Slovenia is a small country (about the same size and population as West Virginia), nestled in between Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. Due to this unique location, Slovenia is a nice blend or “potpourri” of all the different surrounding cultures and people. In my opinion, they tend to adopt the best qualities from their neighbors and reject the worst.

The easiest way to get there from the US is to fly direct to Venice and take a 2-3 hour bus ride from Marco Polo Airport. Due to it’s small size, the country is easy to explore, especially using centrally-located Ljubljana as a base. It is served by a network of buses and trains, but the best way to experience Slovenia is to rent a car and drive around. I would recommend a full week to see the country. Many people merely pass through or stopover on their way from one country to another and regret that they didn’t go to Slovenia instead. It is especially popular with people who seek an outdoor activity focused vacation or old world romantics who wonder what visiting Europe was like before it became too commercialized and overcrowded with tourists and “refugees”.

Slovenia is often misunderstood as Eastern European or a former part of the Soviet Union, but it is more western European in nature, identity and feel. Even when it was part of the former Yugoslavia, it was known as a secret garden where communist citizens could travel to enjoy traditional European culture and buy western goods. And Slovenia was mostly untouched by the Balkan Wars that plagued their neighbors in the 1990s.

It is nicknamed “little europe” because it is a microcosm of the continent. Cultural and geographic diversity is a primary selling point - you can go skiing in the Alps or hiking through dense forests in the valleys. A visit to the dry, rolling hill country in the west for a lunch of local wine and prosciutto will make you think you are in Tuscany, while the small coastal towns on the Adriatic Sea are classic Mediterranean. The compact capitol city of Ljubljana packs a big cosmopolitan punch and is underrated for what it offers. Meanwhile, the northeastern region has a slavic feel to it and is famous for it’s thermal spas.

Slovenia is an EU member, part of the Schengen zone and uses the Euro for currency. English is a common second language, especially in tourist areas. It is relatively cheap by European standards – about on par with a second tier American city. The people are friendly and there is very little crime. Tourism is finally increasing and they embrace it.

The main tourist destinations are: (1) the capitol city of Ljubljana, (2) Lake Bled and the surrounding Triglav National Park, (3) the caves in the Karst region; (4) the Soca River Valley and (5) the 20 miles of coastline along the Adriatic Sea. Other points of interest are the scenic Logar Valley and panoramic road in the north, Kamnik and Vilica Planina and the wine producing region of Brda in the west. Venice is close enough for a (long) day trip as are Zagreb and Plitvice Lakes over the border in Croatia.