Read Elmer and Phil Permes' travelogue of their 11-day tour of Slovenia, with pictures and commentary!
"It’s 11:15 AM and my bags are packed. I’m ready to go.
Friday May 9th 2009. Almost time for my ride to the Cleveland Hopkins airport. We are embarking on an eleven day trip to Slovenia. We’ll be staying at three different hotels in different parts of the country. After last minute details, I, Phil, am ready for travel. My brother Dan arrives about 11:30 AM and I load two carry on bags into the Jeep.
Over to my folks house in Euclid and we pack up the Jeep with the rest of the luggage. Off we go, mom, dad, Dan and me to Cleveland Hopkins airport for the 2:30 PM flight.
OK you are with us as we approach the trip that will provide memories, impressions, new appreciations and a look and feel of Slovenia today.
Be our travel companion and experience our story through these pages of what we enjoyed, admired, laughed about and will always remember."
View and read the entire travelogue
Cross-Border Ski Slopes Make Decades-Long Dream Come True
The highest-lying Slovenian ski slopes
of Kanin, and of Sella Nevea on the Italian
side of the border have merged into one ski
resort boasting more than 30 kilometers of
ski trails.
The aerial lift linking the two resorts
opened already before Christmas holidays, but
was inaugurated at last Tuesday’s ceremony by
four former top athletes from Slovenia, Italy,
and Austria.
“The slopes on our, sunnier side of the
Alps will best suit nonprofessionals, while the
runs on the Italian side will cater also to more
demanding skiers. A single link got us a single
resort for all types of skiers,” said former
Slovenian champion skier Jure Košir.
Gospa Sveta
For hundreds of years, Slovenians have been visiting the ancient Carantanian cathedral of Gospa Sveta (Maria Saal) which is located just north of the the Slovenian border. This cathedral was founded in 753 AD by Bishop Modestus, the Apostle of Slovenians-Carantanians. Gospa Sveta is important in Slovenian history because it was at this location that the first Slovenian nation called Carantania (Karantanija) later known as Carinthia was born in the 6th Century AD. Carantania covered the present day Central European countries of Slovenia and Austria.
Gosposvetsko polje was also where Slovenian Dukes were installed in the 6th century using the Princes Stone (Knezji Kamen) as part of the ceremony. The Princes Stone appears on the Slovenian Euro coin and along with the Coat of Arms of Carantania known as the Black Panther (Crni Panter) are both important historical Slovenian symbols.
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New countryside guide
highlights Slovenia’s
rural attractions
September 30, 2009 - The
Slovenian Tourist Board has
produced a new Friendly
Countryside Guide to showcase
how tourists can make the most
of the country’s beautiful nature
and rural hospitality.
Each year, Slovenia’s
countryside regions produce 90
million liters of wine and 400
tonnes of olive oil, and support
140,000 bee colonies, giving
rise to three of the most popular
souvenirs for visitors. Sampling
local products contained within
characteristic regional dishes is
just one way to ‘taste the
countryside’, but with over 400
farms open to visitors, there is
also the chance to stay
overnight and take part in daily
farm chores. Tourist farms are
renowned for their warm
welcome that will allow visitors
to get to the heart of Slovene
customs and traditions.
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Caves at Postojna in Slovenia: One of the world's most impressive systems
Slovenia has an extensive belt of karst – the limestone stratum that produces the spectacular caves, and the largest in Slovenia is in the town of Postojna.
Visiting the Caves
A visit to the cave lasts an hour and a half. The first part of the tour actually begins with a tiny train ride – more like the kind found in an amusement park. In fact, that’s what it felt like as we were whisked through the dark tunnel, with flashes of stalagmites and stalactites and other-worldly formations. It was both fun, and easily accessible.
After the 10 minute trip, the real tour starts. We all disembarked and guides took us on a well-paved trail explaining the history of the caves, and their formations. But the main emotion was awe as one huge impressive formation followed another. Caves, halls, passages, huge stalagmites created other-worldly visions. It was impressive both for the sheer size as well as the great beauty. The lighting was superbly done, creating compelling tableaux.
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Foreign Correspondence: Westerners Feel Comfy In Slovenia And Croatia
BY JOHN BORDSEN
McClatchy Newspapers
What's it like to live in a far-off place most of us see only on a vacation? Foreign Correspondence is an interview with someone who lives in a spot you may want to visit.
Shann Fountain Culo, 33, is a native of Lynchburg, S.C., who lives in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. She is the author of the just-published "Croatia & Slovenia: Moon Handbook" (Avalon Travel; $19.95). Her husband, Tomislav, is Croatian.
Q. Why is Croatia paired with Slovenia?
A. Some people complained that guidebooks about one aren't dealing with the other: Croatia and Slovenia have a common border, and it makes sense that if you're visiting one, you'll visit the other.
Slovenia is very close to Croatia, but the language is completely different: Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian are like American and British English. Just a few words are different. But Slovenian is really different.
Still, Croatia and Slovenia get along well. They're the most similar ex-Yugoslavian countries when it comes to moving toward the West culturally. And for Western tourists, they're also the most accessible.
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Slovenia, the pint-sized country where you're in a for a rail treat
London UK
Last updated at 12:05 PM on 12th August 2009
Ask ten people in the street where Slovenia is. I just did and eight couldn't place it.
But that's not unusual; a certain U.S. president messed it up with Slovakia, and the flag (another red, white and blue tricolour) doesn't help it stand out, either.
The fact that few people know about this beautiful country, the size of Wales, in the heart of Europe, is a good reason to go.
For the record, it's south of Austria, touches the top right of Italy and has its own tiny bit of Adriatic coast. It borders Hungary in the west and Croatia in the south. And it has Alps.
The scenery is superb, with national parks and more storks than I've ever seen before ('How many does it take to make one tub of margarine?' quipped one wag).
The people are welcoming and often English-speaking, the architecture charming (onion-bulb churches rising from islands in lakes, Alpine chalets in lush meadows, glorious rivers and mountains) and, in small patches, a bit Stalinist with tower blocks and smokestack industry ('just like home, then!' quipped a Scot in our group).
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