which is rare for European Union member states 0 Slovenia doesn’t have any wind farms, which is rare for European Union member states. It only hosts three small, separate wind turbines, and the fourth one on the way, as announced in May Notably, there are several wind farm projects in the pipeline, however the developers are faced with hurdles in permitting procedures. The biggest issue is the opposition from citizens and environmental activists. In April it prompted the Government of Slovenia to refuse to issue permits for the installation of wind turbines at Pohorje and Rogla AAE Gamit is developing several wind power projects in Slovenia. Early this year, the firm succeeded in obtaining the approval of the spatial plan for the 66 MW Dolenja Vas project The firm is now seeking one for the Ilirska Bistrica project The area for the wind farm is about 1,400 meters from the nearest homes The Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning said it received AAE Gamit’s initiative for the development of the spatial plan for the Ilirska Bistrica wind farm Interested parties can submit comments by October 30 After that the ministry is set to prepare a draft decision on the preparation of a spatial plan for the government to adopt The company plans to install nine wind turbines with a capacity of 7 MW each The location is at an altitude of 600 to 1,000 meters and about 1,400 meters from the nearest homes Austrian company Energie AG Oberösterreich acquired a 29.4% stake in AAE Gamit Energie AG said it aims to develop wind farms and photovoltaic parks in Slovenia with an overall capacity of more than 180 MW It is developing four wind projects with a combined capacity of 140 MW and four PV projects of 40 MW in total in Slovenia Be the first one to comment on this article 05 May 2025 - The Trebinje 3 photovoltaic plant would have an installed capacity of 53.63 MW and an estimated annual production of 85.5 GWh 05 May 2025 - VDE Renewables found that SolarEdge’s advanced safety capabilities minimize photovoltaic system risks and effectively prevent fire hazards 02 May 2025 - The project is located in Constanța county recognized for its superior yields in green energy production 02 May 2025 - The Sunčana (Sunny) Vipava project envisages installing solar power plants with a combined capacity of 20 MW © CENTER FOR PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2008-2020 website developed by ogitive While those might not be the lyrics to the iconic The Sound Of Music song it doesn’t make it any less true when addressing this glamping haven Perched on the mountainside in Slovenska Bistrica this tiny accommodation is all about modern simplicity The one-room vacation rental can comfortably fit two guests A bathroom facility is located nearby for convenience where linens and towels are available—plus bathrobes and slippers The wooden hut is designed to blend in with its natural surroundings which you can gaze at from inside through the floor-to-ceiling windows Guests can enjoy the view from the outside thanks to the quaint terrace furnished with a table and chairs take advantage of outdoor jacuzzi where you can relax under the stars But if you’re not in the mood to cook or when the weather doesn’t call for it the nearby town of Slovenska Bistrica is only a five-minute drive away An added bonus: The host provides a breakfast basket filled with local products and a welcome drink upon arrival homemade meals can be provided inside the hut Visitors can take advantage of the many outdoor activities that the environment makes easy to do— from bird watching to boating and even mountain biking and the breathtaking Boč Mountain is just an hour away Rates start at $173 per night, according to the Glamping Hub listing Bookings require a two-night minimum for this dreamy getaway but something tells us that isn’t going to be a problem Read the commentsFiled in:NewsSmall SpacesTravel The home you love starts here The home you love starts here Apartment TherapyThe wordmark for the Apartment Therapy brand.More From Us By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Kaja Rajh doesn't lose much at the Paper Cup in three years at the tournament Rajh has only lost two sets Rajh won her fifth consecutive match Sunday dating back to last year's tournament She defeated former Pueblo West High School and current Colorado State University-Pueblo standout Sarah Megilligan 6-0 6-1 in the women's open singles semifinals of the TR Toppers 39th annual Bob Rawlings Memorial Paper Cup at City Park I had a really good feeling with my serve today." Slovenia native will play in her third consecutive open championship at 9 a.m today when she faces Gabriela Chaparro of Chihuahua Chaparro beat CSU-Pueblo's Kristen Jensen in straight sets to in the other semifinal Rajh's success at the Paper Cup has come from her extensive play on clay while competing professionally in Europe Her ability to move easily translates from the clay courts to the asphalt courts at City Park because in Europe we have clay courts," Rajh said so I think that's a problem for other players here because on hard courts they play really straight Rajh will face a somewhat familiar opponent in Chaparro The two faced each other in the semifinals two years ago but knows she'll have to play consistently to win the title "I have to put all the balls in (bounds) and not make mistakes," she said "I have to play hard and just roll it,(the ball) former Weber State ace and Paper Cup champ Stefon Cooper topped Javier Martinez to advance to his second men's open singles championship match in the past three years 6-4 and will face Russian-born and Denver resident Stanislav Korshunov in the finals also at 9 a.m today who beat Miguel Gallardo of Mexico in three sets Cooper is coming off of a hip injury and a hamstring ailment He's used the Paper Cup to help him get back up to snuff "Every round I've been trying to improve a little bit and really enjoy it," Cooper said "I've had some injuries lately and haven't been able to enjoy my time on the court because it hasn't been going my way and I couldn't be happier with where I'm at right now." but fell short of repeating last year after losing in the semifinals This year Cooper said he hopes to duplicate his success from two years ago and get this hands on some of the prize money as well He'll look to his serve to help carry him to victory "A lot of it will be to just focus on what I'm doing," Cooper said "If I serve well and get a high percentage of my first serves in then I'm going to be really tough to beat." the Paper Cup has been more than just about improving their tennis skills Rajh has enjoyed coming back to play at the tournament and spending time with friends she made while coming here "I love everything here and the Anzlovar family," Rajh said "They invite us every year and host us in their house He said having a community support the tournament the way Pueblo does makes it that much better to play here "It's a way to really enjoy tennis and the community here is great," he said This is one of my top spots for the year to come and enjoy my tennis." He and Martinez have faced off in the singles division twice but this year are also doubles partners in the men's open division Cooper said he's relished the chance to have him on the same side of the net I love coming here and playing doubles with great players like him." llyons@chieftain.com Prime Minister Janša stressed that 30 years is a period of time that allows many comparisons opened a new terminal worth tens of millions of euro This day could not be more different from that of 30 years ago After 30 years the place looks completely different.  Prime Minister Janša highlighted that Slovenska Bistrica is a place with a beautiful name as nothing happens without people's courage and vision.  He said that people in Slovenska Bistrica have both Those who negotiated and fought here in those difficult times 30 years ago also needed courage and vision "Those who seized one of the biggest storage facilities of the Yugoslav Army and thus considerably strengthened the Slovenian defence potential Many people were willing to fight but we only had weapons for every fifth of them With every seized storage facility our power increased and in the first days of July 30 years ago it was clear that no one could stop Slovenia's independence." Prime Minister Janša stressed that everything that we see today would not be possible without vision and courage we cannot overlook Dr Jože Pučnik and his brother Ivan Pučnik whom Slovenska Bistrica honoured with the two busts Prime Minister Janša said that he worked with both of them in the Democratic Opposition of Slovenia (DEMOS) the Parliament and numerous meetings where it was deliberated what would enable Slovenian people to implement the decision adopted in the plebiscite Both of them were realists and aware of potential danger and of the need for protection – which meant the army Prime Minister Janša also said that we are grateful today for this support that he remembered Dr Pučnik from many late-night sessions and meetings where he argued pragmatically and with strong arguments which could not be refuted for a clear path to the implementation of the plebiscite decision He recalled that much remains to be done to honour the contribution and memory of the Pučnik brothers He said that 30 years ago we started from a starting point that at that time represented 27 percent of Austria's purchasing power per capita after the economic crisis and a long period of recession after 2008 Slovenia is once again approaching the European average something we could only dream of 30 years ago He went on to stress that Slovenia currently ranks among the top ten countries in the world in terms of security and sustainable development Slovenia is one of the EU member states with the fastest growth rates after the epidemic and one of the lowest unemployment rates.  A comparison between the present time and that of 30 years ago shows that we did the right thing.  Opportunities that we have not yet seized are still here he expressed the belief that we need to draw strength from the times that united us – the times of Slovenian independence The result of the plebiscite is a magnificent fate shaped by the Slovenian nation itself The only time in history that it did so.  Every good development policy stems from the time that united us he thanked all those who remember those times particularly those who helped create them.  "Those were the times of fear and courage the Prime Minister congratulated the Municipality of Slovenska Bistrica saying that the future lies in the next 30 years "If we build on the values of Slovenian independence then the next 30 years can be even more successful Did you find the information you were looking for Do you want to receive a response from the responsible institution Clicking on the link will open your default e-mail program and automatically draft a message that you can send to the institution responsible for the content of this website ask for a reply your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt As European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen prepared to dole out portfolios to her new College no one expected Slovenia to drag her into a domestic dispute involving allegations of communist-era espionage The small Alpine country of about 2.1 million crashed von der Leyen's party planned for this week after a last-minute change in Commissioner nominee saw Marta Kos receive the nod from the government in Ljubljana The liberal coalition led by Prime Minister Robert Golob immediately came under fire over the move with right-wing populist SDS criticising Kos over her lack of experience and alleged involvement with the former Yugoslav secret service in Germany would nominate a candidate with the burden of being a Stasi associate in the past?” SDS MEP Romana Tomc told Euronews referring to the notorious former East German secret service While Kos refuted the charges in a statement to Euronews the allegations raised many eyebrows in Brussels over whether Slovenia inadvertently or otherwise assigned a former spy to a top EU job But what would Kos' Yugoslav secret service past imply and what kind of a role did the socialist republic's spy agency play in Europe's past Critics of Yugoslav policies in post-war Western Balkan societies often point out the extreme examples of UDBA's workings as a sign of the former regime's oppressive and bloodthirsty nature according to Croatian historian Hrvoje Klasić are rarely out of the ordinary compared to other security agencies around the world at the time "In countries that came out of the breakup of Yugoslavia everything related to Yugoslavia among those on the political right is deemed a priori negative," Klasić told Euronews more malign secret services doesn't paint the full picture "You can’t compare UDBA to the Romanian Securitate the Czechoslovak secret service (StB/ŠtB) or Stasi." “Comparing Stasi to it is like comparing East Germany to Yugoslavia Yugoslavia was a considerably more free of a society compared to East Germany," Klasić said The two countries had completely different trajectories which grew out of the Soviet occupation of eastern German territories post-World War II the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was governed independently This came with a wildly different set of problems: as Cold War tensions heightened Belgrade’s ever-narrowing space between two increasingly pressure-heavy and sometimes hostile blocs fuelled the fears of nationalist diaspora-instigated violence attempts at hostile takeover or full-blown invasion used all available means to keep those living there obedient and toeing the line Yugoslavia set its sights on those who might try to disrupt its system from abroad tightened the screws on the country’s security apparatus UDBA's covert actions against those most hardline — such as Nazi collaborator and Ustasha commander Božidar Kavran who was caught while plotting an uprising and subsequently hanged — were used as a very public deterrent and a reminder of who was in charge witch hunts fuelled by Ranković's personal peeves prompted the need to axe him and ensure no single individual from one of Yugoslavia's plethora of ethnic groups held the reins of power again “There were many irregularities in UDBA's work precisely because of those issues and numerous cases of abuse especially in Kosovo or ‘Yugoslavia’s first policeman’ as he was called then UDBA 2.0 — now known as State Security Service SDS in Croatian and SDV in Slovenian — became decentralised with each of the six Yugoslav republics in control over its own branch The 1960s shift came at a time when the country wary of being too friendly with either side along the Cold War divide slowly espoused what has been pegged as “Coca-Cola communism” — its own brand of Marxist socialism peppered with an openness to the West As its citizens embraced weekend trips to Italy Yugoslavs decided not to be just two-bit players The security apparatus collaborated with everyone from Israel’s intelligence agency to major terrorists like Ilich Ramírez Sánchez aka Carlos the Jackal who Mossad had on its most wanted list because of his active role in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine a hardline group both the EU and the US designated as terrorists The Jackal was hired as a security advisor for the 1984 Winter Olympics held in Sarajevo UDBA might have even played a role in neighbouring Italy's "Years of Lead," a period of political violence and social upheaval from the late 1960s until the late 1980s a series of bloody extraterritorial executions of nationalist diaspora and high-level Nazi collaborationists in exile — such as the bludgeoning to death of the Nazi German satellite NDH's top figure in charge of its WWII concentration camps in Spain — had UDBA's fingerprints all over them “Every country during the Cold War had secret services which were tasked with protecting it in any way they saw fit the MI5 and others also used many unnacceptable means to protect their countries' constitutional order.”  the higher the level of freedom and democracy in a society the less significant the roles of those agencies are,” Klasić explained What could have been Kos' role in all of this The way UDBA worked makes it very hard to determine who was an actual agent and who was a common citizen who might have been interviewed over a benign matter UDBA classified as "informants" all people of interest it invited for a conversation “It worked like this: if you were a physics professor and you went to the US or France to an international symposium of nuclear physicists they’d have a conversation with you upon your return asking whether there were any mentions of nuclear weapons or some such thing." "Then you'd retell what took place because it is of interest to the state and what you saw there as a scientist and someone would note that down as information from professor such-and-such." this can easily get manipulated into painting that person as a former secret service associate it has very little to do with any concern over Europe or its security especially when it is about someone who was in their mid-20s by the time Yugoslavia and its secret service were no more "This is very commonly done in domestic squabbles and for the sake of domestic political battles Labelling someone like that does not necessarily mean warning Europe that someone dangerous will be holding one of its offices It's rather used to discredit a person or their party so that they would get less votes in the next election," he explained But this type of lustration — the questioning and removal of public officials associated with a past possibly tainted political regime — proved impossible in the case of the former Yugoslavia there were many people who worked for the service or as part of the security apparatus as police officers and then actively participated in the defence of the country" during the 1991-1995 war of independence A person who tapped the phones of the Croatian far-right immigration in 1985 but then got wounded on the frontline in 1991?" the wooden roof structure appears as a dominant visual element framing the atmosphere of the upper level while the ground floor is formed around a stove.all images courtesy of žiga lovšin apart from the ‘gank’, a long balcony for climbing plants, another key element in raketa d.o.o.‘s design was the wooden façade that reminds of traditional alpine features the house boasts a color of fresh wood that will fade to shades of grey and ultimately merge with the existing surroundings the façade will visually step aside and let the ‘gank’ as well as a small green garden in front of the house to come forward and shape the structure’s view wooden cladding formed the façades to emphasize the main entrance and to expose the building’s functional hierarchy the project seeks to combine some of the vernacular elements found in neighboring homes reimagining the traditional ‘gank’ the eastern façade follows a conventional form whereas the southern adopts a more modern approach are formed behind the wooden cladding and smaller openings become visible on the exterior the interior is divided into two independent functional units one for private accommodation and the other for rent remaining functionally separated within the same envelope the renting unit takes shape with a garden on a different ground level as the rest of the landscape providing the users more privacy yet ensuring a harmonious incorporation into the old city center architect: raketa d.o.o. designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. edited by: christina petridou | designboom AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style CYCLING specialist Tadej Pogacar's relationship with Tour de France is special - and so is his relationship with fiancée Urska Zigart which fans can see now glimpses of on the new Netflix documentary The Slovenian icon secured Tour de France success 2020 2021 and is now hunting down a win this year But Pogacar's true love story started last year when he got on one knee and asked Zigart for her hand in marriage Urska Zigar was raised in Slovenska Bistrica Pogacar confirmed that he had his fiancee in a cycling camp for a team who are based in the capital of Slovenia Zigart has decided to keep her family off of social media but she revealed in an interview that her mother encouraged her to quit her first hobby of athletics for bike racing The Slovenian signed a contract with the Mitchelton-Scott team for the 2021 season which was later renamed Team BikeExchange. But Sadly in April 2022, partner Tadej Pogacar withdrew from Liege-Bastogne-Liege following the tragic death of Zigart's mother. Ursyk Zigart competed in the Tour de'Ardeche and Giro Rosa She also rode in the Slovenian National Road Race Championships behind her teammate Ursa Pintar and Spela Kern of the Lviv Cycling Team the Slovenian star triumphed to the Slovenian National Time Trial Championships Slovenian icon Pogacar admitted that the tension was high when watching Zigart's title winning race Tadej said: "I was filming with our sponsor Met Helmets,” he says Slovenia is among the very few EU countries without a single wind farm and it will remain so after the government’s recent decision 0 At a time when wind farms are springing up all over Europe, Slovenia occupies the embarrassing second-to-last place on the list of EU member states by total wind farm capacity, with 3 MW. The bottom place at the end of last year was held by Malta according to the latest statistics published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) The Slovenian Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning has rejected a request for a construction permit for 35 wind turbines at Pohorje while the investor has withdrawn its request for 21 turbines in Rogla The investor can still appeal the decision Citizens oppose wind farms fearing an adverse impact on the environment According to the website of the company Energija na veter the project entails installing 56 wind turbines in three locations there are two projects – wind power plant Slovenska Bistrica I (122.5 MW) and wind power plant Slovenska Bistrica II (73.5 MW) Representatives of a citizens’ association opposing the wind farms claim the fight is not over yet because the investor can file a fresh request Members of the associations say they are against wind farms because they would greatly affect the environment the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning received nine negative opinions or requests for additional documents from institutions that give opinions in the process of issuing a building permit for the planned wind farm at Pohorje Subsidies for local governments do not help either These include the Ministry of the Environment as well as the municipalities of Slovenska Bistrica and Ruše and the Ministry of Defense However, these projects have not made much progress, and one of the latest attempts by the Slovenian government to change something is offering to pay local governments 200,000 euros per megawatt of wind farm capacity if they allow construction on their territory 30 April 2025 - OMV put into operation its 10 MW green hydrogen plant at the Schwechat refinery 30 April 2025 - It is the second time this year that MVM contracted gas-fueled and hydrogen-ready power plants at sites of former fossil fuel facilities Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times Triglav or another Slovenian giant but just taking a walk through a nearby forest maybe picking some mushrooms or harvesting chestnuts on the way you should still follow hiking safety tips Maribor Police thus carried out an awareness-raising campaign near Šumik Falls warning passers-by about the dangers of hiking Police officers of the Maribor Police Directorate who are also members of the Mountain Police Unit (Slovenska Bistrica Police Station Commander Uroš Kušar and Police Officer of Ruše Police Station Aleš Paradiž) passed several hikers on the way to Šumik Falls most of whom were well prepared for the journey Although there are no high mountain ranges in the Štajerska region several police officers from Maribor are trained to operate in the mountains "Some parts of the Maribor Police Directorate area are not easily accessible It would be difficult for police officers with standard equipment to carry out searches in such places "People often overestimate their abilities and skills fail to plan ahead and do not carry the proper equipment Even if you only are heading to the nearby hill you should plan your route and know how long it will take you to complete it how strenuous the hike will be and what kind of equipment you will need you will need appropriate clothing (layers) food and snacks (depending on the duration of the hike) You should always inform someone of your hiking plans and keep someone informed about your whereabouts while on the hike Don’t forget to write your name in the mountain hut logbooks." Donald Niebyl crossed the Balkans in search of spomenik – abstract memorials built in Tito’s Yugoslavia to celebrate the defeat of Axis forces in the second world war The annual throwing meeting in the German city of Halle saw Tajikistan’s Dilshod Nazarov become the first hammer thrower to go over 80 metres this year when he achieved a personal best of 80.71m on Saturday (25) and a finalist at the 2011 IAAF World Championships and London 2012 Olympic Games Second in Halle was local thrower Markus Esser with 77.86 but there was a good home win for Germany’s 2011 World champion David Storl in the Shot Put with 20.97m the younger brother of World qand Olympic champion Robert Harting showed some of his sibling’s form in the Discus when improving his best to 64.99m and he had two other throws over 64 metres Poland took the men’s Javelin with Lukasz Grzeszcuk reaching 83.75m Germany’s 2011 World champion Matthias de Zordo back in fourth with 79.80m Germany’s World record holder Betty Heidler won the women’s Hammer with 74.92m while Hungary’s Eva Orban improved her national record for the second time in five days when she threw 73.44m Germany’s 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships Sot Put gold medallist Christina Schwanitz continued her good form with her seventh consecutive competition over 19 metres reaching 19.84m while Linda Stahl threw the Javelin 65.76m 2012 World Junior Championships gold medallist Anna Ruh just five centimetres away from her recent personal best China’s Tan Jian was second with 64.08m and Germany’s Julia Fischer third with 64.04m in an exciting contest two of the world’s top Hammer throwers were also going through their paces Slovenia’s 2008 Olympic champion Primoz Kozmus started his 2013 campaign at the 13th Slovenska Bistrica international meeting and threw 78.75m for his best start to a year since 2008 the only man to beat 2012 Olympic champion Krisztian Paris last year defied rainy conditions and a treacherous circle to throw 78.02m in Bialymstok There were a total of 7,178 tests conducted on Tuesday which means that the share of positive tests was 33.8% and there were 199 people being treated in intensive care units which is 2 more than the day before and the second largest daily number of deaths the high daily number of positive tests is the result of the increasing use of rapid tests in healthcare institutions and care homes Standing out are also yesterday’s data for individual municipalities the high number of newly positive COVID-19 cases: Krško 97 The improved epidemiological situation in Europe was presented by Ms Čakš Jager The most notable improvement can be seen in France managed to decrease the total number of positive cases by almost 50 percent and Poland with a 20 to 30 percent reduction in the number of positive cases NIPH data show an increase in the number of positive cases predominantly in the 85-plus age group which is in line with data from care homes The increase of daily positive cases among the residents and employees in care homes has reached its peak and has been on a slight decline in the last days Surveying conducted by the NIPH has found that the main reason for daily positive cases remain to be work organisations These are followed by the home environment with 23 percent of cases 27 percent of the respondents were unable to explain the source of the infection Ms Čakš Jager believes that the region of Gorenjska has been successful in decreasing its 14-day incidence rate because residents have become aware of the large number of positive cases and have become more consistent in the observation of the measures Yesterday’s situation in care homes was presented by Mr Kacin 133 residents have recovered and 271 residents tested positive the highest number of new positive cases among residents was recorded in the following homes: Dom starejših Ljubljana Moste Polje 49 are home to a total of 1,330 residents with 800 employees seeing to their needs 129 residents and 55 employees are COVID-19 positive the home in Horjul stood out in terms of the number of infections with 20 positive residents the highest numbers have been recorded in the Gornji grad care home with 54 cases the highest numbers can be seen in the Cerknica home with 33 positive residents they began implementing measures in mid-May preparing for the autumn and followed the recommendations of the NIPH and both ministries It was important to have the possibility of short-term isolation additional doors were installed in the care homes which allow them to set up grey zones if necessary Ms Vincek believes that fast action must be taken once positive cases are discovered they found it completely unacceptable having to wait for PCR test results for 48 hours and have asked the Ministry of Health that care homes be given priority in laboratories they need to wait 8 hours for the results and even that can be fateful with which they discover a number of asymptomatic cases among employees As the residents’ mental state is important they encourage video communication between residents and their families whenever possible the Medvode Unit is working with the National Institute of Biology measuring the presence of the virus in the home’s sewage This project represents one more way for early detection of the presence of the virus in care homes Ms Vincek emphasised that in order to prevent the virus from getting into care homes She believes there are three main reasons for the high incidence of COVID-19 in care homes: residents coming back from check-ups in hospitals in September Mr Jakopin explained that entrance to Croatia is only possible with a negative test or if the person self-isolates and subsequently obtains a negative test which are similar to the exceptions stipulated by Slovenia for the entrance of foreign nationals to our country Mr Kacin presented the Zdrav pozdrav (A Healthy Hello) campaign which is being organised by the Office for Youth aims at raising the youth’s awareness of the importance of observation of measures while also addressing their confidence so as to include them as ambassadors in the active endeavours for spreading a positive outlook on the measures ask for a reply Our slow travel expert takes in the undiscovered charms of the Soča valley and Julian Alps … in a country where train tickets have just got cheaper Ian Fleming writes that in Sežana “the hard-faced Yugoslav plain-clothes men came on board” The Simplon-Orient-Express used by James Bond hasn’t run since 1962 and the border antics on the frontier between erstwhile Yugoslavia and Italy disappeared with the accession of Slovenia to the Schengen zone in 2007 The railway station in the Slovenian town of Sežana is nowadays a sleepy outpost The most exotic departure of the day is the early-afternoon Eurocity train that rumbles east along the main line to Ljubljana but closer to hand is a remarkable rural railway which deserves to be far better known And the good news is that train fares in Slovenia were reduced in August Our journey follows a railway that runs north for 80 miles from Sežana through magnificent scenery to Jesenice in Slovenia’s north-west corner With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 the Adriatic port of Trieste became a key asset in expanding the Austro-Hungarian empire’s maritime trade Existing rail links between Trieste and central Europe were so Habsburg planners got busy devising new railways from Trieste The idea of traversing the Julian Alps was ridiculed in some quarters and there were squabbles over preferred routes so it was not until 1906 that the first trains ran on the line from the coast to Jesenice By then the fragile bonds that held the Habsburg dynasty together were already weakening and in just a dozen years the entire Austro-Hungarian Empire was gone The expensive railway through the Julian Alps remains as a legacy of Habsburg ambition and these days it offers a wonderful excursion through some of the finest scenery in the eastern Alps it is often referred as the Bohinjska proga (Bohinj railway) View of the Soča river at Kanal ob Soči Photograph: Nova Rizal/AlamyTo the Soča valleyI watch the modern electric trains to Villa Opicina and Ljubljana leave on time then wander over to the platform where a graffiti-covered diesel unit waits I travelled the route as part of a four-day journey from Rijeka in Croatia to Ribe in Denmark relying entirely on slowish trains where there was no need to make any advance reservations Few who board the 10.10 from Sežana to Jesenice have such ambitious itineraries for this is a route that serves local communities and most passengers are making short journeys Soon we are rattling north through vineyards with distant views of forested mountains The single-storey station building at Kreplje is a study in dereliction but all is spick and span around the handsome limestone villa at Dutovlje station The station at Nova Gorica straddles the Slovenian-Italian border Photograph: Hidden Europe“This is Slovenia’s garden of Eden,” says the train guard as she checks our Interrail passes where a 15-minute scheduled stop gives ample time to set foot on Italian soil; the international frontier bisects the neat piazza in front of the station building the longest stone-arch railway bridge in the world traverses the River Soča a dramatic prelude to a glorious ride north up the Soča valley where the river’s turquoise waters contrast with bare white limestone cliffs and chasms there’s a hint of Alpine style in the green-shuttered station and a fine view over the river to the slender clock tower of the parish church The longest stone-arch railway bridge in the world traverses the River Soča a dramatic prelude to a glorious ride north up the Soča valleyThen the hillsides tilt ever sharper as we climb the narrow Bača Valley we plunge into the four-mile Bohinj Tunnel This tunnel is one of Europe’s great divides Until the tunnel we have followed valleys which drain south to the Adriatic Emerging from the northern portal of the tunnel which flows down to join the Danube in Belgrade en route to the Black Sea There is a dramatic change in the landscape too its demeanour beyond the tunnel now altogether more Alpine the land rises up steeply to mighty Triglav at 2,864 metres the highest summit in Slovenia This railway is a lifeline for remote communities Year-round special trains shuttle through the Bohinj Tunnel ferrying cars in a region where roads are challenging in summer and impassable in winter snow the railway station at the north end of the Bohinj Tunnel it’s a superb 20-minute ride on the slow train down the valley with a touch of drama as Slovenia’s famous lake suddenly appears off to the right featured trips and local tips for your next break as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays A stop at Bled Jezero station allows you to see picturesque Lake Bled Photograph: Jon Wilson/AlamyThis is a captivating approach to Lake Bled a station architecturally enhanced by Alpine nuances and follow a footpath down through the woods to the lakeshore This is a captivating approach to Lake Bled and we hop off the train and follow a footpath down through the woods to the lakeshoreLater we continue for the final 15 minutes on to the terminus at Jesenice where this secondary rail route joins the main line from Ljubljana to Villach in Austria’s Carinthia region The furnaces and smelters of industrial Jesenice are silent these days was once acclaimed as a bold modernist statement it was the first stop in Yugoslavia for travellers arriving on the international express trains from Austria All those with lives straddling Europe’s cold war divide passed through Jesenice at one time or another ‘The graffiti-strewn train seems at home in Jesenice where the station tells of architectural ambition eclipsed by political change.’ Photograph: Hidden EuropeThe graffiti-strewn train from Sežana seems comfortably at home on the platform at Jesenice where the station building tells of architectural ambition that was eclipsed by political changes – just as the commercial ambition that once inspired the Bohinj Railway was subverted by the demise of Habsburg power The journey from Sežana to Jesenice is best done on a weekday as at weekends there is only one departure a day Leaving at 10.10 – one could stop off in the Soča Valley and at Lake Bled and still reach Jesenice by early evening The end-to-end travel time without stopovers is three to five hours The author travelled the route as part of a longer itinerary ticketed with a four-day Interrail pass (€258 for an adult with discounts for anyone under 28 or aged 60 and over) Train fares in Slovenia were reduced on 11 August A one-way ticket from Sežana to Jesenice is €10.70 and for anyone making an out-and-back trip in a day (which is just possible) the return fare is now just €14 Tickets can be bought on the day of travel at station ticket offices or on the train buses may replace trains north of Bohinjska Bistrica until 13 October This article was amended on 29 September 2023 a picture caption misidentified the river Soča as the Vipava Nicky Gardner is a Berlin-based writer. The 17th edition of her book, Europe by Rail: the Definitive Guide, celebrates slow train journeys across Europe. It can be ordered from the Guardian Bookshop Bine Prepelič started his career in Slovenska Bistrica where he spent practically the entire period of the younger age categories and for the member team of Bistrica he also played in the 3 This was followed by a move to Kansai Helios Domžale with whom he also signed his first professional contract in 2019 He spent a short period as a loan player of the Domžale team in Ljubljana’s Ilirija in the 2 and then gained experience in the Helios jersey in the NLB League ABA 2 and the Slovenian national championship In his final season in the second regional league averaging 28.4 minutes on the floor while averaging 6.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game where he played in 29 games in the 2023/24 season He made his debut in the jersey of the Slovenian men’s national team in the qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup and with good performances he also earned a place in the national team that played in the 2023 World Cup He played in eight games in the competition Prepelič also played in two qualifying matches for EuroBasket 2025 and in the summer he was also included in the list of candidates for the Olympic qualifying tournament in Piraeus otherwise a cousin of the Slovenian national team and former Cedevita Olimpija player Klemno Prepelič was a member of the U18 national team in 2018 which won second place in Skopje at the European Championship of Division B and in 2019 he was with the U18 national team at the European Championship of Division A won third place in Greece he took first place with the Slovenian under-20 national team at the Challenger in Heraklion Of the 5,384 PCR tests performed on Tuesday Among the 5,924 rapid antigen tests performed The average of new positive Covid cases over the last seven days was 1,272 which is below the threshold of 1,350 for the transition from the black to the red phase of relaxation of measures The new positive cases were concentrated in the following municipalities: Ajdovščina 33 The 14-day incidence per 100,000 people reached 980.7 positive cases yesterday the NIJZ transitioned to a new system for reporting data relating to nursing homes on the basis of which the data for the period from 14 January to 17 January indicate that there were 123 new positive cases among nursing home residents bringing the total in the second wave to 10,715 16 residents and 20 staff members became positive at five separate social care institutions Simonovič presented the 14-day cumulative incidence per 100 inhabitants for the Podravska region which was 1,279 cases for the period from 28 November to 11 December and 1,005 cases for the period from 4 January to 17 January According to data from the Podravska Regional Unit of the NIJZ two thirds of employees at healthcare institutions are already protected partly through vaccinations and partly due to immunity among patients who have recovered from the disease The highest numbers of positive cases at nursing homes were recorded at the Poljčane where between 85 and 95% of all residents were positive The lowest number of positive cases was at the Lenart nursing home A total of 347 vials were distributed to hospitals this week which amounts to between 1,735 and 2,082 doses Grgič Vitek presented the main highlights of the Minister of Health’s letter to providers of Covid-19 vaccinations First of all they should strictly follow the order of groups approved to receive vaccinations based on the European and national vaccination strategies Additional lists of people from those priority groups should be prepared in advance so that candidates for vaccination can be contacted immediately in the event that doses remain unused due to lack of participation of persons on the initial list or other reasons In accordance with the instructions of the European Medicines Agency and the manufacturer Pfizer The most recent important recommendation is that vaccinations be very accurately recorded as vaccinations will soon be carried out using vaccines from several manufacturers The NIJZ have reported three serious side effects of the vaccine: the death of an elderly female resident at a nursing home a second fatality which occurred 12 days after vaccination and a third case which occurred a few hours after vaccination where the patient fainted and was hospitalised but no adverse effects on health were recorded while the patient was under observation ask for a reply Border control was reintroduced due to the increased terrorist threat in order to ensure high level of security for all the residents Border checks will remain in force until 21 June 2025 Slovenian national authorities have been noting a growing scale of organised crime in the Western Balkans Slovenian law enforcement authorities have been closely following potential threats and the security situation in Slovenia and the region along with the factors that could cause an increase in radicalisation of individuals and violent extremism tarvellers are required to present a valid travel document They should therefore check the validity of their travel documents beforehand Travellers should observe the conditions for crossing the border at specific border crossing points follow a changed traffic regime and instructions of police officers The crossing of the internal land border with Croatia is allowed at the following 12 border crossing points for international road traffic (passengers and cargo transport): The crossing of the internal land border with Croatia is also possible at the following 7 border crossing points for international rail traffic: The persons enjoying the right to free movement under the EU law can cross the internal land border with Croatia at the following 12 border crossing points for international road traffic (passengers and cargo transport): The persons who enjoy the right to freedom of movement under the EU law are citizens of the European Union and nationals of Norway The same right also applies to third-country nationals and their family members pursuant to agreements between the EU and its member states and relevant third countries have a right to free movement equivalent to that enjoyed by EU citizens Travellers are allowed to cross the internal land border with Hungary at the following border crossing points for international road traffic (passengers and cargo transport): The crossing of the internal land border with Hungary is also possible at the following border crossing point for international rail traffic: The persons enjoying the right to free movement under the EU law can cross the internal land border with Hungary at the following 6 border crossing points for international road traffic (passengers and cargo transport): Italy decided to introduce the control of our shared state border due to the changed security situation in Europe and the Middle East for the period between 21 October 2023 and 18 June 2025 entry and exit from Italy is allowed to all EU and third country nationals on all border crossings Austria controls the state border with Slovenia The border can be crossed on all border crossings with a valid travel document Information of the Slovenian Police on the introducing of the temporary controls at the borders with Croatia and Hungary Notifications of the Temporary Reintroduction of Border Control Schengen Borders Code ask for a reply A railway route connecting three countries The entire journey through tourist locations takes 2 hours The Slovenian Railways has launched a railway route passing through 8 cities in three countries The entire journey takes 2 hours and costs from 8 euros one way The train will operate daily until September 30 The train departs from the port city of Trieste in northeastern Italy then stops at four stations in Slovenia - Sežana the train travels to the station in Rijeka a suburb of Trieste – departure at 7:50 a.m. The route is ideal for a budget-friendly weekend getaway since you can disembark at one of the stations you can rent an electric bicycle and ride along forest paths passengers can spend the night at the Opatija resort with Rococo-style villas and grand hotels overlooking the Adriatic Sea and a 19th-century theater adorned by Gustav Klimt We also wrote about passengers on trains in Spain being able to travel for 7 euros The promotional price will apply to popular routes of the budget railway company Avlo The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was able to contact the last Dutch people in Slovenia who could not be reached after the storm in the country The acute problems for Dutch nationals from the storm area in Slovenia seem to have been solved according to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 85 Dutch nationals staying in the area will be evacuated by bus Some Dutch nationals have not yet been contacted but that is probably because their phones are not charged or they cannot get a connection Most of the affected Dutch have been housed in a school in Rečica ob Savinji The majority of the Dutch tourists have since returned home Reševalna ekipa s helikopterjem @policija_si od jutra na območju Črne na Koroškem. pic.twitter.com/zG1XYGsMKW Embassy staff who were in the area witnessed the massive damage caused by the heavy rains and resulting flooding and reported overturned caravans at campsites Slovenia is a popular vacation destination for the Dutch the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not have an overview of the number of Dutch nationals in Slovenia This is because it is an EU member state where they can travel without border controls not everyone follows the advice to report to the embassy via an app that they are in the country Four people have died in the storms in Slovenia Among them are two Dutch citizens from Gouda and energy infrastructure in the affected area were severely damaged Rescue services in Slovenia also had their hands full on Sunday to deal with the aftermath of the storm Rescue workers had to go out Saturday night to pump out water remove fallen trees and deliver emergency supplies there are also warnings of possible landslides at least 110 people had to be brought to safety near Koroška Bela and elsewhere in the border region with Austria around 500 residents had been evacuated on Saturday evening after a dam burst PORTOROŽ: The Slovenian/Croatian/Bosnian/Serbian coproduction Riders / Jezdeca began shooting on 19 May 2019 The road drama about two best friends in their mid-twenties is the first feature by 32-years-old Slovenian director Dominik Mencej Gračac) and is expected to be finished by 4 July 2019 decide to transform their mopeds into chopper-like bikes and go on a journey after watching the film Easy Rider who is studying in the capital and has not written to him in months while Tomaž seeks religious answers to his visions and hopes that faith will guide him The film is expected to be finished in May 2020 Click Here for Statements from European Film Organisations The Film New Europe (FNE) Association is the networking platform for film professionals in the CEE/SEE/Baltics region The webportal and FNE newswire was chosen as the MAIN TOOL to achieve the network’s objectives of the sharing of know how visibility of regional cultural diversity and finally the VOICE of the region FNE’s objectives include VISIBILITY for the region and AUDIENCES for films by providing a special focus on the region The smallest of countries have the power to amaze and educate in ways that you could have never guessed Take this example of the car train in Slovenia Back in the latter part of the last century here in the UK there used to be a car transport system called ‘Motorail’ A great way of transporting you and your car on long distance routes like from London to Inverness in Scotland or London to Penzance in the far west of Cornwall Those services finished at various times and areas around the UK and finally came to an end in 2005 Some 50 years after the idea was introduced by the then British Rail on the London to Perth route around 1955 I was rather pleasantly surprised on a recent visit to Slovenia that such a service is still in use With around 12 trains operating daily on the route between Bohinjska Bistrica and Most na Soči Arriving at Bohinjska Bistrica for the journey to Most na Soči Slovenia Not the 400mile routes as in the UK but a mere direct route of around 15 miles taking about 35 minutes However what the service does do is to cut out a two-hour drive around a high mountain range pass Therefore the decision is really easy…let the train take the strain A quick drive up onto the platform and a drop down ramp provides access direct onto the flat bed open rail car There is the option to stay in the vehicle or ride in the 30-seater carriage at the front of the train Not long before you are in the dark of 6 kilometre Bohinj Tunnel under the Julian Alps On the route from Bohinjska Bistrica station within seconds you are in a six and half kilometre long Bohinj tunnel Cut out over a hundred years ago by engineers working for the Austria Hungarian Empire who ruled over this area at that time Their plan was to connect its only seaport of Trieste on the Adriatic to the north and the western part of Austria allowing easy onward connection to Germany with both imports and exports As the Suez canal had opened recently at that time the port was in a good position to reap the benefits Ready for the vehicles the unique train at Bohinjska Bistrica station waiting to be transported on the car train Slovenia With a huge mountain range of the Julian Alps in the way the tunnel was conceived and built It runs under the 1,498 metre high Mount Kobla Travelling this way was for me a first but it was charming and enjoyable Once through and out of the tunnel the views of the mountains Just one of those experiences you come across whilst travelling that show how you learn not only about where places are but their history http://www.bovec.si https://www.facebook.com/bovecslovenia/ www.hotel-mangart.com https://wizzair.com/ Award winning blogger and travel writer/photographer I have travelled the world in one way or another for 30 years I am a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers for over 13 years In the ever-changing world of publishing and online media it now requires that I have media skills across all areas newspapers and publications all over the world I am now blogging about all aspects of travel The largest car museum in the UK has just had a £5million valet and brush… As a frequent visitor to Vienna I have to say that I do love visiting… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB0nUE6cuFI Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Get the latest news and updates from The Travel Trunk direct to your inbox with my FREE email newsletter Get the latest news and updates from The Travel Trunk direct to your inbox with my FREE email newsletter You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. 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All website content and photographs copyright © 2025 The Travel Trunk unless otherwise stated Privacy Policy  |  Terms & Conditions  |  News Feed  |  Site Map  |  Contact Deputy Travel EditorPublished: Invalid Date A NEW train route has relaunched in Europe - and it connects three countries along the way Having first been built 150 years ago, the train line connects Italy to Croatia via Slovenia It closed more than 30 years ago but has recently relaunched with eight stops along the way Passengers can board at Villa Opicina train station in Trieste at 7:50am The first stop is on the Slovenian border in Sežana, followed by Divača, Pivka and Ilirska Bistrica, the final stop in Slovenia The entire journey takes around two hours and runs both ways The return train leaves Rijeka at 6:25pm, finishing back in Italy's Villa Opicina at 8:40pm. The service will run until late September though, if successful, it's hoped it will operate long term. Tickets for adults start from €8 (£7) each way while kids between the ages of 6 to 12 cost just €4 (£3.50) Kids under the age of six travel free of charge Tickets between some of the stations start from as little as €1.20 (£1) with the cheapest route being between Ilirska Bistrica and Šapjane WiFi is available onboard and bikes can be taken as well The new train route will run from April 24 to September 30 It's not the only new European train that has launched in recent weeks Back in March, a 15-hour night train journey launched connecting Brussels and Prague for the first time Operated by European Sleeper, the route stops in Antwerp Berlin and Dresden before arriving in Prague Dutch train operator GoVolta hopes to launch train routes from Amsterdam to Berlin and Copenhagen in 2025 And Czechia public transport operator Leo Express has revealed plans to connect Belgium to Slovakia via a 19-hour train journey The UK may get new international train routes, with both Virgin and start-up Evolyn set to take on Eurostar Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ At a press conference in Maribor on 3 November 2009 representatives of the Slovenian Police and Customs Administration described in detail one of the biggest seizures of illicit drugs in recent times At the Gruškovje border crossing police officers The press conference was held by (from left) Slavko Koroš Criminal Police Directorate at the General Police Directorate; Marjan Fank Maribor Police Directorate; and Milan Klep Mr Klep informed us that a 26-year-old citizen of Serbia had arrived by car with Austrian licence plates at the Gruškovje international border crossing on the evening of 29 October 2009.  Although he said he had nothing to declare two customs officers conducted a thorough search of his vehicle and luggage There was a shelf with loudspeakers in the boot of the car The customs officers established that the top of the shelf and the front consisted of particle board while the bottom was made of hardboard.  The thickness of the particle board and hardboard led them to believe that there was a special compartment between the two boards They removed the front and saw brown packages wrapped in transparent polyvinyl They immediately suspected that these packages contained illicit drugs A further search of the car was conducted by customs officers and criminal police officers Together they discovered 37 packages with a gross weight of 27.5 kilograms Mr Fank from the Maribor Police Directorate explained that this is indeed a large quantity of a highly dangerous illicit drug causing serious addiction The wholesale value of the seized heroin for dealers would be around EUR 270,000 taking into account that it would have to be diluted with other substances the largest quantity of heroin was seized in November 2008 when customs officers found 200 packages containing 105 kilograms of the illicit drug in the cab of a lorry On this occasion Mr Koroš from the General Police Directorate presented another major seizure of an illicit drug in October in cooperation with other foreign security authorities in particular the German Federal Criminal Office of Wiesbaden (BKA Wiesbaden) acquired information on cocaine being smuggled from Argentina to Slovenia via post.  Therefore along with the foreign security authorities we started gathering evidence for a criminal procedure The customs officers from Dresden in Germany inspected an airmail package from Argentina at the Leipzig airport on 24 October 2009 the German customs officers found ten pieces of photo-documentation and an unknown white powder hidden between these pieces; subsequent analysis revealed that there were 500 grams of cocaine A person from Argentina was specified on the package as the sender and a person from the area of Slovenska Bistrica as the recipient In association with the German criminal police we monitored this consignment which was delivered to a person in the area of Slovenska Bistrica Upon delivery we apprehended a 33-year-old suspect from the area of Slovenska Bistrica