Numerous events will be held in Slovenian Istria this spring: the exhibition Stations of the Cross in the Churches of Piran, the Saltmakers' Festival on St George's Day, and the traditional Internautica international boat show in May.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS IN THE CHURCHES OF PIRAN, exhibition

(5–19 April 2009)

The traditional Easter exhibition titled Stations of the Cross in the Churches of Piran opens on 5 April. The exhibition will be open to the public until 19 April.

SALTMAKERS' FESTIVAL ON ST GEORGE'S DAY

(25–26 April 2009)

The festival is a revival of the tradition of saltmaking, for centuries the most important source of income for the whole town. On Saturday, the first day of the festival, Piran's Tartini Square will be the centre of activity. There will be open-air stands run by local societies, vintage cars will be put on display, a Pandolo tournament will be held, and children will get a chance to take part in creative workshops. The town will also host several art exhibitions. On Sunday, after St George's procession and the service, a saltmaker's family will re-enact the traditional disembarking from a boat onto the saltpans. The venue will shift to the Sečovlje Saltpans landscape park.

ANTIQUES FAIR

(5 April and 23 May 2009)

The traditional antiques fair in Tartini Square, Piran, organised by Društvo Anbot.

INTERNAUTICA – international boat show

(12–17 May 2009)

Marina Portorož will again host the international INTERNAUTICA 2009 boat show between 12 and 17 May 2009. A grand opening ceremony will be held at the main venue to mark the beginning of the boat show, which will bring visitors plenty of sunshine, nautical innovations and an interesting exhibition space. A wide range of nautical equipment, sporting apparel and footwear will be showcased at the largest boat show in Slovenia, and outdoor exhibition areas will feature sailing boats, motorboats and luxury yachts, which attract considerable attention every year. The varied programme of events will include expert lectures, meetings and theme conferences. The organisers also put on a number of side events each year, such as the Internautica Cup regatta, the exhibition of vintage boats and cars, and the Marinada at the Portorož Auditorium.

BOHINJ WILDFLOWER FESTIVAL

The tourist destination of Bohinj lies in the heart of the Julian Alps. Its biggest and most attractive landmark is Lake Bohinj, nestled in the mountains. More than two thirds of the Bohinj area is within Triglav National Park. The people of Bohinj are well aware of how important it is to protect and preserve the natural environment. Taking great pride in their natural and cultural heritage, they strive to develop tourism that will be both sustainable and economically viable. Two years ago they took the advice of Ian Mitchell, a regular visitor to Bohinj and a Scottish environmentalist, to host an international wildflower festival, whose main aims are: to promote and raise awareness of the importance of natural and cultural heritage of Bohinj and the wider Bohinj area; to emphasise the importance of properly managing the area in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, which is exhibited in the protection of the rich biodiversity of the natural environment and the improvement of the cultural and economic situation of the local population; and to make a practical demonstration of how environment-friendly tourism and mountain farming are crucial for ensuring the long-term economic prospects of the area and how they represent a role model for other Slovenian mountain areas, also from the viewpoint of developing an off-season tourism offer.

The International Bohinj Wildflower Festival comprises three principal parts:

- Wildflowers in the Arts is the cultural part of the festival: Concerts, art and photo exhibitions, art workshops, revival of old customs – folk singing.
- Wildflowers in the Home shows how wildflowers can be used in our everyday lives (in the kitchen, arts and crafts, etc.).
- The expert part of the festival, Wildflowers in Science, features a range of seminars or roundtable discussions on the topic of sustainable development.

Visitors can also enjoy guided tours, photographic workshops, workshops for children and the like. Visit the festival and stay in bloom!

The International Bohinj Wildflower Festival and the Slovenian presidency of the Alpine Convention Slovenia is taking over the presidency of the Alpine Convention for a two-year term in March 2009. This is an important European organisation working to protect and preserve the natural Alpine ecosystem and to promote sustainable development in the Alps. It was founded by eight European Alpine countries in 1991 on the basis of a treaty, which was also ratified by the Parliament of the Republic of Slovenia. We have already made arrangements with the Slovenian Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning and the Alpine Convention to organise, in the context of the presidency, an expert roundtable discussion on the topic Nature, Farming and Tourism in Protected Areas.

Further information: Turizem Bohinj, Triglavska cesta 30, 4264 Bohinjska Bistrica, tel: +386 (0)4 574 75 90, http://www.bohinj.si/alpskocvetje/eng/index.php

State Department International Religious Freedom Report 2009 - Slovenia

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and other laws and policies contributed to the generally free practice of religion. The Government generally respected religious freedom in practice. There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the Government during the reporting period.

Spring 2009 Events in Slovenian Istria