Portorose (Portoroz) is the main Slovenian sea resort; it has been the sea in fact, together with the Mediterranean climate and salt-works, to make of it a tourist destination adapted to all seasons. The natural healing factors, like the mud from the salt-works and the sea water, were in fact used, according to the tradition, already by the roman soldiers and in XIIth century by the Benedictines of the monastery of S. Lorenz. The thermal station began to develop in 1885 when it was constructed a small hotel and a building in which talassoterapia was practiced. Today the “Bay of Roses” is the most renowned tourist locality of the Slovenian coast, thanks to the elevated quality of the hotel offer, to the rich cultural and congressional activities and to the varied possibilities of entertainment, the first being the Casino. (more…)
Slovenia is small and exceptional. The country has a wide range of varying landforms and types of climate, hence the colorful world of living creatures, human characteristics, and customs, a perfect place for a relaxed vacation, countryside travel, skiing, swimming or mountaineering. This is a region of wind-exposed physical features, the crossroads of Latin, Germanic, Hungarian and Slav cultures and languages.
Slovenia stands at the crossroads of ancient routes. It is squeezed between the snow-covered Alps and the warm Adriatic Sea. At the top edge of the northernmost Mediterranean by and below the southern slopes of the Alps, a narrow pass gives access to all directions in Europe. Furthermore, Slovenia lies at the junction of the Alps, the Dinaric Mountains and the Pannonian basin. In the south-west it reaches the northern coast of the Adriatic Sea and, therefore serves as a natural passageway, with routes leading from the sea and Italian territory, over the Dinaric mountain passes, along the southern Alpine hillsides and the Danube valley.
It depends on the type of vacation, if you visit Slovenia for relaxation (walking, spa health resort, ecotourism, tennis, golf) or adrenaline nolimits experience (mountaineering, rafting, mountain biking, kayaking, canoeing, paragliding, free climbing, canyoning) there are many kinds of accommodation in hotels, rental apartments, camping or farms.
Slovenia’s physical features are extremely varied. In the north, there is the Alpine region with rugged mountains and limestone peaks, including Triglav, the highest mountain (2864 m). In this connection mention should be made of the Triglav National Park, which covers most of the Julian Alps (85,000 hectares). Mt. Triglav has had a symbolic meaning in the history of the Slovene people; for the ancestors it was a god, for the Slovenes of today it is a national symbol.
The eastern region, cloaked by extensive, predominantly coniferous forests, has numerous lakes, of which Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj are very famous. This world of mountains also includes large plateaus, delightful for summer holidays and recreation.
The southwestern districts of Slovenia, belonging to the Dinaric mountain range, abound in karst phenomena, disappearing streams, and subterranean caves (Postojna and Skocjan).
The stretch of land along the coast, in which Koper, Piran, Portorose (Portoroz) and Izola (Isola) are the major towns, constitutes the Mediterranean region of Slovenia. Sunny beach holidays with tours around the country or cheap trips to Venice, or a Mediterranean cruise are suitable for a hot summer vacation.
