Slovenia is paradise for lovers of tourism. The Republic of Slovenia is a small country on the north of the Balkan Peninsula. It was the first independent country of former Yugoslavia. It borders on Italy, Croatia, Hungary and Austria. Capital city is Ljubljana. Total area is 20,273 square kilometres.

Slovenia is an alpine country – there are the Alps (Julian Alps, Kamnik Alps, etc.) and Dinarides. The highest point is Mt. Triglav (2,864 m), which is a national symbol – you can find it on the flag and on the national coat of arms. Official language is Slovene (in some regions you can also speak Italian and Hungarian), currency is Euro.

One half of the country is covered by woods (some of them are primeval forests). There are 26,000 kilometres of rivers and streams in Slovenia. The longest river is Sava. There are many caves in Slovenia. They are called „karst“. Most visited and known cave is Postojna.

History

Slovenia was the part of the Roman Empire. The very first Slovenian state was the Slavic Duchy of Carantania.

After the World War I. the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs was formed which was later renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. After year 1945 the Kingdom of Yugoslavia became the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Slovenia gained independence in 1991. Slovenia is a member of European Union since year 2004.

People

Population of Slovenia about 2 million people. There are also two big minorities - Italians and Hungarians. Main religion is Roman Catholicism.

What to do

Slovenia is convenient for all people. It´s perfect place for sport and recreation. It has over fifteen thermal and wellness resorts, there are also many tourist farms, national parks and mysterious caves. Country is full of cycle-ways, pedestrian-paths and waterways. If you like culture and history, you can visit many galleries and museums - Slovenia has rich history and is very proud of it. Slovenian mountains are part of “Via Alpina” which links eight alpine countries – that´s great for hiking.