Culture Smart: Slovenia

Name: Culture Smart: Slovenia
Author: Jason Blake
ISBN: 1857336011

by Jason Blake

Slovenia seems closer to Austria or Italy than to its Balkan neighbors. The richest of the Slavic nation-states, it has an entirely Western tradition, having belonged in the past to the Roman Empire, the Frankish kingdom, the Holy Roman Empire, the Republic of Venice, the Habsburg monarchy, and the First French Empire. After the Second World War it became part of the Republic of Yugoslavia, before declaring independence in 1991. This extraordinary cultural legacy is what sets Slovenia apart, matched by an amazingly varied topography packed into a small area. Traveling toward the coast, you see changes in the landscape and in the architecture. This reflects both the natural and the historical variety: the Venetians built their buildings one way, the Austrians another.…

Recommended by

Sam Baldwin

"Though the book does contain some recommended destinations it is not a travel guidebook per se, but a guide to what makes Slovenians, Slovene. It’s an expertly observed look at their quirks, their attitudes to money, to time keeping, to holidays, taboos, eating and drinking, and how the Slovenes behave at home, at work, and at play. Written by a Canadian who has lived in Slovenia for over twenty years, there’s an undercurrent of humour running throughout which makes it very entertaining and anyone who has spent extended time in Slovenia will find themselves chuckling and nodding as they recognise many of the traits he alludes to."

Slovenia · fivebooks.com