Lay me down in a port of roses

Portoroz literally means Port of Roses. This small seaside resort less than 20km from the Italian border lies on Slovenia’s Istrian coast.

And the name befits the town as its pampering roots date back to the 13th century, when Benedictine monks used seaweed and the famous Portoroz salt to soothe the stresses of High Middle Ages businessfolk. Later, members of the Austro-Hungarian aristocracy and military officers flocked here for the therapeutic baths.

People-friendly Ljubljana worth copying

Amy Hughes takes a bike tour of Slovenia’s capital. Set in the centre of Europe, Slovenia recently elected a new Prime Minister, Zoran Janković. The former Mayor of the capital city, Ljubljana, Jankovic is credited with creating what many consider a model city for its pedestrian and bike-friendly city streets. On a recent visit, I took a whirlwind tour with Ljubljana’s Deputy Mayor Janez Koželj and urban mobility expert Blaz Lokar.

Artists’ haven in Balkan ex-army base

Squatting in the ex-military complex, so from a really rigid military concept into a free art space…that’s something really important. It’s the image; the way it looks, that still everything is possible, what is nowhere else possible. It has a Metelkova style. It’s very Metelkova.

Waltz in Archduke Ferdinand’s foootsteps

Just two hours’ drive from Slovenia’s capital city, Ljubljana, lays Portoroz (port of roses), set against the Adriatic on one side, the Istrian countryside on the other. It’s a tiny little town that attracts mostly Italians unaffected by the recession.

Earning your keep

The tiny nation of Slovenia shares borders with Italy, Croatia, Hungary, Austria and Romania