Impressions of Slovenia
In September-October 2021, he traveled to Slovenia. He lived in Rogaš ka Slatina, in the INA apartments, renting a tiny house from the mistress of Vesna, who manages four apartments with her son Manuel (but only Vesna lives there). For a long time I was choosing a place to rent a house, but I chose this option because it is located in the center and not far from the Donat Magnesium mineral water source. Rental prices in Slovenia are expensive, although they booked for 31 nights, they are reluctant to bargain, and for each day of stay you also have to pay a tourist tax in the amount of 2 euros 50 cents per day. House, with a total area of about 27 square meters. m. cost me 1240 euros, i. e. 40 euros per day without meals (I cooked it myself). The water in the tap is soft, but chlorinated, it is probably suitable for drinking, but there is little pleasure. From Ukraine, there is no direct flight connection with Slovenia, and it took a whole day to get there, flying from Kyiv to Frankfurt, then to Zagreb, and from there by taxi to Rogaska Slatina. If you follow the same route, I advise you to pay attention to the connection time between flights from Frankfurt to Zagreb, because if it is short, you may miss it. I bought bylets from Lufthansa, the service on the website of this airline is terrible, and it’s impossible to get through at all, I had to listen to the robot for a long time, but the operator was never connected, although the call was paid (I received a letter in the mail about changes in the flight in English, alas, according to -English I know only a few words, so I wanted to find out what changes, because I translated the text and it didn’t indicate exactly what the changes were and whether there would be a flight at all). However, I want to say that the employees at the German airport are very friendly and ready to assist in all matters.
It was my first time traveling on my own, so I took flights with a short connection time, which was a mistake, because the connection between flights is only 40 minutes, and I was lucky that the departure from Kyiv was delayed by 45 minutes, so I had no problems changed the ticket in Frankfurt for another flight, replacing Lufthansa with Croatian Airlines, which took off in an hour. We were lucky because if it were late, we would have to spend the night at the airport. There are 2 terminals in Frankfurt, but the airport and terminals are ten times larger than Boryspil, i. e. , you need a margin of time for movement. If you have only hand luggage, then you cannot buy alcohol or toilet water with a volume of more than 100 ml in our duty free, as these goods are only allowed to be transported from EU countries.
Before the flight, I ordered a transfer from Manuel (taxi for 80 euros). A taxi driver from Slovenia named Stanko is fluent in Russian, drove quickly (their roads are not Ukrainian at all), and the distance from Zagreb to Rogashka Slatina is only 85 km. On the way, while talking, I asked Stanko what kind of wine he could recommend to try local production and what institution is worth visiting in order to feel the local flavor. Stanko advised dry white wine Malvasia and red Refoshk, as well as blueberry tincture Borovnitsa, and visit the cafe of a local woman who is already 90 years old - Matilda Tilchka (according to the owner, she is 89). Honestly, you can’t drink water and alcohol, but I wanted to try wine and, of course, Borovnitsa.
I want to say that I really didn’t like the wines and Borovnitsa. I bought the first bottle of Malvasia, but it is a bitter-sour drink, I decided to buy the second bottle for 15 euros (there were no more expensive wines in the store) Merlot instead of Refoshk, because I sometimes buy this wine in Ukraine, but red wine, alas, is not pleased. I tried a glass of Borovnitsa at Matilda's and it turned out that it was not a tincture at all, but moonshine, to which they added sweet and sour blueberry syrup. I don't like these drinks. In Matilda's establishment, they don't cook at all, but serve all guests the same snack, namely: on a small board for cutting bread, they served half a chopped boiled egg, about 20 grams of thinly sliced bacon, 40-50 grams of raw smoked sausage, the same amount of smoked balyk , half a thinly sliced tomato and a few slices of white bread. For such a "gourmet meal" I paid 4 euros + coffee 1.35 euros and 2 euros for a glass of Borovnitsa. A dubious pleasure, as for me, but I don’t want Slovenian cuisine, let alone alcoholic drinks. A menu with prices hangs at the entrance to the cafe, which is located about 800 meters up from the mineral water pump room and the Alexander Hotel. In Matilda's cafe, on the wall behind the coffee machine, I was surprised to find another menu, hidden from prying eyes, on which prices were indicated exactly two times cheaper for the same dishes, as I understood - these were prices for local residents. Those. if you are a Slovene - one price for you, and if you are a tourist, then if you please pay twice as much.
The weather in autumn in Rogaska Slatina is rainy and damp, which is why almost all the trees on the streets are affected by fungal diseases, there is no gas heating at all (they are heated with wood), and I had to heat the air conditioner in the house. The area is similar to our Skhidnitsa, around the Alps and the forest. The streets are clean, clean, bright flower beds. Leisure in this small village was not at all. It was not possible to go on excursions, because it is tied to a water source by time, and it is not advisable to take water with you due to the loss of medicinal properties. I bought products at a SPAR supermarket, on the very first day in which I issued a network card, because without it there will be no discounts on promotional goods. Slovenians are friendly people, but be careful, they can cheat in the store. This happened to me three times in the first days, namely: the goods for which there were discounts were considered to me despite the network card, which I presented to the seller at full cost. Twice I saw it at home without checking the check in time, and the third time in the store, and they returned the change to me, however, without paying the little things about two euros, but then there were no more questions, everyone considered correctly.
In some stores, in the center, when buying clothes and shoes (I recommend a store near the market and the bus station), there is Tax Free, but they don’t talk about it unless you ask, but a modest, small sign that such a service is available, stands in an inconspicuous place. Not all stores carry Tax Free. You can issue only if the amount in one check is from 60 euros (I have several checks for 55-58 euros were not accepted). The receipts indicate VAT at 22%, but at checkout they indicate a different, smaller amount for refund (without knowing the language, it is difficult to figure out why). Issued checks must be certified with seals at the airport of Zagreb, as well as Frankfurt, confirming the export of goods from the EU. At the Zagreb airport, the euro is not returned (they have their own currency), and in Frankfurt in the evening I could only put stamps on the documents, and the kiosk where the VAT was returned was no longer working. The VAT refund is handled by the Slovak company Global Blue, and in Ukraine I applied for a refund through Pravex Bank. The money is returned in hryvnia, at the rate of selling currency by the bank in which the credit card is issued. According to the checks, if we count the return of 22%, I should have received about 54 euros, but they issued a refund of 31 euros at the bank, and in fact received about 820 hryvnias, called the bank back and they told me that Global Blue was sent two weeks after sending them applications with checks transferred 30 dollars 94 cents, and when asked why not 31 Euros, they advised me to find out in Global Blue. Global Blue does not respond to emails (sending only an automatic acknowledgment of receipt of the appeal, but there is no answer to this day).
For a month, I asked various taxi drivers if it was possible to leave Rogaska for Zagreb for 70 euros, but none agreed to go cheaper than 80, I asked Manuel how to go back, except for a taxi, he says there is no other way, and when asked if it was possible to get a discount and leave for 70, he made a face and said: what are you talking about, this is very cheap. OK. Nothing to do. I had to look for options on my own. At the bus station, which, like the railway station, is located next to the apartment, I found out that it was impossible to get there by bus, but at the railway station I bought a ticket for 10 euros 40 cents to Zagreb without any problems. Getting there, of course, is not very convenient due to several transfers, but I had time, because the plane from Zagreb to Frankfurt took off in the evening. The reader may think that I'm a redneck, but I'm used to spending money getting an adequate service for their cost. I am writing for those who may find my route useful.
I left Rogaš ka by train at 9:21, and at 10.01 arrived in Dzhurmanets (on the way, I made a note in my passport about leaving in the carriage). From Dzhurmanets, at 10.04 I took another train to Zabok (this is already Croatia), the second train was standing nearby on neighboring railway tracks. From Zabok there was a transfer from the railway station by bus (all on one ticket and a total cost of 10.40, bought in Rogaska) to Zapresic (a suburb of Zagreb), where I arrived at 11.38. The train in Zapresic left for Zagreb in 10-15 minutes after the seats were completely filled with passengers and arrived at the main railway station in 25-30 minutes, that is, around 12.25-12.30. Then I walked for 15 minutes to the bus station and from there for 35 Croatian kunas (about 5 euros) I went by bus to the airport. I advise you to exchange euros for kunas at the Rogaš ka Slatina bank (the exchange rate is much more profitable). Thus, if you are without luggage, there is free time, then you can get to Zagreb not for 80 euros, but for 10.40, and the total cost of the road from Rogaska Slatina to the airport will be about 15 Euros.
P. S. Manuel, when he found out that I was going to go by train, a day later offered me a 15% discount on the transfer (taxi), i. e. for 68. If he had agreed earlier for 70, I would not have known that you can for 15. I was also surprised that he had a car, but he did not even offer to drive himself, although he could have received additional income. Many people drive expensive cars in Slovenia (most of them drive Mercedes). I got the impression that people live without straining, each "on his own wave. " At the same time, it should be noted that many work from early morning, for example, hairdressers from 6 am. Buses in Rogaska run from 4.30-5 am to 15-16.00, but the traffic is poorly organized. So, even to the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana (about 100 km. ), There was no direct connection from the resort town of Rogashki Slatina either by bus or by train. These are the Slovenes, friendly, but closed, and some, if the opportunity arises, are happy to cheat a little. . .
I hope readers will find my first travelogue helpful.