STA, 6 April 2019 - Around 10,000 trees were planted by more than 670 volunteers at several locations in Slovenia on Saturday as part of a campaign launched by the state-owned SiDG forestry company last year to help Slovenian forests recover from several disasters they were hit by in recent years.

This is the second year that 10,000 new tress were planted as part of the campaign and the organisers hope this will become an annual event. In October 2018, some 400 volunteers took part, so this year's turnout was a pleasant surprise.

School children, students, teachers, employees from several Slovenian companies and other volunteers planted spruce trees, larch, beech trees, cherries, pears and hazelnut trees in the forests around Kočevje, Ravnik pri Logatcu, Lovrenc na Pohorju, and Postojna.

Agriculture, Forestry and Food Minister Aleksandra Pivec joined the teem in Lovrenc. "Such campaigns are a good way to raise awareness of the importance of forests," she said.

The minister is particularly happy that many different institutions and generations joined the project. She would like forest owners to also help rejuvenate the forests.

"By rejuvenating the forests that have been damaged, we are helping forests to preserve their many roles which are crucial for our lives," said Zlatko Ficko, the head of the SiDG.

The most volunteers, 240, gathered in Kočevje. More than a hundred of them were scouts.

The Rejuvenate the Forests initiative 2019 has been backed by the Agriculture Ministry, the National Forest Service, the Nature Conservation Institute, the Association of the Slovenian Catholic Scouts and the Scout Association of Slovenia.

It is also a part of the annual Day For Change campaign organised today by the Slovenian Philanthropy, encouraging people to stand up against discrimination and become volunteers at least for a day.

Slovenian forests suffered substantial damage in recent years. In February 2014 they were hit by an ice storm, which led to a bark beetle epidemic, while windthrow struck at the end of 2017.

In the last five years, more than 16 million cubic metres of trees or 65% of Slovenian forests were damaged in natural disasters. Some 95% of the damaged forests will regenerate by itself, while in the remaining 5% of the areas tree planting will be required.

Since the 2014 ice storm, some 1.5 million tress were planted in 600 hectares of privately-owned and state forests. In state-owned forests, 850,000 trees will be planted this year.

Bookmark this link and find the headlines in Slovenia each morning

Schedule of events in the week from 8 to 14 April, as prepared by the STA:

MONDAY, 8 April

        KOČEVJE - Japanese robot manufacturer Yaskawa will inaugurate its robot factory in south Slovenia. The event will be addressed by PM Marjan Šarec and European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc.
        LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar will take part in a session of the EU Foreign Affairs Council discussing Afghanistan, Venezuela and Eastern Partnership.
        VIENNA, Austria - Interior Ministry State Secretary Sandi Čurin will take part in a two-day conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons, organised by the OSCE.
        PARIS, France - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Dobran Božič will meet OECD Deputy Secretary General Ulrik Knudsen to discuss cooperation in artificial intelligence.
        VIENNA, Austria - The heads of the lower and upper chambers of parliament, Dejan Židan and Alojz Kovšca, will take part in a two-day conference of speakers of EU parliaments.
        LJUBLJANA - European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc will meet the leadership of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) and its transport section.
        MUMBAI, India - A delegation of Slovenian logistics companies will visit India; until 11 April.
        LJUBLJANA - Government and public sector trade unions are to agree a timeline of talks in 2019.
        LJUBLJANA - A new version of Parlameter, a tool tracking the work of the National Assembly, will be presented.
        LJUBLJANA - The children's parliament will be in session with the debate focussing on education; President Borut Pahor to be in attendance.
        KRANJ - The 49th Week of Slovenian Drama will come to a close with an awards ceremony.

TUESDAY, 9 April
        LJUBLJANA - Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation Josep Borrell will make an official visit at the invitation of his counterpart Miro Cerar.
        LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Dobran Božič will take part in a session of the EU General Affairs Council discussing the rule of law and the EU's multi-year budget.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec will take part in Digital Day, an event focusing on digitalisation of agriculture and rural areas and digitalisation of cultural heritage.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Labour Ministry State Secretary Tilen Božič will take part in a conference on the future of work.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Commission for National Minorities will debate the government's action plan to guarantee the rights of the Italian and Hungarian minorities.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Infrastructure Committee will debate the youth's appeal for climate fairness.
        VIENNA, Austria - A memorial plaque to Slovenian beekeeper Anton Janša (1734-1773) will be unveiled.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Electoral Commission will meet in preparations for the European parliamentary elections.
        LJUBLJANA - The Education Ministry will host a public debate on the way forward in education.
        LJUBLJANA - The Health Ministry will hold a two-day conference on World Health Day.
        LJUBLJANA - The two-day World Construction Forum will get under way.
        CELJE - The International Industrial Fair will open with an address by Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek; until 12 April.
        LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release February foreign trade data.
        MARIBOR - The start of a two-day conference on artificial intelligence in industry.
        MILAN, Italy - Selected Slovenian designers and independent furniture makers will be featured at the Milan Design Week; until 14 April.
        LJUBLJANA - New administered prices of top-selling fuels will kick in.

WEDNESDAY, 10 April
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Marjan Šarec will take part in a special EU summit on Brexit.
        SPLIT, Croatia - Defence Minister Karl Erjavec will attend the international defence fair ASDA 19 at the invitation of his Croatian counterpart Damir Krstičević.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Commission will hear a report on wiretaps targeting the Slovenian arbiter and agent at the border arbitration tribunal in 2015.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - A national conference on the internationalisation of the Slovenian economy, to be attended by Prime Minister Marjan Šarec and Foreign Minister Miro Cerar.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee will debate the National Assembly's international activities.
        BLED - The Slovenian-German Chamber of Commerce and the AI lab at the Jožef Stefan Institute will hold a Slovenian-German business day dedicated to artificial intelligence.
        LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release industrial output figures for February.
        ZAGREB, Croatia - Acclaimed slovenian composer Vinko Globokar will be featured at the Zagreb Music Biennale.
        MARIBOR - A concert dedicated to the upcoming 80th birthday of composer Alojz Ajdič at SNG Maribor.
        LJUBLJANA - Singer songwriter Zoran Predin will give a concert marking his 40th career anniversary.

THURSDAY, 11 April
        DUBROVNIK, Croatia - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec will take part in a two-day summit of the 16 Central and East European countries and China (16+1).
        WARSAW, Poland - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar will take part in a two-day ministerial of the Berlin Process, an initiative promoting the EU's enlargement to the Western Balkans.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee and the Commission for Slovenians Abroad will meet to debate political representation of the Slovenian minority in Italy.
        LJUBLJANA - The British-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce will host a conference on Brexit, with UK Trade Commissioner for Europe Andrew Mitchell in attendance.
        LJUBLJANA - A weekly government session.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Privileges and Credentials Commission will debate Borut Smrdel's resignation as head of the National Review Commission.
        LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of Economic Development and Technology and the SPIRIT agency will give out business excellency awards.
        LJUBLJANA - A new production of the ballet Giselle, choreographed by Cuban ballet artist Howard Quintero Lopez, will open at Ljubljana SNG Opera and Ballet.
        PORTOROŽ - The two-day Slovenian Advertising Festival will get under way.

FRIDAY, 12 April
        WASHINGTON, US - Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj and central bank Governor Boštjan Vasle will make their maiden appearance at the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank; until 14 April.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary EU Affairs Committee will debate the activities of Slovenian MPs and MEPs at a session called by the opposition Democrats (SDS).
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary inquiry probing into party financing will meet behind closed doors.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Health Committee will discuss the shortage of GPs at the behest of the opposition New Slovenia (NSi).
        CELJE - A pre-trail hearing for Uroš Rotnik, the former director of the Šoštanj coal-fired power station (TEŠ), and two co-defendants on charges of evidence suppression and false criminal complaint.
        LJUBLJANA - The council of the European Democratic Party (EDP) will meet, to be followed by the European Parliament group's conference on social challenges in the EU.
        MURSKA SOBOTA - The promotional centre of the Prekmurje region, Expano, will be launched.
        MARIBOR - The Gallus - Maribor 2019 international competition of choirs; until 14 April.
        PTUJ - The city will host a meeting to discuss its plans to bid for the 2025 European Capital of Culture.
        NOVA GORICA - Aleksij Kobal will have an exhibition of his works launched at the Nova Gorica City Gallery.
        LJUBLJANA - Singer songwriter Marko Brecelj will give a concert at Cankarjev Dom.
        LJUBLJANA - Radio Študent, an alternative radio station, will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a festival; until 13 April.
        RADOVLJICA - The three-day Radovljica Chocolate Festival will get under way.

SATURDAY, 13 April
        ŽALEC - The non-parliamentary Slovenian People's Party (SLS) will hold a congress.
        CELJE - The opposition New Slovenia (NSi) will present its list of candidates for the EU elections as it meets for its annual consultations.

SUNDAY, 14 April
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Christians will celebrate Palm Sunday.

April 7, 2019

Thanks to an initiative of Novo Mesto Utilities, half of the Lower Carniola’s state institutions are now equipped with toilet paper produced from recycled packages of locally consumed milk, juice and other liquids, reported Dnevnik last Thursday.

Three years ago Novo Mesto Utilities started a project to fully recycle such packaging, the first of the kind in the country. The KEMSO (aka Tetra Paks) packaging was send to Italy, where it was recycled into toilet paper and returned as such to Lower Carniola.

Picture: Novo Mesto Utilities

Although the story serves as a good example we can all learn from, it also illustrates the problem Slovenia is facing with regard to its underdeveloped recycling industry. What we do really well in Slovenia (as in most of other European countries) is divide waste into recyclables and non-recyclables and then export them to developing countries where the “good stuff” is actually recycled, while the rest is dumped in land pits, rivers and seas.

In 2017 China, who had until then been buying about 50% of Europe’s recyclable trash, put a ban on waste imports, which came into action in 2018. This meant a serious reality check for countries like Slovenia, who were completely relying on international markets to make their trash disappear. As the prices went down, such waste became too costly to transport and large amounts begun piling up at collection sites.

In October 2018, Jure Leben, then the new, now already former, environmental minister evaluated the situation as alarming not only in terms of being an environmental and sanitary emergency but also as a safety issue, since collection centres could no longer comply with fire and other precautions. Legislation was thus proposed to allow waste disposal to be financed by the government.

Photo: http://www.snaga.si

In line with the adopted EU strategy for reducing the use of plastic in everyday life, free plastic shopping bags were banned in Slovenia at the beginning of this year. According to the EU measures, disposable plastic cutlery, plates, straws and ear buds will also be banned by 2021. Other plastic waste, such as bottles will have to be recycled to the amount of 90% by the year 2025.

The second most common disposable items containing plastic, perhaps surprisingly, are cigarettes (in the filters) and lost fishing equipment, which account for 27% of all waste found on European beaches. The new rules say that these will need to be collected and, in the case of the fishing equipment, at least 15% recycled by the year 2025. It is the manufacturers of such products who will also have to cover the expenses for gathering the related waste.

If you enjoy honest trash then check out the Kurja polt (Goosebumps) festival of genre film, 9–14 April, which takes place at Kinodvor and Kinoteka. This year’s theme is freaks, and the programme is packed with cheap sex and nasty thrills, with a selection of cult classics and classics in the making. Check out our write up and some of the trailers here. Another festival this week, albeit just Friday and Saturday, is Tresk – “the clash between music and record labels” – which you can read about here.

If you want to wake up to the big headlines in Slovenia then take a look at the new format of our daily morning news feature.

Something new we added recently that will delight or enrage you is our suggestions on how to spend from four to 48 hours in Ljubljana. Check it out here.

If you're not in town for the week of this guide (April 8 to 14, 2019) then you can see all the editions here, and you can enhance your stay in the city and impress or annoy friends and companions by learning some obscure facts about the city here, and the Castle 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 at this place in whatever week you're here. Finally, if there's something you want to promote in a future edition of What's on in Ljubljana please get in touch with me at flanner(at)total-slovenia-news.com or try and find me on Facebook.

Contents

• Cinemas and films
• Clubbing
• Live music
• Opera, theatre and dance
• Harm reduction and drug testing
• Things to do with children
• LGBT+ Ljubljana
• Ljubljana Castle
• Museums and galleries
• Other things to do in Ljubljana
• Daytrips
• Getting around & miscellaneous

Cinemas and films

You can read about all the cinemas in town here, while a selection of what’s playing this week is below, and note that kids' movies tend to be shown in dubbed versions, while non-English language movies for older viewers will have Slovenian subtitles. Parents should also pay attention to Kinobalon, which is Kinodvor's regular weekend series of film screenings and events for children, from babies on up, with special parent/child events, "first time in a cinema" screenings, and babysitting. Learn more about it here, and see the current schedule here.

As noted in the intro, this week Kinodvor and Kinoteka are hosting a festival of genre film, with more details and some trailers here.

Kinodvor – The arts cinema not far from the train station is showing, among other features, Loro, Vision, Leave No Trace, My Last Year as a Loser (a good Slovene film – I’ve seen it – with a lot filmed in downtown Ljubljana; it’s screened with English subtitles), Transit, Un couteau dans le coeur (in French, with English subtitles)

Kinoteka – This revival cinema isn’t far from Kinodvor, at the train station end of Miklošičeva, is showing Ilsa Harem Keeper Of The Oil Sheiks and Der Fan (German, with English subtitles). Yep, they’re both part of the genre film festival

Kino Bežigrad - This place is showing Dumbo and Shazam!, while starting on Thursday is a remake of Hellboy.

Kolosej - The multiplex out at BTC City Mall is playing all the big titles, but note that there are far more movies than screens, so some of the older ones may only be playing once or twice a week. Click on the theatre name to see the actual times before making a date. Click on the theatre name to see the actual times before making a date. This week there are Pet Sematary, Shazam!, The Aspern Papers, 100 Dinge, Dumbo, Ne bom več luzerka, Storm Boy, Us, Creed II, Captain Marvel (2D and 3D), Colette,  How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Green Book, A Star is Born, Bohemian Rhapsody, Escape Room,  Alita: Battle Angel (2D and 3D), Qu'est-ce qu'on a encore fait au bon Dieu?, Mia et le lion blanc, Happy Death Day 2U, Instant Family, Replicas, Izbrisana, and a dubbed version of The Queen’s Corgi. New this week is Loro.

Komuna – The cinema in a basement behind Nama department store is showing, among other features, My Last Year as a Loser, Loro and Colette.

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Clubbing

Compared to some European capitals it can seem that nightlife in Ljubljana ends rather early, especially along the river, but there are still bars that stay open late and clubs were you can dance until dawn, and perhaps the best place to stumble across something interesting is the legendary Metelkova. Be aware it's a grungy kind of place and not for all tastes, but also that there's considerable variety to found within the various clubs there, from death metal to electropop, gay cabaret to art noise. You can read "the rules" of the place here. And if you're curious about how the place started then read our story, and look at some pictures, about last year's 25th anniversary.

Channel Zero – Friday there’s an all-nighter (as most club events are) called Mami's Magic & Mo:Dem Teaser Party, a Mushroom Magic Lights affair, with the main DJ being Val Vashar.

Gala Hala – Friday there’s Balkan Campers Opening Party, with DJ Bayo (Jugofunk set), Mokoš (ex-Yu hip hop set) and Brat & Sestra (ex-Yu rock set) – sadly, no sets from this crew seen to be online. Saturday there’s Versus: Shekuza / Brtinzz, a techno event, a set below.

Klub Cirkus – Friday night it’s time to dress for the lights with BLACK MOON – UV Gathering, with the music being dance, future house, edm, house, r&b, hip hop, and trap. Saturday you can then enjoy El Fuego with latino flavored pop, r&b, dance, reggaeton, latin house, tropical, and island beats.

Klub K4 – Friday the klub 4 kool kids has 30K4 : Jane Fitz [Night Moves, Freerotation / UK], Jane Fitz (NIGHT MOVES, FREEROTATION / UK), Lara H., Fraku, Nulla, Maša, Nika (Rite of Passage), and Nikolaj (PHI), with visual support from VJ 5237. The night, a Saturday, it’s K4 Gibanica x Tresk, with Blaž (playing live), along with DJs Terranigma (Tigerbalm), Šuljo, and DVS (Tigerbalm, RŠ), and back again is VJ 5237.

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Live music

Božidar – Friday evening there’s the Jazz klub Mezzoforte, Freestyle Karaoke & Jam Session.

Cankerjev dom – Tuesday evening, 20:00, the country’s main arts centre will see a concert by Mario Batković + Damir Avdić – sadly, no videos are available. The same evening, same time, in a different hall, there’s the Partisan Choir, celebrating it’s 75^th anniversary with an event partisan and patriotic songs. Thursday, the 11^th, Teresa Salgueiro  – “the finest voice of Portugal and beyond” – is on stage. Friday it’s then the turn of the Dresden Philharmonic, with Beatrice Rana on the piano, playing Brahms.

Cvetličarna – Saturday you can see a true legend of the Slovenian music scene, with Vlado Kreslin and the Little Gods.

Kino Šiška – Thursday evening The Ills are on stage, the Slovakian champions of instrumental post-rock, shoegaze and prog. Saturday this venue is hosting the Tresk Festival, with details here. Sunday there’s a live show from Raul Midón.

Klub Gromka – Thursday, 11^th, 20:00 to 02:00, there’s Noites do Brasil #2, an evening of Brazilian music with several acts on the bill, as organised by Sherzer Brigade. Friday things are very different with a packed programme of grindcore (and mincecore) coming from Aligrindtor, Decom-Posers, Dead Corcoras, and Morbid Creation.

Ljubljana Castle – This Friday there’s a Bob Dylan Tribute - The Complete Unknowns.

Orto Bar – Orto Fest continues with more hard rock and metal. Tuesday there’s Lumberjack, Wednesday it’s Demolition Group, Thursday come Avven with support from Tears of Kali, Friday DMP take the stage, as do, at a different time, The Stroj. Saturday the week ends with Bohem.

Slovenska filharmonija – There seems to be noting in town from the orchestra this week, as they're in Zagreb.

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Opera, theatre and dance

Cankerjev dom - Thursday evening there’s a staging, in Slovene, of Martin Sherman’s Bent. Sunday the British comedian Eddie Izzard will be taking the stage.

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.

Kino Šiška – There’s a lot of dance out at this venue. On Monday there’s REAR WINDOW / Dancers Without Answers, Tuesday it’s Ana Kreitmeyer and Sonja Pregrad: Out There and In Here, with the same evening also seeing Maja Delak: Just For Today. Wednesday there’s David Somló: Mandala. There seem to be no videos to promote these shows.

Klub Gromka –  Saturday evening you can go to Metelkova and enjoy Sindikat odklonskih entitet / the Syndicate of Outlandish Entities, with new comedy, performative humour, irony, satire, parody, and social commentary, in Slovenian

Mini Teater Ljubljana – The English schedule of varied performances for the month is here.

SNG Opera and Ballet - Adolphe Adam’s ballet Giselle will be performed here Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with choreography by the Cuban ballet artist Howard Quintero Lopez.

Pocket Teater Studio – The new play Border Love is playing here Friday and Saturday, 20:00 Note that the number of seats is very limited – just 24 – and thus you should make a reservation via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 070 325 522. The price of ticket is 20€, and includes a shot of tequila.

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Harm reduction and drug testing

Drogart is an organization that aims to minimise harm on the party scene, and offers drug-testing services and reports on their webpage. It’s in Slovene, but you can Google translate it or work things out yourself, and our story on the group is here. You can find the latest warnings on fake drugs and high strength pills and powders (in Slovene) here. However, be aware that all the usual drugs are illegal in Slovenia. CBD is legal, though, and this week we also added an interview with the guy behind Responsible Pot, which is getting CBD into the city’s cafés and bars.

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Things to do with children

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, pizza and ice cream. With regard to the latter, take a look at our guide to six places that serve good ice cream in winter, and thus are serious about the dessert.

Mini Teater Ljubljana – The season sees a lot of puppet performances for children, in Slovene, at this theatre not far from Križanke. The English schedule for the month is here.

Ljubljana Puppet Theatre - The puppet theatre near the Central Market and next to the Castle funicular has a full programme or shows, for children and adults, with the schedule here.

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LGBT+ Ljubljana

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, while our stories about the community can be found here.

Cankerjev dom – A Slovenian version of Martin Sherman’s Bent will be staged here on Thursday evening.

Klub Monokel – This lesbian bar in Metelkova is open every Friday, and this week there’s an all-night techno event called Katarza, Noir, featuring two DJs with those names.

Klub Tiffany – And the gay bar next door is also open on Fridays, while every Monday until June 2019 there's tango at 18:00. This week the events page seems to be missing.

Pritličje – This seems to be the only "always open" LGBT-friendly cafe / bar / events space in town, and perhaps the country, so it's a good thing it's such a good one, open from morning to night, and with fliers and posters letting you know what's happening outside the narrow confines of, say, a general interest online what's on... guide.

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Screenshot from Google Maps, showing the location of the Castle vineyard

Ljubljana Castle

The city’s main attraction is said to be the top tourist draw in the country overall, and to my mind it earns a spot near the top just for the history and views. But beyond that the current owners, the City of Ljubljana, have laid out a varied, interesting and enjoyable programme of events, one that rewards regular revisits.

I try and get up there every Saturday morning to clear my head and move my feet on the trails, and never tire of that end of the hill. At the other end, where the Castle sits, there’s a lot more than fresh air on offer. There are guided tours, restaurants, a café, Castle museum, puppet museum, a Watchtower you can climb to the highest point in the city, art shows, dances, live music, movies under the stars, festival days and more – enough to reward multiple trips up the hill through the year. All of these activities and events can be found on the Castle website, while on TSN you can see “25 things to know about Ljubljana Castle” here, and “Ten Ways to Enjoy Ljubljana Castle” here.

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Museums and galleries

Most public galleries and museums are closed on Mondays, although not the National Museum, and - as noted at the start

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, and it's also in a really nice part of town, Trnovo, just a short walk or cycle upriver. Read about our guided tour here.

Balassi Institute – The Hungarian culture centre has an exhibition entitled “Encounters in Visual Art” introduces works of selected visual artists, painters and sculptors, who define today's art scene in Hungary and Slovenia, as promoted with the image below. Free to enter, this venue is next to a Spar and Hofer, and not far from Dragon Bridge, and always has something interesting going on. Learn more here.

City Museum – The Museum in French Revolution Square an 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 visit here.

The Faces of Ljubljana in the City Museum. Photo: JL Flanner

International Centre of Graphic Arts – Starting March 22 and running until May 19 is Photographic Images and Matter: Japanese Prints of the 1970s and Japan, Yugoslavia and the Biennial of Graphic Arts: Documents of Collaboration. One of the images promoting the show is shown below.

Kosuke Kimura: Present Situation – Existence A, colour and silkscreen, 1971.

MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design has much of what you'd expect, along with some temporary shows and a good cafe. Until May 19 there's Tendencies: Architecture and Urban Planning in Celje, 1955–1985.

Rafikun Nabi: Poet, 1980, print, 96.5 x 110 cm. Courtesy of the Contemporary Art Center of Montenegro. On display at the Metelova branch of the Moderna galerija

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. The museum's Metelkova branch also has a big new show, runing until at least September 2019, an the art of the Non-Aligned Movement, with an example shown above.

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. You can read about our visit to the room containing sacred art from the Middle Ages here.

JL Flanner

The real Robba Fountain can be found in the entrance to the National Gallery - the one you see in the Old Town is a genuine fake, as seen below and reported here.

Photo: JL Flanner

National Museum of Slovenia – There’s plenty to see in the permanent collection here, from Roman times, Egypt and more. Meanwhile, the museum's Metelkova branch, located between one branch of the Moderna galerija and the Ethnographic Museum has some rooms on Church art, furniture 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 items.

Natural History Museum – On until the end of June 2019 is Our Little Big Sea, which takes a look at the oceans.

Slovene Ethnographic Museum – The museum currently has a temporary show on Bees and Beekeeping, on until June 16 2019, 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). From April 18 until October 19 (2019) you can also see a show called Shamanism of the Peoples of Siberia, from the Russian Museum of Ethnography, Saint Petersburg. The place is located near the newer branch of the Moderna galerija and Metelkova.

Union is "the Ljubljana beer", but now both it and Laško are owned by Heineken. There are many local brews on offer around town, though, if you want to explore IPAs, stouts, wheatbeers, sours and so on 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.

Photo: JL Flanner

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Other things to do in Ljubljana

If you'd like to spend an evening painting with others, then take a look at Design with Wine, which organises painting parties on Trubarjeva cesta,

If you want to see some antiques, then check out the wonderful Antika Carniola, as discussed here. The man behind it, Jaka Prijatelj, has a fine eye for life on this street, as you can see on his Facebook account.

Photo: JL Flanner

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.

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

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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.

Prefer to have someone else stretch you? The check out the totally legit massages you can get from Sense Wellness - either in one of their spas or in you home, office or hotel. (And - to repeat - these are legit and non-sexual in nature)

There are some golf courses near Ljubljana, but even ones further away are not far, as seen in our list of all the golf courses in Slovenia.

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Daytrips

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, while if you'd like to take a photo of from that bench in Bled, then you can learn how to get there here. If you’re looking for something more ambitious, then check out our recent guide to the 17 members of the Association of Historical Towns of Slovenia

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Getting around & miscellaneous

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. Manual wheelchair users can also borrow, for free, an attachment that will motorise their equipment, as reported here.

Screenshot from a Twitter video

If you’re driving into town and don’t know where to part, our guide to how to park in Ljubljana is here.

There aren't many places to eat after midnight, and most of them are by the train station, as reported 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. 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.

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.

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STA, 4 April 2019 - Slovenia recorded the biggest drop in the number of road casualties among all EU member states, with the number decreasing by 13% compared to 2017 and by 34% compared to 2010, European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc noted on Thursday as she presented the latest EU transport statistics.

The number of road casualties in Slovenia dropping below 100 for the first time last year is encouraging data, said Bulc, adding that Slovenia's statistics were specific, as many accidents happen due to driving in the wrong direction.

The positive trend has not continued this year, unfortunately, with as many as 26 persons in Slovenia being killed on the roads in the first three months, compared to 14 in the same period last year.

While recording the biggest drop in the number of casualties in the whole EU last year, Slovenia is still far behind the leading countries in terms of the number of casualties per million people, recording a ratio of 44.

The most successful EU country in this respect is the United Kingdom with 28 casualties per million people, followed by Denmark (30). Faring the worst are Romania with 96 and Bulgaria 88 casualties per million people.

With 49 casualties per million people, European roads are the safest in the world, but 25,100 casualties is a horrific number and no one should be satisfied with it, said the Slovenian commissioner.

This is 1% less than in 2017 and 21% less than in 2010, Bulc said, adding that safety-related measures should be stepped up for the EU to reach the set goals in road transport.

April 4, 2019

This week’s collection of Slovenian memes (jazjaz, in slang) can’t hide the fact that the average age of a Slovenian meme fan is somewhere below 18. Which might actually be useful to a learner of the language, as not only are memes a simple and fun learning material, but might also help you realise how some things never change.

1. Add a teabag 2. Pour in boiling water 3. Wait till it cools 4. Forget you prepared tea

STA, 4 April 2019 - Czech-French writer Milan Kundera will receive one of Slovenia's highest state decorations for raising his voice for Slovenia's independence and for outstanding contribution to understanding turbulent times in Europe.

Kundera, 90, will be given the Golden Order of Merit, which is bestowed on Slovenian or foreign citizens for outstanding merit in civilian, diplomatic or military areas.

Announcing the news on Thursday, President Borut Pahor's office said that at a decisive moment when Slovenia had been amid efforts to gain independence, Kundera had raised his voice "to defend our historical and cultural characteristics and political independence".

Predsednik Pahor je podpisal ukaz o podelitvi odlikovanja RS zlati red za zasluge, ki ga prejme Milan Kundera za izjemen prispevek k razumevanju Evrope in časa ter za trdno prijateljstvo do Slovenije. https://t.co/7JbjYsz2Ub pic.twitter.com/JFhYfV9UWX

— Borut Pahor (@BorutPahor) April 4, 2019

The initiative to decorate Kundera was given by France-based Slovenian philosopher and photographer Evgan Bavčar, who said that when Slovenia was attacked and isolated in 1991, Kundera spoke in favour of Slovenia in France.

Having been acquainted with the situation in Slovenia by the Slovenian Writers' Association, Kundera wrote a piece in which he outlined Slovenian cultural history stressing that "Slovenia must be saved and that it belongs to Western Europe", Bavčar explained for the STA.

The president's office also praised Kundera as an accurate observer of the turbulent times of the second half of the 20th century in Europe.

Not only did he aesthetically perfect the novel, he has also given it "a noble mission of expressing universal principles and values of the human spirit whose substance is freedom", the release reads.

Kundera is expected to be decorated this year. Bavčar, who praised Pahor's decision as "a very nice gesture", described the writer with the words: "Kundera possesses the love of truth of Socrates, the moderation of Plato and the strength of judgement of Aristotle."

Kundera, born on 1 April 1929 in Brno, the Czech Republic, joined the communist party when he was young, but was excluded from it due to his reformist views expressed during and after the 1968 Prague Spring.

He went into exile in Paris in 1975. He was stripped of Czechoslovak citizenship in 1979, but granted French citizenship in the early 1980s.

Kundera's best-known work is The Unbearable Lightness of Being from 1984, and he has been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature on several occasions.

The writer has always promoted personal and creative freedom, with his works criticising the socialist society.

In 1992, he received the Vilenica Prize, which is given out to authors from Central Europe by Slovenia's Vilenica International Literary Festival.

STA, 4 April 2019 - Health Minister Aleš Šabeder has signed a decree that allows hiring up to 90 doctors from non-EU countries this year in order to deal with an acute shortage of general practitioners in Slovenia.

Šabeder announced the measure for the public broadcaster TV Slovenija and commercial broadcaster POP TV late last evening.

The ministry also sent to the Medical Chamber yesterday a proposal for speciality training for 49 trainee doctors this year, a "measure that will have an effect on the system only in a few years' time".

A favourable number of trainee doctors is also planned for 2020, but there will be fewer in 2023 and 2024.

He said these were the first short-term measures agreed in the meetings earlier this week with representatives of GPs and of the community health centres grappling with the most acute staff shortages.

The decree allowing hiring a total of 90 doctors from third countries adds 55 doctors to work in primary healthcare to the 35 doctors for which medical organisations expressed the need a while ago, explained the minister.

The ministry today submitted for public consultation until 11 April a proposal lifting the ceiling on doctor job offerings by 56 from the 35 posts determined in December, which will allow the import of 91 doctors from third countries. More than half (55) will be for GPs.

The minister also announced that further measures would follow to implement the agreed workload standards and norms and deal with the crisis which erupted after GPs started giving notices in protest at excessive workload.

FIDES, the trade union of doctors and dentists, announced that, on 1 June, all doctors would start sticking to the workload standards agreed in the collective bargaining agreement after the 2016 strike.

"It will be necessary to secure additional financing sources, and measures are also being taken in this direction," Šabeder said, indicating that these measures could be expected by June or July.

In response to FIDES's announcement of what is in effect a work-to-rule strike, the trade union of nurses said that, being members of medical teams, nurses "will work as much as doctors do".

The union's boss, Slavica Mencinger, told the STA today that a "major problem will be to ascertain who will be the one to turn away patients, to triage them and answer for the consequences".

Kinodvor and Kinoteka, Ljubljana twin temples of art cinema, are giving themselves up once again to the cheap thrills and honest trash of the annual Kurja Polt (“Goosebumps”) festival of genre film, this year in its 6^th shocking incarnation.

This one is titled Freaks, and in addition to the Tod Browning classic of midnight screenings includes a number of other films that, for one reason or another, simply could not – and perhaps should not – be made today. Thus you’ll be able to marvel at underground classics like Isla – Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks, a film that, as the NSFW trailer attests, fully lives up (or down) to the potential of its title, with something to offend everyone.

Or you can enjoy the Italian giallo sex and violence thriller with perhaps the best title of the festival – in a programme packed with contenders – Il tuo vizio è una stanza chiusa e solo io ne ho la chiave, aka Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key. Sadly, no trailer for this is available, but the synopsis begins as follows:

Oliviero (Luigi Pistilli), a frustrated writer and an abusive husband to Irina (Anita Strindberg), amuses himself by holding drunken hippy orgies in their crumbling country villa. But when one of his lovers is found dead, he becomes the prime suspect to a series of mysterious murders. To complicate matters even further, Oliviero’s beautiful and seductive niece Floriana (Edwige Fenech) arrives for an unexpected visit….

With regard to family fun, and not just for the Mansons, there’s the legendary Roar, dubbed the most dangerous movie ever shot, with a cast of wild animals that at any moment could have decided to eat the actors:

Hank (Noel Marshall) is an energetic scientist, living in the bush country of East Africa, alongside a menagerie of over 100 wild lions, tigers, panthers and an elephant or two. They all live together in apparent harmony. Until one day, just as his wife and children (real-life wife Tippi Hedren, step-daughter Melanie Griffith and his sons John and Jerry Marshall) arrive from Chicago, a battle for dominance erupts between the lions. And things go badly wrong.

In addition to confirmed classics there are those in the making, including the intriguing Un Couteau Dans Le Coeur, or Knife + Heart:

Paris, the summer of 1979. Anne (Vanessa Paradis) is a 40-something gay porn director with titles like Anal Fury and Homocidal under her belt. After her editor and lover Lois leaves her, she tries to win her back by shooting her most ambitious film yet. But a mysterious killer starts murdering her actors one by one.

Non-western movies also get their turn on the big screen, with Filipino director Khavn de la Cruz appearing in person at both a workshop and screenings of Bamboo Dogs and Balangiga: Howling Wilderness.

While the Nigerian film Hello Rain will also be playing:

Through a potent but dangerous combination of juju and technology, three scientist witches Rain, Philo and Coco create magical wigs that grant them untold supernatural powers. But power corrupts and Rain, the leader, finds herself in a confrontation with her friends. She must stop them before they destroy the entire nation.

If you’re not afraid to take a walk on the wide side then I recommend you head over to the official site in order to see the full schedule, which also includes seminars, workshops, performances, and an art exhibition. As bonus for readers of TSN, non-English language films will be screened with English subtitles, so you’ll be able to enjoy every minute..

Finally, note that fans of this event should put the Grossmann Fantastic Film Festival in their calendars, which this year (2019) takes place 16–20 July in Ljutomer, while whenever you’re reading this you can see our guide to what’s on in Ljubljana, including at cinemas, here.

STA, 2 April 2019 - The European Commission has confirmed that traffic fines notifying Slovenians that they have breached traffic regulations in another EU country should be issued in Slovenian. A number of Slovenians received notices from Austria and Italy which were not written in their native language.

Addressing a formal notification from a Slovenian MEP Patricija Šulin (EPP/SDS), who informed the Commission of this violation of the EU regulations along with other Slovenian MEPs, the Commission stressed that using the official language of a person who committed a traffic offence was a requirement on the local, regional, and the EU's level.

This regulation was adopted in 2015 by the European directive facilitating cross-border exchange of information on road-safety related traffic offences.

Šulin said that the Commission did not explicitly state how it was overseeing the implementation of the regulation in Austria and Italy. The countries' respective legislation systems ensure notifying Slovenians on traffic offences in Slovenian in theory.

The Commission stressed that it would take appropriate measures if it turned out that the two countries have been breaching their obligations under the directive, sending traffic tickets which were not in Slovenian to Slovenian citizens.

It also urged people to file an official complaint if they received notices that were not in their native language.