American business magazine Forbes has made a list of so-called ‘rising stars’ in travel and named 7 countries that have potential to become major tourist destinations in a post-Covid world. Slovenia was included on this prestigious list.
Slovenia has everything it takes to become a major tourist destination in a post-Covid world. (photo: Mankica Kranjec, Nea Culpa, Slovenia.info)
The Forbes substantiated its decision with the following words: ‘Many of Slovenia’s close neighbours – Italy, Croatia, and Austria, to be specific – draw large swathes of tourists each year, while this small mountainous nation remains one of the region’s more underrated gems. The capital, Ljubljana, is a major cultural hub for the region, featuring world-class art and history museums alongside elaborate centuries-old cathedrals and a spectacular castle overlooking the Old Town. After thoroughly exploring the city, be sure to make the journey north to the Julian Alps – this stunning mountain range was named in honor of Julius Caesar, with a large portion of it falling within the boundaries of Triglav National Park, where the natural beauty of Slovenia can be encountered in abundance.’
The other countries included on the list are Ethiopia, Iran, Myanmar (Burma), Georgia, the Philippines and Tunisia.
Lake Bled is definitely one of the most famous places in Slovenia. (photo: Alex Strohl, Slovenia.info)
With its hilltop castle, Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana is the perfect place for people who love strolling and sitting at waterside cafes. (photo: Andrej Tarfila, Slovenia.info)
Piran is a charming coastal town and is full of Venetian style architecture and narrow streets. (photo: Drazen Stader, Produkcija Studio, Slovenia.info)
With its cobblestone alleys rimmed by interesting facades, Ptuj is the oldest town in Slovenia, dating back to the Stone Age. (photo: Andrej Tarfila, Slovenia.info)
Maribor is Slovenia’s second largest city, but somehow often overlooked as a tourist destination. (photo: Andrej Tarfila, Slovenia.info)
Celje is a quaint central European town that proudly celebrates its rich cultural heritage. (photo: Drazen Stader, Produkcija Studio, Slovenia.info)
Discover beautiful Slovenia through amazing photos that will instantly make you want to visit and explore this delightful country in the heart of Europe. View more than 100 galleries with more than 5.500 landscape and nature photos from 50+ photographers! ENJOY!
To help people from around the world decide where is safe to travel to, Forbes has published European Best Destinations’ list of the 20 Safest Places For Travel And Tourism Post-Coronavirus – and we’re very glad to report that Slovenia’s Bohinj is number 15 on the list!
With its tranquil lake and mighty mountains, Bohinj is one of the most popular destinations in Slovenia. (photo: Ales Zdesar, slovenia.info)
‘Recognized by the European Commission as one of the best sustainable tourism destinations in Europe, Bohinj is a haven of peace for lovers of nature, outdoor sports, trekking, local products, crafts and real experiences. Located in a basin in the Julian Alps in the Upper Carniola region of northwestern Slovenia, it’s known as one of the “green paradises of Europe” and the green lung of Slovenia (a highly nature-oriented country).,’ EBD substantiated their decision to include Bohinj on the list.
With countries around Europe reducing coronavirus restrictions, opening borders and creating new ways to ensure safe travel for visitors, summer holidays to Europe are becoming a realistic possibility for relief-seeking travelers. Thanks to the very good epidemiological situation in Slovenia, where over 99% of people infected with Covid-19 have recovered and only 8 active cases, Slovenia is at the top of the list for holidaymakers from around Europe this summer.
“Slovenia has been little affected by coronavirus (10 times less contaminated than the most-affected countries) and it has more hospital beds per inhabitant than the majority of European countries.,” EBD writes.
The full list of the ’20 Safest Places For Travel And Tourism Post-Coronavirus’ includes destinations from 16 different European countries:
1. Tbilisi, Georgia
2. Corfu, Greece
3. Cavtat, Croatia
4. Azores Islands
5. Preveza, Greece
6. Alentejo, Portugal, Portugal
7. Batumi, Adjara, Georgia
8. Zagreb, Croatia
9. Algarve, Portugal
10. Sibiu, Romania
11. Kotor, Montenegro
12. Rijeka, Croatia
13. Warsaw, Poland
14. Vienna, Austria 15. Bohinj, Slovenia
16. Malta
17. Gdansk, Poland
18. Vilnius, Lithuania
19. Riga, Latvia
20. Wild Taiga, Finland
The Bohinj area is home to a lot of small hamlets and although tourism has begun to grow, many of these are still farm focused. (photo: Iztok Medja, slovenia.info)
While most of the tourists focus on Lake Bled, another gem of Slovenia is located only a short drive away – Lake Bohinj. (photo: Drazen Stader, Produkcija Studio, slovenia.info)
Bohinj is the largest permanent glacial lake in Slovenia and is part of the Triglav National Park, one of the oldest national parks in Europe. (photo: Drazen Stader, Produkcija Studio, slovenia.info)
Lake Bohinj is one of those places you can’t quite describe with words. (photo: Drazen Stader, Produkcija Studio, slovenia.info)
First, you have to know that Bohinj is an area – not a town. It is a 20 kilometre long and 5 kilometre wide basin in the Julian Alps in northwestern part of Slovenia. The area is very popular due to its beautiful unspoiled nature with one of the most imposing parts of the valley being Lake Bohinj, the largest of the Slovenian lakes. There are several small villages and hamlets in Bohinj with the largest one being Bohinjska Bistrica. The villages that lie in the immediate vicinity of the lake are Ribcev Laz, Ukanc and Stara Fuzina.
As the Covid-19 epidemic in Slovenia was officially ended on Sunday, hotels are opening to a ‘new normal’ of strict health and safety protocols.
The Kempinski Palace Hotel in Portoroz is one of the most luxurious hotels in Slovenia. (photo: Jure Kravanja, Nea Culpa)
To ensure health security and help restore confidence, government health-and-safety guidelines have been drawn up for every sector of the tourism industry. For hotels, this means vigorous cleaning and disinfection multiple times a day by staff wearing PPE, as well as changes to the guest experience, such as a ban on buffets.
Some hotels are installing screens between tables in their dining rooms, and introducing staggered dining hours and room service deliveries by staff in masks and gloves. Rooms are more wipe-down, with coffee makers, extra bedding and decoration removed. The government protocol also suggests removing carpets and minibars. In common areas such as pools and gyms, strict social distancing and disinfecting regimes are in place.
Credit-card payment is being promoted in hotels and bars, and contactless technology is coming faster than anticipated.
Whether guests will ‘feel like kings’ or feel a little uncomfortable in an environment of screens, masks and none of the usual interaction, is another question.
Hotels in Slovenia that we recommend
Finding a hotel that suits your needs and fits your budget can be a hassle. Slovenia is a small country but it has more than 250 hotels ranging from super luxurious to boutique style hotels to a nice choice of affordable 3-star hotels. Find out which hotels in Slovenia we recommend and why.
After two consecutive days with no new coronavirus cases and no new deaths, there are only eight Covid-19 cases considered to be active in Slovenia, according to official figures, with recoveries outpacing new cases for weeks.
There are only 3 active coronavirus cases currently in Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana. (photo: Andrej Tarfila, slovenia.info)
Slovenia has found only 8 new infections in the last 15 days, all of which were linked to known cases or outbreaks. The last evidence of community transmission was in late April. Two people remain in ICU, both in a critical condition. There had been a total 1,473 confirmed cases to date, and 1,357 recoveries. 108 people have died from coronavirus in Slovenia, with a vast majority of deaths connected with the significant clusters at aged-care facilities, in Ljutomer, Smarje Pri Jelsah and Metlika. In total, 78,529 tests had been carried out nationwide by Friday – up 613 in the past day.
Slovenia has found only 8 new infections in the last 15 days. (Source: COVID-19 sledilnik)
The number of active and hospitalized Coronavirus cases in Slovenia has been on a decline for several weeks. (Source: COVID-19 sledilnik)
Globally renowned travel blogger Aurelia Teslaru has published a list of the 50 most beautiful European towns and villages, with two Slovenian towns on it. The lakeside town of Bled, with its placid lake, fairy-tale island church, and clifftop castle, has claimed the 41st spot, while the coastal town of Piran, with its Venetian architecture and narrow, cobbled streets, made it to the top ten at rank 8.
With its Venetian architecture and narrow, cobbled streets, Piran is the prettiest town on Slovenia’s short Adriatic coastline. (photo: Ubald Trnkoczy, slovenia.info)
‘With colorful houses, a bustling harbor, and lots of tourist attractions, Piran is one of Europe’s off-the-beaten-path destinations. For the best views, head to St. George Church or climb the Bell Tower. The sea of orange rooftops and the harbor are just some of the places that you can admire from above.’ Aurelia substantiated her decision to include Piran on the list.
The lakeside town of Bled with its placid lake, fairy-tale island church, clifftop castle and girdle of mountains. (photo: Jure Korber and Tjasa Borsnak)
Aurelia summed up her decision to include Bled on the list with the following words: ‘Famous for the picturesque small island situated in the middle of Bled Lake, Bled is a small corner of paradise and one of the most visited places in Slovenia’. She also provided a few recommendations of things to do in Bled: ‘While in Bled, take a walk to the castle, visit Vintgar Gorge, and take a boat tour around the lake. Also, don’t hesitate to try the delicious cream cake called Kremsnita’.
Aurelia Teslaru is a full-time travel blogger currently exploring the Asia. She once worked a more typical job in advertising before leaving her office behind in pursuit of a full-time travel adventure. She documents her travels on her website called ‘Daily Travel Pill’. Last year in March, we were privileged enough to make an interview with her. You can read it here!
Aurelia’s full list of the ’50 most beautiful European towns and villages to visit in your lifetime’ includes towns and villages from 24 different countries.
Slovenia has recorded 4 days in a row of no new coronavirus cases, with only 13 active cases remaining in the country, according to the National Institute of Public Health Slovenia. Origin of every new coronavirus case in the month of May has been traced.
There are only 2 active coronavirus cases currently in Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana. (photo: Jacob Riglin, Beautiful Destinations)
Slovenia has found only 4 new infections in the last 10 days, all of which were linked to known cases or outbreaks. The number of active and hospitalized coronavirus cases has been on a decline for several weeks. There are now only 13 active cases of Covid-19 in Slovenia. Four people remain in ICU and are all in a critical condition. A total of 99,1 per cent of people infected have recovered. So far, 74,760 tests have been conducted, meaning testing ratio per million is 36,130.
Slovenia has found only 4 new infections in the last 10 days. (Source: COVID-19 sledilnik)
Slovenia has the best epidemiological picture in mainland Europe currently. (Source: COVID-19 sledilnik)
Slovenia has recorded zero new coronavirus cases for the third day in a row and has currently the best epidemiological picture in mainland Europe.
There are only 4 active cases currently in Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana. (photo: Drazen Stader, Produkcija Studio, slovenia.info)
Slovenia has found only 5 new infections in the last 10 days, all of which were linked to known cases or outbreaks. The number of active and hospitalized coronavirus cases has been on a decline for several weeks. There are now only 21 active cases of Covid-19 in Slovenia. Four people remain in ICU and are all in a critical condition. A total of 98 per cent of people infected in the country have recovered.
Slovenia has found only 5 new infections in the last 10 days. (Source: National institute of Public Health Slovenia)
Slovenia has the best epidemiological picture in mainland Europe currently. (Source: COVID-19 sledilnik)
Slovenia may be able to eradicate the new Coronavirus within a month, health authorities say, as the country records no new COVID-19 cases for the second day in a row.
There are only 4 active cases currently in Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana. (photo: Andrej Tarfila, slovenia.info)
Slovenia has found only 7 new infections in the last 10 days, all of which were linked to known cases or outbreaks. The number of active and hospitalized coronavirus cases has been on a decline for several weeks. Currently there are only 21 active cases with only 4 COVID-19 patients in intensive care.
Slovenia has got to this point through social distancing and border control. The country entered lockdown mode very early and swiftly closed down facilities where the virus could be spread, including schools, religious services, major concerts and events, and urged everyone to stay at home.
Slovenia has the best epidemiological picture in Europe currently. (Source: COVID-19 sledilnik)
Slovenia has found only 7 new infections in the last 10 days. (Source: National institute of Public Health Slovenia)
The World Bee Day is celebrated for the third time. There are 11,350 beekeepers in Slovenia taking care of 205,000 beehives. They produced 1,746 tons of honey in 2018.
Slovenia enjoys more aesthetically pleasing hives than much of the world. (photo: Jost Gantar)
May 20th is the birthday of Anton Jansa (1734–1773), the pioneer of modern beekeeping in Slovenia and one of the greatest experts on bees. After three years of international efforts, on December 20th, 2017 the United Nations member states unanimously confirmed Slovenia’s proposal to mark May 20th as the World Bee Day. The main purpose of the day is to spread awareness of the significance of bees and other pollinators for our survival.
The number of beekeepers and the number of beehives in Slovenia are increasing. According to the latest data, there are 11,350 beekeepers in the country taking care for 205,000 beehives. In the European Union there are about 650,000 beekeepers and about 17.5 million beehives. This makes the EU the second largest honey producer (only behind China).
Honey production varies significantly between the years. Beekeeping is extremely dependent on weather conditions. In 2018 Slovenia produced 1,746 tons of honey. In the past five years the average price of a kilogram of honey sold by producers in agricultural markets did not change much. In 2019 it was about €10 per kilogram.
In 2019, Slovenia exported at least a ton of honey to ten countries. In the past ten years Slovenia’s honey export increased by eight times and in 2019 amounted to almost 322 tons.
Some interesting facts about honey:
– 1.1 kilogram of honey was consumed on average by a resident of Slovenia.
– 80% was the self-sufficiency rate for honey in Slovenia.
– 60% was the self-sufficiency rate for honey in the EU.
– 44 tons of honey was produced in Slovenia organically.
– €7.9 was the average retail price of a kilogram of flower honey.
The beekepers in Slovenia use several varieties of hives. There are stacked white boxes, huts with colorful “drawers”, and brown barrel-like hives with lids. (photo: Jost Gantar)
A mobile beehive apiary on the back of a vintage truck in Zirovnica, the cradle of beekeeping in Slovenia. Some of the hives are designed to be mobile, loaded on the back of old trucks, so that beekeepers can easily move their bee families from the valley to the mountains and back again. The means a wider variety of honey flavors for individual producers – flavors like chestnut, flower, sage, and honeydew. (photo: Jure Kravanja)
Beekeeping in Slovenia was first mentioned in writing in The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola, an encyclopaedia written by Johann Weikhard von Valvasor and published in 1689. The encyclopaedia contains the first longer presentation of beekeeping in Carniola, the territory of present-day central part of Slovenia. Valvasor writes that ‘one can see special little houses for bees in this land‘. (photo: Jost Gantar)
With 5 beekeepers per 1,000 population, Slovenia boasts the highest percentage of beekeepers to the general population of any nation in Europe by far and it is one of the highest percentage of beekeeping nations in the world! (photo: Ales Fevzer)
Slovenian beehives are well-known for their bright colors and their artfully painted front slats which are unique to Slovenia. (photo: Domen Grogl)
Slovenia is the only country in the EU that has protected its indigenous bee, the Carniolan bee. The Carniolan honey bee is native to Slovenia and is one of the most common bee species in the world. (photo: Marko Sinkovec)
For each kilogram of honey collected, a bee family must visit over 4 million flowers and fly almost 200,000 kilometres (five times around the world). (photo: Jost Gantar)
Every year, Slovenian beekeepers produce between 1,300 and 2,500 tons of honey. That’s a lot of sticky, sweet goodness for such a small nation. (photo: Nea Culpa)
Most of Slovenia’s 11,350 beekeepers operate small, local farms. Slovenia was one of the first nations to fight the use of harmful chemicals and it keeps some of the strictest standards of ecological beekeeping in the world. (photo: Boris Pretnar)
In recent years over 1.5 million tons of honey has been produced annually around the world. Production has been increasing the most in Asia, while in Europe it has been falling slightly. (photo: Jost Gantar)
The Idrija Municipal Apiary is an exceptional example of a skilfully crafted and executed and painted apiary and is one of the highlights of the 20th century Slovene apiculture. (photo: Marko Sinkovec)
The apiary intended for aromatherapy in the Goriska Brda region. (photo: Jost Gantar)
Slovenia was one of the first nations to fight the use of harmful chemicals and it keeps some of the strictest standards of ecological beekeeping in the world. (photo: Marko Sinkovec)
All the photos above are from the Media library of I Feel Slovenia!
The very unique Govc Beehive in the Robanov Kot valley was built in 1929 in the Vienna Secession style. (photo: Bojan Kolman)
A close-up of brightly colored, square beehives in Slovenia. They are painted green, blue, purple, red, yellow, white and orange. The different colors are so that the bees can identify their hive. (photo: Luka Esenko)
The Cook Eat Slovenia cookbook has won two awards at one of the world’s most prestigious cookbook competitions known as the ‘Oscars’ of gastronomic literature.
Cookbook Cook Eat Slovenia will lead to wider recognition of traditional Slovenian dishes around the world and entice travellers to visit Slovenia. You can order your copy HERE!
This cookbook on traditional Slovenian recipes was written by Spela Vodovc and published in English. The selection of recipes presented in the book has been used in her family for many generations and honors her family heritage and traditional Slovenian cuisine. Her dream was to help the world discover Slovenian foods. The dream of sharing these recipes with the world and allowing people to explore Slovenian culture through food was the driving force behind the project.
Cook Eat Slovenia was published at the end of 2019, following a successful campaign on Kickstarter. The author then entered the world’s biggest cookbook event, the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, and made the finals in three categories: best cookbook in translation, best self-published cookbook and best cookbook focused on food tourism (countries & regions), which made it the winner for Slovenia in all three categories.
The award announcement ceremony was meant to take place in early June in Paris at the world cookbook fair but was rescheduled due to current circumstances. For the first time since 1995, when the culinary Oscars first took place, the organizers announced the winners prior to the main ceremony. Out of books from 225 countries and regions, Spela Vodovc’s debut, titled Cook Eat Slovenia, ranked among the top three in the world, with 2nd place in the category of “food tourism (countries & regions)” and 3rd place in the category of “self-published.”
The cookbook will lead to wider recognition of traditional Slovenian dishes around the world and entice travellers to visit Slovenia.
Prosciutto toc with polenta.
Buckwheat Kasha with Porcini Mushrooms.
Marinated Sardines.
Spela Vodovc, the author of Cook Eat Slovenia, posing with a classic Slovenian walnut potica.
Buckwheat porridge with porcini mushrooms is one of the most iconic dishes of the Gorenjska region of Slovenia and it is sure to impress you through its harmony of flavors.
Grenadirmars is a comforting and very simple potato-and-pasta dish that dates back to the First World War, when soldiers in Kobarid fought on the Soca Front. It is a very handy dish because the ingredients are almost always in the pantry.
Marinated sardines are one of the secrets from the Slovenian Coast. They can sit in the refrigerator for up to a week. This is an ideal dish for those who are always on the run and have no time to prepare and cook food daily but want to eat healthily and feel full. Prepare sardines like in this recipe and you’re good for a week!
Gorenjska Prata or Budl, as it is also called, is a typical festive dish popular throughout the Gorenjska region of Slovenia. Usually served at Easter. A deliciously seasoned mixture of bread and meat is wrapped into pork caul, boiled and served hot or cold with salad, sauerkraut or horseradish. The dish has several local varieties.
Everybody knows breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and even more so when you’re allowed to eat all sorts of things, 100% guilt-free! The best thing about Slovenian Easter breakfast is that it caters to everyone: the 'salty' people, the 'sweet tooths', and the lucky ones that sit on the fence and just eat everything!
Potica is a typical Slovenian festive cake known all around the world. Potica's name derives from a Slovenian word meaning 'to wrap up' or 'to roll up'. It's made with a very thin yeast dough, and filled with a sweet walnut filling (or any other filling of your liking).
Potica, translated loosely to mean 'wrap-up' or 'roll-up,' is a traditional Slovenian cake often served at celebrations and holidays. While most commonly known as a nut bread roll, the Potica has more than 80 possible fillings. One filling unique to Slovenia, and common in spring, is tarragon.
Author: Spela Vodovc
Cooking and styling: Branka Vodovc and Spela Vodovc
Food photography: Mateja Jordovic Potocnik
Design: Gregor Zakelj
Translation: Urska Charney
Proofreading: Noah Charney
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