THE ROAD TO SLOVENIA

Written by MOTORBIKE EUROPE Road Writers -

Slovenia has a short coastline on the Adriatic Sea, bordering Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. For about 600 years, Slovenia has been inhabited by Slovenes, which later came under Austrian rule. In 1918, the area became a part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which in 1941, was divided between Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria and Albania, and from 1945 to 1987, the area was part of Yugoslavia.

Modern Slovenia was founded on 25th of June, 1991, after the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Slovenia is considered the richest and most westernized region in the "former Yugoslavia". In 2004, Slovenia joined the EU. The two largest cities are the capital Ljubljana, and the city of Maribor in the east.

The Julian Alps are located in the Southern Limestone Alps, on the border between Italy and Slovenia. The highest peak is Triglav at 2,864 meters above sea level. The mountains are named after Julius Caesar. A larger proportion of the Julian Alps is part of Triglav National Park. Triglav means “the three-headed”. Triglav’s three peaks are also seen in the Slovenian national coat of arms, the flag, and the Slovenian 50-cent coin.

The mountain top of Aljažev is a Slovenian landmark and national symbol. The area of Triglav is the scene of an old Slovenian fairytale, about a hunter, and a goat, named Golden Horns (Zlatorog in Slovenian).

Motorbike Europe has been to Slovenia many times, and always look forward to the next time we can ride this unspoilt and beautiful landscape.