At the crossroads of European worlds
We often wonder about the people’s awareness of Slovenia and its special features. The answer is a very short one: Slovenia is so diverse it cannot be described with just one, two or three special features. Its diversity is reflected in all the spheres of man’s endeavours – from material standing and social relationships, to spiritual creativity. It is reflected in the cultural-historical heritage as well as in contemporariness. At the crossroads of the European Alpine, Mediterranean and Pannonian worlds, people have been shaping their daily lives and holidays for centuries, but still we cannot say that we have blindly accepted features of these three large worlds, rather, we have been creative in the formation of numerous special features – riches, reflecting different mentalities, the use of material, levels of creativity, in constant interaction of man’s natural and cultural milieus. Today, individual cultural forms live among us as the heritage of the past decades and centuries, others; however, are rising as creative explorations, originating in the diversity of natural conditions, their understanding and accepting the modern lifestyle. The contemporary creativity of Slovenia, partly presented by our calendar, can present a distinctive challenge to the entire European »family«, introducing the often still unknown values and riches to its variety and diversity. Discovering them denotes spiritual enrichment and perception of values, which can co-shape the modern quality of man’s existence and living (text Janez Bogataj, photography by Dragan Arrigler).
