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Bradt Guide Slovenia
Ref: BRA066
A full-length guide to this little-known corner of Europe, once part of the larger republic of Yugoslavia, but now an independent country in its own right. In addition to full practical information and extensive coverage of the capital, Ljubljana, the Bradt guide explores those areas off the beaten track including wine-growing regions, hiking in the Julian Alps, discovering the caves of the Karst region, white-water rafting and skiing. A strong emphasis on culture and history will be complemented by in-depth information on natural history and the environment.
Author's Note, by Robin & Jenny McKelvie
Last updated 23 February 2005:
The first time I visited Slovenia back in 1992 it was a country that virtually no one I knew had heard of. Those who did know it were surprised that I was travelling there as their only experience of Slovenia was from TV news reports of the fighting that had erupted in 1991 during the break-up of Yugoslavia. The reality, though, was that even in 1992 Slovenia was completely safe to visit, as its only direct involvement in the regional conflicts had been a brief ten-day skirmish with the Yugoslav Federal Army a year earlier as it quickly secured its independence.
Since my first visit I have been back to Slovenia a dozen times, my wife usually accompanying me on each occasion since we met in 1997, and it still amazes us that the tourist hordes have not yet descended on this unique hideaway sandwiched between Italy, Austria, Hungary and the Balkans. This is a country that more than justifies all the ‘Europe in Miniature’ clichés. Even though its epic sweep of scenery, everything from Alpine peaks and tumbling rivers in the north, to the balmy Adriatic coastline and vineyards in the south, are garnishing increasing praise in the travel pages of magazines and newspapers the country still remains genuinely ‘unspoilt’.
In just over a decade Slovenia has transformed itself from an unwilling appendage of Yugoslavia into a modern and successful European democracy. In 2004 Slovenia joined both NATO and the EU, something no other state in the old federation has yet managed. It is hard not to be impressed by the Slovenes, a nation who seem to have a natural aptitude for just buckling down and getting on with it. Instead of getting immersed in ethnic strife and conflict they have focused on building up their economy, putting their tiny country on the map and infiltrating the previously closed shops of NATO and the EU.
Whether it is strolling by the banks of the Ljubljanica River on an autumnal day as you kick your way through the leaves, heaving yourself up onto the summit of a peak in the Julian Alps and feeling like you are on top of Europe, or simply just relaxing with a chilled glass of Slovenian Chardonnay in a waterfront restaurant by the coast we have a sneaking suspicion that you may just end up loving Slovenia as much as we do.
Robin McKelvie has worked full-time as a travel writer since 1997 and is a member of both the British Guild of Travel Writers and the Outdoor Writers Guild. He first visited Slovenia in 1992, and since then has worked extensively in the region. His work has been published in over 40 magazines and newspapers worldwide.
Jenny McKelvie has been working part-time as a travel writer since 1998.
£13.99
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