Obalno-Kraška

Pascal Aerssens, young Dutch student writing Tourist Guide to Slovenia (more photos)

Obalno-Kraška is a statistical region in the south-west of the country. The region exists out of 7 municipalities and covers an area of 1044 km². In 2006, there lived about 106000 inhabitants, of which almost a half live in the city of Koper. It has 24.5% of all tourists in Slovenia.

Hrastovlje

The hamlet of Hrastovlje is not very interesting, though its church is. Sveta Trojica cerkev (church of the Holy Trinity) is a fortified church, on a hill just outside the village. It was built in the 12th century. The outer wall was built to defend the sanctuary against the Turkish invasions. In the past it was also used as a shelter for the local people, when the enemies were on hand.
The interior of the church is tunnel-vaulted and divided into three naves by four pillars. The walls, ceiling and pillars are completely covered with early Gothic frescoes, that were painted in the 15th century by Janez iz Kastva. They were hidden under plaster for years, but were found back in 1949. In the 1950’s the frescoes were thoroughly renovated. The wall paintings represent country life scenes and various biblical happenings, e.g. Genesis and the life of Jesus. The most famous fresco is the Death Dance (Dance Macabre). This wall painting covers the whole southern wall and is mainly a reminder of life. It shows the theory of justice: completely honest and unavoidable for everyone, baby and grandpa, king and farmer, Pope and monk. 

Tourists can visit the church every day from 9:00-12:00 and from 13:00-17:00, it is closed on Tuesday.
I am very sorry, but you are not allowed to take photo’s inside the church.

Koper (Capodistria)
Koper has always been an administrative and judicial important city on the Istrian peninsula.
Throughout history, Koper has had several names, e.g. Aegida, Justinopolis and Caput Histriae.
It has a picturesque town centre, because it has kept its medieval character. At first, it was built on an island, but in the 19th century it was connected with the mainland by a causeway. After they had drained the marshy area between the mainland and the island, there was left behind a plain, on which they later would develop the largest port of Slovenia.
From 932-1797 Koper was part of the Venetian Republic. Under the name ‘Capodistria’, it became the capital city of the Venetian province of Istria. The Venetian influence is still reflected in its streets, squares and houses. After WW II, Koper became part of the Free Territory of Trieste (Italy). Italian schools and a bilingual principle still show the Italian influence on the city. In 1954 it became part of Yugoslavia. Slovenia gained independence in 1991, therefore Koper became part of Slovenia again. Koper is an essential port for the non-coastal countries of central Europe (Austria and Hungary).
There are many fountains and squares in Koper, but the most impressive of the squares is Titov trg. It is the main square of the town. The cathedral of the Assumption and some Venetian palaces stand on this square.
One of the palaces is the Praetorian Palace, which dates from the 15th century. The palace was built on the site of two older houses from the 13th century. In the second half of the 13th century the buildings were linked by a loggia and were rebuilt several times and completed with the typical features of Venetian Gothic. After the Venetian Republic was occupied by the army of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797, the Praetorian Palace lost much of its importance. It fell more into decay, when the Austrian rulers moved the municipal seat of Koper to the Armarija Palace in the 19th century. Some serious renovations begun in 1991. It took ten years and € 3.34 million to finish this. The palace regained its historic role as city hall in May 2001, when the renovations were finished. Nowadays the offices of the mayor and the municipal council are located there.  When passing through the loggia of the Praetorian Palace, you can see a small opening on the side wall.  It is called a bocca del leone (lion’s mouth). Here citizens could post anonymous letters and requests for the Mayor.
The cathedral of Mary’s Assumption was built in the 12th century, when the city got its own diocese. The current façade unites both Gothic and Renaissance styles. The interior is baroque. The cathedral keeps various treasures: the large altar painting “Madonna with Child on the Throne and Saints”, painted by Carpaccio in 1516; the stone sarcophagus of St. Nazarius, Koper’s patron saint, which dates back to the 15th century and more. The organ of the Cathedral has been decorated by Carpaccio’s paintings “The Slaughter of the Innocents” and “The Presentation in the Temple”. The inside of the cathedral was redecorated by the well-known draftsman Giorgio Massari in the 18th century. The bell tower dates from the 14th century. You can climb the tower to have a great view over Koper and the Adriatic.
The Koper Regional Museum is housed in the beautiful Belgramoni Tacco Palace. Its collection contains a wealth of information about archaeology, history and art of the coastal and Karst regions. It cooperates with several Slovenian, Italian and Croatian institutions in Istria. The indoor and the outdoor collection, in the palace garden, both present the cultural history of the coastal and Karst regions. The collection contains sculptures, paintings and beaux arts products, displayed in chronological order and by subject. Its Pinakoteka presents Venetian 17th - 18th century furnishing and medicine, Enlightment and political material from the 18th - 19th century in the Koper region. On Gramsci square, the museum houses a permanent ethnological collection.
There is no beach at Koper, but there is a water park where you can rent sun loungers and swim from a pier. There are relatively few tourists in Koper, because the harbour doesn’t make it very attractive to a lot of people, and even in the high season it doesn't get crowded.
Koper is easy to reach by bus or train. The train and bus stations are neighbouring and are about 1 kilometre away from the town centre. The nearest airports are in Trieste (64 km)and in Ljubljana      (124 km).

Lipica
Lipica is located in a landscape covered with low shrubs and pine forests. The well-known stud farm has developed for more than four hundred years.
Its history is very much connected with the Habsburg monarchy, who needed horses in their army. At that time, the Spanish horse was thought to be a perfect breed. Archduke Charles therefore let build the royal stud farm in the Karst region, because its soil and climate are almost the same to the Spanish climate.  After the Turks had left the region in 1545, the summer residence of the bishop of Trieste was damaged and finally deserted. Archduke Charles decided in 1578 to start a royal stud farm at this site. In 1580, the bishop and he signed an agreement to repair the manor. In 1581, 24 mares and 6 stallions were bought in Spain and in 1816 the first Arab stallion was used at the stud.
During the World Wars, it was necessary to look for a safe haven for the herd in other countries. Therefore, they were brought to Hostau in Czechoslovakia by the Germans, during WW II. After the Yalta conference in 1945, Czechoslovakia was Soviet Union territory.  The chief of the US cavalry, colonel Reed, asked general Patton to realise a military operation to save the horses from the Russians. The American supreme military command refused to operate on Red Army territory. Though, general Patton took performed a daring military operation on the 28th of April 1945, and moved the horses to a region that was ruled by the Allies.
Today there are about 400 horses in Lipica. The shows of its traditional riding school are an memorable experience, especially for horse lovers.

Piran
Piran has been inhabited since prehistoric times, the town’s name derives from the Greek word pur (pyr), meaning fire. That is because in ancient times, fire was lit at Piranska Punta, the tip of the peninsula. This was to direct ships to the harbour of modern Koper. Because of its old city walls, Piran is a member of the European Walled Cities Association. The locals earn their income for the most part by tourism. When you visit the city, you must take a look at its architecture, which has been strongly influenced by the Venetian Republic. It has, just like Koper, kept its medieval structure with the typical clustered houses, squares and churches. But the town has a lot more to bid than just history. It is nice place for people who like to go outside. There are several beaches, hotels and hostels, restaurants, sports facilities, an aquarium and a casino.
The oval inner harbour, was replaced in the 19th century with a stylish plaza, Tartiniev trg (Tartini square), the heart of the town.  It concentrates on the statue of Tartini. GiuseppeTartini was a 18th century composer, violinist and local of Piran. There is always happening something at the feet of his statue: the youth meets there and cyclists and skaters come along.
When the Venetians came to Piran in the 13th century, they built a lot of buildings as a reminder of their power. One of them is the most striking building of the Tartini square: a red woman’s palace with a typical balcony in Venetian Gothic style. During the Venetian occupation of Piran, there was a rich (married) merchant who fell in love with a local maid. He came often to the town and brought his love precious gifts. In time, he even built her a palace near the harbour. When he was away, evil tongues made the maid's life always difficult. So the merchant decided to place a stone plate with the words "Lasa pur dir” (Let them talk) on the house. Nowadays, there's a small shop selling salt from the close by saltpans of Sečovlje. It is called the Venetian House, which is sometimes confusing for tourists because there is not just one Venetian House in Piran.
The cathedral of St. George (cerkev Sv. Jurija) rises high above the city. It has just been renovated and it is worth a visit. The cathedral was most likely built in the 12th century, but no accurate data exist. The beautiful 17th century campanile was designed by Giacomo di Nodari, an artist from Koper. On the top of it, stands the archangel St. Michael. It was copied from the St. Mark’s campanile in Venice. Between 11am-5pm, you can climb the wooden steps to the top of the tower, for a small admission fee, to have an amazing sight of the town and the Gulf of Trieste. The church is almost always closed, though visiting the museum (open between 11am-5 pm)for a small admission fee  makes it possible to get in the church. The interior is very fine, with a large medieval crucifix, a 2nd century Roman sarcophagus, a statue of St. George killing the dragon and St. Nicholas, who is the patron saint of sailors.
Piran's aquarium is a very small one and it's hosted in an old building by the harbour. It is under the management of the Maritime High School of Portorož.  You can learn there about the fishes, sea plants and sponges of the Slovenian Adriatic sea.
From St. George’s cathedral down to to Tartiniev trg you will find a Minorite monastery. The monastery and the church are dedicated to St Francis of Assisi. They were originally built in the 14th  century but were renovated over the centuries. Inside the church are frescoes, an enormous clam shell for donations and the family tombe of the Tartini family. Don’t forget to have a look at its beautiful cloister.

Socerb
The hamlet of Socerb is located on the border of the Zgornji Kras region (Upper Karst) and the Spodnji Kras region (Lower Karst).
 Because of its nice climate, exceptional geographical and strategic situation, people already settled here very early in history.
There has been done a lot of archaeological research and there have been found various ruins of all times, from a castle and ruins of the parish church of St.-Socerb till tombs from prehistoric and Roman times.
Socerb Castle is situated on the cliff, that a long time ago formed the political border between the Venetian Republic and Austria. It had an essential tactical and political purpose during the Middle Ages. The castle was only in hands of the Venetians for half a century. Most of the time, it was in hands of the Austrian Markgrafen (margraves). It was also important because it controlled the trading route, from the Adriatic to the Kranjska province.
Currently, the castle is a state property of great importance and hosts a high-quality restaurant. From the walls of the castle, you will have an extraordinary view on the city of Trieste and on the Adriatic sea.
The well-known Sveta Jama (Sacred Cave) is located close to the castle. It is the only underground church in Slovenia, and it is 44 m deep and 189 m long. Legend tells us, that St. Socerb has lived in the cave once he was converted to Christianity. Therefore he was executed by the governor of Trieste in 1284. Inside the cave a mass has been held every year on 24th May (his name day) since WW II. You can find the entrance in a small valley. You can go down (45 stone steps) into the cave. There is water in a shallow basin, just behind the altar, which is dedicated to St. Socerb. Baron Janez Vajkat Valvasor already mentioned this shallow basin in the 17th century, saying that it would never run out of water. Some columns form the shape of a bed, where St. Socerb would have slept.

Krkavče

There are lots of unexplained and forgotten stories about Slovenian Istria. Just outside the village of Krkavče stands a monolith of about 2,5 metres high, known as the Krkavče Stone. No one knows exactly when it was erected and by who. Therefore it has inspired scientists for years. Various archaeologists, historians and art critics tried to solve the mystery, which resulted in a range of ages and purposes of the monolith. It also resulted in a lot of stories about this interesting stone:

They say it was used as a ‘whipping post’ for criminals in the nearby Castle of Gradišče. Others say that it once has been a part of an old house. Some also suggest that the image of a human with its crown of sun rays depicts the Persian god Mithra or the Slavic god Svarog. Some more creative people think it proves an ancient visit of aliens from outer space. It is said that the Krkavče Stone releases unusual energy, so some locals visit it with wishes and appreciation. They even bring candles and flowers as a special sacrifice to the stone. There are locals that believe that if you hug and caress the stone, it gives you strength and fertility. Whatever the case might be, locals always know how to convince you of their beliefs regarding the stone and are always willing to tell their story about it.

Koroška

Pascal Aerssens, young Dutch student writing Tourist Guide to Slovenia (more photos)

Koroška is a statistical region in the north of Slovenia. It has the highest employment rate of the country due to the various mines and manufacturing plants. There live about 73,839 people on a surface area of 1041 km².

Dravograd

During WW II the basement of what is now the town hall was used as a prison by the Gestapo. During the WW II, Slovenia was under German occupation and the town of Dravograd was used as a centre of operations for the Koroška region. The local people didn’t like this at all and the local resistance was well organised, which resulted in a lot of attacks on the Germans. The Gestapo had no trouble at all filling their prison, not only with the local partisans, but also with Russians who were forced to work on the water-energy plants on river Drava.
Nowadays, the former Gestapo prison is home to a small, but fascinating museum. The local Tourist Information Office holds the key to the museum and you need to contact them in advance by phone or email. I really would recommend it if you have an hour to play with in the Koroška region. After a short introduction, you can walk around and explore the cells. You can have a look in all five of them. Two of them were punishment cells, in which the ceilings were even lower so the only possible position of the prisoners was to stoop. Graffiti was found in all of the cells, explaining the thoughts of the prisoners. A couple of the cells contain show cases, showing some objects that had been found in the building after it was deserted. There is no admission fee. Visits only by appointment from Monday to Friday between 8.00am-2.00pm. It is  closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Very special is the 12th century St. Vitus church (cerkev Sv. Vida), which has survived the wars throughout the centuries. It is one of the most important Slovenian Romanesque buildings in existence and therefore is part of the Transromanica project of the EU and UNESCO.   
Interesting to encounter are the traditional charcoal burners in the Kobansko Hills, which are an important part of the local cultural heritage.
The tourist office can arrange rafting tours on the river Drava. This will cost you only € 16 for three hours of fun. The price includes food and drinks.
The region is also interesting to bird spotters because in the marshes live numerous bird species like the sandpipers, egrets and various gulls.

Contact the Tourist Office on:
Address: Trg 4. julija 50, 2370 Dravograd    
Phone: +386 2 871 02 85
e-mail: info.dravograd@triera.net

Notranjsko-kraška

Pascal Aerssens, young Dutch student writing Tourist Guide to Slovenia (more photos)

Notranjsko-kraška is a statistical region in the south-west of the country. It is the least densely populated area of Slovenia and is famous for its nature: the Postojna cave and lake Cerknica.

Cerknica
Cerkniško Jezero (lake Cerknica) is the biggest lake of Slovenia, though only if it’s there. It is a seasonal lake. The water of the lake is directly connected with the underground waters, because of all the karstic tunnels and caves. So when the groundwater level rises or falls, the surface water of the lake will also rise or fall.
The bed of the lake is connected to a huge but for the most part unapproachable system of caves that drain the water away or eject the water.  The bizarre behaviour of the lake was already observed by the Romans, who made notes of it, but never had explanations of why it happened. At the utmost, the surface area of the lake is about 26 km², however during rainy periods it can reach a size up to 38 km².  In summer, the lake shrinks into some small pools, of which only one is permanent. At the centre of the lake there is an island with a small village.
Museum Lake Cerknica
There is a small museum with a unique presentation of how the water system of the lake works and where the water goes. I has a 3D model of the valley and the lake. They give some special explanations for tourists in English, German, French and Czech and for children. To book one of these tours, please contact the museum:
Museum Jezerski Hram
Dolenje Jezero 1e, 1380 Cerknica
telephone: +386 1 7094 053
e-mail: jezerski.hram@siol.net

Postojna
The largest known cave system in Slovenia, is in Postojna. There are a lot of caves in the world, but a visit to the cave of Postojna is exceptional because of the variety of shapes, widespread cave areas, the enormous amount of stalactites and stalagmites and the subterranean water systems. Well-kept tracks for tourists cover most of the Postojna cave, making it possible for almost every visitor to see most of these various shapes and formations. So not only cavers with special caving equipment, but also tourists can visit the cave. An electric train will take you to the cave, where guides accompany visitors for a one and a half hour tour through the cave. The last hall of the cave has a pool in the middle with a number of cave salamanders in it. They are caught in a cave close by and released again after a few weeks.
People who are not afraid to show some physical effort, can visit the more difficult parts of the cave with narrow passages and flooded areas that are not open to the general public. For those daring people, there are unique adventure tracks. These require special tools and qualified guides and are organised for small groups of 3 till 15 people.
An indication of life in the cave is given by the Proteus Vivarium, which is located about 100 metres from the entrance of the cave.  The Postojna cave is a home to 84 subterranean  animal species, of which 36 are land-living and 48 are aquatic. In the vivarium you can watch a multimedia presentation about karstic caves. In the Passage of New Signatures there are two separate sections about cave fauna, there you can have a glance at the proteus anguinus, an amphibian salamander, and the drobnovratnik beetle.
Christmas in the Postojna cave
During the winter holidays, there is always a series of tableaux that tell the biblical Nativity story placed in one of the most wonderful parts of the cave.  There also is a Christmas fair a chocolate fair. Booking is recommended, because everyone wants to see this wonderful sight and there is only a limited amount of places available for each performance.
Telephone: +386(5) 7000 100

PredjamaPredjama Castle (Predjamski Grad) lies in the village of Predjama, about 10 kilometres north-west of Postojna. The castle was most likely built in the 12th century. At that time it was controlled by the counts of Gorizia. In 1478 the castle became the home of the well-known knight Erazem (Erasmus). He was doubtless the most legendary resident of Predjama Castle. In 1483 he killed Field Marshall Pappenheim at the Royal Court in Vienna during a dispute. But Pappenheim was a relative of the Emperor so, to escape his punishment, Erazem fled to his castle. The castle was afterwards sieged on the Emperors instructions by Lord Gaspar Ravbar of Trieste. Ravbar tried to let him die of hunger but was shocked to see that he always had fresh food on hand. At last Erazem was killed by a cannonball. Later they found out that he had got his provisions through an underground passageway through the caves. The castle is situated in the middle of a 123 metres high, overhanging rock face. It was built in the entry of a cave. The river Lovka runs underneath the castle. A smaller cave has been used as a horse stable. The interior of the castle can be visited and gives you a good view of how much the castle and the life of the residents was adapted to the cave and the cliff. Every year in July, there is a medieval tournament named after the famous 15th century baron Erazem of Predjama.

Snežnik Castle
Snežnik Castle is the only castle in Slovenia with authentic furniture that has survived the centuries. The museum inside the castle was opened to public in 2008 after the restorations of this romantic castle had been finished. The building is owned by the state, but the museum is maintained by the Slovenian National Museum.
It was built on the edge of the Lož Valley, which is of course a very strategic site. The Romans had already built a stronghold on the same site, from which some remains are found and exhibited inside the museum. However, the Lords of Snežnik were first mentioned in the 13th  century. The word Snežnik means ‘snowy one’, which is a slovenised form for the name of the initial owners: the royal house of Schneberg (German for snowy mountain). During the  following centuries, there have been a lot of owners, of which most were members of prominent Carniolan noble families, e.g. the Lambergs, Scheyers, Raumschissls, Eggenbergs, Auerspergs and Lichtenbergs.  A large area in the Notranjska region was governed from the castle during the 17th century. Yet, it only got its current appearance from the 19th century. It was in that time that the estate had been bought by the princely Saxon family of Schönburg-Waldenburg. They converted the castle into a hunting and holiday residence, because of its enormous forests. It was on this site, that Prince George founded the first Slovenian forestry school in 1867. The Schönburg-Waldenburgs were good for the environment: Endangered species were not hunted, a steam saw stimulated the development of woodworking industry in the valley and electricity was not only provided in the castle, but also in the surrounding villages. The castle owners offered of course a range of jobs to the villagers. This ended  after WW II, when Leon Schauta had saved the castle from destruction and so fulfilled his job as caretaker of the castle.
Exceptional is the Egyptian room from the early 20th century. The furniture of this room has been given to the owners by an old friend from Egypt. Interesting as well are the piano, the billiard table and the theatre corner which reveal the owners' hobbies. Because this castle has been a hunting residence, there are a lot of interesting old hunting trophies, of which the most interesting is of course the stuffed bear. In the entrance hall there are ancient Roman tombstones and a large map of Carniola from 1744, which was made by an Italian monk. The wooden boat under the hanging wooden gangway is was used by the villagers to cross the flooded grasslands.
Funny to know is that Tito was a great fan of hunting. At one of his trips he slept over at Snežnik castle, because he could go hunting in its forests.
The gardens of the castle are great to walk through. There are two hiking routes close to the castle, the Krpan route and the European 6th route. The area is also great for cycling and horseback riding. Perhaps you will spot some of the Slovenian wild animals yourself.

Pivka
The Park of Military History (Kolodvorska cesta 5, Pivka) in Pivka is a museum and experiential centre. It hosts the national tank-artillery collection, which is exhibited and so offers visitors a unique view into the military-historical heritage of the country. Its purpose is education, research and exceptional experience.
The park hosts an exhibition about the several thousand years old fortification heritage of the region. The exhibition shows the visitors military history from the oldest periods of ancient history and the Middle Ages to contemporary history. The Latin name for the region Regio Carsica Militaris already suggests the military importance of the Karst region, which nickname is the open doors of Postojna. It has always been a strategic site due to its dominating high position and the important trade routes running through the multiple river basins of the region.  
If you make a reservation prior to visiting the museum, you can participate in spy games or play with remote control tanks. For bigger groups it is also possible to organise military demonstrations. Each year there are special military demonstrations in September.

Jugovzhodna Slovenija

Pascal Aerssens, young Dutch student writing Tourist Guide to Slovenia (more photos)

Jugovzhodna Slovenija is a statistical region in the southeast of Slovenia. It has about 2,675 km² and there live 139,095 people. The population grows steadily because of positive net migration, which is a result of the increasing amount of recreational areas in the region. A second reason is that it has the highest share of young people in Slovenia, about 15.8 %.

Novo mesto
The "Breg" area of Novo mesto is one of the most pictoresque places of the city. The name literally means ‘steep riverbank’, that is because the buildings of "Breg" were at first built on the rocks of the riverbanks of river Krka. Most houses were built in 1786 following the outline of the ruins of the medieval city walls, which still can be seen in the cellars of the houses. Because the people that lived in these houses were really poor, the housewives of "Breg" had to rent rooms to grammar school students until WW II and were therefore called "Student Moms". The roofs of the buildings parallel to the street were first covered up with wooden panels until the 20th century, when they were replaced by roof tiles. The area of Breg in Novo mesto has been declared a cultural monument of local importance by the Novo mesto Community.
High above the Old City, you can see the 15th century Gothic chapter cathedral of Saint Nicholas (stolnica Sv Nikolaja). It is one of the most important historical monuments of Novo mesto. The bell tower once has been a medieval defence tower. Imposing are the painted ceilings and the painting of Saint Nicholas, which was painted by the Venetian master Jacopo Tintoretto (1518-1594). If the church is closed, you can always ask for the keys at the Provost’s House (Proštija, Kapiteljska ulica 1), which is the yellow building to the northwest of the church. It was built in 1623.
Nice to visit is the Dolenjska Museum. The oldest building once housed the Knights of the Teutonic Order, but nowadays houses an archaeological collection of findings that were done in the suburb Kandija: a helmet from the 4th century BC,  a bronze pail decorated with hunting scenes and Celtic ceramics and jewellery.
The church of Saint Leonard and the monastery attached to it, were founded in 1472, when Franciscan monks fled for the Turks from Bosnia. Its library contains over 12,000 books.
South of the Provost’s House, there is a part of the 14th century medieval town walls.

Tourist information centre Novo mesto
Address: Glavni trg 6
telephone: +386 (0)7 39 39 263
e-mail: tic@novomesto.si

Goriška

Pascal Aerssens, young Dutch student writing Tourist Guide to Slovenia (more photos)

Goriška is a statistical region in the west of the country on the border with Italy. Its capital city is Nova Gorica. The area is 2,325 km2 and there live about 119,622 people.

Bovec
Bovec is situated in the middle of Triglav National Park. It is a perfect destination for people who like to go outside and like an active holiday. In summer there can be canoed and rafted on the rivers and in winter there can be skied at the Kanin ski resort. Close to the town are the river Soča and the river Koritnica joined together. At that place there are arranged some camping sites.
You might not have heard of it but maybe you have seen it before, because the mighty skirmish scenes at the end of Disney's film The Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian were filmed near Bovec. In June 2007, they shot these scenes in the valley.
Trouts love the cold and clear water of the river Soča and they get to huge sizes that every angler would like to catch. Marble trout, Brown trout and Soča grayling are native species of the river. The best time to fish at the Soča river is late August and September.
In the parish church of Bovec there is a notable painting: Archangel Michael fights with Hitler and Mussolini. They represent God’s enemies, the foes of society and the devil.

Idrija
It was in Idrija that a loaded deposit of mercury ore was exposed in 1490. Idrija’s famed mercury mine, once was the second largest mercury mine in the world. It has served for 500 years, but now it has closed. The Anthony’s Shaft is the oldest part of the mine and dates from the 16th century. There also is a subterranean chapel that dates from 18th century. Both the mine and the church are open for visitors.
The glorious Gewerkenegg Castle, which dates from 1533, is a home to the wide-ranging collection of the Idrija Municipal Museum.  The courtyard of the castle serves in summer also as a scene of summer cultural events.
Very famous is the centuries-old lace making tradition, which has been practiced in the area for more than 300 years. Its lace making school is more than 120 years old. You can buy its products all over the town. Every year there is a traditional Lace Festival at the end of August.
The famous Johannes Antonius Scopoli, an Italian physician and naturalist, was a practicing doctor in the town in the Switzerland building. He was the first doctor of medicine, appointed in Idrija in 1754, who described in great detail the symptoms of mercurialism among smelters and pit workers. Mercurialism is caused by mercury vapour over long periods of time. Some symptoms are inflammation of the mouth, loose teeth and blue lines on the gums. So this really was an important discovery of him.
There are lots of local "gostilnas" and farms where you can enjoy the local cuisine. The home-made dish žlikrofi (a kind of ravioli) is really worth a try.

Kobarid
Kobarid was populated as early as the Hallstatt Age (700-600 BC). During ancient Roman times, Kobarid was an important stopover on the road from Aquileia to Noricum. And in Medieval times the settlement was owned by the Cividale Chapter. But Kobarid is well-known for its tumultuous past:
In 1688 a devastating fire swept through the settlement; the Turks invaded the region and Napoleon's army past through the valley. The greatest highland battle in history took place around the town during World War I. The first "blitzkrieg" of the world took place in the valley.
The Kobarid Historical Trail has been set up for visitors that are interested in the local historical, cultural and also natural points of interest. The trail is approximately five kilometres long and you can walk this in about three hours. Some interesting spots on its way are the Kobarid museum, a Roman settlement on Gradič Hill, Tonocov grad, Kozjak Waterfalls and the Napoleon Bridge. 
In the small village of Zatolmin are many Cheese Houses that make their own cheeses. The owners would be pleased to give you a short explanation about the process of making cheese. When you have finished the tour, you can take a look around  in their cheese cellar.
If you like hunting and fishing, Kobarid is a great place for you. There is plenty of small and big game and also a lot of fish in the rivers.

Nova Gorica
The city of Nova Gorica was only founded just after WW II (1948). According to the 6th Paris Peace Conference the city of Gorizia would become part of Italy, and as a result the Slovenian region of Goriška lost its centre. Therefore the Slovenes decided to build a new town: Nova Gorica, which in Slovenian literally means ‘New Gorizia’. However, the history of the Goriška region is very old and there are some significant archaeological sites.
The city is also known as the Slovenian Las Vegas because it attracts many tourists to its casinos, discos and entertainment centres. Locals prefer walking in the hills, with their unspoiled milieu. The city is really worth visiting, together with its Italian neighbour Gorizia, because of its historical monuments, concerts and choirs.
There is a red rose on the crest of the municipality, because this flower has an exceptional historical importance for this region: before WWI, it delivered roses to the Imperial Court in Vienna. Nowadays there are numerous roses and gardens that beautify the city.

Just on the border between Slovenia and Italy, lies Kostanjevica Hill. It houses a 17th century Franciscan monastery. Attached to the monastery is the church of the Annunciation of Our Lady. There is a crypt below the church, in which the last members of the French royal family, the Bourbons, were buried. Charles X fled from France because of the revolution in 1830. He found a safe haven in Gorizia, and in time the death.
North of the town is another Franciscan monastery on the Holy Mountain (Sveta Gora). It has attracted pilgrims for five centuries. The sight from the peak is great, and when the sky is clear, visitors can see the whole of Istria, the Dolomites, the Alps and sometimes even Venice. There are often concerts in the enormous basilica. Other buildings on the peak are the Battle of Isonzo Museum and a cosy tavern.
The charming building of Vogrsko Mansion is an excellent example of Mediterranean Baroque. The construction of the building began in the 16th century, but the building was totally renovated in the 17th century and completed in the Rococo style. Nowadays it is used for many purposes, e.g. grande cuisine, lodging and recreation.
From the Medieval castle of Rihemberk you have an impressive sight of the Vipava Valley. This valley is well-known for its wines and prosciutto. In summer the castle becomes a place for people to meet up and for various events and shows.
There are lots of things to do for outdoors sport enthusiasts, who can take pleasure in parachuting, hang-gliding and canoeing on the river Soča. River Soča is famous for the green colour of its water. Therefore, the river is also known as the Emerald Beauty. It is one of the exceptional rivers in the world that keep their clear, green colour throughout their length.

Gorenjska

Pascal Aerssens, young Dutch student writing Tourist Guide to Slovenia (more photos)

Gorenjska is one of the oldest and most traditional regions of Slovenia. Its capital city is Kranj, but interesting as well are the cities of Bled, Bohinj and Škofja Loka. There live about 193,375 people and the surface is approximately 2,272 km² big.

Bled
Bled is well-known for its lake, Blejsko Jezero, which was formed when a glacier melted during the last Ice Age. When walking around the lake it might remind one of the Sound of Music.
The church of St Mary’s Assumption (cerkev Marijinega Vnebovzetja) was built on the island in the middle of the lake. It probably is the most famous sight of the lake and photo’s and post cards of the island with the church are spread all over the world. Archaeologists have concluded that there already was a church on Bled Island in the 9th century, but the current church dates back to the 17th century. Though there still are frescoes from the 15th century and a wooden Madonna statue that dates back to the same period of time. However, this was not the first construction built on the island: The island has served as a Stone Age burial ground before the church was built. If you would like to visit the church and the island, just take a gondola at the tourist office or hire a boat at Mlini. The church is used for weddings and is available for Slovenes and foreigners. If you would like to marry there, please contact Bled’s Roman Catholic parish at 04 574 4046.
Bled castle, or Blejski Grad, (Grajska 25) looks out over the lake from a 139 metres high rock. It is said to be founded by bishop Albuin of Brixen, after Emperor Heinrich II had donated him the land. Unfortunately the castle fell into decay after the earthquake of 1510. In the 1950s the castle was renovated in Baroque style. Nowadays it houses a museum dedicated to the regional history. 
At tourist agency AlpinSport (Ribčev laz 53), you can hire canoes and kayaks. They also offer full programmes like rafting, mountain trekking and paragliding.
Interested in fishing? Fishing for catfish, pike, carp and lake trout is permitted. You can buy licenses at the local tourist office.

Tourist office 
Address: Cesta svobode 10
Telephone: +386 (0)4 574 11 22
E-mail: tdbled@telemach.net

Bohinj
Bohinj is also famous for a lake: Bohinjsko Jezero. It is a glacier lake, just like the lake of Bled. It is the biggest lake of Slovenia (1 km wide and 4.2 km long) and attracts lots of tourists and locals that yearn for a dive in the cold water.
Bohinj once has been the centre of alpine dairy farming in Slovenia and therefore houses a Dairy Farming Museum (Stara Fužina 181). Interesting are the reconstructed alpine huts and dairy exhibits.
It is possible to take a ride aboard a steam train, which will ride you all along the charming Bohinj railway. Tickets should be booked in advance at +386 059 070 512 or send an e-mail to abc-tourism@europcar.si

Tourist Information Centre
Address: Ribčev Laz 48
Telephone: +386 (0)4 574 76010
E-mail: info@bohinj-info.com


Škofja Loka
The area around Škofja Loka is perfect to go cycling or hiking. It is famous for its well preserved medieval character. The town dates back to 973, when Emperor Oton II donated the land of Loka to bishop Abraham of Freising.
In the Middle Ages the people of Loka were starting to spread around the place where the rivers Selška and Poljanska flow together. Loka means  grassland by the river. Soon after the bishop of Freising renamed the governmental and financial centre of the lordship to Škofja Loka. For security purposes the town was protected by a town wall that was constructed in the 14th century.
There were five gates to the town and each of them was protected by a watchtower. Nowadays most of the town wall is still fresh-looking.
Škofja Loka is now well-known as the best conserved mediaeval town in the country. The old town centre is has two major squares: Plac and Lontrg, which are both dominated by the Castle.
The Granary has probably the most reputable historic value in the town. In the past it was one of the most important buildings of the town, because it kept the natural taxes. It was controlled  by a bishop's administrator: the granary-man.

Tourist information centre
Address: Poljanska cesta 2
Telephone: +386 4 517 06 00
E-mail: info@lto-blegos.si

Land, people and culture

Pascal Aerssens, young Dutch student writing Tourist Guide to Slovenia (more photos)


Landscape and Geology
Although Slovenia is a very small country, there are a lot of different landscapes: the Alpine area, which includes the Julian Alps, the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, the Karavanke and Pohorje; the hills to the south of the Alps; the Karst area from the south of Ljubljana towards the Italian border; a short Adriatic coastline of only 46.6 kilometres; numerous rivers to the east and a small area of Pannonian plain near the Hungarian border.
Most of Slovenia has a karst topography and is composed of limestone. Kras is the Slovenian name for these landscapes, and that is also where the term karst derives from. Nowadays this term is used all over the world to describe the dissolution of one or more layers of soluble rock like limestone. You can clearly see the results of this in the landscape because it allows water to sink directly into the soil. Therefore there are several periodic lakes. These are lakes that come and go throughout the year. The most famous periodic lake in Slovenia is the lake of Cerknica .
There are around 7000 caves in Slovenia and every year there are even discovered more. Some of them reach a depth of 1000 metres. Most famous of them are the caves of Postojna and of Škocjan. The Škocjan Caves are even on UNESCO's list of natural and cultural world heritage sites.
The lowest point is 0 metres above sea level on the coast, and the highest point is 2,864 metres on mount Triglav.

Climate
The different landscapes result in different climates. There is a Mediterranean climate on the coast and a continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys in the east.

When to go
In Slovenia every season has its attractions. There can be snow in the mountains until late June or even July. Spring is a great time to spend in the lowlands and in the valleys, they will be covered with flowers. Be aware that it can be pretty wet in May and in June. When the days are getting longer, the cultural events like theatres are in full swing and off-season rates are generally still available.
Summer, from mid-June to September, is great for hiking and camping, but be aware that it is the peak season for visitors. This also makes accommodation and dining in restaurants hard to come by without reservations, and it is most of the time also be more expensive.
September is a great month to go to Slovenia. There is plenty of local fruit and vegetables and the prices are going down again because tourists are heading home. The Adriatic sea is still very comfortable to swim in.
Autumn is beautiful, but by October lots of camping sites have closed down. October and November are the best months for hiking and climbing. Please be aware that it can be very rainy in autumn.
The best time for skiers to go is in winter. It can be very cold. But most museums and tourist sites have closed down. It can get very crowded during the winter holidays. The winter holidays for school children are about ten days between Christmas and New Year. They again have holidays for a week in the second half of February.

History of Slovenia
The Slavic ancestors of the Slovenes came in the 6th century AD from eastern Europe. They started to live in the northern part of modern days Slovenia. They found a state called Carantania (Slovenian: Karantanija), which was an early parliamentary democracies in Europe. The Knez (ruler) was elected by popular vote.
During the following years, the Carantanians were defeated by both Bavarians and Franks, who eventually assimilated them. They were Christianised, but kept a lot of their rituals of their heathenish religion and, most important of all, they kept their own language.
The Slovenian territories were part of the Holy Roman Empire and also of Austria under the Habsburg dynasty up to 1918.
In 1918, the Slovenes, the Serbs and Croats formed a new state ruled by the Serbian Karadjordjević dynasty. It was called ‘the Kingdom of the Serbs, the Croats and the Slovenians’ (Slovene: Kraljevina Srbov, Hrvatov in Slovencev), and was renamed Yugoslavia in 1929.
The country was occupied by Germans, Italians and Hungarians during WW II . At the same time, there has been a civil war between the procommunist liberation formation (the Partizani) and Roman Catholic anticommunist formations (the Belogardisti and the Domobranci), therefore collaboration with the occupational  forces took place. The victory of the allies and as a result also the Partisans, resulted in mass departure and mass execution of members of anticommunist formations.
After WW II, Slovenia became a part of the new Yugoslavia. They were Communists, but they distanced themselves from Russia. This resulted in a system between the East and the West. Frustrated with the power of the majority Serbs, the Slovenes succeeded in certifying their sovereignty in 1991 with minimal violence.
In 2004, Slovenia became member of both the EU and NATO. In January 2007, Slovenia was the first of the new member states that joined the EU in 2004, to adapt the euro as its official currency. And Slovenia held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2008, as the first new member state to do so.

Costs and money
Slovenia adapted the euro in 2007 as its official currency, before it was the tolar. The most important goods cost in Slovenia just as much as they do in the rest of Europe but, though the prices are rising, Slovenia is almost a third cheaper than its neighbours Italy and Austria. Hungary stays cheaper and everything will cost at least 33% less than in Slovenia, but Slovenia always has been cheaper than Croatia.  
When you stay in a guesthouse or private room, eat average-priced food at restaurants and travel 2nd class by train or bus, you should manage to pay everything with ± €50 each day. Travelling in greater comfort (active nightlife, bottled wine in restaurants, etc.), it will cost you €75 - €80 in the provinces and ± €100 in Ljubljana. People who spend the night at hostels or college dormitories and eat simple food, e.g. burek (pastries), for lunch and eat in self-service restaurants or fast food for dinner, should come by on €30. 
Travelling 100 kilometres by train or bus will cost you €5.50 - €9. Bicycle rental for one day will cost you  €4.20 - €5.45. A bottle of ordinary Slovenian wine will cost you about €6. A cup of coffee in a café will cost you only €0.75 - €1.

Government and politics
The President of Slovenia is the Head of State. He/she is elected by the Slovenian people every five years, and can be president for a maximum of two terms. The President is officially the Supreme Commander of the army, but  his/her power is mostly reduced to ceremonial powers.
The Prime Minister, who is the Head of Government, and the Cabinet  form the law-making power. They are both elected by the parliament.
The Slovenian parliament is bicameral and is made up of the National Assembly, with 90 members, and the National Council, with 40 members.

People
There live about 2 million Slovenes in Slovenia. There is a confluence of ethnic groups in Slovenia, but the Slovenes form a majority of the population. More than 80% of the population is Slovene. Some other peoples living in Slovenia are Bosnians, Croats, Serbs, Yugoslavs, Hungarians and Roma people.

Religion
Most of the Slovenes are Roman Catholics, but there are also about 40 other religious communities recorded in Slovenia. In Slovenia state and religion are separated and all religious communities have got the same rights, and are allowed to practice their activities freely. The 2002 Census data of religious membership are: Roman Catholic 57.8%, Muslim 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3%, other Christian 0.9%, unaffiliated 3.5%, other or unspecified 23%, none 10.1%.

Kurentovanje in Ptuj (February)
The ten days long ceremony of spring and fertility in Slovenia is called kurentovanje. The origins of this festival are unclear, but it is very likely connected to earlier Slavic, Celtic and Illyrian traditions. Festivities like kurentovanje are found all over Central Europe. Kurentovanje is a unique pre-Lenten festival, so it is a kind of carnival. The name derives from the main figure of the ceremony, the Kurent or Korant. Kurent was the god of uncontrolled pleasure and pleasure-seeking. In earlier times people believed that the Kurent had
the power to drive out winter and to guide in spring.
During the procession through the village or town, crowds of Kurenti (=plural of Kurent) wear sheepskins with cowbells and furry masks with horns and other decorations, e.g. a long, red tongue hanging down to their chest, ribbons, sticks and feathers. The bells are, together with their wooden clubs with hedgehog spines, meant to scare off bad spirits. Traditionally, the Kurent's outfit only could be worn by bachelor men, but currently Kurents can be married men, children and women as well. A devil is the leader of the procession. He is covered in a net to take the souls. Young girls attach handkerchiefs to the Kurent’s belt. The village people break terracotta pots at the feet of the Kurents for good fortune and good health. More info at: http://www.kurentovanje.net/

Festival Lent in Maribor (June)
The International Festival Lent is a festival of more than 14 days of outstanding festival activities with many   well-known Slovenian and foreign performers, but also with many amateurs from all over Slovenia and abroad.
The festival offers concerts of all kinds of music, theatre, dance and drama performances. There is always something for the children like a puppet show, sports and artistic workshops. In the City Park there is lots of comedy and folklore festivities.  Some events are free, but for others you will have to buy tickets.
More info at: http://lent.slovenija.net/

Ljubljana summer festival (July-August)
The summer festival is held seven weeks long in Ljubljana each summer. It is the biggest cultural event of the year and attracts every year about 50,000 visitors. The first time the festival was held, was in 1953 and every summer it continues with a wide range of music, dance, opera, ballet, theatre, art and films in a variety of venues and locations all over the city. Ljubljana Castle is the most famous location.
More info at: http://www.ljubljanafestival.si/

Rock Otočec near Novo mesto (July)
Rock Otočec is a traditional music festival with that started in 1976. The events take place at a really idyllic location close by the river Krka, just at the back of the Otočec castle. It is situated near Novo mesto, an old town about 70 km away from Ljubljana. At the three days long festival there is always something to do. Aside for the music, the festival is well-known for its wide range of activities, in particular those that involve mud. Half of the tickets are usually reserved before any of the performers are known, so it is very popular. You can buy tickets on-line, but they are available during the festival as well. Parking and camping are also available for all visitors.
More info at: http://www.rock-otocec.com/

Cow Ball in Ukanc (September)
Each year the Cow Ball is held. It symbolises the return of cattle to the valley after a long summer pasture.  The event takes place in Ukanc at Lake Bohinj. The cows are decorated and accompanied by herdsmen, dairymaids and cheese-makers. They walk in a parade, carrying all the requirements of a herdsman when he leaves with cattle to the mountains at the beginning of summer. You can buy there the typical home made products of Bohinj: baskets, lace and wooden products. The visitors can taste and buy cheeses and take part in traditional entertainment and sports typical for the mountainous areas: sling shooting, chopping trees with a crosscut saw and throwing horseshoes.

Food and beverages

Pascal Aerssens, young Dutch student writing Tourist Guide to Slovenia (more photos)

Food
Slovenia has more than 1200 national dishes. Slovenian traditional dishes differ very much from region to region. It’s however not easy to find a traditional Slovenian dish like mlinci (pasta tatters) or ajdovi žganci (dish made from boiled cornmeal). If you wish to try traditional Slovenian dishes, the best places to go are gostilna or gostišče (local pubs). If you want to enjoy the food in a Slovenian way, you will have to eat slow, because in Slovenia slow and organic food rules. Slovenes normally eat three meals every day, with lunch being the most important.  

Sok (fruit juice), kava (coffee), or čaj (tea) and žemlja (a type of hard roll) are common for zajtrk (breakfast).

Lunch generally starts with juha (soup). It generally includes a meat dish, a starch dish (e.g. bread, pasta, dumplings or potatoes), vegetables and a salad (e.g. francoska solata, cubed potatoes and vegetables with mayonnaise). Bread almost always goes with both lunch and dinner. When a meal is taken at a restaurant, the waitress expects the diners to report the number bread slices they wish to eat during their meal. Most restaurants will serve homemade olive oil with their meals.

To drink at lunch or dinner, there generally is vino (wine), pivo (beer) or malinovec (a drink made with raspberry syrup).

Dinner is usually light. Salads and yoghurt, accompanied by leftovers from lunch, are characteristic. When invited to dinner, Slovenes consider it decent to bring small presents. Flowers and wine are usually given to the host, and sweets is offered to children. It is considered impolite to refuse any food that is offered, even if you don’t like it. So you better tell your host what you like, some days before visiting.

Eating at restaurants is considered luxurious by the Slovenes, so it is normally only done on special occasions and for celebrations. Nevertheless, many Slovenes do often have a meal at a gostilna or a gostišče (local pub). The traditional Sunday lunch in a local pub may include beef or chicken soup with homemade noodles, pork or veal roast, sautéed or roasted potatoes, salad and strudel for dessert.        

Young Slovenes may go out for pizza and like eating at fast food places. A very popular fast food dish is burek (a layered pie with cheese, meat or apples). You can buy it at most of the takeaway places.
You can eat fresh fish of a good quality throughout the country. Both, fresh water and salt water fish are served, e.g. pike, trout, scampi, squid and different kinds of perch. Most of them are grilled or fried.

The Slovenian cuisine has been strongly influenced by its neighbours. From Hungary there are palačinke (pancakes), paprikaš (chicken or beef stew) and golaž (goulash). Austria has put in dunajski zrezek (schnitzel), klobase (bangers) and zavitek (a kind of strudel). The ravioli žlikrofi is typical Italian. And čevapčiči (grilled minced meat) comes from the Balkan.

A Slovenian meal is not complete without a juha (soup), like goveja juha z rezanci (beef soup with thin egg noodles), gobova kremna juha (creamed mushroom soup) or a zelenjavna juha (vegetable soup).
Please don’t let pass trying potica (cake roll filled with dried fruit, walnuts and a range of herbs) or maybe you like gibanica even more (a pastry filled with walnuts, apple, poppy seeds and cheese and a cream topping). Another Slovene specialty is štruklji (cheese strudel), which is a terrific way to start a meal. Sliced raw onions mixed with pumpkinseed oil are a delicacy and are often served.

There is always special food on St. Martin's Day (11th of November). St Martin is the patron saint of wine, so his feast day is the day that grape juice officially becomes wine, and that is always celebrated. Red cabbage is prepared sweet and sour and a well roasted goose is traditional. Another unusual dish is mlinci (pasta tatters), that have been roasted with the goose.
And of course, previous year's wine and the new wine are both drunk!

Drinks
Wine is the main drink in Slovenia, and a big industry in the region surrounding Ptuj. Wine growing in Slovenia has very good results, because it lies on the southern hills of the Alps and touches the Mediterranean sea. And so it is blessed with climatic changeability from the north and the south. Very interesting in the Ptuj region is the practice of offering water to mix with the wine. This practice is not common in other regions to the west. Bottled water, either with or without bubbles, is offered along with wine. The amount of water in the wine is up to the drinker. In the cafes, a glass of homemade white wine will cost about € 0.75, while coffee will be several times more expensive.

The opening drink in the morning is usually sweetened herb tea. So you better taste it first, before adding sugar! The tea is often followed by very sweet, Turkish  coffee, which is boiled with sugar in a small pot with a long hold. The sediment is divided over the cups. It is usually served with cream, kava s smetano. It normally is offered in the morning but is available whole day long. Some slivovka (plum brandy) might be offered with the coffee as well. Slivovka can be offered at any time of the day since many locals make it themselves. There are also a lot of beekeepers in Slovenia, so you can buy homemade med everywhere. Offering a toast to everyone's health is considered polite.

Brezalkoholne pijače (soft drinks) are often available. Pivo (beer) is common and might be offered anywhere. Everyone has their preference for one of the national brands, either Laško or Union and there is a real beer rivalry. Laško is brewed in the town of Laško near Celje and has a green label with a set of mountain goat horns. The Union brewery is in Ljubljana.

Flora and Fauna

Pascal Aerssens, young Dutch student writing Tourist Guide to Slovenia (more photos)

 There are more than 15,000 animal sorts in Slovenia and more than 3,200 plant sorts. This is because of its amount of varying landscapes and climates. It results in one of the most diverse flora and fauna of the world.
Slovenia is also included in the Natura 2000 list of the EU of nature protection areas. This was set up to protect the biodiversity. More than one third of the country is on this list. The largest protected area is the Triglav National Park, which is 848 km² big. It is the only national park in Slovenia, but there are also three regional parks and 45 landscape parks.
The Škocjan caves were put on the UNESCO world heritage list. The Sečovlje Salt pans and Lake Cerknica were put on the Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance.
Almost 55% of the country is covered by its most typical landscape: Forests. Unlike the forests in other parts of the world, the forests in Slovenia are getting bigger. This is due to the growing over of deserted farm land in the more isolated parts of the country.
The largest animals in the Slovenian forests are the wolf, wildcat, deer, lynx, mouflon, wild boar and the brown bear. Some smaller animals are the marten, squirrel, badger and red fox.
Very famous is the Proteus Anguinus, or olm, which is a blind, amphibic salamander that lives only in karstic caves along the Adriatic Sea from Slovenia in the north to Herzegovina in the south.

The brown bear
Nowadays Slovenia is one of the few countries in Europe with a stabile and vital brown bear  population. They have a fast expanding habitat and their amount is also strongly increasing. The Slovenian brown bears are very important for the relocation of bears in Italy, Austria, France and Spain.
The brown bear can often be found in the  forests of the Karst mountain range at a height of 400-1200 metres. The largest Slovenian brown bear population is found in the forests in the south of the country.
The bear's senses, except for its eyesight, are extremely well developed. So  it is very difficult to surprise or approach bears without being noticed. The bear hunts seldom and does not see people as a prey. We can say that in their meeting, the human and the bear feel quite the same: both human and bear want to fly.

Bear watching holidays
There are a lot of brown bears in Slovenia. The British tour operator Just Slovenia makes it possible to go for bear watching holidays. The price is £ 523.- per person and include flights from Stansted, three nights at a family-run tourist farm in the south of Slovenia with breakfast and dinner, car hire and an overnight, guided bear watching excursion. You will be taken to the woods, to a specially designed hide watch for the European Brown Bear. There are about 700 in Slovenia so there is a good chance of you seeing them. You may also see deer, foxes, wolves and wild boars. Most suitable season for bear watching:   15 April to 31 August. More info at: http://www.justslovenia.co.uk/

Triglav National Park
Triglav National Park was called after Mount Triglav in the heart of the park. This mountan has the highest peak of Slovenia (2864 metres). Triglav is Slovenian for Tree-headed, what of course refers to the three peaks of the mountain.
The mountain is a national symbol and is in the national coat of arms and the flag.
It is the only national park in the country and also the biggest it extends along the Italian border all the way to the Austrian border. The park covers 3% of Slovenian territories. It is also one of the oldest national parks of Europe, as it was first protected in 1924. The main task of the Public Institution is to protect the flora and fauna of the park and also carrying out research tasks concerning nature and nature tourism.

Saltpans of Sečovlje
The most important saltpans for Slovenia were the saltpans of Sečovlje. The first records of them date from the 13th century.  From the 14th century onwards the salt trade expanded and influenced the development of the coastal towns a lot. In the Slovenian saltpans, salt is still produced in a traditional and natural way by using  'petola' crust, an artificially grown carpet on the bottom of crystallisation basins that prevents salt from mixing with sediments.
In 1989, the Sečovlje  saltpans were declared a landscape park which was separated into four smaller areas or natural reserves which are of special botanical or zoological importance.
 Nowadays there grow approximately 45 endangered Slovenian plant species in the saltpan area. There are only a few vertebrates that can stay alive in the extreme ecological conditions of the saltpans. The saltpans are a kind of natural fish farms and they are well known as an extraordinary nesting area for various birds. There is a fish that is very adapted  to the salt conditions, the so called solinarka salt-fish (Aphanius fasciatus). The area is the Mediterranean most northern station for migrating birds. Sometimes there are even more than 270 different bird species in the saltpans. In spring and autumn there are crowds of birds in the area on their way between Europe and Africa. Throughout the year there are three sorts of herons, but they don’t nest there: the white heron, the little white heron and the gray heron. Some other animals that have been spotted in the saltpans are the European pond turtle, red foxes, the greater flamingo, kingfishers and the black snake.
As part of the guidelines of the protection of rich natural heritage, Slovenia has worked hard for the conservation of these ecosystems by placing the Sečovlje saltpans on the Ramsar list in 1993.
During the last ten years a museum complex was built at the Fontanigga area (the southern part of the saltpans) . The complex includes two restored salt-makers' houses, two neighbouring salt fields and the Giassi canal which is the main canal for the entry of sea-water. I really recommend going there.
You can choose to run, jog or having a romantic walk in the morning or evening, because at day it will be to warm. Don’t forget to visit the small shop where you can buy chocolate with salt flower:
Soline Pridelava Soli d.o.o.
115 Seča
Portorož - Portorose 6320
http://www.soline.si/

New Travel Blog Author

Pascal Aerssens, young Dutch student writing Tourist Guide to Slovenia (more photos)

My name is Pascal Aerssens. I live in Assen, The Netherlands. I wrote the tourist guide from which extracts will be taken for this weblog for my Personal Project at the Maartens College. In the final year of the Middle Years Programme (MYP) of the International Baccalaureate Organisation, each student has to complete a personal project in order to get his certificate, so that includes me. A personal project is an important work that is the result of the own ideas and ingenuity of the student. In addition, Mr. Leon Marc, the Slovenian Ambassador to The Netherlands has written a preface to the guide.

I chose to write this Tourist Guide to Slovenia, because I like writing, travelling and photo shooting. I could combine this with my holidays in Slovenia in 2010. I chose not only to write about the common touristic attractions, but also about the less famous attractions and regions. This wasn’t too difficult, since Slovenia has got lots to offer.

Slovenia is a beautiful country with very hospitable people. I hope you will experience this in the same way I did. In the tourist guide I try to inform you about the food and drinks, sports, the language, the landscape, attractions and more. I also try to give travelling advice where needed. Many things I wrote from experience. I took a lot of photos myself. Some data may be barred because Slovenia is a rapidly growing country, I ask for your understanding. I hope you will enjoy your stay in Slovenia!

A letter from the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia, signed by Ambassador Leon Marc

I was truly impressed by the Tourist Guide to Slovenia prepared by Pascal M. Aerssens from the Maartenscollege - International School of Groningen. Not only has Pascal thoroughly studied dozens and dozens of websites and book on Slovenia, but he also travelled there and spent his holidays in my homeland.

The Guide is well structured and systematic, the country presented by regions, plus there is a general introduction, which deals with every possible aspect of Slovenia. I particularly value the care that Pascal took to spell names correctly and not to omit special characters in our alphabet: č, š and ž. Identity and language are important!

This book is not only a school project well done and a practical tool for travellers to Slovenia - more than 60.000 Dutch tourists visited Slovenia in 2009, making it our 6th most important tourist market! It is much more: I am convinced that Pascal's work will add to the efforts to put Slovenia on the map of Dutch and other people and help dispel stereotypes about the so-called Eastern Europe. It will assist the reader to discover in between Venice and Vienna (actually west of Vienna!) a land of two million people that in area of half of the Netherlands combine Adriatic Sea, Alps, giant Carst caves, vineyards, endless forests and a fantastic cuisine; a country within Schengen and Euro-zone that already surpasses economically some of the "old" EU Member States.

I thank Pascal for his work and I invite the reader to come and visit Slovenia soon.

Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia, Leon Marc                                    
Den Haag, 27. 9. 2010