Ptuj beside the River Drava

The Kurentovanje festival in Ptuj. Now this looks like fun!

The Kurentovanje is the most important carnival event in Slovenia with a 50-year-old tradition which preserve the ethnographical tradition.

Full details of this 11 day festival (05 Feb 2010 to 16 Feb 2010) and loads of pictures can be found at the Kurentovanje website.

Kurentovanje

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Food and Cooking of Slovenia

NEW BOOK – The Food and Cooking of Slovenia: Traditions, Ingredients, Tastes and Techniques in Over 60 Classic Recipes.

This inspirational new book reveals the full potential of this little-known cuisine, a fascinating blend of European and Slavic tastes. Whether one chooses to start with the smoky flavored sweet-and-sour Bean and Sauerkraut Hotpot from the   … Read the rest

Detail of shrine at Luče

When driving around or, better still, walking or hiking in Slovenia you cannot fail to notice the many wayside shrines. They come in all shapes and sizes but most are beautifully decorated, although some are quite simple. Nearly all are well cared-for.

Slovenia in regarded as a Catholic country and although a Slovene is not   … Read the rest

A Studor toplar

You will not travel far in Slovenia before you see kozolci, the wooden drying racks that dot the fields throughout the country. They are used during the summer months, making excellent hay from the soft meadow grasses, and in the autumn, when wind blowing through the poles dries the beans and   … Read the rest

Memorial on Batognica

World War One began on 28 July 1914, when the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia.  Two opposing blocks entered the war, The Allies, composed of France, Great Britain and Russia on one side and the Central Powers of Germany, Austro-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey on the other.  At this stage Italy had not entered the war, remaining   … Read the rest

Zlatorog

We have read many versions of this tale but it goes something like this -

Zlatorog’s realm was high on Triglav and his golden horns were the key to a great treasure to be found high on the mountain.

In the valley far below, a young hunter fell in love with   … Read the rest

At an early age Kugy became interested in botany and this soon led him to Trenta and the Julian Alps. He first climbed Triglav when he was 17 years old and is famous for his ascent of Škrlatica, Slovenia’s second highest peak. In total he recorded over 50 new routes. During his lifetime Kugy explored   … Read the rest