AIESEC Slovenia Reception Booklet Enjoy 2013 / 2014!
Welcome to AIESEC in Slovenia! Congratulations with your decision to go on eXchange to Slovenia! Now all you have to do is to get to know the country well and to be a proactive learner.
Enjoy diversity and have an incredible experience with us! Yours, ICX generation AIESEC in Slovenia,2013/2014
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Republic of Slovenia History Climate and geography Visa Issues Cuisine Cost of living Transportation Culture and traditions Places to visit Things to know
Republic of Slovenia
• Capital: Ljubljana • Government: Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic • Area: 20, 273 sq km • Population: 2, 060, 382 people • GDP (nominal): total $45, 421 billion, per capital $22, 461 • Official language: Slovene • Currency: Euro • Religion: 80% Catholics • Highest peak: Triglav 2, 864 m • Current president: Borut Pahor • Memberships: EU, NATO, OECD, UN
Slovenia is a nation state situated in the meeting point of foru major geographic units: the Alps, the Dinaric Mountains, the Pannonian Plain, and the Mediterranean, with a small portion of coastline along the Adriatic Sea. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Croatia to the south and southeast and Hungary to the northeast,
The country is one of the water-richest in Europe, with a dense river network, a rich aquifer system, and significant karstic underground watercourses. Over half of the territory is covered by forests
The economy of Slovenia is small, open, exportoriented and subsequently, heavily influenced by international circumstances.
History Present-day Slovenia was first settled by early humans more than 250,000 years ago. The ancestors of the Slovenes were however were the Slavs who migrated from the Carpathians to the present-day territory in the 6th century. Historically, the current territory of Slovenia was part of many different state formations, including the Roman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire, followed by the Austria-Hungary.
WWII – Slovenia was partitioned by Italy, Germany and Hungary. A leading role in the liberation struggle was taken by the communists, who after the defeat of the aggressors in 1945 first formed the People’s Republic, later known as Yugoslavia.
1918 - the Slovenes exercised selfdetermination for the first time by co-founding the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
Joining EU - On 1 January 2007 Slovenia became the first of the new EU members to join the euro. It was also the first new EU member to assume the presidency of the organisation, in the first half of 2008.
War of independence Independence was declared on 25 June 1991, and was followed by the ten-day war, which on the territory of Slovenia claimed tens of lives. The Yugoslav Army withdrew from Slovenia in October 1991.
Climate and geography The Julian Alps and the Kamnik-Savinja Alps are some of the most beautiful parts of Slovenia. Two of the most famous lakes, Bled and Bohinj are situated in that region.The Julian Alps are also home to the Soča Valley, which is very popular with tourists. The green slopes of the Pohorje massif are home to Maribor,Slovenia’s second largest city. It is also a region home to many natural health resorts, vineyards and tourist farms. Slovenia’s coastline is short, but has a number of attractions. Next to Strunjan Cliff, the highest flysch wall on the Adriatic, lie the Sečovlje Salt Pans, a regional park and a bird sanctuary. There are several towns, such as Piran, Portorož and Koper,which are worth the visit as well. The world of the Karst encompasses most of the southern part of Slovenia. The south-west is home to the largest number of karstic caves, including Postojna Cave and Škocjan Caves, which are well worth seeing.
Visas for Slovenia Citizens of the following countries can visit Slovenia without a visa: Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus
Czech Republic Denmark Estonia
Finland France Germany Greece
Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy
Latvia Leichtenstein Lithuania
Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Norway
Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia
Spain Sweden Switzerland UK
Citizens of the following countries can enter Slovenia and remain for up to 90 days: Albania Andorra Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Aruba Australia
Bahamas Barbados Brazil Brunei Canada Chile
Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Holy See Honduras Hong Kong
Israel Japan Macau Macedonia Malaysia Mauritius
Mexico Monaco Montenegro New Zealand Nicaragua
Panama Paraguay San Marino Serbia Seychelles Singapore
South Korea Uruguay USA Venezuela
Visit Ministry of Foreign Affairs website: http://www.mzz.gov.si/en More info about visa issues at http://bit.ly/visa-to-slovenia For all other countries, an applicant should submit the application*, which should include: 1) Letter of invitation (to be sent by Hosting Local Committee); 2) Your passport (original, not copy), which has to be valid for ; 3) One completed application form printed or written in block letters; 4) One recent passport-size color photograph‌ * Please contact consulate or embassy of Slovenia in your country to get full information.
Cuisine Slovenian cuisine
is a mixture of three great regional cuisines: Central European cuisine (especially Austrian and Hungarian), Mediterranean cuisine and Balkan cuisine. Historically, Slovenian cuisine was divided into town, farmhouse, cottage, castle, parsonage and monastic cuisine. Due to the variety of Slovenian cultural and natural landscapes, there are more than 40 distinct regional cuisines.
EASY SLOVENIAN APPLE STRUDEL 1 tbsp. oil, 1 egg, 1/3 c. warm water, 1/4 tsp. salt 1 1/2 c. sifted flour, 1/3 c. melted butter, 6 tbsp. fine dry bread crumbs, 8 c. thinly sliced, peeled and cored tart apples, 2 tbsp. dark rum, 3 tbsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 c. finely chopped almonds, 1/4 c. seedless raisins, confectioners sugar or whipped cream (optional) Beat together oil, egg, water and salt. Add flour while beating, until a firm dough which pulls away from bowl is formed. Knead several times until smooth and elastic. Cover; let stand 30 minutes. Cut with sharp knife into 2 equal parts. Roll out each piece on floured cloth to 12x18-inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs. Spread 4 cups apple on each portion, lengthwise down center of dough. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon rum, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoons almonds and 2 tablespoons raisins. Fold dough over apples on one side, then the other. Slice rolls onto greased baking sheet. Brush with melted butter. Bake 45 minutes at 400째F. Cut each roll into 2-inch slices. Serve warm or cold, sprinkled with confectioners sugar or whipped cream, if desired. Makes 18 servings.
Cost of living • The currency in Slovenia is euro and we all use it here. Besides this you can pay with credit card almost everywhere.
• Since you are a student, you will receive student coupons with what you will be able to eat in a variety of restaurant for really low prices.
For an idea of prices, here is a list of average cost of things • Big Menu –4.80€ • Pasta – 0,50-1€ • Bread (loaf) – 1,50 € • Cornflakes/ Cereal – approx 2€ • Milk – 120 Naira per evaporated can, 30 Naira per sachet, 400 per flexi (400g) • Coke- 2.00 € per 0.33 liter bottle • Beer –you can buy them in supermarkets or at bars and a can is approximately 2 € • Marlboro – 3,70 € a pack • Movies/Cinemas – approximately 6 € per movie
Transportation Travelling around Slovenia
• If you arrive to Slovenia by plane you will have to take the bus to Ljubljana which is every hour on the full hour and it costs 4,10€ • You can also arrive by train (it depends where are you from) which comes straight to Ljubljana where we will be waiting for you
• If you want to travel around the country there are quite a few ways. • The most popular way to travel is by road. We have different sort of buses with different prices and level of comfort. Since Slovenia is so small you can get anywhere really fast. • Besides buses you can use trains which are cheaper and faster. • If you want to explore Slovenia on your own oyu can rent a car or just join people in theirs. You can find them on https://prevoz.org/
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When meeting someone for the first time the most common greeting a handshake and a welcoming smile. It is customary to maintain eye contact during the greeting process. Shake hands at the beginning and end of meetings. It is customary to shake hands with women first. Handshakes should be firm and confident. February 8 is cultural holiday in Slovenia or the Prešeren Day. It is when we remember the works of this great poet that marked Slovenian culture. Dr. France Prešeren is also the author of Slovenian National Anthem Zdravljica – A Toast. We have Presern on 2 euro coin. Each year Slovenia hosts a number of other events that are renowned further afield. To mention a few: the Exodos dance festival in Ljubljana, the Ana Desetnica festival of street theatre, the PEN meeting in Bled and the Vilenica literary festival near Sežana.
Culture and traditions • EASTER has in Slovenia many colorful traditions and customs dating centuries into the past. The essential ham, bread, horseradish and a special Slovenian cake-potica, are at this time of the year accompanied by colorful decorated eggs, in Slovenia called pirhi • Slovenia's SANTA CLAUS TRADITION pulls from many other European traditions. Children in Slovenia can receive gifts from St. Nicholas, Santa Claus, or Grandfather Frost. St. Nicholas visits on St. Nicholas Day, December 6. Santa Claus visits on Christmas, and Grandfather or Father Frost may appear at the New Year. • KURENTOVANJE is one of the most ethnologically significant Slovenian carnival festivals. It is celebrated in Ptuj on shrove Sunday.
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POSTOJNA CAVE is a network of 20 kilometres of passages, galleries and chambers LIPICA is one of the oldest stud farms in the world and the birthplace of the Lipizzaner. The over 400 year tradition of breeding these white horses SEČOVLJE: town where salt is made. Saltmaking is one of the oldest economic activities on the north-eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea, and the salt trade was once one of the most important branches of commerce in the territory of present-day Slovenia. BLED: Bled Island with the church of Mary is a true pearl in the middle of Lake Bled and one of the most recognizable Slovenian landmarks.
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Nature beauties, like the pure water, island in the middle, the castle on a big rock just by the shore,Vintgar Gorge, Triglav natural park, and others may leave you breathless. Also the history is interesting, with the massive castle and the romantic church on the island, providing information and views into the past.Visitors can go on a nice walk around the lake and on the nearby hills. In the summer visitors can also bathe in the lake to refresh themselves. LAKE BOHINJ lies between Bohinj's mountains, which rise from 1,600 to 2,000 meters, and is Slovenia`s largest glacial lake. It is 4.2 kilometers long, one 0 kilometer wide. Bohinj Lake has numerous inflows, the most important one is the Savica. Its water bursts from the underground of the Dolina sedmerih jezer (The Seven Triglav Lakes Valley) in the walls of KomarÄ?a as Savica Waterfall, which is the most famous Slovenian waterfall.
Places to visit • PTUJ is one of the oldest town in Slovenia, with settlement dating back 2000 years. Its history reaches back to the Stone Age, but the city experienced its greatest flowering in the Roman period. • MOZIRSKI GAJ is a park of flowers and ethnogphical points of interest. Besides thousands of different blossoms of lively colours which inspire visitors during the warmest parts of the year, the paths amongst the greenery lead to a farm house, a corn loft cottage, as a reserved property. • PIRAN is old mediterranean town on Slovenian coast. There are many narrow streets that has spirit of history. Tartini Square is main square in Piran with Tartini Statue. Giuseppe Tartini was Italian composer and violinist. Above Piran is beautiful Church of St. George. A little further is Piran Walls where you can climb up and enjoy on great view of Piran and Adriatic Sea.
Places to visit • LJUBLJANA is the capital city of Slovenia. It is located almost in the centre of Slovenia. In Ljubljana you should see the old town centre below Ljubljana castle and around river Ljubljanica. There is nice to sit down, drink something, relax ... There are many places to visit: museums, bars and restaurant, shops, Tivoli park. • MARIBOR is the 2nd largest city in Slovenia. It is located in the north east part of Slovenia. Maribor has interesting old town centre with many squares worth to visit (Slomsek Square, Castle Square, Main Square ...). Must see place is Lent near river Drava where every year occures Festival Lent. • ARBORETUM VOLČJI POTOK is nice park , there you can see a lot of different flowers, trees, also some animals. In the park are many small lakes with many paths around for walking. In some part of Arboretum is also Minimundus section where you can see some world famous buildings in smaller versions. • KRANJ is 4th biggest city in Slovenia. Most interesting part of Kranj is old town center that stands on the small hill above river Kokra and Sava. There you can still see parts of old city walls, some towers, churches, old squares ... Just near the old town centre you can descent into Kokra canyon
Things to know • • • •
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Slovenia’s code for call is +386. Many people are used to drinking tap water in Slovenia, as it is clean and uncontaminated. If you choose mineral water we suggest you Radenska or Donat Mg. The food available on the Slovenian market is produced without any GMOs. Organic food is available. If you need any information about a particular destination, accommodation, attraction or event, the best place to go is one of the 90 tourist information centres (TIC) throughout the country. Openning times: Banks- MON-FRI 9.00 am- 5.00 pm Post offices- MON-FRI 8.00 am- 6.00 pm SAT 8.00 am- 12.00 pm Pharmacies- MON-FRI 7.00 am- 7.00 pm SAT 7.00 am- 12.00 pm Museum and galleries- TUE-SUN 9.00/10.00 am- 5.00/6.00 pm Closed at Mondays Shops- MON-FRI 7.00/9.00 am- 7.00/ 9.00 pm SAT 7.00/9.00 am- 1.00/ 3.00 pm SUN 9.00 am- 3.00 pm (only large shopping centers)
Things to know •
Important telephone numbers: 112 Emergency services – urgent medical help, firefighters, veterinary help, rescue teams 113 Police – emergencies 080 12 00 Police - reporting offenders, anonymous phone line 1987 AMZS – roadside assistance and towing 080 1900 -Tourist telephone - free line for tourists and tourism workers to report 24 hours a day their comments, complaints, criticism • In Slovenia, smoking is banned in all closed public and work premises. You must be at least 18 years old to buy tobacco products.This makes Slovenia one of the European countries with the strictest limits on smoking. A penalty of 125 euros must be paid by an individual who smokes in a place where it is banned. • Mains electricity in Slovenia is a 230 Volts 50 Hz system. Slovenia uses the Europlug (CEE 7/16). This is the plug used in most other European countries. • For food,goverment is giving you students coupons 1 per day which is equal 2.66 euro.Thanks to this you can have really good food by paying 2 or 2.5 euros.
We are waiting for you! ď Š