Beyond the capital, rugged Alpine mountains rise to the north and west, the Pannonian plains stretch off towards Hungary in the east and the the Adriatic Sea lies to the south.

BBC: Epicurean Slovenia makes its mark

Set a week aside for a 40-mile hike through stunning dolerite mountains, temperate rainforest and alpine plains.

FORBES: Great Escapes From Modern Life

Beck snapped pictures of the crude stone shelters that Alpine Club members had begun building high in the mountains the precursors to the helicopter-serviced "huts" you find these days.

WSJ: Photographic Balancing Acts | Swiss Alpine Museum | He Cut a Fresh Path in Mountain Photography | By Michael J. Ybarra

Along with neighbouring Banff, Jasper is a Unesco World Heritage site, recognised for its beauty, animal and plant life, and staggering variety of landscapes, including glaciers, alpine meadows, steaming hot springs, cerulean lakes and some of the highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains.

BBC: Hiking to the top of Jasper National Park