"A little gem of a country" a Slovenia Travel Page by CCW

The first time I visited Slovenia, in fall 1989, it was still part of Yugoslavia. What I saw of the countryside was lovely, and I thought Ljubljana was one of the most beautiful cities I'd ever seen -- but it wasn't very tourist-oriented. Hotels were grim, restaurants were hard to find (and good ones were almost nonexistent), and shopping was strictly utilitarian.

Slovenia became independent 2 years later. I came back in 2004, and what a change: I was deluged with tourist information, the hotel selection had improved vastly, gourmet restaurants had sprung up everywhere, and the shops sold beautiful local handicrafts and art work as well as tacky souvenirs.

There's a down side to all this: as the world discovers Slovenia, the prices have nowhere to go but up. And a few places have changed for the worse: the farmer's market in Ljubljana is no longer a funky, homey place, but slicker and more commercialized; Lake Bled is no longer a locals' getaway, but a convention-and-casino destination. Still, most of the tourism-oriented improvements have been tasteful, and I applaud Slovenia for their efforts to promote economic development without ruining their country's character.