Aaah, Slovenia! A jewel nestled in the heart of Europe, with an incredibly diverse landscape and a rich cultural heritage. Have you ever been there? Tourism in Slovenia is becoming increasingly popular in recent years, with an increasing focus on sustainable practices.
Without talking too much about its mix of past and future, Ljubljana has a totally car-free historic center, served by electric shuttles: a solution that meets the internal needs of one of the youngest populations on the entire continent (Slovenia, to be clear, it has an average age of 4 years less than the Italian one).
And outwards? The "futuristic" and sustainable choices aimed abroad all aim at the development of lean and intelligent tourism. And it works.
Slovenia, three kisses to the future
Would you like some examples of interesting, intelligent and stimulating initiatives that make Slovenia an excellent "prospect" for tourism in the near future? As the late Mike Bongiorno would say, "I trrrè".
Rural tourism
Ok the museums and art galleries, ok the particularly lively nightlife, ok the medieval castles that offer breathtaking panoramic views over the valleys of this splendid country. But there are also those who want to travel through time and space in the name of simplicity. And then room for rural tourism, for which Slovenia has become a real "leader" throughout Europe. Imagine itineraries that do not touch the big cities, but allow tourists (also and above all with excursions on foot or by bicycle), to immerse themselves in the realities of small villages. Places where it is possible to savor a more relaxed pace and truly rest, or where one can dive directly into the past. A place above all? Logarska valley, a spectacular valley in the heart of the Slovenian Alps. To be traveled, but what am I saying: to be sipped.
Electronic Vignette
If you enter Slovenia by car, camper or a vehicle with a maximum authorized mass of up to 3.500 kilos, you must equip yourself with a sticker, called a "Slovenian vignette", which allows you to cross the entire road network of the country for a defined time (monthly or yearly depending on the cost). Or maybe I should say "you had to have a badge". Yes, because with a measure passed a bit on the sly in the European media (implemented in full Covid, on 1 December 2021), the cartoon is no longer printed in Slovenia. Goodbye sticker on the windshield, in short: the official vignette for Slovenia it's just electronics. And in fact it's called "e-vignette", it's done online from any country and you never think about it again. In times of useless rearguards and (still too much) bureaucracy, this is not a trivial matter.
Apitourism
You read correctly, it is not "Agriturismo". Slovenia has a long tradition of beekeeping and the tourism sector has decided to exploit this resource by offering visitors the opportunity to get to know a fantastic world, and the benefits it brings. Smart move, when you consider that the country has an ideal climate for beekeeping, with a wide variety of flowers and plants that provide food for the bees. And it is famous for thecarnic bee, a subspecies native to the region and raised with great satisfaction by Slovenian beekeepers. It's not just a question of tasting honey: it's a cultural question. Slovenia has built part of its history on beekeeping: take the panjska končnice, for example (you can see them in the photo). These are wooden tablets that are placed to close the hives to recognize the different bee colonies. They are considered a popular art form, and decorated in a creative and distinctive way.
Slovenia, the planet you don't expect
In summary? Many beautiful things. Whether it's saving time and trees by eliminating stickers and paper, or reducing emissions and private transport in favor of public transport. Or to rediscover cycle tourism outside the traditional itineraries, skipping the clogged cities. Or still to defend a threatened species with swords, exalting beekeeping in the form of an expression of a country's identity. In each, and in other characteristics of Slovenia, there is a reason for reflection for the future. And it is right under the eyes of all of Europe.
Starting from Ljubljana, the capital of which I told you in this post: the Lonely Planet guides call it "one of the greenest and most livable capitals in Europe". And he's right. I said it was a jewel, didn't I?
