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The statistics show, that the interest in Slovenia, which is – since the EU
enlargement in 2004 - a member of this joint federation of countries,
exists unbowed. In 2008, the country came up to 2.76 million tourists, which was
three per cent more than in the year before – 196.000 visitors came from Germany. Many of
the two million Slovenes call their country the “best kept secret of Europe”.
The number of overnight stays was 8.41 million and therewith 150.000 in
excess of 2007. Since the year 1999, when Slovenia observed 6.06 million
overnight stays, this number increased steadily. Last year, Slovenia recorded
196.100 German arrivals; this equates to seven per cent of the total arrivals.
1985 the number of overnight stays of German tourists was 1.06 million, but this
number decreased considerably in the first years – after Slovenia declared its
independence from Yugoslavia in the year 1991 – and reached its bottom 1995 with
almost half the registered overnight stays of Germans from ten years before
(571.601). 2001 was a good year for Slovenia, regarding the tourist arrivals
from Germany as well as the overnight stays (234.209 tourist arrivals and
877.795 overnight stays). But in the last seven years, the number of overnight
stays of German tourists decreased to today 585.100. But Slovenia offers in a
20.273-square-kilometres area – almost as big as Saxony-Anhalt – in the scenic,
climate as well as cultural aspect an impressive diversity within a small area;
for example the alpine environment, the Mediterranean ambiance, 15 health
resorts or lively towns with an impressive architecture. The country of the
green tourism, which sets a high value on being imputed to Central Europe and
not to the Balkans or Eastern Europe, has a lot to offer for every tourist. 
One highlight is the Triglav National Park, which assures
an unpayable recreational value with deep cut mountain torrent gorges, high
alpine karst canyons and lovely mountain pastures. With an area of 880
square-kilometres, the National Park makes three per cent of the total
territory
of Slovenia. The Slovenes feel as mountain people and for that reason they
chose the Triglav, the highest Slovenian mountain with 2864 m, as their
national symbol and as a central part of the emblem, which can be also found on
the country's flag.
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