Travel guide Slovenia

Due to its high density of conifers and deciduous trees, Slovenia is a small paradise for bees, especially Carniola bees. Beekeeping is part of the country's tradition, so leaders have successfully campaigned for the establishment of a World Bee Day under the aegis of the United Nations.

Elderflower and its fruit are found everywhere in Slovenia, flavoring drinks and desserts in restaurants and bars. During the summer months, around May-June, Slovenians set off in search of elderflowers, collecting them and transforming them into homemade syrup that quenches their thirst all year round.

From one end of Slovenia to the other, over fifty dialects are still spoken! What's even more astonishing is that Slovenes find it hard to understand each other from one region to the next when they use them... Thus, we find derivatives of Serbo-Croatian in the south, Friulian and Italian in the west, German in the north and Hungarian in the east.

Who said there weren't any large tracts of forest left in Europe? Around 60% of Slovenia is covered in forest. Some, even in the Pohorje massif, are primary or virgin forests, meaning that man has never intervened. An astonishing 25% of Slovenians own a forest.

Wooden rattles used as windmills, their role is to scare birds away from the vineyards. According to local legend, they also sweeten the grapes. They can be found all over France. Installed in summer, they are dismantled after the grape harvest on Saint-Martin's Day, November 11.

The Slovenian farmer is an exceptional builder-architect. Indeed, kozolec are unique hay dryers. You'll often see these wooden constructions, consisting of a vertical panel with a small roof topped by horizontally arranged crossbeams. They are a Unesco World Heritage site.

Slovenia is a very rugged country. Situated on the borders of the Alps and the Balkans, it is a culturally mountainous land with three main massifs, all located in the northern half of the country: the Julian Alps with the famous Mount Triglav, the Karavanke and the Kamnik Alps. A white enchantment of lakes and waterfalls.

Their promised land! There are over 700 of them in the region, where they pose far fewer problems than in France, thanks to the size of the forest, which makes for a more peaceful cohabitation. Measures have also been taken to prevent risks to the herds. This is the case in the Pyrenees.

The country's geography presents itself as an exceptional playground for all outdoor sports enthusiasts. You can ski in the morning in the Julian Alps and windsurf on the Adriatic Sea in the afternoon. From mountain biking to rafting, hiking or paragliding, Slovenia is full of exceptional places to visit.

It's a rolled walnut cake that's usually served as a dessert, but can also be used to satisfy the munchies of the day. More often featured at local festivals than in restaurants, this "national monument" is a must-taste. Of course, the best potica can be found on tourist farms.

Certainly the country's national sport, with all its variants such as ski jumping. The Planica ski jumps are one of the highlights of this discipline and a real national pride. The slopes at Kranjska Gora and Maribor Pohorje are among the best on the Old Continent, attracting major competitions.

Slovenia has chosen to promote a green economy(zelena). This ecological commitment is based on tourism, which boasts innovative labels, on a pioneering approach to waste sorting taught to children from elementary school onwards, and on institutional support for sustainable alternatives to the all-car trap.