Ljubljana means in Slovenian language almost ‘beloved’ (ljubljena), a name this city deserves to the fullest. You might be surprised when experiencing the undeniable Mediterranean spirit in Slovenia and particularly its capital Ljubljana. The atmosphere in the most Northern capital of the former Republic of Yugoslavia has certainly an Italian twist with great restaurants serving delicious pastas, pizzas and seafood, and many open air terraces where to the whole city seems to gather during late summer nights. Of all former Yugoslavian regions Slovenia was always the wealthiest region. And if not the clean streets, the well organized infrastructure and good service in hotels and restaurants will remind you of Austria or Switzerland than certainly the beautiful mountain lakes and high Alps peaks nearby will do. On top of that all, goes the traditional Balkan hospitality and talent to party hard and the conclusion is simple: Ljubljana offers the best of three worlds. Ljubljana is not only the political and economic heart of the country, it is also very rich in cultural respect. It is home to one of Europe's oldest philharmonic societies and offers a great variety of museums and contemporary arts galleries showing interesting work of local and international artists. Ljubljana is the birthplace of the country’s most celebrated architect, Joze Plecnik, whose influence you can find back in the beautifully designed buildings, squares and bridges which are spanning the emerald-green Ljubljanica River. The large offer of striking monuments and magnificent art nouveau and art deco style buildings will astonish even the most spoilt architecture-lover. On the hill a medieval castle looks over the city, contributing to the city’s fairy-tale atmosphere which is also expressed by a dragon, the city’s symbol which is depicted on many flags fluttering from bridges and buildings. Ljubljana is small and compact which will enable you to see most of its attractions in short time. Also the country’s small size is an advantage since you are just one hour from everything, either it will be the popular and well maintained Slovenian ski resorts during winter or the short but lovely Slovenian coastline during summer.