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Travel information and tips on Slovenia including passport information, accommodations, transportation to and in Slovenia, attractions and things to see and do, restaurant suggestions, tours, and much more.
General Information
Always rich in resources, and with a population
that is friendly and actually quite peaceful, Slovenia seems to be doing pretty
well since the break from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. Although it is no
longer an undiscovered bargain vacation that it once was, Slovenia is still a
great place for a nice vacation or holiday, even if the crowds and larger and
the prices somewhat higher.
Many of the cities and towns of Slovenia still show the influence of the Habsburg Empire and the Venetian Republic. But although it may seem a part of the Habsburgs or Venetians, when you travel up into the Julian Alps you could almost be fooled into thinking you are in Bavaria as the affluence of this country on the "sunny side of the Alps" is almost everywhere apparent.
Although there was a lot of fighting here no to long ago, except for a brief period in the spring of 1991, when Yugoslavia made a gallant attempt to keep Slovenia in its fold, there has not been any fighting, war or terrorism in Slovenia, unlike her neighbors of While Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. If you still feel a bit uncomfortable planning a trip to Slovenia, just check current State Department warnings before you travel to this area. http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html.
Click on the
following for additional information.
Passports and Visas
Best Time
to Visit
Money Matters
Passports and visas
You will need a passport to visit Slovenia. As for Visas, visitors who hold
passports for Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, the USA and most European
countries, do not require visas for stays of up to 90 days. Citizens of other
countries can get 90-day visas in advance at any Slovenian embassy or consulate,
or 30 day visas on arrival.
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a foreign language. Being able to speak at least some of the language in the
country you are visiting will help you have a better time and enjoy your trip
more. Jim.
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Best Time to Visit
As for the weather, September is probably the best
month to visit because as this is a great for hiking and climbing. The fact that
most of the summer visitors have gone home adds to this being a good time to
visit. Between December to March you will find many visitors who come for the
skiing. Springtime is also a nice time to visit as the lowlands and valleys come
alive when everything begins to blossom. I would suggest visitors to avoid going
to Slovenia in July and August as that is when most of the Europeans are on
vacation and the hotels raise their rates, especially along the coast.
Money Matters
Although Slovenia is fast becoming a popular tourist
destination, it's still much cheaper than neighboring Italy or Austria, even
though prices are increasing. If you want to travel in comfort and style, you
should expect spending about $100 a day (US). You can save some money by staying
at guesthouses and eating at medium-priced restaurants. By doing this, you
should be able to get by on about $50 to $80 a day. To save even more, stay at
hostels and eat at self-serve or takeaway restaurants.
Nearly all prices are in tolars, the official currency, but some hotels, guesthouses and campgrounds quote rates in euros. You will find that it is quite easy to change cash and travelers' cheques at banks, post offices, travel agencies and any menjalnica, the private exchange offices. There's no black market, but exchange rates can vary so be sure you know what you are doing when changing money. It is best to do it in a bank where they only take a commission of 1%, while tourist offices, travel agencies, exchange bureaus and hotels take up to 5%.
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While you will find that credit cards are accepted at upscale restaurants, shops and hotels, you will have to use cash almost everywhere else. Only a few of Slovenia's ATMs are accessible to foreign account holders, but more are becoming available. Credit card holders can get cash advances in tolars from some banks.
A value-added tax is added to the purchase price of most goods and services. Many hotels in Slovenia also levy a tourist tax on overnight stays that is normally about $2 US. Although tipping is not compulsory, if you have had good service, it is okay to either round up the check or leave a 10% gratuity.
Here is about what you might expect to pay for accommodations.
- Budget: SIT1000-1500
- Mid-range: SIT1500-2000
- High: SIT2000-3000
- Deluxe: SIT3000+
Here is what you might expect to pay for meals.
- Budget: SIT1000-5500
- Mid-range: SIT5500-8500
- High: SIT8500-10000
- Deluxe: SIT10000+
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Getting To Slovenia
By Air
By Train
By Car
By Ferry
By Bus
By Air
One of the least expensive ways to fly into
Slovenia is on one of the cheap Easyjet flights from western Europe to
Ljubljana. Slovenia's national airline, Adria Airways, has nonstop flights
between Ljubljana's Brnik airport and most of the major cities in Europe, as
well as from Tel Aviv.
By Train
There are several train routes into Slovenia
with the
main routes coming from Salzburg (four to five hours away), Trieste (
about three hours away), Vienna (six hours) and Zagreb (two to three hours,
depending upon the train taken). You can also take the train between Amsterdam
and Ljubljana that takes about 18 hours.
By Car
If you plan to drive to Slovenia, you will find
dozens of international border crossings. Just check your map for a good
route.
By Ferry
You can get to Slovenia on
weekends between April and mid-October as it is possible to sail between
Venice and Izola (one of Slovenia's Adriatic coast towns) by catamaran.
By Bus
Buses travel between Slovenia and Italy daily, using Nova Gorica in
Slovenia as the easiest exit and entry point. Koper also has good bus
connections to Italy and there are some 17 buses a day that go to and from
Trieste. It's also easy to travel by bus to and from Hungary, Croatia, Austria
and Yugoslavia.
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Getting Around In Slovenia
By Air
By Train and Bus
By Car
By Air
For the most part, flying is not the better way
to get around within Slovenia. Except for long journeys, the bus is much better.
There are frequent departures and the road network criss-crosses the county.
By Train and Bus
In some cases there is no choice but to take the bus or drive
yourself. Traveling by bus is the only practical way to get to Bled and Bohinj,
the Julian Alps and much of the coastal areas from Ljubljana. If you plan to
travel on a Friday afternoon, it is suggested that you make reservations as this
is when many students leave Ljubljana for the weekend.
As for traveling by train, except for the new ICS express train between Ljubljana and Maribor, travel by rail is best left to sightseers with one of the best rides being the pretty scenery through the Soca Valley.
By Car
Driving a car is probably your best bet if you want to get to some of the more
isolated towns and villages in Slovenia. You will find most of the rental prices
are reasonable with rental agencies at Brnik Airport and in Ljubljana. The
country's tolls and gas prices (petrol) relatively inexpensive. Slovenians drive
on the right side of the road.
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Slovenia has some wonderful cities and towns and other nice areas to visit. Here
are just a few of them.
Adriatic Coast
Bled
Julian Alps
Ljubljana
Piran
Rogaska Slatina
Skocjan Caves
Soca Valley
The Wine Region
The Adriatic Coast
The Adriatic Coast is very
popular and there are several bustling beach towns along Slovenia's short
coastline. Italianised Koper, about 13 miles south of Trieste, Italy, was once the capital of Istria under the Venetian Republic in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Despite a lot of industry in the surround area, the Old
Town's medieval flavor lingers.
Bled
One of the more interesting things to see in Bled is the Medieval castle that
was once the seat of South Tyrolean bishops for over 800 years. It was also used
as a summer residence by the Yugoslav royal family. Set at the top a steep cliff
above Lake Bled, the castle affords visitors some great views of the area. There
is a small museum with information about the history of the area and a
collection of swords and amour. On Bled Island, at the western end of the lake
is the white 15th century belfry with a "bell of wishes." It's said that anyone
who rings the bell will get what they wish for. It could be true so, be sure to
ring the bell while you are there. The land around Lake Bohinj, which is located
about 20 miles southwest of Bled, is an undeveloped area of exceeding beauty.
Here the high mountains rise directly from a basin-shaped valley. The best
routes up to Mt Triglav start from nearby Savica Waterfall and Stara Fuzina.
Bled is about 30 miles northwest of Ljubljana and is accessible by both buses
and trains.
The Julian Alps
This is
a wonderful area of the country. Hiking and trekking are very popular with the
almost 10,000 foot Mt Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia being one of the
more popular place for this. Mt. Triglav rises high over the Julian Alps, which
cut across Slovenia's northwestern corner into Italy. The Alps are visited by
hundreds of weekend warriors, not all of whom are on ambitious treks. Early
Slavs believed the mountain to be the home of a three-headed deity who ruled the
sky, the earth and the underworld. Since the days of the Habsburgs, the
'pilgrimage' to Triglav has been a confirmation of Slovenian identity. Today
Triglav figures prominently on the national flag.
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is like a smaller Prague
and therefore there are a lot less tourists, even though it is by far
Slovenia's largest and most populous city. Ljubljana a clean,
self-contented town that is filled with trees. It began as the Roman town of Emona and legacies of the Roman
presence remain throughout the city. It the 14th century, the Habsburgs took control
of the city and constructed several of the pale-colored churches and mansions that
gave the city the nickname of White Ljubljana. From 1809 to 1814, Ljubljana was
the capital of the Illyrian Provinces and Napoleon use the city as a springboard
to the
eastern Adriatic. Ljubljana
has a vibrant Slavic air and is home to about 35,000 students who attend Ljubljana University
and seem to keep the city young and alive.
Most of the city's sights are located along the banks of the Ljubljana River. Here you will find, on the southwest side of the river, Municipal Museum that has a nice collection Roman artifacts. There is also an interesting scale model of Roman Emona and some very good pieces of period furniture. Not far away is the National Museum, which has displays of the requisite prehistory of the area, along with natural history and ethnography collections. The highlight is a Celtic situla, a kind of pail or urn, from the 6th century BC. Diagonally opposite is the Museum of Modern Art. There are several other museums in the Old Town. It is also in the Old Town where you will find cafes, baroque churches and quaint bridges hidden within its maze of narrow streets.
Piran
The very pretty Piran is filled with Venetian Gothic architecture
that lines the narrow streets. It is a very busy place during the height of the
summer months when the town is filled with tourists. Piran got its name as a
derivative of the Greek word for fire, "pyr," which refers to the
fires lit at Punta, at the very
tip of the peninsula, to guide ships to the port at Koper. Piran's long history
dates back to the ancient Greeks. You can still see the well-preserved remnants of the
Medieval
town walls that still protect it to the east. The Maritime Museum, in a 17th century
harbor side palace, has
nice exhibits on seafaring and salt-making, both of which
have been important to Piran's development over the centuries. Just a short way
away from Piran, in nearby Fiesa, is one of the nicest beaches along the coast.
The beach has nice, clean sand and, as there are boat restrictions on the waters
here, you get a nice view of Trieste's Miramare Castle. Piran is about 10 miles southwest of Koper.
Bus service to the area is frequent from Ljubljana and
Trieste. Buses also conveniently link all the coastal towns. A train also links Koper to Ljubljana.
Rogaska Slatina
Rogaska Slatina is Slovenia's oldest and largest
spa town and it is always filled with visitors seeking a cure to their
particular ailments. Here you will find therapies ranging from spruce-needle
baths to lymph drainage (whatever that is). It's set among the forests of the
foothills of the Macelj range. The area's two highest peaks, Boc and Donacka
Gora, are visible from the centre.
There is a legend that states the magnesium-rich Slatina spring was discovered by the winged horse Pegasus. While it's true that the spring was known in Roman times, Rogaska Slatina didn't show up on any maps until 1574 when then-governor of Styria, Wolf Ungnad, partook the waters on the advice of his physician. A century later a publication examined the curative powers of the Slatina springs and claimed they helped the ailing viceroy of Croatia. Once the news spread to Vienna and other areas of Europe, visitors started arriving in droves, and several inns opened to cash in on the spring.
Rogaska Slatina is located about 75 miles northeast of Ljubljana and can be reached by both buses and trains that link the town to the capital via Celje.
The Soca Valley
The Soca Valley, defined
by the Soca River, stretches from Triglav National Park to the Italian border
town of Nova Gorica. This is without a doubt one of the most beautiful and
serine places in Slovenia. Although it is now popular with tourists, it wasn't
always quite so popular. During WWI, the Soca Valley was the site of the
infamous Soca Front. The battles here claimed the lives of an estimated 1
million people and was immortalized by Ernest Hemingway in his novel A
Farewell to Arms. The Soca Valley can be reached by buses that travel
between Kobarid and Ljubljana daily. Kobarid is about 100 miles northwest of the
capital. Not far away, to the north about 12 miles, is Bovec, a sports center
full of hiking, kayaking, mountain biking and skiing opportunities.
Skocjan Caves
Located underground in the
desolate area of the Karst region are the Skocjan Caves.
Millions of years ago this
area was actually a part of the sea. When the sea receded, a thick layer of
limestone deposits were left and this is where the caves were formed. Visitors
enter the caves through a tunnel built in 1933 and pass through the Silent Cave,
a dry branch of an underground canyon. The first area, called Paradise, is
filled with stalactites, stalagmites and flow stones. Another area, called
Calvary, was once a river bed. Silent Cave ends at the cavern known as the Great
Hall. Within the caves are over 250 varieties of plants and five types of bats.
The Wine Region
Ever since the Roman times Slovenia has been making wine and it now produces
many high quality varieties. The country has 14 distinct wine-growing areas, but
the two most important for white wine are located just outside the town of Ptuj,
in the Haloze Hills, and in the Jeruzalem-Ljutomer districts. From Ptuj you can
get to the vineyards on foot, by car, or by bicycle.
The Haloze Hills extend south of Ptuj all the way to the border of Croatia. The Haloze Trail (Haloska Pot) takes in this land of gentle hills, vines, corn and sunflowers and is a favorite for day hikers where they can easily pick up the path near Borl Castle, about 7 miles southeast of Ptuj.
The Jeruzalem-Ljutomer vinska cesta (wine road) begins at Ormoz and continues for about a dozen miles north to Ljutomer, passing through the hilltop village of Jeruzalem. Along the "wine road," you will find lots of fine wine cellars and restaurants where the region's local whites can be sampled
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Some Things To See And Do
In Slovenia
There are lots of good celebrations and festivals held in
Slovenia throughout the year. The premier cultural celebration, the
International Summer Festival, is held during the months of July and August with
music, theatre and dance performances in Ljubljana and Bled. In late June or
early July, Maribor's Lent Festival celebrates folklore, culture and
music. The Cows' Ball (Kravji Bal) in Bohinj is a fun-filled weekend of
eating, drinking and folk dancing in mid-September. This celebration is held to
mark the return of the cows to the valleys from their high pastures.
During the winter months of January, February and March the country hosts several ski competitions with the two major competitions being the Women's World Cup Slalom and Giant Slalom Competition in January, which is held on the slopes southwest of Maribor, and in March, the Ski Jumping World Championships that is held Planica. Another fun festival is held every February for 10 days leading up to Shrove Tuesday. Kurentovanje is a celebration of the rite of spring and is a popular Mardi Gras-type party with most of the festivities being centered in and around Ptuj.
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Some Suggestions For Accommodations In
Slovenia
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Some Suggestions For
Dining In Slovenia
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Some Favorites In Slovenia
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Some Interesting Links
For Slovenia
Click here for language
helps, dictionaries,
electronic translators,
language software and other helps for learning
a foreign language. Being able to speak at least some of the language in the
country you are visiting will help you have a better time and enjoy your trip
more. Jim.
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