I've often thought of Slovenia as
the Tardis of countries: from the outside, it appears
very small, but once you get in there, you find there's
more than should reasonably fit. Although with just
250km between the furthest tips, Slovenia manages
to pack in an Adriatic coastline, Alpine mountains,
the Pannonian plain and the rocky Karst. But that's
not where it stops - verdant meadows, very, very big
caves, beautiful rivers, lakes (one that disappears),
lots of splashy waterfalls and old forests are all
part of the natural scenery, while rolling farmland,
vineyards and thousands of allotments have been contributed
by the local humans.
The human habitation is equally
diverse, as a drive up the Soča valley will testify:
pretty Italianate red-roofed and limewashed buildings
to the south slowly transform into the picturesque
Alpine architecture of pine and stone to the north.
The flora and fauna get into the
act too: alpine flowers, coastal grasses, cedars,
lindens and lots of pines and firs are here for the
botanical enthusiast; bears, wild goats, red and fallow
deer, eagles and the 'human fish' for those who prefer
their life-forms unrooted.
On top of this, Slovenia boasts
three distinct climate types: Mediterranean, Continental
and Alpine. However, seasons are largely predictable
- summers averaging between 20C and 30C and winters
between -20C to 10C. The mountainous areas get the
most rainfall (which makes them very lush), but the
summers are mostly dry. Inland and around the coasts
can get very hot in the summer, so take your shades
and sun block.
So there you have it: a little something
for everybody in a country about the size of Wales.
