Slovenian Impressions. Mysterious Karst.
Stone landscapes exist all over the world, but the Karst is unique. Postojna Cave is the largest and the most visited karst cave in Europe. A special train has been carrying tourists since 1818. On the arch in front of the high rock wall, behind which several levels of karst tunnels hide, is Predjama Castle.
The Karst is the region in south-western Slovenia, where vineyards grow on limestone soil and give birth to teran wine. This is where the Lipizzaner horses from the oldest stud farm graze. Not far away are the Škocjan Caves that hide the largest underwater canyon in Europe andare on the UNESCO world heritage list.
Cerknica Lake, the largest Slovenian lake, covers 26km2. However, it can be seen only during one part of the year, when underground water fills the green karst field. Go deeper, discover misteries of the Slovenian Karst.
KRAS (Slovenia) ► promotional video
The Karst is a limestone plateau in the south-west of Slovenia, surrounded by the Bay of Trieste, the Vipava Valley, Brkini, Pivka and Slovene Istria. For thousands of years the Karst has been drawing people who love natural and cultural beauty and enjoy discovering the interesting characteristics of the karstic world.
What gives the Karst its special characteristic is the combination of the Continental climate of central Slovenia and the mild submediterranean climate of the Northern Adriatic. The Karst is known not only for its Teran wine, Pršut ham and the bora wind (burja) but also by its mysterious underground world with its numerous caves. Natural and cultural heritage can be discovered by walking in the Karst countryside through pastures, sinkholes, abandoned waterholes and by the burja shaped trees where footpaths will lead you to villages with preserved typical Karst architecture and local people who have been creating and shaping life in this specific area since time began. Visiting the Karst is a special experience in every season. In autumn, a plant called Ruj (Cotinus Coggygria) and the vineyard's multicoloured leaves make the landscape appear to »burn« red.
The Karst offers both rich natural and cultural heritage. These include numerous karstic features along with the living environment, villages, pastures, vineyards, enclosures, stone vernacular architecture, waterholes and wells, as well as tranquility and relaxation either in wine cellars or in one of the many touristic farms, restaurants and osmicas (see vocabulary) where you will enjoy sampling various local gastronomy and wines which will be kindly served to you by the hospitable local people.
Carso, l'altiplano calcareo situato a sud-est della Slovenia, si estende su un territorio circondato da golfo triestino, della valle di Vipacco, Brkini, Pivka e Istria slovena, sin dai tempi antichi invita gli amanti delle bellezze naturali e culturali a viaggiare e a scoprire le interessanti particolarita del mondo carsico. Una delle particolarita e il clima che in questo punto passa dal clima continentale della Slovenia centrale a quello piú mite submediterraneo del Nord Adriatico.
Sebbene per il Carso sono tipici tre concetti: terrano prosciutto e bora, esso offre molto di piú. Gia una visita del mondo misterioso sotterraneo fatto di tante grotte offre un'esperienza interessante. Le virtu naturali e i beni culturali invece si possono ammirare passeggiando sui passcoli carsici tra tantissime doline carsiche tra i »kali« (stagni) abbandonati tra gli alberi piegati dalla bora. Qui troverete tantissimi sentieri che vi porteranno ai villaggi, alle case costruite in pietra e alle persone del posto che gia dai tempi lontani nel tempo creano la vita su questo territorio. La visita al Carso e un'esperienza particolare in ogni stagione, in autunno peró l'altiplano carsico e il piu bello siccome splende in un colore rosso di scodano e nei tanti colori del fogliame della vite, il che da al Carso un fascino particolare.
Sul Carso vi offriamo delle visite interessanti per ammirare delle particolarita carsiche, del godimento in mezzo alla natura intatta, del rilasamento e rinforzamento della mente e di un'esperienza unica nella nostra amplia offerta turistica. Stanchi dalla camminata ma pieni delle impressioni potete finire il vostro soggiorno in una piacevole trattoria, agriturismo, mescita dei vini o osmica, dove della gente ospitale del posto vi vizera con dei cibi casalinghi e con il terrano o con dei altri tipi di vino, che vengono coltivati sulla terra carsica.
Slovenia mountains, caves and sea
Križna Jama, Cerkev Sv. Križ, Debeli rtič, Viševnik, Julian Alps, Adriatic Sea around Koper.
SLOVENIA - BEST OF
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia is a country in Central Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy on the west, Croatia on the south and east, Hungary on the northeast, and Austria on the north, and also has a small portion of coastline along the Adriatic Sea. It covers an area of 20,273 square kilometres (7,827 sq mi) and has a population of 2.05 million. The capital and largest city is Ljubljana.
Historically, the current territory of Slovenia was part of many different state formations, including the Roman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire, followed by the Habsburg Monarchy. In 1918, the Slovenes exercised self-determination for the first time by co-founding the internationally unrecognized State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs. During World War Two, Slovenia was occupied and annexed by Germany, Italy, Hungary and Croatia only to emerge afterwards reunified with its western part as a founding member of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1991, Slovenia declared full sovereignty.
Today, Slovenia is a member of the European Union, the Eurozone, the Schengen area, NATO and OECD. Per capita, it is the richest Slavic nation-state with about 30 000$/c (2009).
FUNNY facts:
*Slovenia is one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world.
*Over a third of the territory of Slovenia is protected.
*The Karst plateau in Slovenia has given its name to karst phenomena all over the world.
*The oldest grapevine in the world grows in Slovenia's second biggest city.
*Slovenia is one of the richest countries in Europe in terms of water.
*Slovenia has more than 100 castles.
*In Slovenia you can be at the sea or a ski resort in a matter of hours.
*Slovenia is the third most forested country in Europe.
*TO FEEL SLOVENIA MEANS... TO FEEL GOOD ;)
Bicycle Touring in Slovenia - Film from my bike tour in Slovenia cycling through the countryside
Slovenia is a great destination for bicycle touring, as I found out during my 2016 cycling trip from Greece to England.
Cycling through the countryside in Slovenia was a real highlight of my bike tour. Everything was so neat, tidy, clean and green. This is what bike touring is all about!
This film and commentary from my experiences bicycle touring in Slovenia was made over several days. Quite often, I was editing the video and creating commentary in a tent at the end of each cycling day. I hope I hope you enjoy the video of cycle touring in Slovenia as much as I enjoyed being there!
Invitation to Slovenia: Feel Slovenia
New promo video to boost Slovenia's tourism.
Places visited on the trip include Ljubljana, Piran, Goriška Brda, Bled, Soča River, Sečovlje Saltpans Mangart-Triglav National Park, Lipica Studfarm, Planica Valley.
Directed by: Andro Kajzer
Director of photography: Andro Kajzer & Mark Pirc
Music by: Laren Polič
Edit by : Andro Kajzer
Sound design : Mark Pirc
Production assistant : Matej Lavka
Additional shots : Vizualist, Helivideo
I Feel Slovenia
Places visited on the trip include Ljubljana, Piran, Goriška Brda, Bled, Soča River, Sečovlje Saltpans Mangart-Triglav National Park, Lipica Studfarm, Planica Valley.
National Geographic: Schussing in Slovenia
Discovering Slovenia: Air
Watch Natonal Geographic photographer Ciril Jazbec embark on a wintery journey of discovery in his homeland of Slovenia.
Hit the slopes at Rogla to ski, snowboard, and snowshoe in the picturesque Pohorje Mountains.
Read more:
Slovenia e turismo rurale: l'agriturismo Branco
Siamo in Slovenia, quasi al confine con l'Italia, dove quelli che un tempo erano sentieri di guerra sono stati trasformati in sentieri di pace e sentieri di... turismo rurale! Patrizio visita l'azienda agrituristica Branco, un luogo molto tranquillo e accogliente immerso nella natura, dove c'è una gran cura per la terra. Con la terra e dalla terra si fa tutto, una terra aspra ma buona, che produce ottimi prodotti! Patrizio non si può esimere dal verificare per noi, il suo controllo qualità è -ovviamente- a tavola! Assaggiamo con lui i sapori della Slovenia...
▶ Il viaggio di Patrizio in Slovenia:
Moravian karst
Moravian karst