Lonely Planet Slovenia

Average customer rating:

Gianni Italy
Still the best guide to Slovenia
Terribly updated and poorly organized
Slovenia through pink-colored glasses
Erratic and Outdated

Lonely Planet Slovenia
Steve Fallon
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1741044804

Book Description

Learn how Lake Bled escapted being drained and having its clay made into bricks, p.110. Hit the piste with the people who invented skiing 400 years ago, p.44. Frock up in sheepskins, horns and feathers - and get away with it - at Kurentovanje, p.235. Discover why the dragons on Zmajski Most wag their tails when some people pass, p.69. The original English-language guide to Slovenia; 12 years of in-country expertise; 58 maps. Expanded coverage and practical information on activities indoor, outdoor and underwater. Leading Slovenian literay figure, Andrej Blatnik, discusses punk rock and football. Content updated daily: visit lonelyplanet.com for up-to-the-minute reviews, updates and traveller suggestions.

Customer Reviews:

Gianni Italy.......2005-06-18

Lots of news and helpful book to read if you are going to visit this country.
I reccomand it to everyone!

Still the best guide to Slovenia.......2004-12-09

I took this book with me on a trip to Slovenia in September-October 2004, when it was hot off the presses. My travels didn't cover the whole country, just the western half, so I can't speak for all of the book's recommendations. But, in general, I found it immensely helpful, both for planning my trip and for day-to-day guidance while traveling. Some comments:

1. Slovenia's currency hasn't stabilized yet, so expect prices to vary upward, especially now that the Euro is so high against the dollar. Big deal; it's still a comparatively inexpensive country. (I went to a rip-off-the-tourists but very good restaurant in Ljubljana, had a full dinner and a half-liter of wine -- and my total bill was $20!)
2. The famous disappearing Lake Cerknicka does indeed disappear for a large part of the year, so it's likely that all you'll see is a bumpy plain covered with grass. On a related subject, the Soca River valley is beautiful, but in the fall the water is low, so anyone expecting a kayaker's paradise would be disappointed.
3. Renting a car is expensive, and the train and bus system, while not perfect, is still very good. So I used this book to plan ahead: I took public transportation most of the time, then rented a car for one day to visit some areas that are difficult or impossible any other way (e.g., the church at Hrastovlje, which is amazing even if you're not a fan of medieval religious art).
4. The church of St. John the Baptist near Lake Bohinj, with the interesting medieval wall paintings, is closed for repairs, completion date uncertain. However, if you walk up the road to Stara Fuzina, the church there has some arguably medieval paintings in the front porch; it's a lovely walk, too, and you can continue on to Studor and admire the antique hayracks.
5. I totally agree with the book's description of the Skocjan Caves: I'm not a big fan of caves, but these were special, and fully worth the effort. (The tour requires considerable walking and step-climbing, so it's not for the weak or the faint-hearted.) The bus access to the site is poor, but some tour companies run day trips from Ljubljana, and the prices I saw were pretty reasonable.
6. The book's restaurant recommendations are generally excellent: Delfin, in Piran, has the best grilled squid on the planet, and the mussels aren't bad either.
7. Fall can be rainy: I encountered a couple of wet, chilly days that made me wish I'd brought waterproof shoes and a heavier raincoat. But, the rest of the time, it was warm enough that I wore sandals.
8. In the fall, many museums and other sights cut back their hours drastically, so be sure to check before you go, especially if a long trip is involved. (I arrived too late for the day's last tour of Sneznik Castle; on the other hand, I visited the Dormouse Museum -- which is utterly mad and not to be missed -- and hung out in the pub next door with the locals practicing their English on me, and that was way more fun than seeing some rich German family's old furniture!)

Terribly updated and poorly organized.......2004-09-27

Slovenia review.

We traveled for two weeks in Slovenia in August 2004, one month after the publish date for this current edition. Lonely Planet putting a 2004 date on this book is egregious; most information was completely out of date. We found prices to be off by as much as 50%, some hotels and restaurants were non-existent, and tourist offices had moved. The amount of inaccuracies were far too great for a one-month-old book, even allowing for several months of "print time."

Additionally, the organization of the book was terrible. The chapters of the book were aligned to Slovenia's political jurisdictions instead of organizing the content by the country's regions that a visitor would be interested in. For example, the Julian Alps information was split into two chapters (nonconsecutive), each of which were not limited to the Julian Alps. The Karst region, likewise, was split across two unrelated chapters (one of which had some of the above Julian Alps information.) So using this book requires endless flipping back and forth, and scouring the insufficient index. Perhaps most frustrating was that Slovenia is best visited by private car (limited train service, decreasing bus routes), and while so many other Lonely Planet volumes are organized in a linear manner, as if driving, this one was not.

Slovenia has so many wonderful tourist information centers with great free booklets on accommodations and attractions, and the staff is unbelievably friendly. If the author had only updated his listings with this free information, this book would be more useful. However, armed with this knowledge, you can make good use of the information from these centers, and choose a guidebook with more colorful writing (such as Rough Guide) to take with you, passing on this poorly organized and outdated book.

Slovenia through pink-colored glasses.......2002-02-24

If this third edition of Lonely Planet Slovenia is anything like the first, it warrants a complete overhaul of the section entitled "WW II & the Partisan Struggle." Much misinformation has been disseminated since the end of that war, and only recently has the truth emerged concerning the true patriots of Slovenia. It is obvious that the author was given false and outdated information, and he therefore unwittingly perpetuates the myth of the Slovenian "collaborators."

Erratic and Outdated.......2001-06-06

Slovenia has changed greatly since it declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Unfortunately, the 1998 edition of this book hasn't always kept up. If anyone ever publishes a more recent English language guidebook to Slovenia, I recommend also buying that one.

The book contains information and opinions that are sometimes incomplete, incorrect or mystifying. An example (p. 147) is referring to the Church of St. John the Baptist on Lake Bohinj as "the most beautiful and evocative church in all of Slovenia." Wrong. This church "evokes" only amazement and disbelief, as its poor condition makes it look almost abandoned. There are many more worthwhile churches to visit in Ljubljana alone, but at least there is still the lake to visit while you're there.

Another example of this book's misleading and/or outright incorrect information is a description (p. 261) of the Three Parishes churches at Rosalnice. These are characterized as "important pilgrimage sites for seven centuries," and detailed instructions are provided where to go "for lunch or a snack." Wrong again. The churches were run-down, closed and badly in need of repair. The recent dates on the gravestones in the cemetary make it appear to be a nice locally used area, hardly an "important pilgrimage site." The place "for lunch or a snack" served only drinks, leaving you tired, hungry and miles from any food. You must drive a long way from almost anywhere to reach this site near the Croatian border, and are likely to be disappointed. The reality of the place bears little resemblance to the beautiful picture of the three churches opposite page 257, which shows the churches in much better condition than they currently are.

This book has many shortcomings, but its successes can be spectacular. My wife and I would not have found our hotel, the delightful Pension Lieber (p.101) without it. Of course, both the phone and fax number for that hotel in the book are incorrect, an early warning about the book, but persevering through telephone recordings in Slovenian and English to get the correct information was worth it.

The book also has invaluable information about the city of Idrija. Their lace, which is featured on several of their postage stamps, is beautiful, relatively inexpensive, is lightweight, will easily fit in your suitcase and you won't have to worry about it breaking in flight. Follow his instructions where to buy it on page 179. The same city also features a specialized food with the unpronounceable and unappetizing name of "zlikrofi." Follow his instructions on page 179 to the Kos restaurant, point at the word "zlikrofi" in this book, and you will get a fabulous meal that it is highly unlikely you would discover without this book.

Slovenia is rapidly modernizing its road system. So, when driving in Slovenia you never know at the start of a trip whether you'll enjoy world class roads, have ordinary roads, or experience frustrating delays from roads that badly need modernizing. It's just like using this book.

Lonely Planet Best of Ljubljana (Lonely Planet Best of Series)

Average customer rating:

Lonely Planet Best of Ljubljana (Lonely Planet Best of Series)
Fionn Davenport
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

Serbia & Slovenia | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Lonely Planet | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Lonely Planet Slovenia
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ASIN: 1741048249

Book Description

Beat the crowds and the hype to sweet Ljubljana. Browse from antiques and crafts, then treat yourself to divine cake in a frescoed teahouse. Wander along cobbled streets, past elaborately painted buildings, through parks and over Triple Bridge. At night, catch a gig at artist commune Metelkova, or unwind in a designer bar. Discover why people can't help falling for `beloved' Ljubljana with this discerning guide.

o DIVERSE NIGHTLIFE- hanpicked hipster bars, old-style cafes, live music venues and an eclectic mix of festivals o UNIQUE DINNING- candid reviews of the best spots for nouveau-Slovene cusine, beef goulash and yes , horse burgers o TO MARKET, TO MARKET- we show you the best markets and shops for Art Nouveau antiques, Idrija lace and painted beehive panels o EASY-TO-USE MAP - grid-referenced fold-out maps help you get the most out of this pedestrian-friendly city

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