Bled is the only island that exists in Slovenia, making it more exceptional and striking than any archipelago. Scenic mountains, situated in the hub of an Alpine lake, surround the island. This charming town has celebrated 1000 years of existence already. It observed its 1000th anniversary in the year 2004. The thermal springs, forests, recreational facilities, conference halls, casinos and golf courses make Bled a tourist paradise. Its beauty has for centuries been inducing people from all over the world to return to this place again and again. It is said that the best rowers of the world judge their strength and ability from competitions held at the Bled Island.

For those interested in exploring the heritage and history of Slovenia, many heritage trails are available to visitors. Places of natural ecological beauty, ethnological points of interest, attractive cities and towns reflecting the typical Slovenian cultural heritage are all there waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. A one-day excursion to the Cultural Heritage path in Zirovnica is something worth going for as it connects the places of birth of important Slovenians. The literary records of Slovenia’s famous writers like Levstik and Jurcic can be traced to the Cultural and Historical Path from Litija to Catez and the Jurcic’s Path.

You can enjoy the Slovenian heritage experience in the medieval towns of Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany. The Association of Historical Towns and Cities and its guidebook, Acta Slovenica, act as guides to travellers in exploring and discovering the entire country of Slovenia. Innumerable forest paths lead to adventurous encounters with nature. Many such trails lead to and through forest reserves and regional parks.

Ljubljana is a city with approximately 276,000 inhabitants. It is a city which is loved not only by its inhabitants but also by the tourists who visit it. Ljubljana, with its characteristics of a middle sized metropolitan city, is similar to other European cities. However, it maintains the friendly atmosphere of a small town.

Ljubljana is the meeting point of eastern and western culture where both old and new cultures intermingle. Historical artefacts and relics of the past five millennia are preserved in Ljubljana. Among these are the ornamented portals, Roman town of Emona, Baroque facades and Renaissance, the medieval castles of the Old Town and the uneven roofs. The beautiful bridges over the Ljubljanica River stretch from the centre of the town to the vast Tivoli Park.

The cultural city of Ljubljana has many galleries, theatres and interesting museums. It has one of the oldest philharmonic academies in the world. More than 10,000 cultural events have been held in the Slovene capital. Top performers of fine arts, musicians and theatre artists, as well as alternate and new wave artists, have performed in the fourteen international festivals that have been held here.

The 46.6 kilometre long Slovenian coast is covered with vegetation. The coast is rich in natural reserves like marl and sandstone. The Strunjan cliff is unique and is situated at 80 metres above sea level. The cliff has the highest flysch (a type of sedimentary rock deposit) wall on the Adriatic coast. The Secovlie saltworks, which originated in the 13th century, are found here. Due to their abundant natural and historical heritage, the Secovlie saltworks have been made into a regional park. This park is famous as a plant and animal sanctuary.

The towns of Piran, Izola and Koper attract visitors due to their medieval image. Koper, with its historical significance, is the most picturesque area in the northern part of Istrian Peninsula. The town has built a small marina in the Bay of Koper, where regattas are held; such events make water sports extremely popular in this region. The summer festival of Primorska is organised by the town. The outskirts of Koper are famous for the steep rock walls near Crni Kal and Osp and attract people who enjoy free climbing. The countryside is attractive and the eateries here offer special cuisines and wines.

The old seaport of Piran, situated at the end of the Piran peninsula, was surrounded by walls during the middle ages. Today only 200 metres of the city wall still exist. The town of Piran, with its medieval layout, narrow streets and compact houses, has been preserved for its cultural and historical significance. The town spreads from the coastal lowland towards the hills, which gives it a Mediterranean look.

Apart from being an administrative and supply centre, today the coast of Piran is famous for its coastal resorts, hotels, restaurants, holiday houses, the Sergej Masera Maritime Museum and aquarium, and also for its cultural institutions and events.

Slovenia has more than a thousand karst potholes and caves. It is because of limestone and water that Karst, a limestone landscape, is seen both above the surface and underneath at Slovenia. There are many karren, karst windows, karst sinkholes, polies (Planinsko, Cerknisko polie) and springs on the surface, but numerous potholes and karst caves have emerged under the ground as well. The Slovene Karst is considered to be an extremely beautiful part of the earth's underground world. There are 20 caves with limestone masterpieces formed by the disappearing karst water that are open for tourists. Popular among these are the Postojna, the Skocjan, Pivka and Crna jama, Krizna jama and Vilenica caves.

The Postojna cave was formed in 1213, and with over 26 million visitors is the most famous and frequently visited cave in Europe. Apart from little lakes of clear water, the cave is full of shining stalagmites and stalactites of various colours and shapes. Of the 21 kilometres there are only five kilometres of regulated passages through which visitors are taken on a tour of the cave in a special electric train. The human fish, proteus anguinus, attracts people to the cave.

Piran is an old seaport in Slovenia that is situated between the Strunjan and Piran bays. The peninsula gradually narrows down and ends with the Savrini hills after reaching Cape Madona. The town of Piran still retains its medieval look with its tapering streets and dainty houses. The steps rising from the lowland coast into the hills give the place a distinct Mediterranean appearance.

The Postojna Caves are filled with shining stalagmites and stalactites of varied colours, shapes and sizes, and little pools of clear water. The caves extend to about 21 km, of which 5 km are traversable by regulated pathways. Visitors are usually taken for a tour of these exciting caves by a unique electric train. The main charisma of the Postojna caves lies in the Proteus angunus, the human fish.

The Slovene Coast measures about 46.6 kilometres and is surrounded by profuse vegetation. It has an organic reserve with a large supply of marble and sandstone. The unique Strunjan cliff ascends 80 kilometres above the sea and is the highest flysch wall on the Adriatic coast.

The Secolje salt works that were first mentioned in the 13th century also figure here. The medieval image of the towns of Izola, Koper and Piran charms visitors. Portoroz is a town that is a tourist’s comfort zone as it offers all kinds of facilities like comfortable hotels, restaurants, swimming pools and the latest events to entertain visitors.

There are different kinds of springs, waterfalls, and lakes all over Slovenia. An interesting feature of the Julian Alps is the karst springs of rivers. Waterfalls and white water rapids are found aplenty in the Soca, the Sava, the Krka, the Savinja and in all the other streams and rivers that flow here through narrow gorges and wide valleys. Numerous health resorts have developed around the thermal and mineral springs but there are still plenty of untapped mineral springs. Mineral water springs are common in Savinjske Alps and in Koroska. The majority of the Slovenia's glacial lakes, including the largest, Lake Bohini, are found in the Triglav National Park, the largest protected natural area in the region. Lake Bled and its island, one of the most famous sites of Slovenia, are of glacial origin. Karst lakes have a special charm; of these, the largest and most scenic is the Cerknica Lake. The most special lake among the various lakes of Slovenia is Lake Divje jezero near Idrija, which is quite deep and has unexplored karst depths.

Krekov trg 10
SI-1000 Ljubljana
Tel.: +386 1 306 45 75; +386 1 306 45 76.
Fax: +386 1 306 45 80.
e-mail: stic@ljubljana-tourism.si

The high and mighty Julian Alps is a tourist attraction linked by four towns – Bled, Bohinj, Kranjska Gora and Bovec within the Soca Valley. It is mostly in the Triglav National Park spanning around 85 hectares and is considered to be one of the foremost natural resources in Europe. A lake and a 17th century church (along with the Bell of Wishes) are situated on the border of the park with a medieval castle standing above it. Bohinj is actually the starting point of the popular mountain hikes. Bohinjska and Lake Bohinj are a haven for water sports lovers and for the fisher folk. Many water sports like canoeing, kayaking, rafting, spectacular hydro speeding and swimming can be done here.

Many tourists find the tourist spot Kranjska Gora very attractive because of the outdoor sports that it offers like hiking, horsemanship, paragliding, mountaineering, cycling, and fishing. These sports can be practised in summer while night sledging, dog sledging from Vrsic and snowmobiling are interesting outdoor activities in winter. The Soca Valley, where the emerald river flows, attracts people yearning for solitude as well as people all agog for some adventure. Bovec is the centre of all this activity.

The Maribor regions and Pohorje form a green oasis towards the eastern side of the Alps. Pohorje is divided into Maribor and Hoce, Slovejska Bistrica, Konjice and Zrece, Ruse, Lovrenc, Rubnica and Slovenj Gradec Pohorje. The Maribor Pohorje spans an area of around 1000 square kilometres of coniferous forests. Maribor and Hoce, Slovenj Gradec Pohorje, and Konjice and Zrece are winter traveller spots with skiing centres that have come up of late (Areh, Kope, Rogla). Competitions are held for the Women’s World Cup in Alpine skiing in the Maribor Pohorje region.

The Wine Roads reveal the charm of Slovenia with its vineyards and culinary culture. It is one of the best ways to feel the pulse of the Slovenian countryside with its pictorial views of the hills and home-made delicacies that are specialities of Slovenia.

There are dozens of theme parks in Slovenia. They include the steep Strunjan coastal cliff, with its flysch (a type of sedimentary rock deposit) landscape; Secovlie salt flats that are a reserve for migrating and shore birds; Bela Krajina Lahinja Park, with its marshy botanical treasures; and the Logarska dolina glacial valley in the Savinjske Alps. The theme trails, forest education trails and different local excursion programs cover many natural sites of Slovenia.