Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Slovakian
town squares
deserve special
note for their architectural interest. Some
have even been designated UNESCO
cultural heritage sites (Bardejov, Banska
Stiavnica).
Slovak Castles and ruins
are another
source of interest for architecture buffs.
Many have been restored, but even those
that have fallen into ruin are notable and
every region of the country offers a few
examples of each.
If poking around rock piles isn't your
passion, check out Slovakia's historic
towns and its mountain ski resorts, which
seem to ban Westernization and the com-
mercialism that goes hand in hand with
capitalism. Here you can comfortably go
back in time and experience life as it has
been lived in Slovakia for centuries.
Finally, Slovakia's capital city,
Bratislava,
is homey and friendly, but with a surpris-
ingly rich cultural life. Bratislava is a cap-
ital city without the usual congestion of
most seats of government. Quaint, gentle,
and old-world are apt terms to describe
this charming city and they extend to
food and lodging options, too. Slovakia
joined the European Union in 2004, but
the country has not yet caught up with its
neighbors when it comes to developing a
thriving tourism infrastructure. If you
visit, don't expect things to be up to West-
ern standards, but that could be a good
thing. Instead, luxuriate in an atmosphere
that lets you truly experience a bygone
era.
SLOVENIA
Slovenia is a country of firsts. As the west-
ernmost country in the region defined as
Eastern Europe in this guide, Slovenia
was the first to declare its independence
(1990). It also was one of the first of this
group to join the European Union, and
on January 1, 2007, it was the first to
adopt the euro as its official currency.
Slovenia is definitely the first of this group
to boast that it has the lowest crime rate
in all of Europe. In fact, this efficient
country has moved into the ranks of suc-
cessful European Union nations with
laserlike precision and the result is a coun-
try that works. Slovenia has a well-oiled
tourism industry with facilities and sites
that consistently attract an international
crowd. It has even exported its expertise
in spa design and management to Croa-
tia, where Slovenian firms are rehabbing
that country's aging spa facilities.
Business acumen isn't the only Sloven-
ian virtue. Legend has it that after God
created the world he had a fistful of left-
over beauty, which he sprinkled over
Slovenia. A glimpse of
St. Martin's Pil-
grimage Church
rising through the mist
from its island perch in the middle of
Lake Bled,
a walk through the subter-
ranean majesty of
S
kocjan Caves,
the
panoramic view of
Ljubljana
from its
namesake castle, or an Adriatic sunset
over coastal
Portoro
z
are enough hard
evidence to convince even atheists that
the legend is fact.
Slovenia is certainly one of the most
easily accessible Eastern European nations
from Europe's capitals: It is just 230km
(140 miles) from Vienna, 240km (146
miles) from Budapest, and 460km (280
miles) from Milan. It is linked to the
world by modern highways, numerous air
routes, efficient train service, and even by
ferry.
Its position on land surrounded by the
mountains of Austria and Italy, Hungary's
plains, and the Adriatic makes for a sur-
prisingly diverse landscape. What's even
more of a pleasant surprise is that nothing
in the country is more than a 2-hour
drive from anything else in the country.
You can ski an Olympic training run on
the slopes above picturesque
Kranjska
Gora
in the morning and take a dip in
the warm sea at languid Portoro
z
before
the sun goes down. You can hike through
gorgeous
Triglav National Park
and
marvel at its glacial valleys, gorges, and
waterfalls. You can even launch your
