You are not convinced.
But then you read that just 2.8 percent of the country is urban and 63.3 percent is wooded. You hear about the Julian Alps and about Mount Triglav, the tallest Slovenian mountain of them all, and how you can climb it, even if you are not a climber, and you begin to warm to the idea of spending time there.
It is said that every Slovenian must climb Triglav (pronounced Tree-glau), a 9,396-foot peak an hour's drive northwest of the capital city , Ljubljana. And if you are going to Slovenia, you want to be as Slovenian as possible.
You tell your wife this and she agrees.
And so, it is set.
You will climb Mount Triglav.
You set out for the mountains in a rental car after a one-night stay in Ljubljana. With a population of about 276,000, Ljubljana isn't the prettiest city you will ever visit. It is graffiti-tagged, like many major cities in the Balkans, and dotted with square, dreary Yugoslavian-era apartment complexes that stand at attention in hazy skies.
But at night, even on a Monday, the streets teem with life. Charming cafes along the Ljubljanica River in the heart of downtown are filled with people. The wine is cheap (as little as 200 tolar, or about $1 a glass). And the trip to Ljubljana is worth it, if only because the Alpine Association of Slovenia is located here.
You have tried in vain to reach the association before arriving in Slovenia. Its website (www.pzs.si) is only in Slovenian and phone calls went unanswered. Now, seeing it for the first time in person, you realize why. The office is tiny -- one room as far as you can tell -- and staffed by a woman who speaks little English.
But she is kind. She tolerates your lack of language skills and directs you to a map of the mountain and to the small booklet you've been told to read, ``How to Climb Triglav." One awkward conversational exchange and $20 later, you are ready to go.
Now, headed northwest in your rental car, booklet and map in hand, the mountains rise before you. This is Slovenia in all its glory, more like Austria than Croatia, green, rugged , and since it's early September, all yours.
