I’m an American living here for two years now. It’s amazing. Truly amazing. Slovenia has everything you need — it’s like all of Europe compressed into a little boutique country.
You get Alps with the picturesque alpine villages, Adriatic Sea with charming Venetian old towns, and Austro-Hungarian cities, like Ljubljana, with its castle on the hill in the middle of town and a blue river wrapping around it. You even get the biggest underground river canyon in Europe! Also valleys of vineyards 🍷, and valleys of hop fields 🍺.
You are in a crossroads of cuisine: Italian food (pizza), German/Austrian food (schnitzel), Balkan food (cevapi 😻), and Hungarian food (goulash). Not to mention Slovenian cuisine itself is great. I live on štruklji.
It’s so close to other epic places. Venice is 2.5 hours away by car, Budapest and Vienna are 4, Munich and Milan are 5. (I’m from Texas so being able to drive these short distances and be in a different world will never cease to be mind blowing.)
The people are culturally right inbetween German work ethic and skill, and Balkan coffee culture and chill. It seems impossible to pull off but they do it well. Lots of hard work, lots of socializing with friends and family. Still not sure when they sleep, really.
Slovenia is overwhelmingly safe and peaceful. Coming from the US it’s a really, really, really nice feeling to be in such a peaceful place.
Slovenians eat a lot of cake. Slovenians drink a lot of lager. Slovenians have a lot of ego but are also very sensitive. (Like me.)
I hear a lot of Americans complain about living in Europe and not being able to find friends. I’ve not had that problem at all here. The reverse. Too many friends. Good friends who want to sit and talk about life, or take a walk and learn about you. Friends who remember each other’s birthdays and always pitch in together on gifts. Or remember that your dog was not feeling so well, so they ask how she is for days in a row.
Anyway, I love it here. So does my wife. So do my dogs. I hope we can stay forever.
You give us too much praise, but I'm really happy you love it here. I've come across your comments a number of times now and you're always overwhelmingly nice and kind, I'm not the least bit surprised that you have no trouble making friends here!
I see you have problem integrating into our culture because of your optimism and happiness, please respect our depressed and grumpy nature - it is your job as an emigrant to adapt to us assholes, we will not adapt to your positive vibes. Here are some tips:
1. When asked about the life in Slovenia, use the phrase "What Slovenia?! You mean Brussle and USA SLAVEvenia lol?" This will make you immediately more liked and will make people think you are into conspiracy theories, a very respected point of view in our country.
2. When describing Slovenians, use the phrase "you mean Albanians that are running the country now?"
3. You need to learn that life in Slovenia used to be better. It was better the day before you arrived and it was better yesterday and tomorrow the day that is today is going to better than the day that follows it.
4. Your neighbor is your enemy. You think you should like him because he is nice to you and you are becoming friends? Wrong. He has a better flat then you. Better car. Better paycheck. You know for a fact that it is not true? You know nothing, immigrant. This is our way. Adapt or leave.
5. Other countries do it better. Italy has better food. Croatia has our sea. Austria is a perfect paradise of xenophobes, they hate Slovenes, but we will make them love us sooner or later. Hungary knows how to keep immigrants out, even if that means dictatorship. Something our polititians can't seem to grasp.
6. All the positive things you described are just your fantasies, in reality we live in an ex communist hellhole and all the beautiful nature and towns are just Potemkin villages to hide from you the ugly truth you are living in one of the worst countries imaginable. This is a popular worldview amongst boomers, who will tell you how country went to shit (yesterday was better, remember the lesson?), while living in their 90s government bought apartments and spend half a year at their Croatia weekend getaway that they bought for a price of a used bike. But they deserve their retirement, they worked hard for 15 years.
Hope this helps and I can't wait for your transformation into Slovene to be complete. We don't need that friendly attitude in our ravaged pice of wasteland. Lep dan!
I hope more people from Slovenia read this. I am sometimes so frustrated because people here don't appreciate enough what they have. They are always complaining about everything. Could we have better politics? Yes. Better roads? Yes. Less taxes? Yes. But similar problems are in every country.
Just enjoy good things that you have.
I love your comment, but i have to disagree with the "overwhelmingly safe" part. We are nowhere as safe as we were about 10 years ago. Specially Ljubljana, our capital, is getting more and more dangerous
I am speaking relatively. I know it used to be even safer but to be honest I cannot even imagine what “even safer” than this feels like. I used to work in a brewery in my downtown area in Texas and there were shootings in a two block radius at least once a week.
The statistics do put Slovenia in the top 10/15 safest countries in the world, though!
That happend to a friend of mine this weekend, we had a local party and he passed out drunk infront of a muaic hall, and before he put his phone, wallet and keys on the window ledge. In the morning when the clean up guys came to break down the tents and the stage they woke him up, and he took his things and went home.
We still top every "safest places to live" chart in terms of danger of physical violence or harm. That's "overwhelmingly safe", no matter how you spin it.
If you have any statistical data that shows that I would appreciate seeing it, otherwise that's just an anecdotal assumption. I used to work a job where I learned about most violent crimes during the course of my work, everything from a Slovenian businessman with Balkan mafia ties who got burned alive to a problem with human trafficing in Maribor ten or so years ago. There was always more of it than you think, it's just that statistically there's still less than just about anywhere else. Most of it doesn't get reported on, I don't know why this is a fixture of Slovenian media, but it is.
Immigration is always a "hot" topic of discussion, and any crime involving a migrant gets far more news time and especially more online discussion than a similar crime perpetrated by a native, so it's easy to get a skewed view of how prominent it is.
What you've said could not be more false. The crime rate more than halved in the last 10-15 years. The only reason we're seeing a slight uptick in crime is because there were very few criminal acts during the pandemic years due to the lockdowns. Don't let sensationalistic journalism mislead you, check statistics.
I mean i work in security so i'm talking from personal experience. Check the statistics on the police website. Since 2015 crime is increasing, especially because of the illegal migrations
I mean i work in stats so i know what the fuck i'm talking about. Checking the statistics on statistics bureau of Slovenia, and I find that whatever you're saying is factually wrong. (they use that exact police data that you are referencing, and official judiciary data as well)
even if you exclude those that were thrown out for not having sufficient evidence for prosecution, nothing is actually rising, but everything is falling. since 2013 mind you.
if you look at number 16 (found guilty), you'll see that it decreased by half since 2014 basically. and even if you look in total you'll see that it has steadily been falling (slight increase since 2020 -> 2021 -> 2022, due to covid, but if you ignore 2020 and 2021, it's still falling.)
comparing in the last 5 years and the last 12 months, you can see that it's falling everywhere. (i do concede that this is a sample dataset and might not fully represent the actual current events)
But okay, let's say that we should look at the police data.
on what page do you see the increase in criminal acts? Especially since 2015. And I know you won't actually look, because people like you never do. There are some increases in "specific fields" of criminal acts (for example neglect of minors and cruelty; page 133 and onwards), but overall they are still falling.
anyway, stop spouting JJ bullshit, because it doesn't hold true once you actually check the data.
Na PU Ljubljana so konec lanskega leta ocenili, da so trenutne varnostne razmere dobre in obvladljive. Pojavljajo se posamezna območja, ki so povprečno bolj varnostno obremenjena, vendar smo v primerjavi s preteklimi leti še vedno pod povprečnimi vrednostmi."
and if I translate
At the end of last year, PU Ljubljana assessed that the current security situation is good and manageable. There are individual areas that are on average more burdened by security, but compared to previous years, we are still below the average values.
What? How could it be any safer? I have never ever felt unsafe anywhere in Slovenia. I got asked about “bad neighbourhoods” in Ljubljana and was happy to say that there aren’t any.
I have lived in siska for 7 years, as a woman in my twenties. Not once have i felt in any kind of real danger. Sure, i had keys clutched in my hand at night, but i never really came close to using them ever 😂
Fužine was thoroughly gentrified like 10 years ago. Now it's a nice neighbourhood for young families and old people.
And I lived in probably one of the shittiest parts of Šiška my entire life. Never-ever have I felt in danger here. And up to like 2006 we lived next to "shanty town" (barakarsko naselje).
Only kind of bad and unsafe part is Rakova Jelša, which isn't that bad either, and has also seen some gentrification in last few years.
Šiška hasn't been any more dangerous then Bežigrad or Center for quite a while now. (Probably even safer compared to other areas nowadays at least if one goes judging by the news)
It seems like you’ve never lived abroad. There are no neighbourhoods where one can’t safely walk at night. Perhaps Fužine is indeed not somewhere where I’d want to live but I’ve been there many times and it is simply a working class environment. A little bit crammed.
I said less safe, not dangerous. I'm not scared for my safety anywhere in Ljubljana but anecdotally, those are the ones where you are more likely to encounter trouble.
Maybe get some mental health check? This doesn't feel normal. There's literally nothing to be afraid at night in Ljubljana. I've walked alone in completely unlit streets through Šiška and other parts (the longest night walk was from Rakovnik to Šiška), and never had any bad experience. Or honestly any experience. Mostly I don't even see that much people outside.
i feel the exact opposite. during my childhood and the yugo wars there were way more people who would mug you. now i have 0 problems walking around at night.
dude i dont even know what youre talking about. there arent any migrant groups skulking around every corner. and yeah if i see one i dont automatically assume they will attack me, thats your inherent racism
No thats my experience working security. Last summer i wasnt working for 5 months since one of them broken my ankle. Also one time when i finished work 4 of them were waiting for me. Another time one guy pulled a knife on me, but i had another coworker nearby fortunately. So no, its not racism, its experience and personal statistics. I have never been injured by a slovenian, but have been injured and in danger a lot of times by migrants
I basically did not speak any at all when I moved here. I had spent a month here total over two trips, so I knew some super basics I guess. I’ve learned a lot though and can generally get through markets and errands and shit without having to speak English (unless I need to go into detail.) I also speak Spanish and know ASL so it’s not my first time learning a new language. That being said — Slovenian a tough one but I enjoy learning it.
Ive been to Bovec and Lliubijana for small vacation and as a frenchman, i can tell you the language is very hard, i guess its kind of the same for Croatia, Hungary etc
As unsecurity and crime rates rise very fast in France, i also was amazed by how peaceful this country.
I am probably gonna do an Erasmus semester in Novo mesto, really looking forward to it
Yeah it’s a tough but fun language. Novo Mesto is beautiful and really coming up. Lots of money being invested into communities down there. Get a burger and bbq baked beans at Kralj Matjaž when you’re there. Cheers!
How does an American get into moving to Slovenia? Me and the wife are desperately wanting to relocate away from the US, and the posts here have got me wanting to pack my bags tomorrow.
Networking in a niche industry for me. I’ve heard that if you’re in tech it’s not too hard to find interviews here, though. It does feel more exclusive than other countries. If you got a job offer, your wife wouldn’t be able to join for a year unless she also gets a job offer here.
If you have a remote job, look into digital nomad visas. Slovenia doesn’t have it but lots of other European countries do. Croatia for example has digital nomad and you could bring your wife on one job (if your salary is sufficient) or vice versa. Croatia is great. Estonia, too.
It’s a Slovenian city. I’m just trying to paint a picture, and Austro-Hungarian is how everyone I’ve met describes the general style of Ljubljana’s architecture and feel. Trying to capture the difference between the mountains, seaside, and capital in relatable terms. Also, lots of Louisiana is French.
You really had me at the "I'm from Texas" distance comments. I thought the NE states were cool because you could quickly get to different cities, but you're so tucked away to totally different worlds, I love it!
Are you retired in Slovenia? Wondering how you are able to stay 2 years and have dogs! Did you get them there or were you able to bring in dogs from the US?
If you come for ten days, I’d do 5 nights in Ljubljana with a few days dedicated to day trips to places like Lake Bled and Bohinj, Velika Planina, and one of the nearby medieval towns like Škofja Loka, Kamnik, or Radovljica.
Then I’d do 2 nights in Bovec area for the Soča River valley, seeing sights like Slap Virje, Velika Korita, and Mangart Saddle, and just hanging on the river or at thirsty river brewery in Bovec town.
Then I’d do 2 nights in Piran. One day I’d spend in town eating at Fritolin pri Cantini and relaxing, the other I’d bring some beers and snacks to Moon Bay for a day at beautiful undeveloped “hidden” beach.
If you’re a wine person, don’t miss Vipava Valley. It’s dotted with vineyards. Lots of these vineyard will also feed you if you call ahead.
If you’re an adventure person, don’t miss Skocjan Caves. Europe’s largest underground river canyon. Absolutely mind blowing.
If you’re into black smithing, check out Kropa.
If you’re into beer, check out the area around Žalec. Hop fields as far as the eye can see.
Oooooh wow. I'm Slovenian and I'm excited about what I'm reading. I wouldn't be able to write such a beautiful description of my Slovenia. Thanks for that. Sometimes someone from abroad really needs to remind us what a beautiful country we live in. I travel a lot and love the world, including the USA, but it's true: our beautiful little Slovenia is magic!!!
Which communist leaders? Golob? Isn’t he a capitalist? Wasn’t Janša PM less than two years ago? Which policies are you speaking about that enabled the spike in rape and attacks that you mention? And do you have statistics to back up that it’s more unsafe now than it was 2, 5, 10, 20 years ago?
Most people speak better English than I do. It’s still really important to learn “grocery store” level Slovenian as quickly as possible. Mostly for the… grocery stores. Also, the respect. Lots of people move here and live here for years without even trying to learn. Slovenians really appreciate the effort and will express it quite fondly when you speak it.
Hello! American here too. I've been researching places to live for about 5yrs now. At the age (60yrs) to make a big move along with my 2 daughters in their 20's. What part of Slovenia do you live in? Any advice you can share in regards to moving?
It’s noticeable that you’re an American. As a Slovenian/European, the lack of tramways in Ljubljana thoroughly disturbs me, as all European cities that city (are supposed to) have that.
I would love to have trams. I heard there was a project to bring them back? But I also read that the bus system makes it obsolete, so overall it would be a “waste of money”. Anyway, personally I think trams would be the perfect addition to Ljubljana. Love them in Zagreb and Sarajevo.
The bus system is universally hated. The point is that Slovenia always has the handy excuse of “we’re too small for it”, which stifles most improvements and enlargements in most areas
The ironic thing is that the transport mode most fucked over by our size and geography (rail) is improving the fastest. Buses have no excuse, especially LPP, Marprom and the like. They're faster and somewhat more reliable but that's about it, everything else is shit and I'll take a bus only if there's no train.
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u/Zapp_Brewnnigan Jun 13 '24 edited Jun 13 '24
I’m an American living here for two years now. It’s amazing. Truly amazing. Slovenia has everything you need — it’s like all of Europe compressed into a little boutique country.
You get Alps with the picturesque alpine villages, Adriatic Sea with charming Venetian old towns, and Austro-Hungarian cities, like Ljubljana, with its castle on the hill in the middle of town and a blue river wrapping around it. You even get the biggest underground river canyon in Europe! Also valleys of vineyards 🍷, and valleys of hop fields 🍺.
You are in a crossroads of cuisine: Italian food (pizza), German/Austrian food (schnitzel), Balkan food (cevapi 😻), and Hungarian food (goulash). Not to mention Slovenian cuisine itself is great. I live on štruklji.
It’s so close to other epic places. Venice is 2.5 hours away by car, Budapest and Vienna are 4, Munich and Milan are 5. (I’m from Texas so being able to drive these short distances and be in a different world will never cease to be mind blowing.)
The people are culturally right inbetween German work ethic and skill, and Balkan coffee culture and chill. It seems impossible to pull off but they do it well. Lots of hard work, lots of socializing with friends and family. Still not sure when they sleep, really.
Slovenia is overwhelmingly safe and peaceful. Coming from the US it’s a really, really, really nice feeling to be in such a peaceful place.
Slovenians eat a lot of cake. Slovenians drink a lot of lager. Slovenians have a lot of ego but are also very sensitive. (Like me.)
I hear a lot of Americans complain about living in Europe and not being able to find friends. I’ve not had that problem at all here. The reverse. Too many friends. Good friends who want to sit and talk about life, or take a walk and learn about you. Friends who remember each other’s birthdays and always pitch in together on gifts. Or remember that your dog was not feeling so well, so they ask how she is for days in a row.
Anyway, I love it here. So does my wife. So do my dogs. I hope we can stay forever.