From wherever you come, Slovenia is only an arm's length away. It is only 230 km to the Slovene border from Vienna, 240 km from Budapest, and 460 km from Milan. Even from Prague, you can get to Slovenia by car in eight hours. It's one of the youngest European nations and well linked to the world by road, by rails, by air and by sea.

Facts about country

• Capital city: Ljubljana
• Surface area: 20,256 sq km
• Official Language: Slovene
• Languages spoken: Most people will speak either English or German
• Population: 2 million
• Government: Parliamentary democratic republic
• Flag: in 3 colours (white, blue, red), with coat-of-arms on left side
• Religions: Roman Catholic (58%), atheist (10%), other (32%)
• Climate: 4 seasons, 3 individual climates - Alpine, Continental, Mediterranean
• Highest mountain: Triglav (2,864 m)
• Average temperatures: July: 21°C January: 0°C
• Time zone: Central European Time GMT+1
• Currency: European Euro (EUR)
• Drinking Water: The water is safe and drinkable throughout the country. You do not have to buy bottled water.
• Electricity: Current is 220 V, 50 Hz, two pin plug-ins.
• Money matters: The Slovene currency is the EUR as of 1.1.2007. You can exchange your currency to EUR at banks, at some hotel receptions and international border crossings. Most shops and restaurants will accept major credit cards VISA, EUROCARD/MASTERCARD, AMEX, DINERS. Banks will exchange foreign currency and travelers checks for EUR and vice versa. Where there is a bank there is also an ATM machine that will accept cards like Maestro, Cirrus, etc.
• Telephone: International outgoing call prefix: 00
International calls to Slovenia prefix: 386
Public telephones operate on the system of a magnetic card.
Telephone cards are sold at post offices; at newspaper kiosks and tobacco shops.
• Holidays:
January 1 and 2 (New Year)
February 8 Prešeren Day (Slovene cultural holiday)
Easter Sunday and Monday
April 27 (Insurrection Day)
May 1 & 2 May (Labour Day)
June 25 (National Day)
August 15 (Assumption Day)
October 31 (Reformation Day)
November 1 (All Saint's Day)
December 25 (Christmas)
December 26 (Independence Day)
• Important phone numbers:
Police: 113
First Aid/Ambulance/Fire department: 112

Short history

The Slovene territory was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the latter's dissolution at the end of World War I. In 1918, when Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats in forming a new multinational state, which was named Yugoslavia in 1929. After World War II, Slovenia became a Republic of the renewed Yugoslavia, which though Communist, distanced itself from Moscow's rule. Dissatisfied with the exercise of power by the majority Serbs, the Slovenes succeeded in establishing their independence in 1991 after a short 10-day war. Slovenia became a member of both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004 and joined EUR € in 1.1.2007. With January of 2008 - Slovenia took over the six-months presidency of the EU.

Getting there

By car:
Slovenia has an excellent highway network connected to neighboring countries Italy, Austria or Croatia.

By train:
Slovenia is well connected to all its neighboring states by train. The most popular routes connect from Wien in Austria, from Venice and Trieste in Italy, from Budapest in Hungary and from Zagreb in Croatia. International Express trains and other fast trains operate all year round.

By plane:
Ljubljana (Brnik) is primary international airport situated north of the capital Ljubljana. Another convenient gateway especially to western Slovenia is via Trieste airport in Italy or Klagenfurt, in Austria, which are only an hour's drive from Ljubljana. Other not too distant airports are Zagreb, Venice, Salzburg and Munich.

Slovene food & wine

Slovenia's location at the meeting point of Alpine, Mediterranean and Pannonian cultural regions is reflected in its culinaryheritage and many dishes com form these three great cultures. To complement our dishes there have always been excellent wines of three Slovenian wine growing regions (along river Drau, river Sava and coastal region). Culinary offer is supplemented by excellent Slovenian wines, especially in the wine growing regions.
In the palette of national dishes there are many connected with the traditional festive slaughtering. Popular everyday dishes are made from cabbage, beans and potatoes. There are also many flour-based dishes, among which those made from buckwheat - the cereal which gives grey flour, are a speciality. More than 70 variations of ŠTRUKLJI are widely spread across Slovenia. Don't forget to try the POTICA, a cake roll filled with walnuts, poppy seeds, raisins, various herbs, cottage cheese, honey or crackling. In Primorska, they will delight you with original fish dishes and delicacies made from local plants, vegetables and fruit (asparagus, artichokes, truffles), and of course PRŠUT from Karst which is prepared in the bora wind.

A special delight are the wines - from quality to top quality specialty wines, predicate wines and sparkling wines. On the coast you should try Teran, Rumeni Muškat, Malvazija and Rebula. The speciality of the Posavje Region is Cviček, a Slovene wine with a light taste and low alcohol. Vine growing hills of the Podravje Region in the east boast excellent speciality wines such as Renski Rizling, Traminec, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Ranina and many other top quality wines.

Slovenia offers many tourist attractions such as the Skocjan Caves declared as UNESCO World Heritage Centre, as well as other places of great beauty:

• The impressive Postojna Caves.
• The famous Lipica stud farm.
• Its charming coastal towns of Piran, Portoroz, Izola and Koper.
• The scenic town of Bled and beautiful untouched Bohinj valley in the Julian Alps.
• The capital Ljubljana, which was in 2008 European Union Capital.
• Its wine cellars and traditional restaurants.
• Its castles, monasteries, spa resorts, museums and more...!

Some useful words

Yes = Da
No = Ne
Hello = Dober dan (formal)
Hi! = Zdravo (familiar)
Good Morning = Dobro jutro
Good Day/Afternoon = Dober dan
Good Evening = Dober večer
Goodbye = Na svidenje
Please = Prosim
Thank you = Hvala
You're welcome = Prosim/Ni za kaj
Please = Prosim
Excuse me = Oprostite
How are you?= Kako ste?
I'm fine, thanks. = Sem dobro, hvala.

Do you speak English? = Ali govorite angleško?
I don't understand. = Ne razumem.
What is your name? = Kako Vam je ime?
My name is.... = Moje ime je...
I'm from.... = Sem iz...
How much does this cost? = Koliko to stane?
Open = Odprto
Closed = Zaprto

Cheers! = Na zdravje!
Breakfast = Zajtrk
Lunch = Kosilo
Dinner = Večerja
Coffee = Kava
Tee = Čaj
Juice = Sok
Water = Voda
Wine = Vino
Beer = Pivo
Ice Cream = Sladoled
Sugar = Sladkor
Bread = Kruh

Numbers
1 ena = zero
2 dve = two
3 tri = three
4 štir = four
5 pet = five
6 šest = six
7 sedem = seven
8 osem = eight
9 devet = nine
10 deset = ten
11 enajst = eleven
12 dvanajst = twelve
13 trinajst = thirteen
14 štirinajst = fourteen
15 petnajst = fifteen
16 šestnajst = sixteen
17 sedemnajst = seventeen
18 osemnajst = eighteen
19 devetnajst = nineteen
20 dvajset = twenty
30 trideset = thirty
40 štirideset = fourty
50 petdeset = fifty
60 šestdeset = sixty
70 sedemdeset = seventy
80 osemdeset = eighty
90 devetdeset = ninety
100 sto = hundred
1000 tisoč = thousand