Slovenia: Europe's Hidden Gem

Slovenia: Europe’s Hidden Gem

The island church of Lake Bled in Slovenia

Photo by Harrison Reilly

T

he classic trips to Europe have been known for years.

France, Spain, England, Germany and Italy are all staples in the classic European excursion. Even the less traditional countries of Switzerland, Netherlands, Czech Republic and Croatia are packed with tourists these days. But Slovenia, a tiny country bordering Italy and Croatia at the northern top of the Adriatic Sea, remains relatively unknown...

Story by: Harrison Reilly

Travel Monthly, December 2014

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South panoramic view of

Ljubljana

S

lovenia is a member of the European Union, Schengen Agreement and NATO. The country lies in Central Europe in the eastern Alps at the northern end of the Adriatic Sea, bordered by Austria to the north, Italy to the west, Hungary to the northeast, and Croatia to the southeast. Despite its small size, this eastern Alpine country controls some of Europe's major transit routes.

Previously one of Yugoslavia's six constituent republics, present-day Slovenia became independent in 1991.

Historical ties to Western Europe, a strong economy, and a stable democracy have assisted in Slovenia's transformation to a modern state.

Slovenia's main industries include car parts, chemicals, electronics, electrical appliances, metal goods, textiles and furniture. It has a Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers, and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east.

Slovenes settled the region in the 6th century, when they were incorporated together with Bavarians and Franks. At that time, Christianisation took place.

Afterwards, the Slovene lands were part of the Holy Roman Empire, and later they were part of the Austro46

Hungarian Empire until the dissolution at the end of World War I in 1918 - when the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was formed, and turned into a multinational state named Yugoslavia in 1929. After Slovenia was occupied by the Axis powers and later liberated by the Partisans with the help of Western

Travel Monthly, December 2014

Courtesy of WikiMedia Allies in World War II, Slovenia became a republic in the renewed Yugoslavia, which although communist, distanced itself from Moscow's rule. Dissatisfied with the exercise of power by the majority Serbs, Slovenes succeeded in establishing their independence in 1991 after a short 10-day war. Slovenia acceded to both NATO and the EU in 2004, and joined the eurozone and the Schengen Area in 2007, completing the final steps of accession to the European Union.

Slovenia became the first 2004 European Union entrant to adopt the euro on 1 Jan 2007 and has experienced one of the most stable political and economic transitions in Central and Southeastern Europe. With the highest per capita GDP in Central Europe, Slovenia has excellent infrastructure, a welleducated work force, and a strategic location between the Balkans and Western Europe. Privatization has lagged since 2002, and the economy has one of the highest levels of state control in the EU. Structural reforms to improve the business environment have allowed for somewhat greater foreign participation in Slovenia's economy and helped to lower unemployment. Slovenia became the first transition country to graduate from borrower status

“Slovenia is Europe’s best kept secret, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes the next big tourist spot.”

to donor partner at the World Bank in March 2004. Slovenia became an OECD member in 2012. Despite its economic success, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Slovenia has lagged behind the region average, and taxes remain relatively high.

The labour market is often seen as inflexible, and legacy industries are losing sales to more competitive firms in China, India and elsewhere. The global recession caused the economy to contract - through falling exports and industrial production - by 8%, and unemployment to rise in 2009.

The economic growth resumed in 2010, but dipped into negative territory with the unemployment rate approaching 12% in 2012.

Older Slovene cities have historic influences by baroque (Austrian) and Roman (Italian) architectures. Part of both, the 47

countryside and city architecture in the northwest, shares many commonalities with neighbouring Austria, including countless baroque shrines and steeples. The Ljubljana capital was founded in Roman times; today its university has over 50,000 students.

The most famous Slovenes include the poet France Prešeren (1800-1849) who penned the Slovene national anthem, and the architect Jože Plečnik (18721957) who is credited with Ljubljana's iconic Triple Bridge.

Four major European geographic regions meet in Slovenia: the Alps, the Dinaric area, the Pannonian plain and the Mediterranean. Slovenia's highest mountain, the three-peaked Triglav, is depicted on the national flag.

Main tourist attractions include the famous caves with their decor of stalactites and stalagmites in Postojna.

Slovenia has a 46 km long coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountains and valleys with numerous rivers to the east. Slovenia's highest point is Mount Triglav at 2,864 m. Natural resources include lignite coal, lead, zinc, building stone, hydropower and forests.

Hitchhiking may be your best option to move around for free. Maps can be bought at gas stations for about €10, or at book stores for a slightly lower price.

Getting around by car is generally painless when using highways, but those require a purchase of a vignette.

Travellers may experience tougher times off the

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highways, or when using public transport. Bus schedules in particular have been slashed, so some planning ahead is required. Services are sparse and limited on Saturdays and Sundays.

The national Slovenian language is spoken natively by 91.1% of the population, only 4.5% are native speakers of Serbo-Croat, but it is widely understood.

4.4% (minority communities near the national borders) speak Italian and Hungarian. Spoken English is on the level of other European countries in the nearby region.

Many Slovenes also have some knowledge of German, especially in the eastern region.

Slovene schools teach foreign languages from primary school onwards. Students can study two foreign languages (most commonly English and German) by the time they get to grammar school. Grammar schools often teach an optional third foreign language (French, Italian or Spanish). While most of the younger Slovenes speak English fluently, older residents are more skilled in Serbo-Croatian and German, while some of them can also read Cyrillic.

Slovene cuisine is heavily influenced by that of its neighbours, including the Austrian Strudel and Wiener Schnitzel, the Italian risotto and ravioli (including pizza and several sorts of pasta), and the Hungarian goulash.

Unique dishes include the air-dried ham (derived from the Italian prosciutto) called kraški pršut, potato dumplings (derived from the Italian gnocchi) called

Travel Monthly, December 2014

Photos from left to right: Old Town Ljublijana, Lake Bled Castle, the Swiss Alps view from Lake Bled Castle. All photos by Harrison Reilly

Idrian žlikrofi, a variant of Italian polenta called žganci and ajdovi žganci made of buckwheat, Croatian derived dumplings štruklji (prepared in 70 different ways of stuffings with sweet fillings, meat or vegetables), and Croatian derived jota (a type of soup made of beans, sauerkraut, potatoes, bacon, spare ribs and garlic).

The traditional Slovene cake called potica, which is made by rolling up a layer of dough covered with walnuts, and a cake-like pastry called gibanica, which is made of poppy seeds, walnuts, apples, raisins and cheese, topped with cream.

Slovenes have also adopted several foreign fast foods, such as the Serbian spiced-up hamburger patty pljeskavica, the Bosnian/Serbian spicy meatballs ćevapi, the Bosnian variant of Turkish Börek that is a large flaky pastry stuffed with meat/cheese/apple called burek, and the Arab/Turkish Shawarma called doner kebab.

Slovenia is one of the prettiest countries in the world and has a world class culture. Soon enough, this country will be discovered and become one of the top tourist destintations in Europe. So while the secrect of Slovenia is still under wraps, make sure to visit this country before it becomes the next big thing.

Slovenia Fast Facts Population: 2,061,085 Currency: Euro GDP: $49.927 billion Joined European Union: May 1, 2014 Official Language: Slovene Capital & Largest City: Ljubljana (282,994)

2012 European Tourist Arrivals France: 83.0 million Spain: 57.5 million Italy: 46.5 million Turkey: 35.7million

All info from CIA World FactBook

Slovenia: 3.927 million

Travel Monthly, December 2014

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