or Israel, joined the European Union in May 2004.

National Anthem
You can hardly visit a country without at least being acquainted with its national anthem The Slovenian National Anthem, "A Toast", was written by France Preseren (1800-1848), Slovenia’s greatest poet:

God's blessing on all nations,
Who long and work for that bright day,
When o'er earth's habitations
No war, no strife shall hold its sway;
Who long to see
That all men free
No more shall foes, but neighbors be.

Top 10 Reasons to Visit Slovenia This Summer

1. Karst – Caves

The most famous cave area in the world is found in Slovenia, a country of over 7500 karst caves. The term Karst is derived from the Slovenian region of Kras (Karst is the German for Kras), and is used internationally to describe distinctive landforms that develop on rock types readily dissolved in water. With over two-thirds of the country consisting of limestone, the Karst region covers 44% of Slovenia and provides karst phenomena such as disappearing lakes, swallow holes, karst springs and dry sinkholes.

The Skocjan Caves are on the World Heritage List. UNESCO describes them as an “exceptional system of limestone caves comprising collapsed dolines, some six km of underground passages with a total depth of more than 200 m, many waterfalls and one of the largest known underground chambers. The site is one of the most famous in the world for the study of karstic phenomena.”

The vast network of subterranean caves is so magnificent that they need to be seen to be believed. One of these caves in particular, known as 'Krizna Jama', might be the most remarkable of all. First documented in 1832, it wasn't until 94 years later that it was first explored by Slovene cavers. The cave is particularly well known for its chain of twenty-two underground lakes of emerald green water.

Added bonus: You can finally use the word ‘spelunking’ when you tell your friends about your trip without sounding like a pretentious jerk.

2. Karst Settlements

Stanjel – “the jewel of the Karst region”, is a picturesque settlement in the northern part of the Karst region, with narrow streets ending in small squares and stone houses situated on terraces upon a hill. Early Romans turned the top of the hill into a fort, and in the Middle Ages the village expanded over the hill and was fortified with walls to keep out the Turks; however, the most dominant features of the village are the Castle and the Church of Saint Daniel.

3. Capital City of Ljubljana

Slovenia has many medieval towns, including the capital, Ljubljana, which offers the friendliness of a small town with the advantages found in a larger metropolis of 275,000. The remains of five millennia of history wait to be explored, such as the Roman town of Emona, the Old Town with its medieval castle and the vast Tivoli Park stretching into the center of the city.

4. Land of Lakes

Close to the Alps and blessed by nature, Lake Bled and the surrounding countryside are located on the sunny side of the Alps lending it an ideal, sub-Alpine climate protected from northern winds. Lake Bled comes complete with a cliff-perched castle. The railway leads from Lake Bled to Lake Bohinj and through the tunnel to Soca River, Europe’s premier whitewater run. Hemingway set A Farewell to Arms in nearby Kobarid.

5. Mountains

The Julian Alps are the most southerly extension of the great Alpine range, and these jagged limestone peaks hold some of Europe's best scenery and walking. At the center of the range is Mount Triglav (which means three heads and is also the name of an old Slavic god), the highest in Slovenia, and nestled amongst these great mountains are the glacial lakes of Bohinj and Bled. Hiking enthusiasts will be delighted to know that Slovenia possesses 7,000 km (4,200 miles) of marked hiking trails and 165 mountain cabins.

Triglav National Park is Slovenia’s only national park and it includes nearly all of the Julian Alps that lie in Slovenia and covers over 80,000 hectares. They say a person cannot be considered a real Slovenian until he or she has climbed Mount Triglav, at 2864 m it’s the highest point in the park and is visible from Ljubljana. Many trails lead to the top but the best is to climb Triglav from the north and descend through the majestic Seven Lakes Valley to the southwest.

Once at the peak, one can see nearly all of Slovenia in good visibility: the Adriatic Sea to the south, the Grossglockner in Austria to the north, the Dolomites in Italy to the west, and the Pohorje range to the east. A tiny tower stands at the summit; it’s more a landmark than anything else but it can provide shelter for a few climbers in case of a sudden storm. A priest named Jakob Aljaz, who actually owned a few square meters exactly at the summit, erected it in 19th century.

6. Waterfalls

Slovenia is a land with over 300 permanent waterfalls. Bostjan Burger recommends Pohorje, in the Central Alps..

7. Paradise for Castle Lovers

Slovenia is a land of numerous small castles, which the aristocracy often used as holiday residences or hunting lodges. There are a good many solidly preserved churches and old town cores where, in line with the Central European environment, Gothic and Baroque architecture predominate

The most famous castles are in Ptuj, Podsreda, Ljubljana , Bled, and Velenje, and one of the best preserved is in Brezice Castle, which contains the longest secular Baroque painting in Slovenia – the Knights Hall.

8. Vino in the Vipava Valley

In the western part of Slovenia, the Vipava Valley is the most famous wine region in Slovenia and this fertile and vine-rich valley has always attracted settlers. Historians believe the Valley was inhabited as early as before Christ and enjoyed its heyday during the period of the Roman Empire, evidenced by numerous archaeological sites from that era.

The wine-producing region of Vipava occupies some 2,000 hectares of vineyards. The southern slopes of the hills get plenty of sunshine and are ideal for vine growing. In fact, the locals have been known for centuries, in Slovenia and abroad, as superb wine producers.

9. Skiing – the National Sport

Sport has been part of the Slovenian heritage for a long time. It was first mentioned in a 1689 document describing fishing, hunting, shooting, skiing, mountain climbing and cave exploration. It’s no surprise then that half of all Slovenians are actively involved in sports.

Slovenia has dozens of well-groomed ski centers with lifts; the best known are Kranjska gora, which hosts an annual World Cup men’s downhill competition, and Maribor Pohorje, which hosts the annual World Cup women’s downhill Golden Fox competition. The larger ski centers also maintain trails for snowboarding, sledding, cross-country skiing, and even ski touring.

10. Who Doesn’t Love a Festival?

There are as many as ten international festivals held just in the capital, including the Ljubljana Summer Festival, the Ljubljana Graphics Biennial, the Ljubljana Jazz Festival, the LIFFE Film Festival and the Druga Godba Festival of Alternative Music and medieval themed festivals are held throughout the country.

First held in 1953, the Ljubljana Summer Festival is the biggest annual cultural event in Slovenia and brings international artists to the capital for six weeks of ferverish artistic activity. After the Tourist Society of Ljubljana's Tourist Week, arranged in 1952, the first Ljubljana Festival was held the following year, subsequently growing to feature cultural, business, folklore, and sports events.

Okay, it was just too hard to keep the list to ten.

11. Wellness Centers

More than 15 natural thermal and climatic health resorts guarantee first-class relaxation for the body and soul, as well as treatment for various health problems.

Fitness and beauty centers, solariums, Turkish and Finnish saunas, and whirlpool baths are part of the standard offer, which the beauty and health centers enrich with various massage techniques, from the classical manual massages, lymphatic drainage, and reflex foot massages to massages based on the ancient knowledge of the Far East (shiatsu, reiki, ayurveda, sawadee, watsu, tui-na, scen tao, massage with hot stones, etc.).

The people of Smarjeske have been enjoying good health since it was first discovered that the thermal water had a positive influence on the body and soul, some 200 years ago when the spa was developed.

So now that you know a little more about this overlooked jewel, what are you waiting for? Get those bags packed and don’t forget the camera!

Much of the above information is thanks to the Slovenian Tourist Board
and Bostjan Burger’s extensive website, full of panoramas, on Slovenia.

Comments:
- "My parents were born in Slovenia. What an absolutely gorgeous country and since I learned the language, so fun to visit all the sites including the Postojna Caves where concerts are held & a huge chandelier hangs. Ig is where I stayed with my cousin who took me where my Mom & Dad had homes. A couple of aunts still living & cried when I visited them...didn't know that I as a twin was still alive. Thanks for letting me share this with you. What a great site & I forwarded it to someone in Japan as well. Hugs, Frieda" 2005-12-12 17:04:06

Email: burger[at]burger[dot]si