Slovenia's national cuisine shows an Austro-German influence with sauerkraut, grilled sausage and apple strudel often appearing on menus.
National specialities:
• The best-known Slovene foods are the breads made for special occasions, which appear in the form of braided loaves or wreathes: the struklji stuffed with sweet fillings, meat or vegetables.
• Another Slovene speciality is potica, a dessert prepared with a wide variety of fillings.
National drinks:
• The western and northeastern parts of Slovenia are known for their outstanding white wines (Laski, Renski Rizling and many others).
• The south is the homeland of the light, russet-coloured cvicek wine.
• The Adriatic Coast and the Karst region have mainly red karstteran wine.
Tipping: 10 per cent is generally expected in hotels, restaurants and for taxis.

There is a wide selection of theatres, cinemas, casinos and nightclubs in the larger towns. Ljubljana also has a good opera house and the symphony orchestra plays regularly in the Big Hall of the Cultural and Congress Centre.

Attractive local gifts include bobbin lace, crystal glass and speciality wines. Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1900 Sat 0800-1300.