36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Still the best guide to Slovenia, December 8, 2004
I took this book with me on a trip to Slovenia in September-October 2004, when it was hot off the presses. My travels didn't cover the whole country, just the western half, so I can't speak for all of the book's recommendations. But, in general, I found it immensely helpful, both for planning my trip and for day-to-day guidance while traveling. Some comments:
1. Slovenia's currency hasn't stabilized yet, so expect prices to vary upward, especially now that the Euro is so high against the dollar. Big deal; it's still a comparatively inexpensive country. (I went to a rip-off-the-tourists but very good restaurant in Ljubljana, had a full dinner and a half-liter of wine -- and my total bill was $20!)
2. The famous disappearing Lake Cerknicka does indeed disappear for a large part of the year, so it's likely that all you'll see is a bumpy plain covered with grass. On a related subject, the Soca River valley is beautiful, but in the fall the water is low, so anyone expecting a kayaker's paradise would be disappointed.
3. Renting a car is expensive, and the train and bus system, while not perfect, is still very good. So I used this book to plan ahead: I took public transportation most of the time, then rented a car for one day to visit some areas that are difficult or impossible any other way (e.g., the church at Hrastovlje, which is amazing even if you're not a fan of medieval religious art).
4. The church of St. John the Baptist near Lake Bohinj, with the interesting medieval wall paintings, is closed for repairs, completion date uncertain. However, if you walk up the road to Stara Fuzina, the church there has some arguably medieval paintings in the front porch; it's a lovely walk, too, and you can continue on to Studor and admire the antique hayracks.
5. I totally agree with the book's description of the Skocjan Caves: I'm not a big fan of caves, but these were special, and fully worth the effort. (The tour requires considerable walking and step-climbing, so it's not for the weak or the faint-hearted.) The bus access to the site is poor, but some tour companies run day trips from Ljubljana, and the prices I saw were pretty reasonable.
6. The book's restaurant recommendations are generally excellent: Delfin, in Piran, has the best grilled squid on the planet, and the mussels aren't bad either.
7. Fall can be rainy: I encountered a couple of wet, chilly days that made me wish I'd brought waterproof shoes and a heavier raincoat. But, the rest of the time, it was warm enough that I wore sandals.
8. In the fall, many museums and other sights cut back their hours drastically, so be sure to check before you go, especially if a long trip is involved. (I arrived too late for the day's last tour of Sneznik Castle; on the other hand, I visited the Dormouse Museum -- which is utterly mad and not to be missed -- and hung out in the pub next door with the locals practicing their English on me, and that was way more fun than seeing some rich German family's old furniture!)
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
No Better Book on Slovenia Available, January 2, 2000
I spent an entire summer in Ljubljana as an English speaker, and I used this book almost exclusively in preparing for my trip, and as a guidebook while I was there. This is the most informative and helpful guide to Slovenia that exists for English speakers. It is great for learning about history, culture, language basics, lodging, and transportation. The book is broken down into sections on regions and major cities. In a word it is priceless for anyone visiting Slovenia.
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Erratic and Outdated, June 6, 2001
Slovenia has changed greatly since it declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Unfortunately, the 1998 edition of this book hasn't always kept up. If anyone ever publishes a more recent English language guidebook to Slovenia, I recommend also buying that one.
The book contains information and opinions that are sometimes incomplete, incorrect or mystifying. An example (p. 147) is referring to the Church of St. John the Baptist on Lake Bohinj as "the most beautiful and evocative church in all of Slovenia." Wrong. This church "evokes" only amazement and disbelief, as its poor condition makes it look almost abandoned. There are many more worthwhile churches to visit in Ljubljana alone, but at least there is still the lake to visit while you're there.
Another example of this book's misleading and/or outright incorrect information is a description (p. 261) of the Three Parishes churches at Rosalnice. These are characterized as "important pilgrimage sites for seven centuries," and detailed instructions are provided where to go "for lunch or a snack." Wrong again. The churches were run-down, closed and badly in need of repair. The recent dates on the gravestones in the cemetary make it appear to be a nice locally used area, hardly an "important pilgrimage site." The place "for lunch or a snack" served only drinks, leaving you tired, hungry and miles from any food. You must drive a long way from almost anywhere to reach this site near the Croatian border, and are likely to be disappointed. The reality of the place bears little resemblance to the beautiful picture of the three churches opposite page 257, which shows the churches in much better condition than they currently are.
This book has many shortcomings, but its successes can be spectacular. My wife and I would not have found our hotel, the delightful Pension Lieber (p.101) without it. Of course, both the phone and fax number for that hotel in the book are incorrect, an early warning about the book, but persevering through telephone recordings in Slovenian and English to get the correct information was worth it.
The book also has invaluable information about the city of Idrija. Their lace, which is featured on several of their postage stamps, is beautiful, relatively inexpensive, is lightweight, will easily fit in your suitcase and you won't have to worry about it breaking in flight. Follow his instructions where to buy it on page 179. The same city also features a specialized food with the unpronounceable and unappetizing name of "zlikrofi." Follow his instructions on page 179 to the Kos restaurant, point at the word "zlikrofi" in this book, and you will get a fabulous meal that it is highly unlikely you would discover without this book.
Slovenia is rapidly modernizing its road system. So, when driving in Slovenia you never know at the start of a trip whether you'll enjoy world class roads, have ordinary roads, or experience frustrating delays from roads that badly need modernizing. It's just like using this book.
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