SLOVENSKA TURISTIČNA ORGANIZACIJA
SLOVENIAN TOURIST BOARD
TOURIST NEWS FROM SLOVENIA – MAY, 2006
www.slovenia.info
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DUAL DISPLAY OF PRICES
A SUCCESSFUL DECADE OF SLOVENIAN TOURISM
THE MONTH OF MARCH IN SLOVENIAN HEALTH RESORTS
LAŠKO HEALTH RESORT PREPARING FOR CONSTRUCTION
WELLNESS DAYS
MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
WHY IS THE SEA SALTY
SLOVENIA – LACE COUNTRY
SUMMER FESTIVALS IN SLOVENIA
DUAL DISPLAY OF PRICES
Legal currency in Slovenia is tolar. But not for long! If Slovenia fulfills all the
requirements, on 1 January, 2007, the euro will become Slovenian money. The prices on
goods and services are currently designated in tolars and euros; this dual display is of
informative nature. What is the difference between informative dual display and dual
display of prices? The difference is in the time of duration and in the exchange rate.
Informative dual display of prices came into effect on 1 March, 2006, while dual display
of prices will come into effect after the fixing of the exchange rate and will last for
another six months upon introduction of the euro. For the duration of informative dual
display of prices, the middle exchange rate is in effect (1 € = 239,640 SIT).
There are some exceptions to this rule, such as: petrol stations, companies receiving
payments for games of chance, border shops, motorway toll, airline passenger transport,
railway and bus transport and taxis.
As for foreign citizens (non-residents), they do not pay for goods and services in
euros according to the middle exchange rate, but to the market exchange rate, or in
tolars.
You can find all the information on dual display of prices on Bank of Slovenia's website
www.bsi.si
A SUCCESSFUL DECADE OF SLOVENIAN TOURISM
In 2005, there were 2,395,010 tourist arrivals and 7,572,584 tourist over-night stays in
Slovenia. The number of arrivals and over-night stays of foreign tourists in Slovenia in
2005 was the largest in the past decade. Among foreign visitor in Slovenia, "absolute
winners" are Italians (338,274 arrivals and 855,796 over-night stays). Every year there
are more tourists from Italy. The number of over-night stays in 2005 shows that the top
ten tourist issuing markets for Slovenia are: Italy, Germany, Austria, Great Britain,
Croatia, Netherlands, Hungary, France, Russia and Belgium.
THE MONTH OF MARCH IN SLOVENIAN HEALTH RESORTS
In the first three months of this year, the attendance at 15 Slovenian hydromineral
establishments www.terme-giz.si increased by 1.8%. New hotels were opened in
Čatež, Šmarješke Toplice, Terme Olimia, etc.
LAŠKO HEALTH RESORT IS PREPARING FOR CONSTRUCTION
Laško Health Resort http://www.zdravilisce-lasko.si/ is going to construct a thermal
centre, a wellness centre and a congress hotel. The thermal centre will open in 2007,
followed by the construction of a hotel. On the other bank of the Savinja river a cluster of
apartment houses will be built (250 bed places).
Source: Laško Health Resort
See you in Laško's new thermal centre in 2007!
WELLNESS DAYS
Slovenian Tourist Board is preparing Slovenian Wellness Days for the first time (Wellness
Incoming Workshop – WIW), set to begin on 22 June. It will be a business and tourist
event at which the providers of wellness services will present themselves to a number of
business partners from abroad.
If you are interested in this event, please contact us at info@slovenia.info.
MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
The summer starts on the day with the longest daylight period, and the shortest night.
According to the folk tradition, the summer starts a few days later, on Midsummer Day,
24 June. In the old days, if a girl was born on that day, she would be named Kresnica
(TN: firefly; from "Kresna noč", Slovenian for Midsummer Night).
According to the old pagan tradition, we celebrate Midsummer night as one of the
biggest fire festivals. People used to use fire, which conquers the darkness, to lend power
to the Sun. That is why bonfires are lit in the mountains on Midsummer eve. Midsummer
is also connected with water. In the old days, people believed that bathing in a spring or
rolling in the dew would help them retrieve their health. It is also the time of lovers.
Single girls would place pails full of water under their windows on Midsummer Day, in
hope that they would see the face of their future husband reflected on the surface of the
water. Fern seed has a special significance on Midsummer eve, as it is believed to have
miraculous powers; a man who has a fern seed in his boot, without being aware of it,
has the power to understand animal speech.
Famed Slovenian writer Janez Trdina makes reference to it in his story "Midsummer
Night". The writer, who himself traversed the rolling hills of Dolenjska,
http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/?_ctg_regije=13 , describes how all of his literary
protagonist Martinek's property was taken away from him by the evil baron Ravbar.
However, a small fern seed was left in Martinek's pocket. So what happens to the
unfortunate fellow who was driven out of his home by the baron? »He walked to Gorjanci
for three hours; he reached the top half an hour before midnight. There he broke off
some dry and green branches, built a pyre and set it on fire. His bonfire made a prettier
flame than the others, and all the Dolenjci watched it and wondered what the fire on
Gorjanci meant,« writes Trdina. The fern seed reveals and shows Martinek the miracles
and secrets of Midsummer night. Gorjanci
http://www.novomesto.si/en/turizem/znamenitosti/narava/gorjanci/?v=kazalo&q=gorjanci are the
best known and most visited mountain chain in Dolenjska. Want to go build a bonfire on
Gorjanci with the friendly alpinists of Dolenjska? Call Mountain Club Novo mesto at +386
41 693 195. It will be nice in the valley, in Novo Mesto, as well, www.novomesto.si, as a
bonfire is traditionally lit on Marof hill...
Tourist Association Ribnica na Pohorju announces... booo .... a staged representation
of the burning of a witch on a stake
http://www.sloveniatourism.si/?etnografske_prireditve=13688 (accompanied by a
cultural programme). There will be many exciting events in Slovenia; mountain lovers
may join mountainclimbers, who will set out for night hikings in the late hours. One of
the best known ones is a traditional hiking to the Oljka mountain, organised by the
Mountain Club Polzela. The hikers will face a three-hour night trek. A flashlight is
advised, so you won't have to fumble in the dark. If you find mountain hikes on
Midsummer night or day tempting, contact the Alpine Association of Slovenia at
info@pzs.si.
WHY IS THE SEA SALTY?
You can find an answer to that question on the Slovenian coast. (www.soline.si). In
Sečovlje and in Strunjan, salt is produced using the traditonal methods, which have
not substantially changed since the 14th century. The Salt works of Sečovlje
(www.kpss.soline.si) became, in 2001, a landscape park, in which you are always
welcome. Among other salt works souvenirs, you will find delicious chocolate goodies,
flavoured with flower of salt for a very special tang.
Another event connected with salt workers' craft and celebrations is the Salt workers'
festival http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/?ostale_znamenitosti=5672 in Piran, which is
divided in three parts – 22 April, for the beginning of the salt working season, 8 July, for
the salt harvest, and 26 and 27 August, announcing the end of the salt working season.
SLOVENIA – LACE COUNTRY
Handmade lace requires long hours of hand and finger work, transforming thread into a
work of art. Slovenia is well known for its delicate handmade lace. Bobbin work is the
manufacture of lace on a special cushion with a patterned template; the lacemaker
darns, twists and braids the thread. Thread is wound around a spool, a bobbin, which
serves at once as a weight and a dispenser.
Idrija is an important centre of lacemaking http://www.rzs-idrija.si/. The beginnings of
bobbin work in Slovenia date back to the 16th century. By World War I, Idrija laces had
gained Europe-wide fame, and the number of lacemakers reached a peak, totalling at
close to 15 thousand, some of which were men. Idrija lace is now registered as a
trademark, and is one of the most beautiful Slovenian tourist souvenirs available.
The Lace Festival (http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/?prireditve_festivali=7577 ),
organised in Idrija each year, is a central ethnological, tourist and cultural event in the
Idrija region. This year it will be held from 16 to 25 June, and the main theme of the
Festival will be the 130th anniversary of the Lace-making School in Idrija, unique in
Europe. In honour of the event, 14 Idrija lacemakers spent 6 months making the biggest
lace to date, a large lace table napkin, 5 metres in size. It will be sold in an auction at
the Festival.
Lace Making days in Železniki will take place from 8 to 17 July http://www.ltoblegos.si/eng/index.html
SUMMER FESTIVALS IN SLOVENIA
Slovenia boasts some excellent summer festivals. On 23 June, the LENT Festival
http://lent.slovenija.net/index.php?id=info_ang will open in Maribor; Ljubljana, too,
becomes lively in the summer, a variety of festivals fill the streets and culture venues,
jazz lovers get a special treat http://www.ljubljanajazz.si/, and on 19 June the 54th
Ljubljana Summer Festival opens http://www.ljubljanafestival.si/ (to 31.08.). August
and September on the Slovenian coast are enriched by classical music concerts at the
Tartini Festival http://www.tartinifestival.org/, while the Brežice Festival
www.festivalbrezice.com (from 30.06. to 12.08.) brings old music back to life.
TOURIST SLOVENIA ON THE CNN
Slovenia is presenting itself to the world in a television advertisement, which can be
viewed on the CNN television network (CNN International Europe). The advertisement is
a product of Slovenian know-how and production resources, and is an extension of the
promotional activities of the Slovenian Tourist Board, which is in charge of the promotion
of Slovenia in the world. Slovenia was, in fact, in need of a quality television
advertisement to enhance its image. This one was made in three different-length
versions (4 minutes, 1 minute and 30 seconds) and in five different languages (English,
Italian, German, French and Slovenian). The plot intertwines nature, culture and
Slovenian achievements, and several noted Slovenes appear in it, such as alpinist
Martina Čufar, rower Iztok Čop, yachtsman Vasilij Žbogar, extreme athlete Davo
Karničar, conductor Marko Letonja and composer Vinko Globokar. You may view the
advertisement at www.slovenia.info
) 510 26 01
For more information, please contact:
Slovenian Tourist Board
Majda Rozina Dolenc, Head of Public Relations and Advertising Abroad
Dunajska 156, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Telephone: + 386 1 5608 821, + 386 51 399030 Fax: + 386 1 5891 841
E-mail: majda.dolenc@slovenia.info
www.slovenia.info