Slovenija AKA Slovenia
How do I love Slovenija? Let me count the ways...
I had the joy of visiting Slovenija about three years ago, and I decided that it is one of my favorite places. A former Eastern Bloc country seems, to many, to be an odd choice. Let me offer an explanation. I love Slovenija because:
1. Geography
Slovenija has both mountains (Eastern Alps) and ocean, minutes apart. It is very near Venice and the beautiful beaches of Croatia. Slovenija borders Italy, Austria, Croatia, and Hungary.
2. Climate
Slovenians enjoy a warm Mediterranean climate. The weather is beautiful.
3. Beauty
The natural beauty is enormous. People travel great distances to hike and ski in Slovenija. Also, Ljubljana is architecturally beautiful in my opinion.
4. Seclusion
Because Slovenija is relatively unknown, there are not throngs of tourists like there are in other European cities.
5. Currency
Slovenian currency is the tollar. Apparently, this is where "dollar" comes from. The bills and coins all have pictures of animals and plants. They look bizarre. Tollars are adorable and are my favorite currency aside from Romanian. Romanian currency is transparent, so they win this one.
6. Culture
The attitude is very laid back. To me, Slovenija feels like you would expect: a mix of Italian with old world Eastern European. And then there is the whole former Yugoslav Republic thing. Which brings me to point 7, which isn't really a full fledged point, but more of an honorable mention. (In other words, I feel guilty about including this.) 7. Economy. Because Slovenija's economy is still recovering, an American dollar goes a long way. At least it did when I was there 3 years ago. I'm sure the situation is a little different now.
I had the joy of visiting Slovenija about three years ago, and I decided that it is one of my favorite places. A former Eastern Bloc country seems, to many, to be an odd choice. Let me offer an explanation. I love Slovenija because:
1. Geography
Slovenija has both mountains (Eastern Alps) and ocean, minutes apart. It is very near Venice and the beautiful beaches of Croatia. Slovenija borders Italy, Austria, Croatia, and Hungary.
2. Climate
Slovenians enjoy a warm Mediterranean climate. The weather is beautiful.
3. Beauty
The natural beauty is enormous. People travel great distances to hike and ski in Slovenija. Also, Ljubljana is architecturally beautiful in my opinion.
4. Seclusion
Because Slovenija is relatively unknown, there are not throngs of tourists like there are in other European cities.
5. Currency
Slovenian currency is the tollar. Apparently, this is where "dollar" comes from. The bills and coins all have pictures of animals and plants. They look bizarre. Tollars are adorable and are my favorite currency aside from Romanian. Romanian currency is transparent, so they win this one.
6. Culture
The attitude is very laid back. To me, Slovenija feels like you would expect: a mix of Italian with old world Eastern European. And then there is the whole former Yugoslav Republic thing. Which brings me to point 7, which isn't really a full fledged point, but more of an honorable mention. (In other words, I feel guilty about including this.) 7. Economy. Because Slovenija's economy is still recovering, an American dollar goes a long way. At least it did when I was there 3 years ago. I'm sure the situation is a little different now.
posted by Patti at
20:19
2 Comments:
Indeed it sounds like a pretty incredible place. when are we sceduling a trip for a big group to go there? How about a road...er, air trip over there next summer?
By
~mike, At
10:33
I would suggest sooner rather than later. Prices are rising pretty quickly, and a bunch of discount airlines have recently started daily service to Ljubljana. (Ryanair, Easyjet, etc..) That means more and more tourists are coming these days. I would take mike's advice and come next summer. In my experience, people named "mike" or "michael" are usually highly intelligent. Sometimes super-intelligent. :)
By
Michael M., At
12:17
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home