About Slovenia
The Republic of Slovenia lies at the heart of Europe. National slogan of Slovenia used to be "On the Sunny Side of the Alps," which perfectly describes this little country that combines the Alps and the Mediterranean region, Pannonian plains and the Karst. The geographical centre of Slovenia is at the coordinates 46°07'11.8" N and 14°48'55.2" E. It lies in Spodnja Slivna near Vače. Slovenia's highest peak is Triglav (2,864 m).
Slovenia borders to Austria in the north, in the east to Hungary, Croatia to the south and Italy to the west. Its territory extends over 20,273 square kilometres.
Across Slovenia there are many pastures, gardens, orchards and vineyards. Over half of the country (10,124 km2) is covered by forests which makes Slovenia the third most forested country in Europe, after Finland and Sweden. Approximately 11% of its territory is protected. The most important protected areas are the Triglav National Park, Škocjanske caves, which were inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Slovenia is a land of incredible contrasts, allowing a wide range of activities: you can ski in the Alps, swim in the Adriatic Sea, explore the world of caves, enjoy a refreshing bath in the thermal spa, learn about history in a lively medieval town or have a stroll in almost untouched forests or among breathtaking winegrowing hills.
Slovenian food and wine
Slovenian cuisine and its natural beauty should be a good enough reason to visit our beautiful country. Traditional Slovenian Cuisine is very diverse because Slovenia is a meeting place of culinary influences from the cuisines of the Mediterranean, the Pannonia plain, the Alps, and the Balkans. Because of this and along with different cultural influences throughout the centuries we have created a unique variety of our own regional dishes.
Slovenia has 24 different culinary regions and 3 wine regions. In the heart of Maribor you can find the oldest vine in the world. Old Vine, is the oldest living specimen on our planet of a noble grape vine that still bears grapes and it is more than 450 years old.
In the past food in Slovenia was very modest – people rarely ate meat and desserts – they ate a lot of stews, potatoes, dairy dishes, porridges, etc. Richer dishes were only available for holidays such as Christmas and Easter. On holidays dinner tables were filled with traditional foods, such as pork or turkey, along with delicacies, such as smoked meats. Potica (nut bread), šarkelj (raisin cake), and other freshly baked goods were eaten as well.
We should also mention St. Martin's Day in November – this is a time for celebrating the day when grape juice officially becomes new wine. Along with drinking wine, dishes such as roast goose or duck, sweet red cabbage, and mlinci may be eaten.