Extending over 20,273 sq km and situated in Central Europe between Austria, Italy, Hungary and Croatia; Slovenia has become a tourism magnet. Within only a few hours, holiday-makers can enjoy the majestic peaks of the Alps, relax in modern thermal spas, admire the lively towns of Ljubljana and Maribor, swim in the Adriatic Sea and spend a wonderful time on the sun-soaked beaches. Aside from this, there are other highlights such as the cave systems of Postojna and Skocjan, unique across the world, and a cuisine that unites many influences from different European countries in the best possible way.

The euro

Holidaying in Slovenia has now become even easier since the euro became the legal currency in January 2007. It eliminated the annoying money change for tourists and with that, the prices are easily comparable for consumers on holiday. Comparisons with Slovenia’s direct neighbouring countries on the Adriatic Sea illustrate the great restraint in prices for hotels and other services.

The Julian Alps – on the sunny side

With the Julian Alps in the North, Slovenia can call one of the most beautiful European mountain ranges its own. Between Kranjska Gora, Bled, Bohinj and Bovec, nature enthusiasts and active athletes will find a unique paradise for walking, biking, mountain biking, kayaking and fishing. The 84,000 hectares of the Triglav national park is outstanding, with its untouched plant and animal life, its majestic peaks and thundering waterfalls. It is one of the oldest protected areas in Europe and is ideally suited for hikers because of its excellent labelled paths. The crystal-clear lakes of Bled and Bohinj and the wild emerald water of the Soca River also lure the water enthusiasts.
Splendid hotels, marvellous villas and the immense castle, shape the picture of the lake and its surroundings, with its typical church island in the middle. Besides a very large choice of sporting facilities, such as walking, mountain biking, tennis or golf, the place also offers to its guests top cultural events all year round.

Ski centres for everyone

The winter sports facilities have become the focus of attention more and more. The Slovenian ski centres in the Alps and in the Pohorje mountains stand out due to their high snow safety, fair prices and family suitability. Kranjska Gora is Slovenia’s most famous ski centre. It has 30 km of light ski-runs of medium difficulty. Besides the modern hotels and studio apartments there is also a large number of private rooms and farms where winter guests can experience the Slovenian hospitality first-hand.
Ski-runs of light to medium difficulty are also waiting for skiers in Bohinj at the Vogel ski centre, at 1,800m above sea-level. A family-friendly skiing area with 21 ski lifts also awaits its guests on the other side of the Alps, in Pohorje, near Maribor. This is a densely wooded ski area at 1,350m above sea-level that also has a good international reputation and every year the world cup women’s racing takes place here. 50km of ski-runs in an area of 220 hectares are prepared for skiers each day. A ski school, a rental company for ski equipment and a five km long ski-run with floodlights for night time skiing are at the guests’ disposal.
The hotels in the town and in the skiing area offer first-class comfort, some of them having thermal spas. And finally, at the southern slope of Pohorje Mountain, there is Rogla, an insider’s tip for families and skiing enthusiasts.

The Slovenian Riviera

The Slovenian share of the Adriatic coast is 46 km long, between the Italian and Croatian borders. As the nearest sea to Central Europe, it can be reached easily, particularly thanks to the new motorway system. The standard of the hotels, the gastronomy, entertainment, the variety of events and the tourism infrastructure are among the best in the Adriatic area and can stand any comparison with other European top holiday destinations.
If you are looking for chic ambiance, entertainment and typical beach flair on your holiday, you should come to Portoroz. This bathing and spa resort – which has everything that demanding guests looking for entertainment could whish for – was already popular in the time of the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy.

There is a typical beach life on the fine sandy beaches of the neat bathing resorts during the day. In the evening, however, Portoroz shows its special charm. The thrills in the casino, a romantic dinner in a restaurant or dancing at a disco. Numerous leading five star hotels with pleasant ambiance and all imaginable possibilities of leisure are situated in prime locations along the coast. The place can also boast a thermal spring with a Thallasso centre and numerous other facilities for wellness.
It is quieter in the smaller bays of the Slovenian coast. Romantics and those interested in culture will prefer the small medieval fishing towns of Piran, Izola and Koper.

Silence is the great advantage of the bay of Strunjan. In the midst of rich Mediterranean vegetation, with pleasant smelling pines and cedars, it has a particularly mild and salubrious climate because of the ancient salt pans. With its modern therapy centre by the sea, Strunjan is not just a good choice for bathing holidays but also for health cures and wellness.
A particularly interesting place to visit is the salt pans of Socovlje, situated at the coast south of Portoroz. Designated a national park since 2003, the fields for salt production that have existed since the 14th century, present themselves as a unique nature reserve, containing over 200 different sea and migratory birds and rare plants.
At traditional public festivals between April and August the importance of this treasure is substantially celebrated by the population.

Magic worlds – Postojna and Skocjan

Postojna has enjoyed an international reputation for more than 800 years. More than 30 million tourists from all parts of the world have visited this approximately 20km long cave system, 5.2km of which are now developed for tourists with 3.5km of it even comfortably passable on an electric train. The concert hall, with a capacity for 10,000 guests, where concerts and other events regularly take place between the stalagmites and stalactites is extraordinarily impressive, even for visitors who come again and again.

The Skocjan caves are another highlight of the karst landscape. The uniqueness of this cave system prompted UNESCO to include it in the list of world natural inheritance sites. The paths for visitors are built into the steep walls which are about 100m high in some places. Underground rivers spanned by bridges roar through mysterious canyons. Outside the caves, in the Skocjanske Caves Park, a variety of historical museums and unusual flora awaits visitors.
Near Lipica there is another attraction of world renown. The horse stud farm, founded in 1580 by the Habsburgs, has lost none of its elegance and grace in these modern times. In a typical karst landscape of pleasant smelling woods filled with oaks, limes and grove beeches, horse enthusiasts can take courses for either beginners or advanced riders. Those who are less active can enjoy the riding demonstrations and familiarise themselves with the long tradition of the stud farm.

Modern spas for a wellness holiday

Slovenia can boast 87 thermal springs on its territory and 15 very well equipped thermal springs for health cures and spas are spread over the whole country, offering health-oriented tourists both classical health cures and modern wellness spas.
Luxurious hotels, therapy centres and more than 38,000 sq m of water offer a variety of possibilities for guests all the year round. From a classical health cure to a relaxing holiday. Different forms of alternative medicine from traditional Chinese medicine to Ayurveda are currently very popular. Depending on the tourist’s personal preference and taste, Slovenia can offer both spas with an international reputation and rich tradition or relatively unknown new thermal centres.

The spas in Rogaska, Radenci or Dolenjske Toplice have a long tradition and they offer innovative health programmes in relaxing and natural surroundings. With about 12,000 sq m of water the spa Catez belongs among the biggest spas in Europe and offers entertainment and fun especially for families with children.
The sauna park has a variety of saunas from salt or crystal saunas with negative ions through to the Aquaviva sauna with colour and sound effects.

The Olimia thermal spa, with two new water slides and a varied animation programme, also offers fun and relaxation for children and adults.
The Moravske Toplice spa of the new hotel Livada offers, besides a classical bath, a thermal bath with black water in every room- the healing water of the Moravske Toplice spa. With the opening of the new beauty and relaxation centre – the Thermalium – two years ago, the Moravske Toplice spa offers its guests a total area of 3,500 sq m of various programmes.
The unique black thermal mineral water supports classical and alternative therapies for the treatment of rheumatism, diseases of the respiratory tract and skin diseases as well as rehabilitation after injuries and operations on the mobility apparatus.

Ljubljana, Slovenia’s charming capital

Ljubljana is Sloveni’s metropolis, but at the same time it is an easily comprehensible town worth living in, with numerous cultural attractions, shopping and the flair of a lively restaurant and entertainment scene. The interest of foreign tourists in Ljubljana is increasing constantly, as growth rates of more than 10 percent compared with the previous year illustrate.

The perfectly preserved Art Nouveau ensembles and baroque buildings give a special flair to the centre of the city. Slovenia’s famous architect Joze Plecnik has left his stamp on numerous buildings for the future generations.
With a more than 50-year long tradition the Ljubljana Summer Festival is the greatest cultural event of its kind in Slovenia. For seven weeks in July and August, the Slovenian capital is filled with opera, dance, symphony concerts, chamber music, jazz and folk. There are also numerous stage performances and exhibitions by artists from Slovenia and abroad.