Cultural tips
A Polycentric Culture
Slovenia has a polycentric culture. For example, Slovenians are naturally indirect communicators but can moderate their behaviour when dealing with people who come from cultures where more direct communication is the norm.
Culture, Customs and Etiquette and Greetings
Greetings are initially quite formal and reserved. When meeting someone for the first time the most common greeting is a handshake. Handshakes should be firm and confident.
It is really important to arrive on time when meeting with someone.
In Slovenia, smoking indoors is prohibited. If you are a smoker, you have to go outside.
Tipping
In Slovenia a tip is not an obligation, but is appropriate for good service. In restau-rants and bars people usually leave some change.
Language in Slovenia
Slovene or Slovenian belongs to the family of South Slavic languages. It is spoken by approximately 2 million speakers. Slovene is one of the rare languages to have preserved the dual grammatical number from Proto-Indo-European.
Although the country is relatively small, there are more than 32 different dialects spoken, which can be grouped into 7 larger dialect segments. The diversity in language is due to the influences of neighbouring countries as well as the mountainous nature of the country, which has led to isolated language development.
Food
Slovenia has a rich culinary tradition which is influenced by its climate and its location at the crossroads of central Europe. Slovene culinary heritage has influences of Mediterranean, Alpine, and Eastern European cultures. Meals are an important part of Slovene life and enjoying a snack or a glass of wine at a café with friends is a typical social activity. Every region in Slovenia has its own specialties however most of Slovenia's oldest traditional dishes consist of flour, buckwheat or barley, as well as potatoes and cabbage.
Slovenia also produces a variety of wines. Almost 70% of Slovenian wines fulfil the criteria for quality and premium wines, which is definitely a result of a highly-developed wine culture and demanding wine lovers.
