Slovenia is a Central European country, bordered by Italy, Croatia, Austria, Hungary, and the Adriatic Sea. It was part of the old Yugoslavia and the first to split up and become an independent sovereign state. Today is a developed country with many good things to write about.
Slovenia’s extension is 20,271 square kilometers, it has some different areas in the interior of the country. Piran, Koper and Izola are very interesting cities located on the coast, with Italy to the north and Croatia to the south. The 47 km of coastline includes many good restaurants, clean beaches, boats, and incredible Venetian Gothic architecture.
Lake Bled, is another scene photographed in the country due to the beautiful island in the natural lake and its colors and attractions around it. The place is the beginning of access to some of the country’s iconic destinations, the Triglav National Park and the Soča river (the river is part of the park).
This clear emerald river is one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe and its views of the Julian Alps, forests and mountains make it memorable. The river is perfect for kayaking or enjoying it from above and its origin goes from the Alps, adorning towns like Tolmin on its way to the Adriatic Sea.
Its population is 2.1 million, of which 500,000 live in the capital and largest city of Ljubljana. Slovenia is a member of the European Union and its economy had changed from agriculture and forestry to one based on services and trade, most of the economy has been privatized and comes from the manufacture of various goods.
The dominant religion is Christianity, mainly the Catholic Church and the Human Development Index, as well as its income is very high for this small country. Its continental climate allows beautiful views, which attracts a lot of tourism to photograph some of the attractions of the mountainous and green country.
— SLOVENIAN CUISINE —
Slovenia is famous for wine, olive oils, sea salt and others (depending on the area and the climate). The small country has a strong influence from its neighbors (Italy, Austria, Croatia) and all the traditional food of the former Yugoslavia is also part of the cuisine. Mediterranean flavors, fresh dairy, fruits, meats and seafood are part of the special offer.
Visiting some areas of Slovenia, I had the opportunity to enjoy one of the most famous traditional dishes, the Bled cream cake (krempita), a dessert with a crunchy crust with a mixture of very light custard and whipped cream with a little sugar glass on top. The cake has a designation of origin, that is, it only comes from Lake Bled patisseries and has existed since 1953. The fluffy texture combined with the crunchy crust, in a cold presentation is perfect to enjoy by the lake or in the car with the Alps like view and many forests.
Slovenian goat cheeses have been awarded in the past as one of the best cheeses in the world and sipping a local wine with these delicacies, as well as fresh olive oils, was a good way to start the wine tasting. White wines are produced in large part, 75% of all production in the country and it is recognized as one of the main wine-producing countries in the world (I had the pleasure of visiting VinaKoper, a great winery/vineyard for wine tasting to have an example of the fame of this country).
The bread wine was a very pleasant part of the dinner, it is an artisan bread with some spices and red wine as a distinguished ingredient, crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. The dish consisted of wine bread with cheese and truffle (similar to mushrooms and traditional way of Mediterranean countries) as well as pines.
In the Tiran region (Mediterranean side), I tried the delicious mussel dish. It consisted of mussels waiting to be opened and enjoyed, and a bit of creamy garlic sauce in the bottom of the bowl with some bread for dipping.
Other options I tried were the classic seal salt, fresh olives and olive oil, very characteristic of the country as well as very fresh, natural and tasteful. You can check @mmmbycata on IG: www.instagram.com/mmmbycata/
