The Rough Guide to Slovenia

330 Pages·2017·35.203 MB·English

by  Rough Guides

INSIDE THIS BOOK START YOUR JOURNEY WITH ROUGH GUIDES
INTRODUCTION What to see, what not to miss, itineraries and more – everything
you need to get started
BASICS Pre-departure tips and practical information
THE GUIDE Comprehensive, in-depth guide to Slovenia, with area highlights and
full-colour maps throughout
CONTEXTS History, recommended books and music, and a useful language section
We’ve flagged up our favourite places – a perfectly sited hotel, an atmospheric café, a special TRUSTED TRAVEL GUIDES Since 1982, our books have helped over 35 million
restaurant – throughout the Guide with the symbol
★ travellers explore the world with accurate, honest and informed travel writing.
Slovenia chapters
0 25 AUSTRIA HUNGARY
kilometres
Murska
Sobota
POCKET ROUGH GUIDES “Best of” section, essential itineraries and a unique
Klagenfurt pull-out map featuring every sight and listing in the guide. Hip, handy and
Maribor perfect for short trips and weekend breaks.
Ptuj
5
Bled
Kranj
2 Celje
ITALY CROATIA
LJUBLJANA
Nova
Gorica 3 1
ZAGREB
4
Novo Mesto
Postojna
N
Trieste
ADRIATIC
SEA DIGITAL Choose from our easy-
Koper
to-use ebooks and great-value
CROATIA
Snapshots to read on your tablet,
1 Ljubljana and around 3 The Soča Valley to the Istrian coast 5 Eastern Slovenia phone or e-reader.
2 Northwest Slovenia 4 Southern Slovenia
ROUGHGUIDES.COM Buy all our
latest ebooks and get inspired
with travel features, quizzes
and more.
Make the Most of Your Time on Earth at roughguides.com
This fourth edition published June 2017
Slovenia_4_298677_InsideCover.indd 1 17/02/17 3:05 pm
INSIDE THIS BOOK START YOUR JOURNEY WITH ROUGH GUIDES
INTRODUCTION What to see, what not to miss, itineraries and more – everything
you need to get started
BASICS Pre-departure tips and practical information
THE GUIDE Comprehensive, in-depth guide to Slovenia, with area highlights and
full-colour maps throughout
CONTEXTS History, recommended books and music, and a useful language section
We’ve flagged up our favourite places – a perfectly sited hotel, an atmospheric café, a special TRUSTED TRAVEL GUIDES Since 1982, our books have helped over 35 million
restaurant – throughout the Guide with the symbol
★ travellers explore the world with accurate, honest and informed travel writing.
Slovenia chapters
0 25 AUSTRIA HUNGARY
kilometres
Murska
Sobota
POCKET ROUGH GUIDES “Best of” section, essential itineraries and a unique
Klagenfurt pull-out map featuring every sight and listing in the guide. Hip, handy and
Maribor perfect for short trips and weekend breaks.
Ptuj
5
Bled
Kranj
2 Celje
ITALY CROATIA
LJUBLJANA
Nova
Gorica 3 1
ZAGREB THE ROUGH GUIDE TO
4
Novo Mesto SLOVENIA
Postojna
N
Trieste
ADRIATIC
SEA DIGITAL Choose from our easy-
Koper
to-use ebooks and great-value
CROATIA
Snapshots to read on your tablet,
1 Ljubljana and around 3 The Soča Valley to the Istrian coast 5 Eastern Slovenia phone or e-reader.
2 Northwest Slovenia 4 Southern Slovenia
ROUGHGUIDES.COM Buy all our
latest ebooks and get inspired
with travel features, quizzes
and more.
Make the Most of Your Time on Earth at roughguides.com This fourth edition researched and written by
Norm Longley
This fourth edition published June 2017
001_019_Slovenia_4_Intro.indd 1 27/01/17 12:02 pm
Slovenia_4_298677_InsideCover.indd 1 17/02/17 3:05 pm
001_019_Slovenia_4_Intro.indd 2 27/01/17 12:02 pm
INTRODUCTION 3
Contents
INTRODUCTION 4
Where to go 6 Things not to miss 12
When to go 10 Itineraries 18
BASICS 20
Getting there 21 Festivals 29
Getting around 23 Sports and outdoor activities 31
Accommodation 25 Travel essentials 32
Food and drink 27
THE GUIDE 38
1 Ljubljana and around 38 4 Southern Slovenia 198
2 Northwest Slovenia 76 5 Eastern Slovenia 244
3 The Soča Valley to the Istrian coast 136
CONTEXTS 294
History 295 Music 311
Books and film 308 Slovenian 314
SMALL PRINT & INDEX 320
OPPOSITE WINE ROAD, ŠPIČNIK PREVIOUS PAGE SHROVETIDE CARNIVAL MASK, DREŽNICA
001_019_Slovenia_4_Intro.indd 3 27/01/17 12:02 pm
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Budapest HUNGARY E Lenti Lendava Čakovec Budapest Budapest N Metres 2000 1500 1000 500 200 100 0
PREKMURJMurskaSobota Ljutomer JeruzalemOrmož Varaždin OATIA Sava 40
Mura Ptuj Krapina CR ZAGREB kilometres
Graz & ViennaGraz Strass DravogradDrava AKRoglaŠMariborOROKSlovenjPOHORJEGradecMASSIF PragerskoSlovenskeVelenjeKonjice RogaškaSlatinaSavinjaCelje LaškoOlimia avaS Zidani Most Brezovica SmarješkeTopliceBrežice NovoKostanjevicamberkMestona KrkiKrkaKDolenjskeOČTopliceEVSKI ROMetlikaG Črnomelj KolpaKarlovac0 Split & Dubrovnik
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6 INTRODUCTION
This little country boasts a growing number of
FACT FILE
brilliantly conceived eco-resorts, while Ljubljana –
• With an area of less than named European Green Capital in 2016 –
21,000 square kilometres
displays impressive forward thinking when it
(roughly the size of Wales), and
a population of two million, comes to eco issues.
Slovenia is one of Europe’s As appealing as many of Slovenia’s towns and
smallest nations.
cities are, especially the lovely capital, Ljubljana,
• Forty percent of the country is the country’s greatest asset is its magnificent
covered by mountains, with natural heritage. As one of Europe’s greenest
three major mountain groups:
nations – more than half the country is forested –
the Julian Alps, the Kamniške-
Savinja Alps and the Karavanke Slovenia offers limitless opportunities for outdoor
mountains. The highest peak is pursuits: skiing, climbing and trekking in the
Triglav (2864m) in the Julian Alps.
mountains, whitewater rafting, kayaking and
It’s the third-most forested
country in Europe, after Finland canyoning on the many rivers, cycling through
and Sweden, while its coastline, rolling hills and forests, or riding cross-country on
at 47km, is among the shortest
a fine Lipizzaner horse, to name but a few. And
– only Bosnia’s is shorter.
with distances so small, in a single day you could
• On June 25, 1991, Slovenia
be hiking in the Alps in the morning, downing
became an independent
republic for the first time. The a glass of wine in a local cellar over lunch and
1991 constitution set in place relaxing by the beach at the end of the day.
a parliamentary system of
government, elected every four
years, with the prime minister at
Where to go
its head. Elected every five years,
the president is head of state.
The country became a full Most visitors to Slovenia begin with a trip to the
member of the EU in 2004 and country’s sophisticated capital, Ljubljana, whose
adopted the euro in 2007.
engaging blend of Baroque and Habsburg
• Tourism is one of the architecture, not to mention its lovely riverside
fastest-growing sectors of the
cafés and restaurants, could quite happily detain
Slovenian economy, with alpine,
coastal and spa resorts absorbing you for a few days. From here it is customary to
the bulk of the tourist traffic. make a beeline for the stunning alpine lakes and
• Slovenia’s most important mountains northwest of the capital, namely Lake
exports are vehicles, electrical Bled, with its fairytale island church and clifftop
appliances and pharmaceutical castle, and the even more beautiful Lake Bohinj,
goods, and its main trading
less than 30km to the west. Both lakes lie on the
partners are Germany and Italy.
fringe of the Julian Alps, whose magisterial peaks
• This is the only country in
are as popular with climbers and hikers in the
Europe to feature a mountain –
Triglav – in its coat of arms. summer as they are with skiers in the winter. Most
of the Alps are contained within Triglav National
• In 2000, Davo Karničar became
the first man to ski down Mount Park, which extends south to the sublime Soča
Everest, and also the first man to Valley, whose eponymous green-blue river draws
ski down the highest summit in all
adventure-sports enthusiasts to its foaming waters
seven continents.
each summer.
OPPOSITE FROM TOP LAKE BOHINJ; BEEHIVE PANELS; SOČA RIVER
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8 INTRODUCTION
SLOVENIAN WINE
Slovenian wine (vino) is little known beyond the country’s borders, yet vineyards here cover
roughly the same area as the Bordeaux region in France and produce about half the quantity
of wine of that territory. In addition, much of what is produced is world class. There are three
distinct wine-producing regions, each subdivided into separate districts (fourteen in total).
The largest is Podravje in the northeast, where white wines such as Laški Rizling, Sauvignon
and Šipon predominate; if you’ve only time to get to just one wine destination, make it the
bewitching Jeruzalem–Ormož wine road.
Posavje, in the southeastern corner of Slovenia, is known for its reds, in particular the rich
and velvety Metliška črnina from Bela Krajina and the blended, juice-like Cvicek from Dolenjska.
Over to the far west of the country, Primorje has four quite distinct wine districts; by far the
most celebrated is Goriška Brda, on the border with Italy, which yields a prolific number of
both reds and whites, foremost of which are the excellent Merlot, the straw-yellow Zlata
(“Golden”) Rebula and the dry Tokaj. Further south, the wind-buffeted Vipava Valley boasts
many outstanding vintners, while no visit to the neighbouring Karst region is complete
without a drop of the full-blooded, ruby-red Teran wine.
By far the most enjoyable way to sample wine is to take a visit to one of the many wine cellars
(vinska klet) that abound along the country’s twenty or so wine roads (vinske ceste). Alternatively,
most towns and cities have a vinoteka (wine shop) where you may be offered tastings, while any
restaurant worth its salt will list a healthy complement of top-rate Slovenian wines.
South of the Soča Valley, beyond the captivating Goriška Brda and Vipava Valley
wine-producing regions, you’ll find the Karst. This rugged limestone plateau is scattered with
ancient stone villages, including Štanjel, but is famed above all for its dramatic underground
rivers, streams and depressions, seen most spectacularly in the Škocjan Caves. The Karst is
also home to the world-famous Lipica stud farm, the original home of the Lipizzaner horse.
Although less than 50km long, Slovenia’s coast packs in a multiplicity of appealing
little resorts. Probably the most enjoyable are Piran, a town brimming with Venetian
architecture, and Portorož, the country’s major beach resort. A short way north of these,
even the workaday port town of Koper conceals an appealing medieval centre.
RIGHT PIRAN
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