Slovenia
I
decided to visit Slovenia as part of my May, 2003 Balkan tour. I had to
visit Zürich for a business meeting, so I decided to travel before and after
the two-day session. Slovenia was the stop before the meetings, while
Croatia would be visited after the meetings. Since I was traveling on
company business, it was a free ticket to Europe.
Travel Resources
I started planning the trip about a month in
advance. There is only one guide book published in English about Slovenia:
- Wilson, Neil and Fallon, Steve; Lonely Planet - Slovenia, Third Edition; Lonely Planet Publications, © 2001. (Hereafter known as LP3°)
Slovenia's tourist association also maintains a website with a decent amount of information. In order to retrieve information, the user must know what cities (s)he would like to visit, making the site slightly cumbersome. The bureau maintains an office in New York City; they may be contacted by phone (212.358.9686) or by email. For historical information, there are two resources. I have not used the second source, so I do not guarantee its quality
- Encyclopædia Britannica provides a good overview of the country's history.
- Benderly, Jill and Kraft, Evan (editors); Independent Slovenia - Origins, Movements, Prospects; Palgrave Macmillan Publishing, © 1994.
The CIA World Factbook presents an excellent overview in vital statistics. This information is updated yearly. As I recommend in all of my travel pages, please consult the US Department of State website for any travel warnings to Slovenia before planning a trip to the country.
Travel Guides
Over a three-day period, I visited four cities in this lovely country.
Unfortunately, my travels were limited to a 50-kilometer stretch between the
capital, Ljubljana, and the northern resort town of Bled. My visits to each of the cities are
chronicled on pages linked below.
 |
Bled | Monday |
 |
Kranj | Sunday |
 |
Ljubljana | Saturday & Sunday |
 |
Radovljica | Sunday |
If I travel to Slovenia again, there are a few additional places that I would like to visit. I would enjoy seeing the Adriatic coastal cities in the west, as well as the Roman spas in the east. In addition, I would probably do some more shopping for native handicrafts.
General Impressions
I found Slovenia to be very similar to Switzerland. The Alpine setting
helped, but the architecture and cleanliness reinforced this impression. I
had read about these similarities, but did not believe them until I saw
Ljubljana.
The economy appears to be thriving. I witnessed a great deal of construction occurring; a number of old buildings were being refurbished. Most of the cars were newer models and western (German) made. The country is one of the leading candidates for European Union membership and will be admitted most likely in May, 2004.
I found the people to be friendly and attractive. Everyone that I encountered spoke English and most had an excellent command of the language. I found this fact surprising, given that most tourists originate from Germany or Italy. Like the Croatians, unfortunately, the Slovenes have taken a fond liking to gum-chewing. I encountered many young girls who loaded their mouths with gum, only to pop and crack it. It was extremely annoying, even beyond my pet-peeve level.
Travel
Adria Airways is the
national airline of Slovenia. At this writing, the airline links Ljubljana
with twenty-two destinations in Europe and the Middle East. It operates a
fleet of three Airbus jets and four Canadair regional jets. I flew the
airline between Zürich and Ljubljana; an airline
service report has been completed. The country's only commercial airport is
located in Brnik, located about eight kilometers north of Ljubljana. The
country maintains an extensive rail network, operated by the nationalized Slovenske
Železnice. I road the train four times and found it to be
comfortable and efficient. The road network appears to be in excellent
condition.
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