September 16, 2018
Something new we added this week was a look at the recently renovated Celica – the military prison in Metelkova that was converted into a hostel. That might sound like a gimmick, but as we hope the article shows it’s actually a beautifully designed space that’s worth a visit. It’s open to non-guests, and is also the only place in Metelkova that’s open all day for drinks and snacks. Learn more here.
As ever, clicking on the venue names in the list below should get you more details with regard to the time, price and location, as well as other events on this week in the same place.
Finally, if there's something you want to promote in a future edition of What's on... please get in touch with me at flanner(at)total-slovenia-news.com
GENERAL
If you want to get a Ljubljana Tourist Card, which gives you travel on the city buses and entry to a lot of attractions, then you can read more about that here, and if you want to use the bike share system, as useful for visitors as it is for residents, then you can learn more by clicking this. Visitors with reduced mobility will be pleased to find that downtown Ljubljana is generally rated as good with regard to accessibility, and that there’s a free, city-sponsored app called Ljubljana by Wheelchair highlighting cafés, attractions and so on with ramps, disabled bathrooms and Eurokey facilities, which you can read about and download here.
Want / need cigarettes but the stores have closed? Here's an incomplete list of bars downtown that will satisfy your craving for the demon weed. While if you’re having trouble with the ATMs then here’s a guide to the Slovene you’ll see on screen.
Ljubljana is a small and relatively safe city, but if need to contact the police then there’s a special number for foreigners, and that’s 113.
CINEMA
You can read about all the cinemas in town here, while a selection of what’s playing this week is below, and note that kid’s movies tend to be shown in dubbed versions, so do check before driving out to a multiplex and dropping off the young ones. (And if you like watching trailers with subtitles as a way of learning Slovene, then catch up on some from earlier this year here and here).
Kinodvor – The arts cinema not far from the train station, but still rather tucked away, showing, among other features, BlacKkKlansman, Paterson, the English, German and Slovene language Codelli, and the English, Spanish and Catalonian Todos lo saben (Everybody Knows).
Kinoteka – The revival house at one end of Miklošičeva is showing One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and also has a Bergman season, in Swedish with Slovene subs, featuring Det regnar på vår kärlek and Det sjunde inseglet, with more to come next week. There are also the Slovene movies Deklica in drevo and Oča.
Kolosej – The multiplex out at BTC City Mall is playing all the big movies, which this week include Mission Impossible: Fallout, Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again, Adrift, a dubbed version of Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation, The Meg, The Spy Who Dumped Me, Equalizer 2, BlacKkKlansman, The Nun, and A Simple Favour. New movies include The Predator, Todos lo saben and Christopher Robin, while starting on Wednesday there’s the Slovene Gajin svet.
Komuna – The cinema in a basement behind Nama department store is showing Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again.
CLUBS
A study conducted earlier this year found that Ljubljana is the 28th most affordable city in the world to get drunk and high in, as reported here. However, note that all the usual drugs remain illegal in Slovenia. We've also heard increasing reports - albeit anecdotal - of women's drinks being spiked in the city, so take care and let friends know where you're going. If you get a hangover then find out where to get paracetamol (and prescription drugs) in Ljubljana here, while details on emergency birth control can be found here.
Channel Zero – Monday night is Dub Lab, this week it’s Ohoroho w/ live guest MC Elijah. Friday there’s an all-nighter called Kung-Fu Techno, with DJs Adamm, Illman, and Chiro.
Klub Gromka – Friday there’s a Whole lotta skapunksoul’n’rock’n’roll (sic) with DJane sKabina. Sadly no sample sets seem to be available.
Gala Hala – Friday there’s a house and techno all-nighter called Versus: Nitz / Shekuza. Saturday Wave riders: Enter! will be on from 23:00 until 05:00, with DJs Torulsson and Kobayashii playing “dance”.
Kino Šiška – Thursday there’s an all-night DJ set with Daphni X Sezam, and the night’s being promoted with the following video.
Klub Cirkus – Friday night until Saturday morning there’s New AGE / Part 2, which “deletes the borders between commercial and alternative, old and new, retro and future”. Saturday night you can then enjoy TUTTI Frutti: 90s & 00s Hits.
Klub K4 – Friday the kool klub has a drum’n’bass all-nighter with Smooth (RAM Records, Get Hype Records) and whole list of other DJs, including Spencah. Saturday you can then stay out until the sun rises with seven hours of techno, in a night called Temnica, with the headline act being Mind Machines.
Orto Bar – Friday night Ljubljana goes hardcore until sunrise with Psychfucker, Bane vs Spranex, Paymon, HKH and Defined Insanity.
EXHIBITIONS
Please note that most public galleries and museums are closed on Mondays, although not the National Museum.
Ljubljana Castle has an exhibition on the history of dragons that runs until November 11, and there's plenty more to see and do when up there, including some nice walks in nature. Note that the bathroom is in the basement and rather difficult to find.
Plečnik's desk. Photo: JL Flanner
Plečnik’s House is worth a visit if you want to learn more about the architect who gave Ljubljana much of its character. Read about our guided tour here.
The Balassi Institute (The Cultural Centre of the Embassy of Hungary) – This is at Barvarska steza 8, Ljubljana, not far from Dragon Bridge, and until November you can see a show with works from Igor Andjelic (1961) from Slovenia, Dénesa Farkasa (1974) from Estonia and Hungary and Pétra Mátyásija (1982) from Hungary.
Jakopič Gallery– Fans of Magnum and photography in general will wish to check out the Marc Riboud show here, as detailed in an earlier story, and on until October.
Marc Riboud Beijing, 1965. Da Sha La street in old Bejing, as seen through an antique dealer’s window. Private citizens come here to sell family jewels or other objects. The prices are fixed by the government. ©Marc Riboud – all rights reserved.
Cankerjev dom – Running until the end of February 2019 is an exhibition titled Ivan Cankar and Europe: Between Shakespeare and Kafka. This is “An examination of Cankar’s art through an analysis of influences and interpretations, and juxtaposition with contemporary European writers. The visually elaborate architectural and graphic layout, supported by audio-visual media, installation art and diverse visual highlights, offers a vivid account of Cankar’s excellence, his comprehensively exquisite aesthetic and artistic vision.”
City Museum – The Museum in French Revolution Square has an exhibition on the writer Ivan Cankar that’s on until the end of February 2019, with pictures, books and manuscripts, all presented in Slovene and English. It also has a very interesting permanent exhibition on the history of Ljubljana, from prehistoric times to the present day, with many artefacts, models and so on that bring the story alive.You can read about my recent visit here.
The Faces of Ljubljana in the City Museum. Photo: JL Flanner
Galerija Kresija – The gallery between Triple Bridge and Robba Fountain, opposite the little Mercator, has an installation by Andrea Zabric called Experience 48700, on until October 3. “The exhibition brings an insight into the author's painting production of the last year, in which she deals with pigment as an independent material.”
International Centre of Graphic Arts – Running until November 11 is an exhibition of works by Riko Debenjak, including prints, drawings, paintings and illustrations.
MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design is showcasing Slovenian designers in a show called Made in Slovenia, lasting until the end of 2018: “The selling exhibition aims to present good practices of Slovenian designers and companies in the creative sector.” The same venue has an exhibition based on Slovenia’s Pavilion at the 16th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, called “Living with Water”, and on until November 25.
Something by Drago Tršar
Moderna galerija – The main branch of this gallery, to be found near the entrance to Tivoli Park, has a good collection of modern art, as well a nice café in the basement, and, until September 30th, a retrospective on the monumental sculptures of Drago Tršar, which you’ll recognise from around town (see more here). For even more contemporary work you can take a trip to the Metelkova branch, where there’s currently a show on the relationship between humans and animals.
Photo: JL Flanner
Museum of Contemporary History – The museum in Tivoli Park has two new shows. One is called Museum's (R)evolution 1948-2018, marking the place's 70th anniversary with an exhibition tracing its evolution through artefacts, photographs and personal stories and running until January 6 2019 (details here). There's also In Search of Freedom: 1968-2018, looking at the 1968 student protests.
National Gallery – The country’s main gallery has “the best” of what’s on offer from the Middle Ages to non-contemporary modern visual arts, and is in a great location for exploring other areas, just by Tivoli Park and opposite the main branch of the Moderna galerija. Running until February 10 2019 is a show called Ivana Kobilca (1861-1926): But Of Course, Painting Is Something Beautiful!, featuring works like the one below. You can read about our visit to the room containing scared art from the Middle Ages here, and see a picture from our trip after the two girls.
JL Flanner
National Museum of Slovenia – There’s plenty to see in the permanent collection here, from Roman times, Egypt and more, with the big draw this season being the exhibition of over 140 items of gold from Ming Dyntasy China, as reported here, and with an example below.
Photo: Wang Wei Chang
Meanwhile, at the museum's Metelkova branch, located between one branch of the Moderna galerija and the Ethnographic Museum is the International Ceramic Triennial UNICUM 2018, which runs until September 30. It's being promoted with the following image. This branch also has some rooms on Church art, funiture and weapons, with the latter including more guns than you'll see anywhere else in town, and quite a thrill if coming from a nation where such objects are not household objects.
Photon Centre of Contemporary Photography – A show called Forbidden Whispers – Laibach in North Korea is on here until October 19.
Ravnikar Gallery – Showing until October 1 is Ana Popescu: Fictional Homes. “Her artworks fundamentally derive from the heritage of Bauhaus aesthetics, which, to the author, is a nostalgic reminiscence of native Romania, having been influenced by the German architectural style after World War I, and also from modernist houses known for their large geometric shapes.”
Ana Popescu with two of her works. Ravnikar’s Facebook
Slovene Ethnographic Museum – The museum currently has a temporary show on Bees and Beekeeping, as well two permanent exhibitions. One of these is called Between Nature and Culture, and has a great collection of objects from Slovenia and around the world, well worth the trip up to the third floor to see it (as recounted here). This place is located near the newer branch of the Moderna galerija and Metelkova.
Photo: JL Flanner
Union Experience – The Ljubljana-based brewer has a museum showing the history of the company, with the ticket also including access to part of the factory and a few samples of the product. You can read about our visit here.
It's not a formal museum, but if you're interested in "Yugo-stalgia" then you'll enjoy a trip to Verba, a small, privately run space that's crammed with objects and pop culture items from the era, and is conveniently located at the start of one of the short walks to the castle. It's also a great place to take pictures, if you leave a donation, and you can read more about it here.
Verba. Photo: JL Flanner
Alternative Ljubljana isn't a museum or gallery, as such, but instead turns the city streets into a museum and gallery. Learn more about their tours of street art, history and LGBT Ljubljana here.
FAMILIES & KIDS
You can find our Top 12 list of things to do with kids in Ljubljana here. If want to read more about the philosophy behind the wonderful House of Experiments look here, while our trip to the Museum of Illusions is documented here, and there’s always riverside walks, ice cream and pizza.
Photo: JL Flanner
LGBTQ+
If you want to learn more about Ljubljana Pride, then take a look at our interview with its president here. If you're looking for more general links on "gay Slovenia", including a history of the scene and various projects, then you can find that here. We recently also published an interview with the LGBT activist and writer Suzana Tratnik, talking about - among other things - the occupation of Metelkova.
Klub Monokel – On Friday this lesbian bar in Metelkova is hosting DJs Cassette and Nikola playing “dance”, with varied sets that should touch on techno, house, acid, minimal and more. On Saturday there’s an all-nighter called Dulash Der DJ.
Klub Tiffany – Saturday this gay bar in Metelkova, next to Monokel, has a night called Mean Girls Trash-Out, which should be a fun party for all the cool moms and might even answer the burning question - is butter a carb?
Pritličje – This is the closest Ljubljana comes to a "gay bar" so it's a good thing this LGBT-friendly cafe / bar / events space is such a good one, and open from morning to night. You can read more about it here, while Wednesday evening there’s East of queer or Where you find it / Transparent, a discussion of trans culture. Saturday there’s DJ Dilian, with a sample set below.
Photo: Alternative Ljubljana
LIVE MUSIC
Gala Hala – Thursday there’s an audio-visual experience presented by Spock Studios.
Kino Šiška – Monday night you can see Altin Gün, while Friday night there’s MRFY and Bend vs Brend (premiere) and The Mint.
Ljubljana Castle – Friday night is music night at the castle, and this week sees a show by Severa Gjurin and the band.
Orto Bar – Saturday there’s a show by Spotless Minds and Stoneflow.
SNG Opera and Ballet – On Sunday there’s a concert to celebrate 100 years of the orchestra, with a programme including Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, Ravel and more.
Cankerjev dom – Wednesday evening the Philharmonia Orchestra London is playing “Outstanding Achievements of Late Romanticism”, featuring Arnold Schoenberg, Transfigured Night, for orchestra, Op. 4 (1917) and Anton Bruckner, Symphony No 7 in E major, WAB 107.
Gledališče IGLU - IGLU Theatre – Saturday night this group is usually putting on an English improv show somewhere in town, but it’s generally promoted after this is written, so check the Facebook before putting on your shoes.
Pocket Teater Studio – Wednesday, 20:00, there’s contemporary classic guitar & do it yourself effects & poetic pampering, while on Sunday, at the same time, you can enjoy free jazz guitar & contrabass & voice.
SNG Opera and Ballet – Thursday there’s a performance of Rossini’s Barber of Seville.
MISC.
Every Friday through the warmer months there’s the Open Kitchen in Ljubljana Market, where you can try food and drink from some the biggest names in town, and you can read more about it here.
Breg Embankment, just opposite the Old Town and by the river, has a small flea market open every Sunday morning. Learn more about it here.
If you’re in town and want to go jogging or walking in nature, why not take another look at the Castle, with a brief guide to the trails here. If you want something bigger, head to Tivoli Park.
If you want to get wet and work on your tan then consider going to one of the outdoor pools in town, which you can read about here, and that will be closing at the end of September until late Spring 2019.
Laguna, but there are also pools for swimming in town.
And if you're bored with the Old Town, why not take a walk, cycle or boat ride to nearby Špica and enjoy the riverside life. Learn more about that here.
visitljubjana.si
Flickr - Dave Rosenbaum CC by 2.0
Want to stretch and breath? Then check out our list of drop-in yoga classes for tourists, visitors and the uncommitted. If you're heading to the coast, check out our interview with a yoga teacher who offers breakfast sessions there, while if you're staying in town (or nearby) and want to try some "family yoga" then you can learn more about that here and maybe get your kids to calm down a moment or two.
TRIPS
Most of Slovenia is only a few hours from Ljubljana, and you can easily visit Lake Bled, Lipica Stud Farm, Postojna Cave, Predjama Castle, the coast and other locations.
FINALLY…
As noted in the introduction, we visited Celica this week and wrote about it. A big draw of this hostel is the 20 rooms in very different styles, like the ones below.
Photo: Miha Mally
Photo: Miha Mally
Photo: Miha Mally
One of the best photo spots in town is a small bridge that does its job so well it's easy to overlook how good the design is. Learn more about the quietly charming Fishmarket Footbridge here.
JL Flanner
