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British Mensa Travel Special Interest Group |
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Slovenia...where's
that? by Mavis Morley I've lost count of the number of times I have been asked that question. I reply that Slovenia is an independent republic which used to be part of Yugoslavia. It has a short coastline and borders with Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. The next question always is "is it safe, isn't that where the fighting is?" I answer that Slovenia is perfectly safe to visit and there is no fighting there or nearby. There has been one unusual consequence of the fighting further south. The bears in that region have been frightened away and have moved north and are reported to be living in the Jelovica and Pokiuka high plateaux of Slovenia. If you like winter sports or enjoy summer holidays in the mountains and would like somewhere less commercialised and expensive than Austria or Switzerland, you will love Slovenia. We stayed at Bled, which is beside a lake approximately 5 miles in circumference. If you don't fancy walking this far, you can be driven around the lake in a horse and carriage. There is a tiny island to which you can be rowed in a craft called a pletna, which is something like a gondola. Above the lake is a picturesque castle. There are many lovely walks as well as boating, swimming, golf, shops, cafes and good hotels. Coach trips or local buses take you easily to many delightful places. The Bohinj valley nearby is very peaceful indeed with lake and mountain scenery and strictly protected from development. Kranjska Gora and Bovec are resorts amid stunning mountain scenery of the Julian Alps and the Karawanken Alps. Everywhere is very clean and the rivers are a lovely colour instead of the muddy brown you see in so many places. Slovenia advertises itself as "on the sunny side of the Alps" and "the green piece of Europe". The flight
from London to the capital Ljubljana is just two hours. Ljubljana is a
fascinating town with a great many old buildings including a castle. There
are other interesting old towns such as Kamnik to visit. More companies
are now offering package tours to Slovenia but you will probably have
to ask the travel agents for the appropriate brochures - why not plan
a visit soon? |