Slovenia - Country on the sunny side of the Alps

Slovenia is officially known as the Republic of Slovenia and is a beautiful country in Central Europe. There is also a quote, thai it is located - on the Sunny side of the Alps.

Neigbours are Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. The capital city is Ljubljana. Other big cities are Maribor, Koper, Kranj and Celje.

In Slovenia, you must see Bled and Postojnska jama as the biggest tourist attractions. But there are also other places, that are worth of visit such as: Skocjanske jame, Bohinj, Prekmurje, Sneznik, Triglav, Pokljuka, Trenta, Cerknica, Velika planina, ...

Slovenian music band Avseniki (Ansambel bratov Avsenik) or Original Oberkrainer is worldwide known and their polka Na Golici is the most played instrumental song in Europe!

Slovenia is a member of the European Union (since 2004), the Schengen area (since 2007), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe, NATO, UNESCO, World Trade Oeganisation, OECD and United Nations (since 1992).

Slovenian Littoral - Primorska
Upper Carniola - Gorenjska
Inner Carniola - Notranjska
Lower Carniola - Dolenjska
Carinthia - Koroska
Lower Styria - Stajerska
Prekmurje - Prekmurje

Statistical data of Slovenia:

• area 20,273 square kilometres
• population of 2.06 million
• highest mountain is Triglav 2,864 metre (9,396 ft)
• language: Slovene (Hungarian and Italian)
• currency: Euro €
  

All types of sports are developed and played in Slovenia, but the most succesful are:

skiers (Bojan Krizaj, Mateja Svet, Rok Petrovic, Tina Maze)

ski jumpers (Primoz Peterka - won World cup in ski jumping twice, Franci Petek, Primoz Ulaga, Robert Kranjec,...)

hockey (Anze Kopitar playes in NHL for Los Angeles Kings)

gymnastics (Miro Cerar, Leon Stukelj)

footbal (slovenian team played in latest world cup in south Africa)

athletics (Primoz Kozmus won Gold medal in 2008)

Rowing (Iztok Cop, Denis Zvegelj)

Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia and has a population of 330.000. Trough old part of the city flows river Ljubljanica. Most famous thing in Ljubljana are: Triple Bridge, Dragon Bridge and Shoemakers Bridge, Stari trg, Mestni trg, The Robba Fountain, the Magistrat, Ljubljana Castle,

There are also many museums in Ljubljana, where turists and other visitors can see: natural history, collections of coins, minerals samples, gems, collections of Rome Empire archaeological findings,...

Ansambel bratov Avsenik or Avseniki, also known as Original Oberkrainer outside Slovenia is the worlds most known and popular slovenian musician band.

Their polka "Na Golici" is most played instrumental song in whole Europe.

Other great hits are:

Otocek sredi jezera - talks about Bled, great tourist attraction with lake, small island, church on that island and castle on high rock at the side of the lake.

Slovenija odkod lepote tvoje: song about Slovenia and their beauties.

Planica, Planica - song about valley under Ponca mountains, where is located the worlds biggest ski jumping hill.

Tam, kjer murke cveto, Cveteli so beli kostanji, Na mostu, Čez zelene trate, Čakala bom, Pastirček, ...

1. and 2. january - New Year
8. february - Preserns day, slovenia cultural holiday
27. april - resistance day
1. and 2. maj - labour day
25. june - national day
15. avgust - Assumption Day
17. avgust - date, when Prekmurje merged with parent nation of Slovenes after the First World War
15. september - day when Primorje returned to Slovenia
31. oktober - reformation day
1. november - All Saints
23. november - day of Rudolf Maister
25. december - christmas
26. december - dan of independense and unity

Easter - firs sunday after first fool moon of spring

Planica Valley lies under hills named Ponca at the borders of Slovenia, Austria and Italy only few kilometers close to famous ski resort of Kranjska Gora. Valley is in the Julian Alps and is now a protected area of Triglav National Park.

Planica is world's famous for ski jumps. For decades there is staging the World Cup in ski jumping. There was multiple of world records set here and just Planica is a place where man first flew over 100 meters (Sepp Bradl - Austria, 1936) and over 200 meters (Toni Nieminen - Finland, 1994). Also todays world record holds Planica by unbelivable 239 meters (Bjørn Einar Romøren - Norway, 2005). Slovenian National Record holds Robert Kranjec with 229 m, set here in Planica in 2007.

If you go in the mountains, or just for a walk, Planica is the place where you will not be unsattisfied. You will bring home unforgettable impressions that can be offered only by Planica.

Celje is third biggest city in slovenia with poulation of 48.000. Celje is divided in districts: Center, Dečkovo naselje, Dolgo polje, Gaberje, Hudinja, Karel Destovnik Kajuh, Lava, Nova vas, Savinja, Slavko Šlander. Famous people from Celje are: Hermann II of Celje (count of Celje), Cvetko Golar (poet), Anica Černej (poet), # Janez Drnovšek (politician, statesman, and third president of Slovenia), Oto Pestner (musician and singer), Jolanda Čeplak (athlete),...

Maribor is second largest city in Slovenia with population of around 100.000 and centre of Lower Styria. Maribor lies just under Pohorje and river Drava flows trough the centre of the City. Maribor is divided in 12 districts: Center, Koroška vrata, Melje, Ivan Cankar, Magdalena, Tabor, Studenci, Pobrežje, Nova Vas, Tezno, Brezje - Dogoše - Zrkovci in Radvanje.

Most famous people from Maribr: Matjaž Kek (slovenian footbal national team coach), Katja Koren (Alpine skier), Rudolf Maister (military leader), Zoran Predin (singer), Anton Martin Slomšek, Leon Štukelj, Anton Trstenjak,...

Kranj is fourth biggest city in Slovenia with population of 37.000. It is divided in Center, Zlato polje, Orehek, Labore, Stražišče, Savska Loka, Primskovo, Vodovodni stolp, ... Most famous people from Kranj are: Lojze Dolinar (sculptor), France Preseren (poet), Andrej Stremfelj (alpinist), Andrej Sifrer (singer), Borut and Darjan Petric (swimmers),...

In Kranj you can enjoy Plecnik Steps (on the photo), Kokra Canyon, Sum Falls in Besnica near Kranj, Smarjetna gora (Mount St. Margaret), Gora sv. Josta (Mount St. Jodocus),...

Koper is coast city with population of 24.000 and tere is largest commercial port in Slowenia. Most interesting to see in Koper are 15th-century Pretorian Palace, Loggia in Venetian Gothic style, Carmine Rotunda church and the Cathedral of St Nazarius.

In Koper is also biggest commercial multi purpose Port for cargo handling, mainly for Central and SouthEast Europe.

Bled is a small town, about 50 km from Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Although the entire of Slovenia has one single island, this small island in Bled is one of the most famous in the whole area.

Lake Bled and Bled Castle charm each and every visitor, but the biggest attraction is certainly a church on a small island in the middle of the lake. You can go to the island by boat named Pletna. Around the lake may also take a ride in a carriage - beautiful experience.

Postojna Cave is the most visited tourist attraction in Slovenia. And although Slovenia is full of wondrous beauty of the Karst, Postojna Cave is its largest jewel.

Postojna cave system consists of approximately 20 kilometers of discovered tunnels and as such is is one of the longest underground complexes in the world.

For tourism the cave was ready in the early 19th Century. Than it was electrified in 1884. Earlier in the cave were built the first rail to transport tourists to the cave trucks. Later Cave got mine train wich transports crowds of tourists kilometers underground even today.

There are five special Features in Postojna Cave:

• human fish (Proteus anguinus)
• underground train
• 21 km of underground paths
• 200 years of cave History
• 34 million tourists

Slovenia will organise Eurobasket 2013, a FIBA European Basketball championship. As Slovenia was the only candidate left and FIBA board confirmd in December 2010.