Slovenia Property Investment For Sale

"Tourism being driven by an unspoilt and undeveloped landscape."

Renowned for its unspoilt countryside, beautiful lakes and the snow-capped mountains that cover 30% of the country, the tiny country of Slovenia is one of the most stable political and economic countries in Central and South East Europe.

Blessed by its strategic location between the Balkans and Western Europe, Slovenia, though beautiful, has remained largely untouched by mass tourism and development, although it offers numerous recreational opportunities for holiday makers who are looking for outdoor pursuits.

With historical ties to Western Europe this stable democracy has moved from its Yugoslavian background to a modern state with an excellent infrastructure and a well-educated work force resulting in much economic success although FDI has lagged behind others within central Europe.  Competition from the BRIC nations and the international financial crisis has weakened its position and there is rising unemployment and real estate price falls. 

As this small open economy depends on exports Slovenia has been strongly affected by the euro-zone debt crisis.

Geography

Slovenia is situated in southern Europe bordering Austria, Hungary, Croatia and the Adriatic Sea coastline where one of the countries main shipping ports is situated. Located between the Alps and the Mediterranean, Slovenia is covered with mountains and rivers making it one of the most forested country in Europe. Despite the size of the country it controls some of Europe's main transit routes. Ljubljana is the country's capital and found in a central location with around a two hour drive to each state borderline of the country.

Government

Slovenia is a parliamentary democratic republic. Parliamentary elections take place every four years. The government consists of an elected president who is aided by a council of ministers and a Prime minister. The country is divided into 136 municipalities and 11 urban municipalities. The current legal system is based on the civil law system.

Language

With 91.9% of the population speaking Slovenian it is the country's official language. A small minority of the population speak Serbo-Croatian. English is the nation's second spoken language with many Slovenes also speaking Hungarian and German.

Standard of Living

Slovenia is one of the Yugoslav republics and is considered to have the region's highest standard of living. This is largely due to the country economic and political stability.

Although Slovenia is the richest of the Slavic states with a highly developed economy it has suffered greatly since the financial crisis of 2007-2010 and the euro-zone crisis that followed.  Domestic consumption has shrunk due to austerity measures and the construction industry has been severely hit.

Key Industries

Almosy twoithirds of the populaiton work in the service industr with the remainder employed in industry and construction. The main industries are motor vehicles, electric and electronic equipment, machinery, pharmaceuticals, and fuels.

The Julian Alps

The Julian Alps in the north-west of the country attract winter sports enthusiasts but also generate strong summer trade from walkers, riders and cyclists. Popular tourist haunts include the Triglav National Park, an area of outstanding beauty dominated by Mount Triglav and Kranjska Gora and Bovec, the two best-known ski resorts in the region. Designed mainly in Alpine style, the resorts offer a range of skiing at all levels. At over 1,700 meters, Bovec has a long season marred only by the fact that it is in an earthquake zone. 

Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj

Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj are also favorite spots with holidaymakers, golfers and second home owners. Lake Bohinj is situated in the Julian Alps north west of Slovenia and offers great skiing opportunities during the winter seasons. The island of Bled with its famous church is one of the country's most recognizable landmarks. As well as a location for waterside holidays, the resort offers direct access via chairlift to the ski area of Straza. 

Maribor

Maribor is located on the Drava River in northeastern Slovenia. It is a thriving university city and a key hotspot for investors. As Slovenia's second city, it also offers a gateway to the Prekmurje, the wine-growing region and the Mariborsko Pohorje mountain range. The area includes famous thermal spas and the Goricko Regional Park which is undergoing a program of development. 

Piran

Piran is an old medieval town situated in west Slovenia on the very tip of the peninsula. The town has a lot of rich cultural heritage, evident in the vast historic sites and monuments that span its breadth. The beautiful and popular Istrian peninsular has Venetian roots, pretty beaches, an outdoor café culture and a tourist centre offering a range of activities. 

Ljubljana

Ljubljana is Slovenia's historic capital city with many beautiful baroque, Art Nouveau and contemporary buildings. It also boasts a young population and cosmopolitan atmosphere. Approximately 15% of the country's population live here and the university brings in a large student population. Young professionals and students offer good long-term rental prospects. The most sought-after properties are the attractive character apartments in the city centre and, as a result, they tend to be highly priced.  More affordable new-build developments and small houses can be found in the outer suburbs.