Guide to Slovenia

Beaches

If you fancy a change of scene from the crisp mountains, sit back and soak up the Mediterranean sunshine on Slovenia's picturesque shores. Licked by turquoise seas, the entire 46km coastline is peppered with gold dust sands. Sprinkled with Italian-style fishing villages and backed by cushiony-green scenery and silvery olive orchards, it's the perfect place to unwind in the sunshine. You can easily travel between the four main coastal resorts by car or by the coastal paths connecting Piran with Portoroz and Isola with Koper, offering breathtaking views out to the blue bays. Pretty Piran has a maze of medieval streets and a thriving artistic community, Isola and Koper bustle with sea view restaurants that look out over the azure seas and Portoroz has by far, the best stretch of soft cashmere-soft sands.

Eating out

Traditional Slovenian food is a lip-smacking blend of a number of cultures. You've got rich Austrian specialities such as salami or 'klobasa'. Hungarian belling-filling dishes like 'gulasch'. And hearty Alpine soups fresh from the mountain villages. And of course, closer to the coast you'll always find delicious fish and seafood dishes on the menu, often infused with the flavour of local truffles. It makes you hungry just thinking about it all. Whatever you opt for on the savoury side, how could you resist the lip-smacking aroma of freshly baked bread and Austrian-style cakes? Whichever town you visit, you're more than likely to be met with this heavenly smell. Each region has its own mouth watering varieties passed down from generation to generation, the most famous being 'potica', a creamy Swiss roll filled with walnuts. Wash it all down with a Slovenian special such as 'Slivovica', a fruity plum brandy or the Slovenian produced wines, such as 'Renski', 'Risling' and 'Traminec'.

Nightlife

Slovenes have music in their souls so you'll find a good mix of nightlife to keep you entertained after dark. Those who want to socialise with the stylish set should head for the larger towns and cities, which are packed with lively clubs, casinos and vibrant bars - from the traditional wooden type to a trendy sophisticated selection. You'll also find atmospheric jazz haunts as well as traditional folk nights that are full of colour. Elsewhere, the nightlife is relaxingly laid-back and balmy evenings can be spent sipping cool drinks, just breathing in the serenity of your spectacular setting. Wherever you spend the evening and whatever your tipple is, clink your glasses together and say cheers the Slovene way 'naj bo vasa casa vedno polna'.

Shopping

If you fancy melting some serious plastic, Ljubljana is the place to shop 'til you drop. With smart pedestrian plazas, designer boutiques and antique curios, you won't know what to get your hands on first. And when you need to rest your feet for a while, pull up a chair at one of the pavement cafes and sip a frothy coffee as you soak up the city buzz. Every second Saturday, there's a Flea Market, which is fascinating to wander around and hunt for bargain jewellery, paintings, glassware and bric-a-brac. You can get your hands on traditional produce just about anywhere in Slovenia and they are particularly proud of their honey, olive oil and wine, which make great gifts to take home. Slovenes are warm and welcoming and wherever you get your retail kicks, you'll find half the fun is chatting to the local shopkeepers.