Slovenia

Slovenia fits the Alps, the Karst, a Mediterranean coast and the Pannonian plain into an area smaller than Wales. More than half the country is forest, and the world's caving vocabulary comes from its limestone underground. Ljubljana is a compact, car-free-centred capital an hour from both mountains and sea.

Capital

Ljubljana

Population

2.1M

Area

20,273 km²

Currency

Euro (EUR)

Language

Slovenian

Time zone

CET (UTC+1) / CEST (UTC+2)

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  01

  Central Slovenia (Osrednjeslovenska)

  Ljubljana, castles and the Ljubljana Marshes

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  02

  Upper Carniola (Gorenjska)

  Bled, Bohinj and the Julian Alps

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  03

  Gorizia region (Goriška)

  Emerald Soča valley, Idrija mercury heritage

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  04

  Coastal–Karst (Obalno-kraška)

  Venetian Piran, Karst caves and Lipica horses

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  05

  Inner Carniola (Primorsko-notranjska)

  Postojna Cave, Predjama and the vanishing lake

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  06

  Southeast Slovenia (Jugovzhodna Slovenija)

  Bela krajina rivers, forests and river towns

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  07

  Lower Sava (Posavska)

  Renaissance castles, thermal spas along the Sava

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  08

  Savinja (Savinjska)

  Celje counts, alpine Logar Valley, hop fields

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  09

  Central Sava (Zasavska)

  Mining valleys and steep river gorges

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  10

  Carinthia (Koroška)

  Drava valley, mining history, quiet peaks

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  11

  Drava (Podravska)

  Maribor wine, Roman Ptuj, Pohorje slopes

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  12

  Mura (Pomurska)

  Pannonian plains, thermal spas, storks

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  City

  Carinthia

  Carinthia, also Slovene Carinthia or Slovenian Carinthia (Slovenska Koroška), is a traditional region in northern Slovenia. The term refers to the small southeasternmost area of the former Duchy of Carinthia, which after World War I was allocated to the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs according to the 1919 Treaty o

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  City

  Jazbina, Črna na Koroškem

  Jazbina is a dispersed settlement in the hills east of Črna na Koroškem in the Carinthia region in northern Slovenia. There is a church in the settlement, built on the peak of Mount St.

• Koprivna, Črna na Koroškem

  City

  Koprivna, Črna na Koroškem

  Koprivna is a dispersed settlement in the Upper Meža Valley in the hills west of Črna na Koroškem in the Carinthia region of northern Slovenia on the border with Austria. The parish church in the settlement is dedicated to Saint James and belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maribor.

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  Square

  Meža

  The Meža (Slovene) or Mieß is a river in the Austrian state of Carinthia and in Slovenia, a right tributary of the Drava. It is 43 kilometers (27 mi) long, of which 42 kilometers (26 mi) are in Slovenia.

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  Industrial Heritage

  Mežica Mine

  The Mežica Lead and Zinc Mine is one of the oldest mines in Europe, with its first documented mentions dating back to 1665. Located in the Mežica Valley in Slovenia, it played a significant role in the Slovenian mining history.

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  Nature

  Mislinja (river)

  The Mislinja is a river in the northern part of Slovenia. It is 36 km (22 mi) long.

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  Mountain

  Mount St. Ursula

  Mount St. Ursula or Plešivec (1,699 metres or 5,574 feet) is the easternmost peak of the Karawanks.

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  Mountain

  Petzen

  Petzen (German) or Peca (Slovene) is the highest mountain of the eastern Karawanks, the second-highest mountain of the Northern Karawanks and the most eastern two-thousand-metre mountain of Slovenia. It is a mighty mountain with a characteristic shape of a tableland with rocky peaks protruding from it.

• Preški Vrh

  City

  Preški Vrh

  Preški Vrh is a dispersed settlement in the hills south of Ravne na Koroškem in the Carinthia region in northern Slovenia. The Slovene writer Prežihov Voranc lived in the settlement in his youth.

• Ljubljana

  Plečnik's bridges, a hilltop castle and riverside cafés.

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• Bled

  Island church in a glacial lake beneath the Julian Alps.

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• Piran

  Venetian-Gothic old town on an Adriatic headland.

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• Maribor

  Drava wine city with the world's oldest vine.

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• Ptuj

  Slovenia's oldest town, castle above a Roman street plan.

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• Škofja Loka

  Perfectly preserved medieval merchant town.

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• Triglav National Park

  The country's only national park — Julian Alps, Soča and Triglav itself.

• Škocjan Caves Regional Park

  UNESCO underground canyon of the Reka river.

• Sečovlje Salina Nature Park

  Working medieval saltpans and birdlife on the coast.

• Logar Valley

  Glacial U-valley in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps.

• Kozjansko Regional Park

  Orchards, meadows and biosphere-reserve hills in the east.

• Portorož

  The main resort beach on Slovenia's 46 km of coast.

• Strunjan

  Nature-reserve bay under Europe's highest flysch cliff.

• Fiesa

  Small pebble beach in a cove beside Piran.

• Moon Bay, Debeli Rtič

  Quiet crescent at the Italian border.

• Triglav

  National symbol and highest peak, 2,864 m.

• Julian Alps

  Vršič pass, Soča valley and turquoise gorges.

• Kamnik-Savinja Alps

  Velika Planina's herders' huts and Logar Valley.

• Karavanke

  The long ridge marking the Austrian border.

• Karst plateau

  Limestone country of caves, sinkholes and teran wine.

• Potica

  Rolled nut-filled festive cake, usually walnut.

• Kranjska klobasa

  Protected Carniolan sausage of pork and bacon.

• Idrijski žlikrofi

  Potato dumplings shaped like little hats, from Idrija.

• Jota

  Sour turnip, bean and potato stew from the Karst.

• Štruklji

  Rolled dumplings, savoury with cottage cheese or sweet with tarragon.

• Teran and Rebula

  Karst red and Goriška Brda white — the country's signature wines.

• 01

  A motorway vignette is required and sold at border petrol stations.

• 02

  Lake Bled's island is reached by traditional pletna boat.

• 03

  Book Postojna and Škocjan cave tours online in summer.

• 04

  Mountain huts fill fast in July–August; reserve beds ahead.

• 05

  Tap water is excellent everywhere, including in the mountains.