Slovenia may be small - 20,000 km² nestled between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea - but it contains virtually all of Europe’s iconic landscapes: snow-capped peaks and emerald lakes, labyrinthine karst caves and canyons, with dense forests covering 60% of the land; some river valleys look positively tropical! Wildlife thrives here: on the coast, flamingos patrol the seashores for tiny crustaceans, Ural owls raise their young in the forest canopy, jackals and wolves pursue deer through the undergrowth. Even bears can relax here: unlike most European countries, Slovenia not only tolerates bears, but makes room for one of the world’s densest populations! Slovenia is at the top of the UN‘s Sustainability List, a pioneer and maybe a model for the 21st century!