Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
dottedinsteadwithquaintalpinevillagesandthespiresofminiatureBaroquechurches,with
breathtaking, snowcapped peaks in the distance.
Only half as big as Switzerland, Slovenia is remarkably diverse for its size. Travelers
can hike on alpine trails in the morning and explore some of the world's best caves in the
afternoon, before relaxing with a glass of local wine and a seafood dinner while watching
the sun set on the Adriatic.
Though not unaffected by the recent economic crisis, Slovenia enjoys a prosperity un-
usual for a formerly communist country. The Austro-Hungarian Empire left it with a strong
work ethic and an impressive industrial infrastructure, which the Yugoslav government ex-
panded. By 1980, 60 percent of all Yugoslav industry was in little Slovenia (which had only
8 percent of Yugoslavia's population and 8 percent of its territory). Of the 13 new nations
that have joined the European Union since 2004, Slovenia was the only one rich enough to
be a net donor (with a higher per-capita income than the average), and the first one to join
the euro currency zone (it adopted the euro in January of 2007). Thanks to its long-stand-
ing ties to the West and can-do spirit, Slovenia already feels more “Western” than any other
destination in this topic.
