For much of its long history, Slovenia wasn't a country at all. Geographically situated between Italy, Hungary Austria and Croatia, its crossroads existence has found it absorbed into many of the major European empires, from the Romans to the Yugoslavians.
Only in the last three decades has Slovenia enjoyed true independence. Today it serves as one of Europe's most culturally diverse (though still somewhat under-appreciated) nations. A two-hour drive from the central capital in Ljubljana will take you to any of its borders, but each time you would feel like you were already in a different nation.
The architecture, food and traditional clothing for each Slovene region bear strong differences from one another and are clearly influenced by the culture across from the nearest border.
Slovenia is a melting pot of European cultures, formed over hundreds of years as boots from different empires walked its roads and absorbed its towns.
In another country this geographic cultural uniqueness might sow the seeds of division, but in Slovenia there is unity in spite of the differences.
The unifying factor for Slovenes is a shared passion for their identity. Centuries of foreign rule honed their appreciation for sovereignty and independence. Now that they have their own nation, the wide variety of their traditional culture is a testament to Slovene resilience.
These images show the traditional clothing and dances from each part of Slovenia. They were made in collaboration with FS ŽKUD Tine Rožanc, which was formed in 1948 and is one of the largest and oldest folkdance group in the nation.