The stories about King Matjaž are part of oral tradition, and the main narrative about the good king goes as follows. King Matjaž and his goodness towards his subjects got him into a conflict with nobility, who eventually went after him and cornered him by Mount Peca. The mountain opened and gave The King a place to hide. Inside the mountain Matjaž fell asleep at a stone table and when his growing beard turns nine times around the table, he will wake up and good times will return to Carinthia (Koroška). Oh, and he had a wife, Alenčica, who had been kidnapped by a Turkish Sultan, so Matjaž goes and sets her free by dressing up as a Turk.

Every year, and this will be the 28^th time, the municipality of Črna na Koroškem organizes a King Matjaž inspired weekend event, with a snow castle building competition as the focus. Since the website is only in Slovenian and German, we provide some basic information in English below.

The three-day event begins on Friday night, with a night slalom between torches for the King Matjaž Cup at the ski resort in Črna, Carinthia.

The main event, which will take place on Matevžavi Travniki uder Stadion in the Centre of Črna na Koroškem, is a Saturday competition of teams in the construction of snow castles and snow sculptures thematically related to the legend of King Matjaž. Each year's construction is accompanied by an entertaining cultural program (presentation of teams, selection of Alenčica, lighting of torches and candles, fiery performance, solemn arrival of King Matjaž, best team awards, musical performances, etc.). The all day fairytale happenings will culminate with the lighting of the snow castle torches in the evening.

Sunday is the day reserved for children, with activity programs, puppet shows, songs, a search for hidden treasure, horseback riding and more. On Sunday, awards are presented for the best fine art and literary works on the subject of King Matjaž, created by pupils of Slovenian elementary schools.

Entrance fees for visitors on Saturday:

Children under 8 – free of charge, children aged 8 – 15: €2.5, adults: €5.

Entrance fee for visitors on Sunday:

Children under 15: free of charge, older than 15: €5.

Registration and fees for castle building teams (5-8 members):

The registration fee is €11 per group member

Registration is possible until January 25, 2002 until 9AM at the place of the event or with an online form.

At the registration point every team collects their lunch vouchers and trash bags, and places a plan of their castle on the pole with the number of their building plot. Only natural materials are allowed to be used (snow water, ice and rods) and people should bring their own construction tools.

Slovenia is seeing a growing number of tourists, but where do they come from, and how long do they stay? You might be surprised at the answers.

Using SURS data for August 2019, the peak month, a total of 879,291 tourist arrivals were recorded. The top two countries, by far, were Germany and Italy. With regard to the number of overnight stays, the shortest trips to the sunny side of the Alps were made by visitors from South Korea – just 1.22 nights, on average – with the average overall being 2.48. An outlier here is Malta, with an average of 5.01 nights, and visitors from Iceland (3.94), Russia (3.80), and Israel (3.66) also seeming to adopt a more leisurely pace to enjoying the country.

The full list, from most tourist arrivals to least, can be seen below, with more data to explore on SURS. Note that the figures are based on hotel, hostel and other accomodation registrations, which may explain the relatrively low numbers from next door Croatia

We’re used to seeing Slovenia appear in lists of up and coming destinations, but rarely does it make the top. True, “top” here means the first on the list and in the main image used, but since not everyone reads to the end of every listicle occupying such prime real estate on the page is important.

Along with a picture of Lake Bled there’s a short text by Jane Dunford that begins:

Slovenia’s landscape of mountains and lakes lends itself to outdoor adventure: nearly 60% of the country is covered in forests, and there are more than 40 parks and reserves. Some areas, such as Lake Bled, have seen an influx of tourists over recent years but much remains off the beaten track - and the government has a strategy for sustainable tourism growth.

Continuing in this theme, Dunford highlights the recently opened 270km Juliana Hiking Trail; and Bike Slovenia Green, with its multi-day cycling itinerary through the Julian Alps, around Lake Bohinj and Lake Bled and down to the Adriatic coast – a mini “Tour de Slovenia” where you can choose the colour of your shirt and take things at your own pace.

You can see what else she recommends, along with the other 19 destinations – all chosen because of their inspiring conservation and community projects – here.

The holidays are over and while the days are getting longer we’re still going into deeper winter, so it might be a good idea to focus on some of the more enjoyable public events ahead in the next three months and make a note in your calendar.

If we missed anything you think we should include, no matter how small, then please send details to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

January 23 – 26: The BMW IBU World Cup Biathlon Pokljuka – details and tickets.

January 24 – 26: The Snow Castles of King Matjaž in Črna na Koroškem is a three-day family-friendly event with a focus on building snow castle, accompanied by a full entertainment programme. Details.

January 25: Ice Trophy on Jasna Lake. On this day “amateur and ex-pro ice hockey players will fight on the ice lake for one goal - winning the ICE TROPHY. Experience a unique and authentic sport and nature. All adult recreational players are welcome. In addition to the hockey competition, there will be a very varied accompanying program for families”. More details here and note that the whole thing is free.

January 29: February 1 GASTexpo Fair – Ljubljana, “offers various exhibitions, tastings, workshops, and competitions. The event includes wine fair with domestic and international wine offer. More information can be found here.”

January 29 – February 1^st: Natour Alpe-Adria Fair, the main tourist fair in Slovenia which promotes green, active tourism is back for it’s 31^st edition – details.

January 31 –2 February 6^th: Festival AS at Festival Hall Bled: “The AS International Music Festival is a saxophone-themed event addressing a wide audience, amateurs and professionals alike, with a vision of becoming the central event of its type in this part of Europe. It is duly named after Belgian instrument inventor Adolphe Sax, whose most famous invention is the saxophone itself.” More details here.

February 2: Kurent - korant's jump, Ptuj, the start of the Carnival season. “Shortly before midnight, crackers announce the arrival of the kurents at the scene where a big bonfire awaits them. At midnight, they put on bells and dance their first year’s dance around the fire.” More here.

February 2 – 6: Winter Ljubljana Festival: “The fourth, now traditional, edition of the festival with the accompaniment of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, will feature selected internationally renowned pianists and present the most beautiful piano and symphonic works from Beethoven's extensive music treasury.” Programme notes here.

February 3–9:  Winter Swimming World Championships, Lake Bled. Register or learn more here.

February 5 – 7: MENT, the international music showcase festival returns to Kino Šiška, with more details here.

February 15–25: The 60^th Kurentovanje Carnival starts and ends in  Ptuj, with the peak on the 23^rd and the International Carnival Parade.

February 15 – 16: Women's World Cup slalom and giant slalom races will be held at the 56th Golden Fox competition in Maribor. Tickets and times here.

February 22: Dragon Carnival in the Streets of Ljubljana “The Dragon carnival traditionally held in Ljubljana consists of a large Shrovetide carnival parade through the city's streets and a programme of entertainment held in the centrally located Kongresni trg square. The carnival parade includes, among others, a number of typical Slovenian carnival figures rooted in pagan tradition, such as 'kurent', 'laufar', 'morostar' and several others.”

February 22 – 23: FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Women will take place in Ljubno, with tickets here.

February 23: Carnival in Cerknica, home of witches, and also in Tržič and Bled and many other places, too.

February 25 Carnival in Kamnik (details).

24 February to 1 March the Festival of Mountain Film returns. The full programme will eventually be here (not at the time of writing).

March 7: The cutting of the oldest wine producing grape vine in the world will take place in Maribor, at 11am. Details.

March 11: St. Gregory's - Vuč u vodo, an event in which local children float their miniature houses down the Tržič Bistrica. The programme is enriched by an exhibition of the "gregorčki" houses lasting several days and numerous accompanying events.

March 14 – 15: Kranjska Gora will host the men's World Cup slalom and giant slalom races. Tickets.

March 20 – 21:  The International Chilli and Chocolate Festival in Maribor will bring sweetness and spice, with details here.

March 19–22: Perhaps the sporting event of the year for Slovenian viewers, the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Finals, in Planica, Kranjska Gora. Tickets.

STA, 12 November 2019 - Slovenian tourism is in for another record year in terms of arrivals and nights by foreign tourists, even if growth rates are slowing down in Slovenia and globally. And while some goals from the 2017-2021 national tourism strategy have already been achieved, there is still a lot to be done in terms of revenue and company restructuring.

Arrivals and nights by foreign tourists grew this year until August, by 7.1% and 3.5%, respectively, and revenue from foreign tourists rose by 3% to EUR 1.9 billion until the end of August, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek told the press in Ljubljana on Tuesday.

This means two goals were already achieved in 2018, arrivals and nights, he said at the Days of Slovenian Tourism, the main tourism industry event in the country.

However, "the main goal of the strategy is EUR 3.7-4 billion in revenue from foreign tourists, which means a lot of hard work until the end of this period," he added.

Compared to the baseline year 2016, revenue from foreign tourists rose by 24% to EUR 2.7 billion in 2018, and only by another 3% since last year.

?Na Dnevih slovenskega turizma o projektih in izzivih, ki bodo spreminjali prihodnost slovenskega turizma #DST2019
?Podrobnejši program so predstavili gostje na današnji novinarski konferenci v prostorih Grand Hotela Union.
?Več informacij➡️https://t.co/dX4cxtKRkk pic.twitter.com/UFBsog9bfW

— Slovenia Tourism (@tourism_slo) November 12, 2019

Počivalšek also presented some other priorities: efforts to restructure state-owned tourism companies; making hospitality legislation more flexible; and public calls.

He said everything had been done to prepare the ground for the transfer of ownership and management of state-owned tourism companies to a state-owned fund.

Nevertheless, the minister said it was hard to say when this would actually happen, noting a plurality of different interests.

As for legislation, he said the hospitality sector needed simpler and fresher legislation that would enable it to develop gastronomy.

The ministry is also planning new calls for applications to distribute EUR 5.5 million to leading destinations in the coming two years.

Three million euro will be available for new products, EUR 21 million to make tourist accommodation and restaurants energy efficient and another EUR 5 million for the same purpose for mountain cottages.

Počivalšek also said that in 2017-2018, the state spent EUR 17.3 million on 121 projects that should bring 185 new or upgraded tourist products plus 190 new jobs.

Speaking at the same news conference, Slovenian Tourism Association head Pavle Hevka stressed tourism was the most important sector of economy for Slovenia.

He believes it facilitates quality development to the capital city, as well other smaller and bigger towns, villages and even more remote parts of the country.

Slovenian Tourist Board (STO) director Maja Pak said the STO would continue to focus on digital advertising, working with journalists and influencers.

It will moreover present Slovenia at global tourist and other events, including Expo in Dubai and the Olympic Games in Tokyo, while also planning to use Slovenia's EU presidency in 2021 as a promotional opportunity. Gastronomy will also be an area in the focus in the next two years.

This year's Days of Slovenian Tourism are organised by all leading partners in the industry under the wing of the STO.

Ljubljana Free Tour has an eye-catching name, but what’s the business behind it, and does it really work? We sent some questions to the group, who were kind enough to answer.

Look for the yellow umbrellas

How long has Ljubljana Free Tour been running?

Since 2009. It was a difficult start as hotels would not work with us due to their belief that if something is free, it can’t be very good. We have over the years gained an impeccable reputation for quality, and today most hotels recommend us to their guests and call us as soon as they run out of fliers. Today free tours run 365 days a year, no booking is required. The service is always available regardless of weather.

Where did you get the idea from?

The Free Tour concept began in Berlin, in 2007. We were there that year and took a free tour not knowing what to expect. We were absolutely shocked .. not by the free concept, but by the quality of tour. The tour was engaging, informative, funny, fluid and simply changed our whole perception of “tours”. The guide had to work hard to earn their tips and did a great job.

Who are your guides?

All guides are local guides with a valid Slovene guiding license, a must in Slovenia. They are all academics and for many guiding is their second job. Our team includes university and college lecturers, academic researchers, school teachers, special education specialists, a sociologist, a historian, an archaeologist and even a street performer. They are all highly knowledgeable yet entertaining, true professionals who are able to deliver quality tours in an entertaining and fun manner. With over 3,000 reviews on TripAdviser alone, it is easy to see the great job they do.

How do they get paid?

On free tours guides earn only the tips they receive from guests. This ensures they will always do their best to deliver a great tour. The better they do the more they can earn. The sound of happy tourists applauding our guides can be heard across town on a daily basis. Contrary to belief, even though they make money by tips, all their earnings are properly declared.

You also organize paid tours – how are these different?

The idea is simple. Guests come on morning free tours, are impressed by the quality of tour they receive, and opt for a paid tour in the afternoon. At present, the only regularly running paid tour we have is the Communist Tour, which runs several times a week in season. In this case tourists arrive at the meeting point and pay €12 to participate in the tour. We know that without our reputation, no one would come. Like our free tours, no prior booking is required. We have enough guides on site to split large numbers into smaller groups. And of course, like any agency, we also offer various private tours in 10 different languages – including Russian, Chinese and Japanese. Private tours are mostly paid in advance.

Aside from the usual sights of Ljubljana, what else do you cover?

Our Classic City free tours visit the main tour sights in the centre and Old Town. However, it’s the structure, content and stories we deliver that differentiates us from other tours in town. There is so much to tell and we believe tours must give added value compared to guidebooks. Tours should be informative and fun.

In addition to the Classic City, we also offer an “Old Town & Castle” Free Tour which run several times a week in season. This tour visits further sights in the Old Town (beyond those on the classic city tour) and continues with a walk up to Ljubljana Castle, where we tour the inner courtyard and some towers.

In addition to classic city tours, we also offer niche tours such as the Communist Tour, Jewish Heritage Tour, boat tours and custom made tours for guests with specific interests.

Do you have any special plans for the winter season?

We are always checking options for adding new tours and have several tours ready in the drawer. Many consider us the best in town and we prefer to concentrate on what we do best … Ljubljana walking tours.

Where can people learn more?

For more information our website  would be a good place to start. Elsewhere, on TripAdvisor we’ve been ranked as #1 out of 155 tours in Ljubljana for about eight years in a row. We've even gained Hall of fame status for exceptional quality. I guess we can let over 3,000 reviews speak for themselves.

Anything else you’d like to say?

We believe what we do contributes greatly to the promotion of Ljubljana and Slovenia. Think of it, many of our participants are backpackers who would otherwise never go on a paid tour. Now, instead of simply wondering around town clueless or drinking away their afternoon, we take them on a historical trip of town, inject them with some local culture and infect them with a love for Ljubljana and the country as a whole. We make their visit better and they take that back home with them. It is wonderful promotion for Slovenia and assists in shaping the perception of the country abroad.

Forbes is the latest publication to turn it’s attention to Slovenia as a tourist destination, with a short article from Amber Gibson, an international travel writer rather than a local specialist.

Titled “Five Reasons to Visit Slovenia”, it’s the kind of thing that anyone who knows the country will try and write in their head before reading. Bled, surely, will make the list, and likely Ana Ros and Hiša Franko. Ljubljana too, of course, but what will be highlighted in the city, and will there be anything that falls under the category of hidden gem? (A term that, we’re glad to report, isn’t used once in the story.)

Gibson’s guide in the county was Vesna Jona, who notes that Slovenia is less Balkan than the other ex-Yugoslavian states, saying “We work hard like Germans, but we like to eat and drink like Italians”.

We’ll leave you to click through and see the full details of the tourist offer that’s being presented to Forbes’ readers, under the headings of Outdoor Adventure, Castles, Caves, Fine Dining, and Food & Wine, but see if you can guess what you’ll find there.

STA, 26 September 2019 - The Slovenian tourism sector is scrambling to find alternatives after Adria Airways suspended operations, leading to hundreds of immediate cancellations and raising the prospect of significant long-term damage.

A meeting was held in Ljubljana Wednesday featuring hoteliers, shuttle operators, major convention venues, the Slovenian Tourist Board and the Economy Ministry.

"The goal was to find solutions in the given situation, with drastically reduced air access putting guest arrivals at risk and jeopardising even finalised business events," said Visit Ljubljana, the capital's tourism office.

Media reports suggest there have been dozens of cancellations daily in Ljubljana hotels since Adria grounded its flights on Tuesday.

Foreign guests account for over 95% of all hotel nights in Ljubljana, with roughly two-thirds coming to the city by air, according to Visit Ljubljana figures.

While many do come through airports in neighbouring countries, Ljubljana is the main entry point and Adria accounted for about half of all passengers there.

Ljubljana is also a major convention tourism destination and the lack of direct air links could hurt the sector. "In the first half of 2020 alone this could have a negative impact on three major international conventions with over a thousand participants each," Visit Ljubljana said.

Adria's woes could prove to be a boon for nearby airports in neighbouring countries, which expect passenger numbers to rise.

Zagreb Airport told the STA it expected the number of business guests to increase, while Trieste Airport said it had seen an uptick in the number of guests flying to Munich and Frankfurt.

Munich and Frankfurt were two of the most lucrative destinations for Adria.

Adria's grounding left roughly 3,700 passengers stranded on Tuesday and Wednesday, when 158 flights were cancelled.

Today and tomorrow almost 200 flights have been cancelled, affecting about 10,000 passengers.

All out stories in Adria are here

STA, 4 September 2019 - Slovenia is up five spots in the latest biannual global Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, standing at 36th place among the 140 countries surveyed by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek commented on the improvement by saying that Slovenia was on the right track in the field of tourism.

In the 2019 survey, Slovenia scored an average of 4.3 out of seven points based on assessments in 14 elements of competitiveness in four key categories - enabling environment, tourism policy and enabling conditions, infrastructure and natural and cultural resources; two years ago, it placed 41st among 136 countries, down two spots from the 2015 survey, scoring an average of 4.18 points.

Slovenia fared the best in environmental sustainability, placing 8th, while standing in 15th place in terms of security. In infrastructure of road and maritime transport, the country is 20th, in natural resources in 26th, in tourism infrastructure in 27th and in importance of tourism in 33rd place.

In the field of tourism policy and the state of conditions for development, Slovenia placed 18th, which the Slovenian Tourism Board (STO) mostly attributes to the growth in importance of tourism.

Minister Počivalšek said as he commented on the report, released on Monday, that it proved Slovenia was on the right track. "We have an adequate strategy, good tourist services and rich natural and cultural heritage, which facilitates a successful sustainable development of tourism," he was quoted as saying by the STO.

The minister is the most proud of the report noting that Slovenia "remains the most competitive economy in the subregion".

Spain, France and Germany remain on the top of the travel and tourism competitiveness rankings, followed by Japan, the US, the UK, Australia, Italy, Canada and Switzerland.

The full report can be found here

The luxury travel advisors Virtuoso, “the leading global network of agencies specializing in luxury and experiential travel”, has given out 18 awards to destination, cruise and lifestyle partners who it sees as offering outstanding products and services, as well as excellent collaboration with its members, in the areas of boutique and top quality tourism.

The winners cover the world, from the US to Oceania, with the Slovenian Tourist Board (Slovenske turistične organizacije - STO) picking up an award for Hottest Destination of the Year. STO was also nominated for the title of Tourism Board of the Year, which it lost to Switzerland.

The awards were given out as part of Virtuoso Travel Week, which takes place in Las Vegas between 10 and 16 August, and provides a venue for more than 6,000 tourism professionals to meet, make connections and do business, with the STO scheduled to have more than 230 meetings at the event.

Great news from Las Vegas and #VirtuosoTravel Week @Virtuoso
?#Slovenia (Slovenian Tourist Board) has been recognized as the Hottest Destination of the Year?#ifeelslovenia #award #tourism #sloveniantouristboard pic.twitter.com/uwaDi1i3SU

— Slovenia Tourism (@tourism_slo) August 12, 2019

All our travel and tourism stories are here