Celebrate Slovenia’s Jubilee Year

Ptuj SloveniaThis year, 2011, marks the 20 year anniversary of Slovenia’s declaration of independence from Yugoslavia.  There is no better time to visit this jewel in Eastern Europe’s crown.  The whole year will see many special events, the adoption of new visions for development and a huge celebration to which the whole world is invited.  A very special part in these gatherings will be played by Slovenian expatriates and their descendants – the biggest such gathering in Slovenian territory is planned for early July.

This year the Slovenian Tourist board plans to make it easier for Slovenians, their descendants and friends to visit Slovenia, through numerous special offers and discounts.  To ensure that Slovenians, their descendants and friends throughout the world know about these offers, details are posted on the Slovenia.info website.  The website, which posts special tourist deals and packages for expatriates, emigrants and their nearest and dearest, has also organised a forum for impression of relatives and former citizens.  The Slovenian Tourist Board has even put together the special packages in cooperation with a range of tour operators, and will be continuously updating them.  We can’t wait to get there, neither should you!

For more information visit www.slovenia.info – book a deal now!

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Top 10 Styles Baltic Fashion Catwalk Berlin Fashion Week AW11

The theme to the Usedom Baltic Fashion Catwalk held at Berlin Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2011 was from the Bath Tub for the Berliners to the Fashion Island of the Baltic Sea. The show has been a platform for designers from the Baltic region for more than 10 years.  The show featured: Marita Huurinainen (Finland) – Wave and Poems;  Agnese Narnicka (Latvia) – Coming Soon; Grosser Heinrich (Germany) – Blue – the foxes of August 2nd; Zanete Auzina (Latvia) – The Dream. Show”; and Sandra Straukaite (Lithuania).  Check out our favourite top ten looks from the show below…

Auzina

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The Auzina collection was positively ruffle-tastic!

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Top 10 Styles Romanian Designers at Berlin Fashion Week A/W11

Romanian Designers at Berlin Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2011 to showcase fashion, interior, graphic and web designers’ talent.  Irina Schrotter, Lucian Broscatean, Andreea Musat and Alina Botea all showed their autumn/winter collections on the Berlin catwalk.  Check out our top ten looks below…

Alina Botea

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Alina Botea's collection was fabulously delicate and feminine

For more information visit www.romaniandesigners.com

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Take a Short Break in Medieval Slovenia this New Year

Obviously, Slovenia is one of my favourite countries in which to holiday so I was excited to hear that for 2011, specialist tour operator, Just Slovenia, is offering short breaks over New Year to the pretty, medieval town of Radovljica, where the fourth generation of the Štiherle family welcomes guests to the charming Kunstelj inn for traditional celebrations and gourmet dining.

With its classic architecture, pavement cafes, healthy sub-alpine climate, several interesting museums, plus numerous footpaths, Radovljica has much to offer visitors, including spectacular views of the majestic Julian Alps, Mount Triglav and the River Sava running through the valley below. It is also just 10 minutes’ drive from picturesque Bled, where pletna boat rides across the stunning lake, kremsnita cream cakes and the 17th century castle are among the attractions.

On New Year’s Eve, visitors to the historic Kunstelj inn, where guests have been welcomed since 1873, will enjoy a delicious five-course gourmet dinner. Then it’s off for a drink or two and some live music and singing in the local bars, or maybe a short drive to Bled where food stalls, music and a firework display will help to see in 2011 in style.

Based on two people departing on 30 December for three nights, the price of £488 per person includes return flights from Stansted to Ljubljana, car hire, bed & breakfast, a welcome drink, three gourmet meals including dinner on New Year’s Eve and a traditional Slovene meal on New Year’s Day.

For further information, visit www.justslovenia.co.uk or telephone 01373 814230

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Why You Should Visit Dubrovnik this Winter

The Unesco World Heritage City of Dubrovnik in Croatia is a popular summer holiday destination, however, there are lots of reasons to visit in the winter too.  For one, during December the city shines with magical decorations and sparkles with fairy lights, creating the atmosphere of a fairy-tale renaissance city. In this month of gift giving a fabulous Christmas Fair takes place. Traditional handicrafts, Christmas decorations, candles, toys, glassware, embroidery, ceramics, porcelain and all the objects which the artists’ hands manufactured for Christmas are displayed. While caterers offer Christmas cookies, sweet delicacies, mulled wine, bruštulani mjenduli (candied almonds), and traditional Dubrovnik sweet delicacies including kontonjata (quince cheese), mantala (must cheese), prikle (doughnuts), hrostule (deep fried biscuits) and other delicacies prepared for this holiday time. To the accompaniment of Christmas songs, the fair will be opened from St Nicolas’ Day to Epiphany.

Then, on New Year’s Eve, 31 December, the musicians of Dubrovnik see the old year out with traditional Dubrovnik carols and a music programme lasting all day, which will be the best possible introduction to the wildest night. Numerous visitors to Dubrovnik begin the New Year 2011 entertained by Croatian stars. The finale is the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra’s New Year’s concert in the Stradun on 1 January 2011. The orchestra will perform the most beautiful operatic pieces that will additionally enhance the unforgettable New Year’s fun in Dubrovnik.

So this winter, head to Croatia to enjoy a very different break in Dubrovnik!

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Winter Warmer: Spicy Bulgarian Tomato Casserole

This recipe is traditionally eaten during the hottest days of the year in Southern Bulgaria. However, I like to use plenty of paprika so it makes a great hearty, warming side dish for those cold winter days.  Serve with a sprinkling of parsley as garnish and a dollop of sour cream.

Ingredients

40ml olive oil

Handful of fresh flat leaf parsley

1kg of firm ripe tomatoes

1 tsp caster sugar

45g white breadcrumbs

1 tbsp paprika

Seasoning

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C

Grease a baking dish with 1 tbsp of oil

Sprinkle the dish with a generous helping of chopped parsley

Slice the tomatoes and arrange in the dish so they overlap

Thracian tomato bake

Sprinkle the tomatoes with seasoning and sugar

Mix breadcrumbs together with remaining oil and paprika

Sprinkle breadcrumb mix over top of tomatoes

Thracian tomato bake

Cover dish with foil

Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking

Thracian tomato bake

Garnish with a sprinkling of parsley and serve with a dollop of sour cream

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Enjoy a Magical Christmas in the Czech Republic

Czech RepublicIf you want to get yourself in the mood for Christmas then why not head to the Czech Republic to enjoy a little festive cheer? Festivities begin on the 28th November when Christmas trees are lit up on town squares, cities are covered in Christmas decoration and the craft markets open.  There is no more magical Christmas tree in the world than that at Prague Castle. While if you want to get your Christmas shopping done, there is an abundance of unusual gifts available at the traditional craft markets.  There are displays of old Czech crafts such as woodcarving of sculptures and wooden kitchen utensils, making of straw Christmas ornaments and straw dolls, pottery, beeswax candles, original jewellery, and glass Christmas-tree decorations. A little bell made on the spot by a blacksmith in their stall could be an original Czech souvenir. Should you become hungry while shopping taste some traditional delicacies. Those with a sweet tooth will certainly enjoy the ‘trdelník’ (sweet pastry made from rolled dough usually topped with sugar and walnut mix) or roasted chestnuts. Visitors prefering something more savoury can try some meat dishes such as various kinds of sausages accompanied with Czech bread. And finally to keep yourself warm purchase a hot drink – a cup of mead, mulled wine or punch are typical for this time of year. For those who want to celebrate the religious nature of the holiday season there are thousands of nativity scenes displayed around the Czech Republic in the Advent time. Even live nativity scenes with real donkey and sheep can be seen on squares. The Czech Republic also has several museums that specifically focus on nativity scenes. Probably the most famous “Mecca” of nativity scenes is Třebechovice pod Orebem.  The collections of this museum include over 300 nativity scenes created from various materials, the most prized of which is Probošt’s mechanical nativity scene. It is created from more than 2,000 mechanical parts.  The Museum of Paper Crèches in Zábrdí u Husince in Southern Bohemia is undoubtedly worth seeing. There are around 800 paper crèches created all around the world. The biggest crèche measures almost 4 metres, while the smallest can fit in a matchbox. The museum is open all year round and admission is free. Christmas in the Czech Republic also means listening to Christmas and Advent melodies. This year people will sing carols together on Pilsen’s main square on the 15th December. As with every year it will be the largest mass carolling in the Czech Republic. Czech Christmas is inherently connected with the Czech Christmas Mass by Jakub Jan Ryba, Czech composer from the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. The Estates Theatre in Prague will present this work, also known as Hail, Master! on the 19th December. Then on 25th December you will have the opportunity to listen to the Czech Christmas Mass played by the Prague Chamber Orchestra in the Church of St. Simon and St. Jude on Dušní Street in Prague. The Prague State Opera will also be performing classical Czech Christmas pieces for its audiences. The Kühn Children’s Choir will sing songs from the works of Bohuslav Martinů, Vítězslav Novák, Zdeněk Lukáš, Petr Eben and Václav Trojan. For that final bit of cultural magic, take some time to visit the Czech castles and chateaux, such as Křivoklát, which are open to public during Christmas time. From the 1st December, visitors will also be able visit the Museum of Nativity Scenes. You can enjoy the festive atmosphere at Loket Castle as well on the 10th and 11th December when the traditional craft markets will take place at the castle courtyard.Then on the 18th December let yourself be enchanted by Baroque atmosphere of Wallenstein-style Christmas at the Mnichovo Hradiště chateau. Alternatively, special Christmas tours are prepared from 26th to 31th December at the chateau in Horšovský Týn. Christmas tours are also held on the first three Advent weekends at the Hořovice Chateau. You will be welcomed by guides in costumes who will relate to you the history of Christmas, its traditions, and Advent. Need to get into the Christmas spirit?  Get yourself to the Czech Republic!  You’ll be willingly partaking in festive cheer in no time!

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Great Value Ski Accommodation in Slovenia

If you are looking for a winter sports experience with a difference, then head to Slovenia where two new self catering properties have been launched by Slovenian Retreats in the Julian Alps area, close to Kranjska Gora, Slovenia’s best known ski-resort and home to annual world cup slalom and ski-jumping events.

Villas Planina and Nebina offer great value ski accommodation for either those looking for individual apartments or for big groups of up to 20 people wishing to hire out the whole properties.  Villa Planina is situated on the edge of the charming rustic village of Ratece. Each apartment within the villa are finished to an extremely high quality, with luxury features such as underfloor heating, flat screen TVs, DVD players, wireless internet and a shared pool table and ping pong table, as well as a kid’s communal soft play area. The villa is situated in a unique location with uninterrupted panoramic views from each apartment towards the Julian Alps and snow capped peaks of Jalovec and Mojstrovka mountains. Local facilities in the village offer a range of restaurants, traditional taverns (or ‘gostlinas’) and a supermarket, and the villa is just a five minute drive from central Kranjska Gora or even less to the slopes at Podkoren. Prices start from €60 (Euros) per night for a loft apartment sleeping between two and four people and based on a minimum stay of three nights.

Villa Planina

Villa Nebina has been designed in more of a ‘farmhouse style’ holiday rental property and has been reconstructed on the site of a farmhouse originally built over 150 years ago in the traditional Slovenian village of Ratece, just 5 minutes drive away from Kranjska Gora. The property includes four apartments and many of the original features of the building, such as vaulted ceilings and a traditional enclosed wooden balcony, have been retained at this high quality accommodation. The four apartments are furnished and equipped to an extremely high standard with alpine solid wood furnishings seamlessly combined with contemporary facilities such as flat screen TVs & DVDs. Apartment three has its own balcony access and other apartments have shared balcony access – with magnificent mountain panoramas. Prices start from €60 (Euros) per night for a ground floor apartment sleeping between three and five people and based on a minimum stay of three nights.

Villa Nebina

A Special Launch Offer from €69 per person, per week is available for house parties – Villa Planina can sleep between 12 and 20 people and Villa Nebina can sleep between 12 and 18 people so both offer great value ski accommodation for big groups. If you wish to get a discount on renting the whole of either Villa Planina or Nebina, then there is a special launch offer available. An offer of seven nights for the price of six is available if you book the whole of Villa Planina or Nebina for a week.

So, a week hiring out the whole of Villa Planina would start from €1,380 (discounted from €1,610) – this works out at just €69 per person, per week based on 20 people sharing – and for the whole of Villa Nebina it would start at €1,740 (discounted from €2,030)- this works out at just €97 per person, per week based on 18 people sharing. This offer is not valid for New Year.

Flights from London Stansted to Ljubljana with Easyjet are priced from £22.99 per person, or from London Gatwick with Adria. Another airport within an hour’s drive of both villas include Klagenfurt in Austria (serviced by Ryanair).

To make a booking call 0208 123 2898 or for further information go to www.slovenianretreats.com or email info@slovenianretreats.com

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Gossip to Get Ischgl Rocking this Ski Season

Gossip

I was lucky enough to visit Iscghl for the first time this summer.  However, the resort is most renowned for its fabulous ski opportunities, not to mention its opening ski season concert for a staggering 20,000 people.  It has been announced that this year, on Saturday 27 November, indie rock band Gossip will take to the stage to kick off Ischgl’s ski season.  The concert will take place in an outdoor arena in the shadows of the Silvretta mountains.  Gossip will join the Hall of Fame for Ischgl’s Top of the Mountain concerts, alongside Katy Perry, Alicia Keys, Kylie Minogue, Elton John, Rihanna, The Pussycat Dolls and Lionel Richie, all of whom have performed at previous years’ concerts.  Entry is by valid lift pass.

Gossip

However, that’s not the only exciting news to come out of Ischgl this winter.  There are two new chairlifts on the mountain: the first is the 8 million Euro Lange Wand chairlift, a luxurious black framed six-person heated chairlift with weather hood that will transport skiers and boarders up to Ischgl’s highest point of Greitspitz; the second is a replacement of the Muller-Bahn with a six-person chairlift with weather hood.

Ischgl boasts more than 41 lifts accessing 238kms of groomed piste.  A one-day lift pass for 27 November costs 55 Euros.  Special season opening packages are available via www.ischgl.com and a taster of what’s on offer is three nights’ accommodation and breakfast, with a three day liftpass (including entry to the concert) from 183 euro.

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This Winter Sample Bavarian & Bohemian Christmas Markets

German Christmas markets have become almost a cliché, especially seeing the crowds at Munich, Nuernberg and Cologne. However, Bavarian Forest Holidays has come up with a different angle: a long weekend on any of the four advent weekends before Christmas, with accommodation in a five star village apartment, giving visitors the opportunity to see Christmas Markets in the big cities of Passau and Regensburg, as well as the smaller towns and villages of Bavaria and Bohemia.

Bavaria

Each weekend can be tailored to suit the preferences of a family or group and most of the markets can be visited by great value German public transport – so there are no restrictions on testing the Gluehwein! Accommodation is in the pretty Bavarian Forest village of Bayerisch Eisenstein, directly on the border with Czech Republic. Prices for three nights in five star accommodation (excluding travel and meals) range from €200 for a couple in a one bedroom apartment, up to €425 for 6 people in a 3 bedroom, all ensuite apartment. A welcoming glass of Gluehwein will help to get you in the mood. And, of course, award-winning Bavarian Forest Holidays can advise on travel by rail to and from the UK as well as to and from the Christmas Markets.

For more information visit www.bavarian-forest-holidays.com

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