by matt markovich

Unknown country

SLOVENIA IS RIGHTLY regarded by even the most jaded ranks of guidebook authors as the hidden gem of eastern Europe. Within its tiny bounds are sites of stunning natural beauty and pristine wildernesses. And Slovenia's relative geographic obscurity has thus far kept it relatively sheltered from the traveling hordes.

Approximately the size of New Hampshire, Slovenia is well suited to road tripping. Virtually all destinations are a day's drive from the centrally located capital, meaning you can explore the country in a week or two without feeling hurried. There's a well-developed railway system, but it may make more sense to rent a car (about $250 a week) in order to explore the well-maintained highways and twisting, wildflower-lined country roads.

Once a part of the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia is regularly confused with Slovakia (formerly part of Czechoslovakia) and often overshadowed by the lure of island-hopping around the Croatian coast (Croatia borders Slovenia to the south) or neighboring Italy and Austria. Few first-time visitors to the region even register Slovenia's existence. So much the better for those who do. Slovenia is slowly being discovered by travelers, thanks to cheap flights from London, and it seems poised to become what the Czech Republic was only 10 years ago.

Visitors to scrupulously clean Ljubljana will feel an aesthetic resonance with Prague – much of the city was designed by Slovenian master architect Josef Pleènik, who worked on Prague Castle as well as several other structures in that city. Here his hand is evident everywhere: in the famous Dragon Bridge and the stunning interiors of the Ljubljana University Library, even in the crossbeams of his modest house (open for guided tours), oriented to be on the central axis of the city.

Another highlight of Ljubljana is the recently opened Hostel Celica (www.souhostel.com). Built as a military prison in 1882, when the region was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it remained in use until the late 1980s. Local architects, artists, and community activists fought for the property, putting their bodies between the prison and the wrecking ball – literally – when it was almost illegally demolished. Now its inhabitants are international travelers – transient by nature and the polar opposite of prisoners – who bed down willingly in one of the 20 individually decorated cells, all works of art and very comfortable, despite still having their bars.

A few hours outside Ljubljana is one of Slovenia's prime destinations, Bled, a town that celebrated its 1,000th anniversary this year. Visitors can enjoy lazy summer days swimming and boating on Lake Bled; winter ones, ice-skating and curling. And the pristine waters, highly rated by international environmental standards, are home to the only island in Slovenia, on which stands a perfectly picturesque church with a soaring steeple. Towering above the town, atop a massive cliff, is the spectacular and foreboding Castle Bled, now home to a restaurant with sweeping views of the countryside.

Visitors from all over Slovenia also travel to Bled for the city's famous dessert, kremna rezina, a vanilla custard cream cake. Enjoying it while overlooking the lake, the island, and the looming castle is a distinctly Slovenian experience.

Other Slovenian highlights include driving and/or hiking the Vrsiè Pass, whose 90-plus hairpin turns wind through the Julian Alps and into the resort town of Bovec in the Soèa Valley. Named for the miraculously aquamarine and potably pure river that runs through it, the valley offers world-class alpine skiing in the winter and kayaking, white-water rafting, paragliding, and canyoning in the summer.

To the south, in the Karst region (a vast limestone expanse covering one-third of the country), innumerable caves offer spelunking opportunities of international renown, including several gargantuan cave systems. Guided tours of the Skocjan Caves (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) allow nonclimbers to hike three kilometers through the caverns, walking across a footbridge suspended 135 feet above a raging river that cuts through the chambers.

When you've had your fill of these pursuits, you can move on to the country's well-admired wine region, the Adriatic coastal region (think Venetian fortress-style beach town), or the Istrian Peninsula, a gastronomic mecca of truffles and gourmet cuisine.

One of the most affluent countries in eastern Europe, Slovenia offers accommodations that meet or exceed western European standards. It entered the European Union in 2004 but hasn't yet made the leap to the Euro, which means it's still very affordable. Of the formerly Communist countries in the region, Slovenia is the only one that "gets it," even though – and perhaps because – so few get to Slovenia.

Matt Markovich writes Bottle Rockets for the Bay Guardian's Food and Drink section.

Trip planner

Lonely Planet Slovenia is, oddly, the only guidebook exclusively dedicated to Slovenia. Find it online at www.lonelyplanet.com.

For more information about travel to the country, go to the Slovenian Tourist Board Web site at www.slovenia-tourism.si. For information about Bled, go to www.bled.si. For information on the Skocjan Caves, go to www.park-skocjanske-jame.si.

For photos of Slovenia by the author go to www.mattmarko.com/gallery/Slovenia.