The Swiss are said to flinch when Slovenia is described as the “Switzerland of the Balkans”. But the country makes a strong case for the comparison with its decidedly alpine feel and virtually unscathed emergence from the former Yugoslavia. Besides being virtually impossible to prounounce on first glance, Ljubljana offers a youthful college town culture with its galleries, museums, students, and young artists. It serves as an ideal jumping-off point for Slovenia’s other underrated tourist sites.
Pamukkale (Cotton Castle in Turkish), one of Turkey’s most famous natural phenomena, is a 400 foot high cascading plateau of calcium deposits formed over time by the flow of mineral-rich water from an underground hot mineral spring. A barefoot walk across the plateau yields the softest and cleanest feet you’ll ever feel.
Nestled at the foot of the alps, Interlaken is a good base for exploring the surrounding mountains. For us, Interlaken serves as a sauna and transit stop on our way south and east to the mid-Alpen village of Grindelwald.
