Lake Bled, Slovenia
After receiving a National Geographic Traveler magazine about “Forgotten Europe,” H & I became enthralled with the Eastern European country of Slovenia. Ironically, Slovenia had just recently appeared on our travel radar after the USA’s Mens Soccer team played the country in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. In short, after doing a little research, H & I discovered a little known land of immense beauty and remarkable people. The country of Slovenia borders Italy to the east, Austria to the south, Hungary to the west, and Croatia to the north. Because of its unique location, Slovenia offers tourists a wide variety of landscapes in a small space: Alpine in the northwest, Mediterranean in the southwest, Pannonian in the northeast and Dinaric in the southeast. In fact, over a third of the land in Slovenia is protected, and it is the third most forested country in Europe. Additionally, Slovenia also boasts over 10,000 km of hiking trails and has the oldest grapevine in the world (1% of the country is vineyards). It is a country with over 100 fully functional castles and more churches per capita than any other country in Europe. In Slovenia, you can be by the sea, at a ski resort, or in one of its ancient Roman thermal springs in a matter of hours. It is a land with enormous cultural heritage and a vast array of influences. Nevertheless, with all of these ancestral roots, modern-day Slovenians still consider themselves “Italians” because of their close proximity to Italy and their interwoven history. One thing is for sure, Slovenia, just like Italy, is full of varying landscapes and cultures that individually provide unmatched beauty and experiences. Therefore, for your next vacation, consider Slovenia. In fact, we have already penciled it in for our next vacation!
– J & H
More info: Slovenia
letters from two travelers 