Why go
The Julian Alps, Kamnik-Savinja Alps and Karavanke define the mountainous north, while the Karst turns attention underground. Farther east, the Pannonian plain opens toward Hungary and Croatia. Knowing these broad divisions helps you choose landscapes before linking individual towns and attractions.
The full story
Slovenia lies where the Alps, the Dinarides, the Pannonian Plain and the Mediterranean meet. Its Adriatic shore runs between Italy and Croatia, but much of the interior is hilly or mountainous. Forests of beech, fir and oak are a major part of that inland landscape; remnants of primeval woodland survive in the Kočevje area. The name Karst comes from the Kras plateau, whose limestone contains underground rivers, caves and gorges. Postojna and Škocjan are named examples of this terrain. Traditional regional names add another layer to the map: Gorenjska, Dolenjska and Notranjska refer to parts of Carniola, while Štajerska and Koroška preserve other historical identities. Goriška and Slovenska Istra together form the Slovene Littoral. Bela krajina has its own identity within the broader Lower Carniolan area. These cultural regions do not simply follow the boundaries of the four great landscapes.