Slovenia or Slovakia
 

Here's a stupid question - I once saw a travel show on TV and they were at the most delightful looking place but I can't remember if it was Slovenia or Slovakia. It had great little sidewalk cafes, a beautiful historical looking city, and wonderful natural scenery too. Any hints? Thanks!

Sounds like Slovenia, but why not check the official tourist websites for each country?

LJUBLJANA Slovenia...it is wonderful......it has touches of Paris/Prague.
Slovenia is a beautiful country...very easy to get around.....and english spoken everywhere we went!!

Yes, Slovenia is worth your time and is an easy addition to any trip to Venice or even Vienna.

I have toured in both countries, and both have sidewalk cafes, a historic city, and natural scenery, as you describe them. I see that your three correspondents saw and liked Slovenia (as I did), but wonder whether that have also seen Slovakia. I second Laverendrye?s idea of looking at the official web sites. A big point may be that costs in Slovakia are a third of costs in Slovenia.

If I generalise, I should say that Slovenia is more modern, more recently designed than Slovakia (better dressed, with good Art Nouveau buildings), and has more people who speak English (in Slovakia these are mostly the educated young). Slovakia gives a more spacious feeling, with two fine gothic city centres, Bratislava and Kosice, and a dozen handsome Baroque town centres to perhaps six of that quality in Slovenia. Slovakia has two main sets of mountains, the high and the low Tatra, while Slovenia has one, the Julian Alps. Slovenia has a small coast: Slovakia has none, but has a good lake resort to the north east. Slovakia has more trains, cheaper and with more restaurant cars, than Slovenia. Bratislava is near Vienna as Ljubljana is fairly near Venice: each takes a night on a train from Frankfurt or Munich.

Please write if I can help further.

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Are you sure it wasn't Lower Slobbovia?