More features:
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Traffic penalties increased in Slovenia
Although the number of road deaths in Slovenia decreased dramatically after stiffer fines for traffic violations and drink driving were introduced in 2008, the penalties were again raised as of 1 July 2011....
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Why Slovenia? Part I
When a Slovene meets a foreigner the first question they usually ask is the standard, 'Where are you from?' - which is understandable....
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Lipica and The White Horses
If you are lucky enough to have been alive in the 1960's, cast your mind all the way back. If you were a child in Europe in those heady days, 'The White Horses' should mean something to you....
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Slovenian wines continue to gain popularity abroad
In recent years Slovenian wines have become increasingly popular abroad, perhaps most notably in the United States....
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Famous Slovenes: Žižek
With his only serious competition coming from an overweight alcoholic who floats down rivers, it's fairly safe to say that Slavoj Žižek is by far the most widely-known Slovene living today - which is no small feat given that his chosen profession is philosophy....
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Celica: Ljubljana's prison-turned Hostel
Chosen by Lonely Planet as the 'Hippest Hostel in the World' last year, Celica was formerly a military prison in the Metelkova army barracks....
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Slovenian Weather
In a nutshell, Slovenian climate comprises hot summers and harsh winters. The latter seems to be due to its proximity to the alps, the former courtesy of the mediterranean tendencies of the Adriatic sea (and of course its latitude: 46°07'11....
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Bohinj Makes the Top 5!
Times online make a list of Europe five best spring breaks, and Bohinj came in their list as a best place to see in April-May....
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Slovenian Humour
One of the most beautiful things about Slovenia is its size. The place is tiny. Yet you can still enjoy completely different regions, weather conditions, food, people and neighbouring countries, all within less than three hours driving....
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Why Slovenia? Part III
After my first two columns people generally seemed surprised that I'd been able to come up with so many reasons why an American would want to live in Slovenia, but I assure you that we've barely scratched the surface....
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Lake Bled Nominated For New 7 Wonders
Lake Bled is among the nominees vying to become one of the 7 new natural wonders of the world, which are to be announced by the Swiss not-for-profit organisation New Open World Corporation (NOWC) in 2011....
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Why Slovenia? Part II
Last time, I discussed why cobblestone, socialism, advertising and Rog's Pony bicycles all help to make Slovenia a better place to live than America....
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Accommodation Slovenia
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Where is Slovenia?
So where is Slovenia? With only one game remaining during the group stage of the 2010 World Cup a popular answer to this question (here in Ljubljana at least) was 'At the top of Group C!' Another popular answer was provided by a bit on Late Night with David Letterman in the US - which was quick to gain viral status on YouTube (although will likely not find its way into any official tourism campaigns any time soon).
Never known for their geographical prowess, even the more educated segment of the American populace tend to supply answers in which either the word 'Russia' or 'Soviet' feature prominently - perhaps just making the all-too-common mistake of confusing Slovenia with its similarly named former Eastern Bloc member Slovakia (which is also nowhere near bordering Russia, but does at least touch Ukraine) - while most Yanks are apparently unaware that Slovenia is actually a country. On the other side of the Atlantic, the English and the rest of their British consorts, hopefully have a slightly better grasp on their fellow EU-member's location - if for no other reason than the almost daily EasyJet flights direct from Stansted and the regular stream of year-round stag parties that they facilitate - but would still likely be hard-pressed to label it correctly if faced with a blank map.
So where is Slovenia really? Our chosen explanation when speaking to friends and family abroad is 'just East of Italy', or 'Ljubljana is in the middle of the country and only a two-hour drive from Venice and a four-hour drive from Vienna' - although this last one is more or less true, some liberties are taken with the times in order to emphasize the proximity to the familiar West. In slightly grander terms, Slovenia is located at the crossroads of Eastern and Western Europe, the Mediterranean and the Alps, Bavaria and the Balkans, formerly part of both the Roman and Habsburg empires, the last point of defence against the invading Ottomans! Of course in strictly objective geographical terms, it seems that an answer of 'Central Europe' would just about suffice - a fact supported by our colleagues over at Lonely Planet (at least after May 2004).
Where ever it is, the fact remains that Slovenia is a great place to visit and an even better place to live. For proof, look no further than our guides to
Ljubljana,
Bled,
Maribor,
Celje,
Portorož and the 17 other cities and towns that have already found their way In Your Pocket!