Interesting facts about Slovenia

Slovenia is a country of great wines. 52 species of vines grow on more than 200 square meters of Slovenian vineyards. The age of the oldest vine, the sightseeing attraction of the city of Maribor, entered in the Guinness Book of Records, is more than 400 years. Annually about 25 liters of wine are produced from its fruit. But it is not that easy to buy this wine - you need to put your name on waiting lists that are compiled for several years ahead.

The Triglav National Park, founded in 1981 in the Alps, is one of ten most beautiful parks in Europe. The park is famous for the mountain bearing the same name, which is the highest peak of the Julian Alps - its height is 2864 m. The territory of the park is about 840 square km, and fans of active rest appreciate this place: here you can ski, go down with rafts, do water sports, and relax in wonderful mountain houses.

In addition to delicious red and white wines, Slovenia is also famous for its orange wine, that can be tried both at wineries and at feasts and wine festivals.

Fans of non-traditional rest will definitely like the hostel “Celica”, located in the autonomous Ljubljana district of Metelkova City. According to the “Rough Guides”, this hostel is on the list of 25 must-stay places, the “Lonely Planet” names “Celica” the hippest hostel No.1. This hostel is not for nothing considered one of the most popular hostels in Slovenia - its visitors can stay in prison cells of the former army barracks, which have been reconstructed into unique rooms with the help of Slovenian and foreign artists. The hostel “Celica” is surrounded by bars, studios, art galleries, and clubs where you can listen to live music: from free jazz and psychobilly to punk rock, techno, and noise.

The official symbol of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is a dragon, which, according to legend, was conquered by the ancient Greek hero Jason (from the myth of Jason and the golden fleece). But the origin of the city’s name is still explained by various versions: some believe that Ljubljana was named after the Ljubljanica river. In German Ljubljana sounded like “Laibach”, which, most likely, means “swamp” in the Bavarian dialect. In the document of the 12th century, the settlement bore the Slovene-Romanic name “Luwigana”. According to other versions, Ljubljana comes from the Latin “Aluviana” or from the word “Laubach”, which means “marching”.

The famous Solkan bridge connecting Italy and Slovenia is the longest railway stone bridge in the world: its length is 219 meters. Most of the bridge's construction belongs to Slovenia, and in 1985 Solkan was included in the list of national heritage and taken under the state protection. The Solkan Bridge passes through the Socha - an amazingly beautiful river, which retains its unusual emerald color for all 138 kilometers. By the way, this river is very popular among fans of kayaking, rafting, and canyoning.

Do you like horses? Then you definitely need to visit the stud farm in Lipica: there they grow a special breed of horses - the Lipizzan breed. Lipizzan foals are born with black hair, and after 5-6 years they change their black or bay color to "brand" light gray. The stud farm has existed since 1580, and now, in addition to its main purpose, it is also a first-class tourist complex. Lipizzan horses were developed for the Austrian imperial court, at the time of which there was a tradition: every time the horse reached adulthood and went to Vienna, the grooms planted three limes in the alley in honor of this event. By the way, the very name Lipica is translated as a “small lime tree”.

Slovenia is famous for its caves: their number exceeds 10,000. The most famous cave is Postojna – the most visited cave in Europe, stretching its corridors and galleries for 20 km.

The nature of Slovenia is truly amazing. Within the territory of this small country (its area is the 150th in the world), there are more than 2,000 nature reserves, 260 waterfalls, and almost half of Slovenia is covered with forests. There are about 400 brown bears in the mountains, 93 species of fish in lakes, 33 of which are protected by the state.

Lake Bled is not only incredibly beautiful but also one of the most romantic lakes in the world. It is located near the town of Bled, which is deservedly called the “Pearl of the Alps”. In the middle of the lake, there is a picturesque island - this is the only island in Slovenia. In addition to its beauty, it is famous as a place for marriage ceremonies for couples in love. There is a tradition saying that if groom ascends 99 steps, holding the bride in his arms, the couple will have a long and happy family life, and if you stand under the bell of the chapel and make a wish, it will come true. You can get to this island by traditional Slovenian Pletna boats, looking like Venetian gondolas, or swim using usual boats