Slovenia Guide
Eastern Slovenia
Eastern Slovenia receives relatively few visitors which is a shame, as there's some enticing countryside and a wealth of interesting sites to explore.
Beyond the smattering of small-scale industrial settlements of central Štajerska lie Maribor and Celje, the second- and third-largest cities in Slovenia respectively. While both offer a smattering of culture, neither can match the historic resonance of Ptuj, Slovenia's oldest and most appealing town, which is also a short ride away from the stunning Gothic Church of the Virgin Mary in Ptujska Gora. As much as anything else, though, eastern Slovenia is known for its spas – notably Rogaška Slatina, the country's oldest and most quintessential spa town – and its wine. Štajerska harbours the largest of the country's three wine-growing regions, Podravje, which comprises six districts, each yielding a superb range of predominantly white wines. The region's main activity centre is the Pohorje Massif, a broad, arcing plateau which offers plentiful opportunities for recreational pursuits, including two of the country's largest and best-equipped ski resorts.
Lying to the west of the Massif and bordering Austria to the north, Koroška, Slovenia's smallest region, marks a return to the alpine peaks of the Karavanke and Kamniške-Savinja Alps to the west. The mining and iron-working towns, which for years sustained the region's economy, are now largely redundant, although they do make useful bases for forays into the surrounding hills, which are mapped out with an excellent series of hiking and cycling routes. The one town here that merits a visit, however, is the region's economic and cultural centre, Slovenj Gradec.
Spread across the edge of the Pannonian basin, bordering Austria, Croatia and Hungary, Prekmurje is the country's easternmost province. It's also the least visited, yet its mellow tranquillity offers a surprisingly enchanting mix of neat, flower-bedecked villages, ancient churches and lush, green countryside, whose flat, wide open spaces provide the ideal terrain for cyclists with an aversion to hills. Although sparsely populated Prekmurje is one of the most multifarious regions in Slovenia, populated with a large Hungarian minority as well as the country's largest Roma community.
Highlights
1 Logar Valley Gorgeous alpine valley in the heart of the Kamniške-Savinja Alps, ideal for a number of leisurely pursuits.
2 Lent Festival, Maribor Fantastically lively and colourful two-week gathering, featuring street theatre, music and dance all over town.
3 Pohorje Massif Skiing, cycling and hiking are just three sporting possibilities on this thickly wooded plateau.
4 Ptuj Slovenia's oldest and prettiest town, stuffed with remnants of its Roman and medieval past, and famed as the home of the Kurent Carnival.
5 Church of the Virgin Mary, Ptujska Gora Sublime Gothic church featuring the masterful Virgin with Mantle misericordia.
6 Ljutomer Wine Road Spend the day cycling through the rolling, stepped vineyards of this beautiful wine road.
7 Prekmurje Quaint villages, churches, farmhouses and storks characterize Slovenia's distinctively flat northeastern region.