When in Slovenia, do like the Slovenians…  

Submitted by Sylvia Pišorn

Below are some tips, tricks, and fun facts to help you plan a trip to Slovenia –

• You need to bring your own grocery bags to stores.  Bags are sometimes available for purchase.
• Weights and measures are metric.  When buying cold-cuts, ten decagrams (10 dkg or 100 grams) of ham usually contains about 7 to 12 slices.  Wine and juices are ordered in 1 deciliter (dl) or 2 dl sizes (about 4 ounces and 7 ounces).
• Gasoline is currently at 1.6 euros per liter.   While that may not sound expensive, that translates to $6 per gallon!
• Local roads tend to be about 1 ½ lanes wide, requiring autos to find a wider area to pass or drive onto the adjacent grass or dirt.  Drivers are polite about this. 
• When entering and exiting a store or restaurant it is appropriate to say hello (dober dan) and goodbye (na svidenje) near the door.
• There is a small bife pronounced bee-FEH  (cafe) at nearly every business (shopping strip, tire shop, grocery store, library, nursing home, etc.).  Each has only a few tables, since there are so many cafes.  It is not unusual to invite a friend you bump into in town for impromptu 15 minute chat over coffee.
• Coffee comes in great variety and is prepared using coffee machines, even at small cafes.  Some are espresso (concentrated shot of black coffee), podaljšan espresso (lengthened by running more water through machine), macciato (espresso shot stained with warm milk froth), cappuccino (espresso topped with steamed milk and thick milk foam), latte macchiato (hot milk with espresso shot poured over top), bela kava (latte served in large cup with a lot of steamed milk), and kava z mlekom (espresso in a medium cup, with steamed milk and a thin layer of foam).
• The smallest paper money denomination is 5 euros.  One- and two-euro denominations are coins.  In 2026, the euro is worth $1.17.  To make a rough conversion from euro prices, multiply by 1.2 to get cost in dollars.  A 2€ coffee costs roughly $2.40.
• Commas are decimal points and decimal points are commas.   So shoes costing 50,99 euros just over 50 euros.  A car costing 35.690,00 euros is just over 35 thousand euros.  
• The store Aldi in Slovenia is known as Hofer, and carts can be rented for a 1 euro coin.
• Bank checks are no longer used in Slovenia.   ATMs are widely used, as are credit cards (Visa and Mastercard preferred).
• Bags of ice are now available at most gas stations.  Only 40 years ago, it was believed drinking cold drinks brought on colds.  On hot days, the waiter would ask if you wanted one or two ice cubes in your drink (and they were mini cubes).  
• The baking aisle in a grocery store has roughly 15 to 25 different kinds of flour, categorized by grain type and ash (mineral) content numbers (such as Tip 400, 500, 850, and 1250) or granulation (fine vs. coarse). 
• Air conditioning is still maintained at about 77 deg F, if available.  It is not considered healthy to have air blowing on you, as drafts can result in colds. 
• Toasting is done by raising glasses and saying “Na zdravje!” (meaning “to health”).  When clinking glasses, it is traditional to look the other person directly in the eye.  Folklore says failing to do so brings bad luck, and is considered rude.
• You may see a mlaj, a tall pine tree stripped bare of bark and branches except at the top — with a number 40, 50, 60, or 70 on it, with ribbons hanging from the top.  This designates that someone at the home is celebrating a “round” birthday.  For females, the mlaj is often replaced with a large wooden daisy.  
• When celebrating your birthday, you prepare the party, and invite and treat your friends. 
• If you are invited to a Slovenian home, don’t be surprised to be asked to take off your shoes and be given slippers. This practice keeps homes clean and ensures feet stay warm.  This is a deeply rooted Slovenian tradition.
• At the restaurant, each person gets his own plate-sized pizza, other than družinska (family-size). 
• Pizza places offer kečap (ketchup) which is extra pizza sauce in a bottle.
• Hazelnuts are to Slovenians what peanuts are to Americans.  Hazelnuts are featured in pastries, made into spreads, and pair well with chocolate.
• Since 1750 Slovenians have grown pumpkins — not for Halloween but to make pumpkin seed oil.  Chefs throughout the world source pumpkin seed oil from Slovenia for its rich, nutty taste.  The oil appears green in thin layers and red in thick layers.  The nutrient-packed oil benefits hair growth, prostate health, heart function, and skin hydration.   And it tastes great over vanilla ice cream – who’d have thought?
• Looking for the restrooms?  Ask for the WC (pronounced Veh-Tseh).  Even though there is no W in the Slovenian alphabet, WC is standard signage for “water closet”, the original name given to a toilet in England. 
• Slovenia has roughly 3,000 churches, chapels, and sacred religious buildings (along with thousands of additional wayside shrines). This is one of the highest densities of churches per capita in Europe. Nearly every hill, ridge, or small village features a distinct hilltop church or chapel. 
• The Greek mythological hero Jason and his Argonauts apparently founded Ljubljana.  After stealing the Golden Fleece, they sailed up major rivers into the Ljubljana marshlands, where Jason fought and killed a swamp monster. That is why the dragon has become a symbol of the city.  There’s also a legend that when a virgin crosses the Dragon Bridge, the dragons start wagging their tails.  
• Slovenia is perhaps the only country with a national public holiday dedicated to celebrating its national culture and language. February 8th is Prešeren Day (Prešernov dan) in honor of France Prešeren, Slovenia’s greatest 19th-century poet. 
• The statue of Prešeren in the main square of Ljubljana is positioned so he faces the building at Wolfova ulica 4, the home of his unrequited love, Julija.  Her relief sculpture is mounted on the facade of the building as though she were looking out her window back at Prešeren. 
•  The national anthem is actually a toast to peace, equality, and friendly coexistence of all people and nations of the world from Preseren’s poem “A Toast”.