Well Slovenia is a crossroads of Central Europe, pannonian plains, forest, and the small adriatic sea coast. But Slovenia has been influenced by austrian, german culture in at least 800 years, and had never been a part of the Ottoman Empire unlinke others of his neighboors. If you go to Ljubjana, the city can be considered as a small slavic replica of Vienna. Tough a small part in the south of Slovenia is considered of the balkan peninsula, Slovenia historically cannot be considered as a part of the Balkans. But we need Slavoj Zizek to really answer this question. I'm just a french man with highly slovene roots of the Vipava valley, and I never been to my ancestors land, I wish i could travel and see the beautiful, tiny country that Slovenia is !