December 4, 2018

Although Ljubljana is quite a snobbish city, there are only a few stores where conspicuous consumers can shop for the signifiers of their social status. Although relatively small in size, Pentlja, a store with a concept that’s between Town Hall and the Triple Bridge, just next to Vigo, aims to address this issue with its varied selection of what some might consider “the best”.

In terms of style you will find everything from neon feathered purses to classic monochrome coats, while brands on offer stem from Louis Vuitton bags to local stars such as Sania Reja Aske, whose recent Perunkasvarunka   collection can be found in Pentlja in pretty much its entirety.

Prices? For Aske’s faux fur coat you’ll pay EUR 999. However, as it goes for most of the pieces you’ll find in the shop, you’ll be the only person on the planet to rock it. Hence the price.

Apart from unique pieces and easily recognisable brands, such as LV, Pentlja also offers some other safe luxury purchases, notably Moët & Chandon champagne in bottles of all sizes and scents and fragrant candles from Ladurée, a French patisserie shop.

For some reason, next to fashion magazines, you can also find books in Pentlja. As the selection of titles appeared rather random, we learned that they all originate from Vale Novak publishing house. Perhaps so that even those too broke or too fashion averse to purchase any other items can go home with a collection of Slavoj Žižek’s jokes.  

Tanja Jerman and Matej Klemen are teachers of Slovene at the Centre for Slovene as a Second and Foreign Language, and have taught for quite some time in Slovenia and around the world. They are also authors of several textbooks and other publications for learning Slovene. We got in touch with them asked some questions about their experiences teaching this often challenging language.

1. People say that Slovenian is one of the hardest languages to learn. What are your thoughts?

Matej: This is a common thing to say. However, I think Slovene is just as easy or just as difficult – if you want – as any other language. Starting learning any language with the mental set ‘this is so difficult’ is definitely not helpful. If you speak another Slavonic language, learning Slovene is not difficult at all, as far as I can judge from my experience teaching Slavonic speakers. As for English speakers, it might be that they experience some difficulties when starting learning Slovene as the languages are quite different. Once they grasp the structure of Slovene, they are fine. Some of my students who speak English as their first language now work as translators from Slovene into other languages, researchers etc.

Tanja: I agree with Matej and of course disagree with the stereotype of Slovene being a difficult language. To add a couple of things, Slovene uses Latin script, has quite a few borrowed words and all this helps the language learners. At the beginning of the course, I like to tell my students that Slovene only has three tenses: only one past, only one present and one future tense. This cheers them up a bit. There might be quite a lot of endings regarding nouns and adjectives. However, if you compare Slovene to let’s say Finnish or Hungarian with their 15 or 18 cases, respectively, Slovene is a piece of cake with only six of them.

Photo: JL Flanner

Related: New Courses & Nationality Exam Prep at the Centre for Slovene as a Second & Foreign Language

2. Tell us about the typical experiences of foreigners who come to you to learn Slovenian as total beginners – the problems they face, the things they find easy, when people stop learning, etc.

Matej: Our philosophy at the Centre for Slovene is that there are practically no beginners in Slovene. Everyone knows at least something. I only once met a person who wanted to join our courses and she said she knew absolutely nothing. It turned out that she knew three Slovene words (and really only three!): sol (salt), mleko (milk), kosmiči (cereal). She picked them up from packages in the store. As a teacher, I have to see this potential and use it to facilitate learning, acquiring new vocabulary.

Tanja: Once the students grasp the phonetics of Slovene, they realise how easy it is actually to read and write in the language. However, they have to invest some time in learning vocabulary and above all they need to practice speaking. This quite often presents a problem for our students. People in Slovenia tend to switch from Slovene into the foreign language they speak, so the students of Slovene struggle to find a partner to talk to in Slovene. Thus, one of the first phrases I teach them is Učim se slovenščino. Prosim, govorite slovensko.

At the Centre for Slovene, we try to make the learning process as comfortable as possible, on the other hand also as useful and authentic as possible. At the very beginning, we teach the most frequent phrases and vocabulary, basic and useful grammar structures. We do not overburden students with exceptions, irregular verbs etc. if it is not absolutely necessary.

Matej: When do our students stop learning? I believe that when they reach the level they need, once they run out of time, money… Some of them return to our Centre again and again as the learning process is a never-ending story.

Learn about the Centre's Ivan Cankar boardgame here

3. So many foreigners seem to have a mental block about learning Slovenian, especially if they can live and work here without learning the language. How do you 'unblock' that mentality?

Tanja: As person decides to learn a new language, they are usually already ‘unblocked’ and have already made the first step. My task as a teacher is to motivate this person to make progress, to support them on their way. Every little success in communication, in comprehension (e.g. being successful in buying some fresh vegetables at the Ljubljana market in Slovene, giving a compliment to your mother-in-law, etc.) shows their progress in language learning and brings satisfaction.

Matej: There might be sometimes a person who really concentrates on speaking perfectly and not making any mistakes rather than speaking fluently or speaking at all. I try to explain that knowing all of the details of the grammar will not get them anywhere if they do not relax and speak. By creating a relaxed and supportive atmosphere in the classroom, I am usually successful in this.

Learn Slovene with memes, with more for you here

4. Language errors can be funny. Are there any common one’s that make native speakers laugh?

Tanja: A very useful phrase, especially in summer is ‘I’m hot’. Please, do not translate it word by word! You will end up with Vroč sem! or Vroča sem! It would sound inappropriate or you might give a person the wrong impression – advertising yourself as a hot babe. The adjective vroč (hot) is normally used with weather (vroče vreme – hot weather, vroč dan – hot day). When feeling hot, use a phrase Vroče mi je. Also, I would not swear by the Google translate. I once came across a sentence Vabim te na datum., literally: I’m inviting you for a date. where the word date stands for ‘a particular day’. Google translate was not able to realise the person wanted to invite me to a different thing, i.e. zmenek.

Matej: One of the most frequent verbs is iti (to go), which is irregular. It’s really important to learn its specific forms. If you simply follow the standard rules, you might end up with a sentence like Včeraj sem grel plavat. (Yesterday, I warmed swimming.) instead of Včeraj sem šel plavat. (Yesterday, I went swimming.).

Learn more about the course for learning Slovenian online here

5. What do you find difficult about speaking English?

Matej: For me, finding the right expression can be tricky. Regarding grammar, I have always struggled with if clauses. If (!) I begin a sentence and manage not to remember it’s an if-clause, then I am OK. However, if my brain senses the sentence is an if-clause it just melts, and the result can be barely intelligible.

Tanja: Oh, don’t be silly! I told you so many times that grammar is not the most important bit of the language. However, it is true that some Slovenes tend to ignore some English grammar rules. Just listen to our English and you will hear all the difficulties we encounter in using tenses (perfect tenses specifically), definite and indefinite articles, in ignoring the difference between long and short vowels. Guess what a sheet becomes in Slovene pronunciation. We are sometimes close to the Italian guy from the following joke.

6. Learning Slovene is a serious business. Why should people sign up for a course at the Centre, and what is on offer with your language school?

Matej: The courses at Centre for Slovene have been around for more than 30 years. We are a part of the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. The Centre has an expertise in researching and developing the field of Slovene as a second and foreign language, teaching, testing and certifying language proficiency. We also publish textbooks and handbooks for teachers, organise teacher trainings. We’ve recently developed an on-line course www.slonline.si which has proved very popular around the globe as it is available in seven language combinations free of charge. In short, we really are the centre regarding Slovene as a foreign language.

Tanja: I would also like to point out our experienced teachers and quality materials. As already mentioned, we create a stimulating environment where our students reach the best results. We offer courses all year round for adults as well as for young learners, on different levels from A1 to C2, for professionals as well as language lovers. Our offer is always updated on our web site. So there are no excuses not to join us.

Learn some false friends in English and Slovene here

7. What’s your best advice for people learning Slovenian and thinking about giving up?

Matej: Find a minute or two every day to do something relaxing related to Slovene: listen to a pop song, watch a YouTube video, cook a recipe from a Slovene cook book, check a Slovene blog post, scroll through some news site… Something you like to do. It does not need to be a lot of time but it is important to keep the contact with the language. You have to take the initiative. You might as well follow us on our Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Tanja: Slovenes are very happy to hear a foreigner speaking even the basic words in Slovene. We do appreciate the effort. It is good to keep this in mind!

8. What are some Slovenian cultural products that foreigners who learn the language should be aware of?

Matej: I like to play quite a few Slovene songs in my classes. As the festive time is getting closer, my recommendation is a classic Bela snežinka. It might be a bit old fashioned but if you listen to it, you will learn some basic vocabulary and get to know a Slovene evergreen which will get you into the festive mood.

Tanja: Also, do not forget about potica – the famous festive walnut yeast-dough cake.

You can learn more about the work of the work of the Centre for Slovene as a Foreign Language, and perhaps sign up for a course, free online or in person here

Photo: JL Flanner

Want someone to hold your hand while you're reading Slovene? Check out our weekly Slovene-English dual texts.

CORRECTION: The original story, and headline, made great play on the low hours and low pay on offer with this position. However, this appears to be data entry error in both cases. While the website glassdoor.com still claims the job is for five hours a week, and  €4.50 euros an hour, a rapid and very helpful response from the British Embassy has set the facts straight. In reality, and per the HM Govt site, the job is 22.5 hours a week and pays €1538.9 a month. Or, going by our original hourly count, €17.09 an hour. More details of hte vacancy can be found here, while the original article, with inaccuracies struck out, is presented below.

Brexit is set to be one of the most complex tasks the UK has faced for decades, demanding resources and attention from all areas of the economy, all levels of society. With just a few months to go before March 29, 2019, when Britain will either face a “no deal” Brexit – and thus the end of all current agreements with the EU, and made as a member of the EU – or the current plan, supported by Brussels and the UK Prime Minister Theresa, but unlikely to pass a vote in Britain’s Parliament. In short, after a few years of “phony war” things are about to get very real, very fast, and no one knows what to expect.

It’s thus not surprising that the UK Embassy in Ljubljana is seeking to hire new staff to help deal with the challenges ahead from individuals and companies anxious to learn how a deal or no deal Brexit will affect them, so that they can plan ahead, and – going into the future –handle to greater amount of queries, research and admin that will undoubtedly be necessary once the UK leaves the EU.

Find our how to get dual citizenship in Slovenia here

However, a closer look at a recent job offer raises more questions that it answers. The position of Consular Policy Officer was posted on glassdoor.com on 1 December. This calls for someone who can serve as liaison with UK nationals and local authorities in Slovenia, to keep them informed of the progress and implementation of the UK-EU Citizens’ Rights agreements. This will focus on providing accurate and timely information online and elsewhere, along with pro-active outreach to UK nationals.

So far, so good, and for UK nationals who live in Slovenia and have been worried about the lack of attention paid to British citizens in Europe throughout the Brexit debate and aftermath, and what leaving the EU could mean with regard to banking, pensions, employment, onward movement, education, family rights and so on, it’s a welcome development to know there’s going to be someone at the Embassy dedicated to understanding the issues, sharing the key points, and looking out for their interests.

It all seemed so simple back then.... the question asked on the Brexit referendum. Photo: Wikipedia

However, looking down the job listing one’s heart begins to sink. While a “deal” Brexit, with a transition, is expected to take several years to implement, the job – which is due to start 04 February 2018 – is not a permanent post, but instead being offered for 12 months.

What’s more, while the new Consular Policy Officer will be based in the Ljubljana office of the Embassy they’re only expected to work five hours week. This seems about enough time to keep up to speed with developments in London and Brussels, deal with any emails on Brexit, and perhaps engage in a little pro-active contact with the community, but far too little to actually grasp the complexity of what’s about to happen, or to provide the attention that individuals and businesses will need in the months and years ahead.

Finally, the job offer, with an application deadline closing 13 December, is five hours a week, so let’s say an easy 20 hours a month. For this the lucky applicant – who is expected to be fluent in English and intermediate Slovene, as well as previous experience or awareness of British and/or local country public sector policy development, among other qualities – will receive a monthly salary of €90, or around €4.5 an hour. This compares to the current hourly minimum wage of €4.84 (Wikipedia).

Those interested in applying for this job can see the full offer here, while those who simply came here to read about Brexit are advised to stock up on popcorn: things are about to get interesting.

All our stories on Brexit and Slovenia can be found here

STA, 1 December 2018 - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar said that there were no legal grounds for recognising the German-speaking community as a minority as he responded to a renewed call by the community to be granted the same rights as the Italian and Hungarian communities in Slovenia.

According to a report in Saturday's issue of the newspaper Večer, Cerar told Austrian members of the Slovenia-Styria committee that there were no legal grounds to recognise the minority and "no circumstances that would dictate giving a special status to this ethnic group".

"But we will work to additionally support it in its cultural activities and ensuring its identity," Cerar said on the sidelines of the meeting of the joint committee on Friday.

The Federation of Cultural Associations of the German Speaking Ethnic Group in Slovenia in Slovenia repeated its call to be recognised as a minority in the Constitution this week.

There are around 2,000 “German-speaking Slovenes” in Kočevje and Maribor

It demands that Slovenia and its public institutions finance the operations and sustainable development of cultural associations of the German speaking community in Slovenia, respect the community's members as loyal Slovenian citizens and introduce German as a teaching language in line with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages of the Council of Europe.

It is estimated that the community has about 2,000 members, most of them living in the area of Kočevje in the south and in the city of Maribor in the north-east.

Slovenia believes that the status of the German-speaking community in Slovenia falls under a 2001 agreement with Austria on cooperation in culture, education and science.

Under the agreement, the German-speaking community enjoys the rights stated in Article 61 of the Constitution, which stipulates that everyone has the right to "freely express affiliation with their nation or national community, to foster and give expression to their culture, and to use their language and script".

The lights are on but, even last night, a Saturday, the streets weren’t all that crowded for the season, and you could walk around and enjoy the scene without being overwhelmed. In the days and weeks ahead this will change, though, as the tourist season ramps up again and folk from around the world come to Ljubljana and see what’s new this year. If you’re looking for Christmas action in the capital then it’s easy to find, just follow the lights and music. And if the temperature drops and you need a hat, scarf and gloves, or some candy, dried meat, or gifts, then take a look at the stalls along the river and behind the cathedral, where there’s a stage set up for oompah music.

Miklavž, aka St Nicholas, will also be making his annual appearance in town on Wednesday, starting at 17:00 in Krakov trg – by the Puppet Theatre and Castle funicular – then heading towards Prešeren Square, with his devils hanind out candies amid music, noise and light, as see a few years ago below. (And you can learn more about the tradition, and where else you can see it in Slovenia, here.)

With regard to festivals, fans of animation, for both children and adults, should scroll down to learn more about the Animateka festival, while a month-long festival that starts this week is the Decembrrr Festival at the former Tobačna factory complex, with 36 free music, entertainment, culinary and social events by Slovenian and international artists. The Facebook for that is here, but otherwise there’s not much online about it.

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 in Ljubljana please get in touch with me at flanner(at)total-slovenia-news.com

Getting around Ljubljana

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

Photo: JL Flanner

Want someone to hold your hand while you're reading Slovene? Check out our weekly Slovene-English dual texts.

Cinemas and films playing in Ljubljana this week

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 if they can't understand Slovene. That said, parents should pay attention to Kinobalon, which is Kinodvor's regular weekend series of film screenings and events for children, from babies on up, witrh special parent/child events, "first time in a cinema" screenings, and babysitting. Learn more about it here, and see the current schedule here. (And if you like watching trailers with subtitles as a way of learning Slovene, then catch up on some from earlier this year here).

Animateka, the International Animated Film Festival, is back for it’s 15^th edition, running from Monday to Sunday. This is mostly happening at Kinodvor and Kinoteka, and will include features and shorts from around the world, aimed at both children and adults, with a special focus on Hungary. There are also workshops for children, masterclasses and panel discussions for adults, a related exhibition of VR and 360-degree gaming. More details can be found here.

Kinodvor – The arts cinema not far from the train station, which has a nice café with books and magazines, seems to be given over to Animateka this week. For this we’ll highlight the Japanese Mirai of the Future, to be shown with English and Slovene subtitles, and Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs. On Thursday you can see Ce Magnifique Gâteau! and then attend a Q&A with the directors. On Saturday there’s Stereo Expanded: National Film Board of Canada, a presentation of various shorts that play around with 3D.

Kinoteka – The revival house at one end of Miklošičeva, a street that’s worth walking up for the architecture alone, is also taking part in Animateka, with some, but not all, films shown with English subtitles, so do check. One that will be supported with both English and Slovene is The Breadwinner.

Kolosej - The multiplex out at BTC City Mall is playing all the big movies, which this week include Robin Hood, The Grinch (with both subbed and dubbed versions), The House that Jack Built, Widows, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, El mayor regalo, Little Italy, Bohemian Rhapsody, Halloween, Johnny English 3, A Star is Born, Gajin svet, The Grinch (in subbed and dubbed versions), Robin Hood and Widows. New this week are Fahrenheit 11/9, Michael Moore’s Trump movie, Hannah, and Pat in Mat znova v akciji; while starting Wednesday is Mortal Engines and on Saturday a dubbed version of Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Komuna – The cinema in a basement behind Nama department store is showing Bohemian Rhapsody, The Grinch (dubbed), and Fahrenheit 11/9.

Clubbing in Ljubljana

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 consideable variety to found within the various clubs there, from death metal to electropop, gay caberet to art noise. You can read "the rules" of the place here.

Channel Zero – Monday night is Dub Lab, and this week the show’s being run by Šlagwerk. The on Friday there’s a night called Everything GOES, with a team of DJs made up of Rope, Jerry, Sunneh, Fogy, and Stojc, none of whom seem to have mix online.

Gala Hala – Breakbeat Pressure is the name of the game on Friday, with an all-nighter featuring DJs Pips, Dado, Zhe and Woo-D. A fun mix by the last name on that list is below.

Klub Cirkus – The more commercial end of clubland has what I’m sure will the first of many student Christmas parties on Wednesday, with an all-nighter offering “electronic dance music”. Friday it’s the turn of R’n’B Explosion, featuring fresh anthems and classics cuts with DJ Dey and DJ Martee. Saturday then offers something a little different, with Gramophonedzie #3 LIVE!, featuring a DJ, live singer and live trumpet.

Klub K4 – The legendary klub 4 kool kids has two all-nighters this week. On Friday there’s K4 Temnica with DJs Labud, Stojan, Nulla and Gojc, while on Saturday there’s Just A Dance, with DJs DEN7EL, Elovetric and Rinçage Énergique, and visuals from VJ 5237.

Orto Bar – Friday night there’s Shadowtime, playing alternative, dark 80's, industrial, gothic rock, and synthpop.

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, andout story on the group is here. One thing they recently warned of were pink Pharaoh pills with around twice the normal MDMA content (measured at 261 mg). See pictures and learn more here, but do remember that all the usual drugs remain illegal in Slovenia, while our in-depth profile of the group is here. 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.

Things to do with children in Ljubljana

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

December at Ljubljana Castle

The city’s main attraction, the Castle, has a lot planned for December, including an innovative projection on the walls at 17:00 each day. Learn more about what’s going on up on the hill this month here.

Live music in Ljubljana

Cankerjev dom – Tuesday evening there’s a live show from Autoryno, as part of a series curated by John Zorn.

Gala Hala - Wednesday night there’s Kočevje u Lublan, with live performances from Pankeroschi, Septic Order, Movemental and Nika&Nejc. Thursday there’s then the Croatian band Šumski. On Saturday there the second dub night of the week – the first is at Channel Zero – starts with a live show from Hornsman Coyote, and then goes on until 06:00 with the sounds being supplied by Jahmessenjah Sound and Selektor Ohoroho.

Klub Gromka – It’s a busy week at this club in Metelkova. On Tuesday there’s Kvartet Accademia, playing chamber music. Thursday there’s Noites Do Brasil, from 19:00 until after 04:00, with live and DJ music from Brazil, with the line-up including Sherzer Brigade, Denise Dantas Trio and DJ Yors Truli. Friday there’s then another mix of live and DJ music at an all-nighter called Kornet, with the live side of things being take care of by Haiku Garden, Mint, Koshava, Ujma and Lynch, while the DJs are ZORKOW, LE_EN_ART, Kaluza8, and LNLN. The week ends on Saturday with metal from Sober Assault, Veil of Deception, and Obnounce.

Kino Šiška – Friday, 20:00 on, there’s a free to enter battle of the bands for student groups, Špil liga, with voting by SMS.

Ljubljana Castle – Thursday night, starting at 21:00, there’s Nina Strnad & the Jazz Club Gajo Quartet.

Orto Bar – A packed week at Orto begins on Wednesday with death metal from Revocation, Archspire, Soreption, and Rivers of Nihil. The metal continues on Thursday with another Kadilnica of Death production, featuring doom, groove and sludge from Mist, Deep Down Bellow (sic), and Mutism. Saturday brings yet more metal, this time from Ensiferum and Trio de facto, with the headliners – and perhaps the support – putting on an acoustic show.

Pritličje – Thursday night there’s electronic music from OVAL Live! and Luka Prinčič Live!

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.

Klub Monokel – This lesbian bar in Metelkova is open every Friday night, and this Friday there’s music all night from DJs Kieran Loftus, Felis Catus, DVMIR and Lil Ris.

Klub Tiffany – The gay bar next door to Monokel is also open every Friday, and every Monday until June 2019 there's tango at 18:00. Tuesday evening, 20:00 to 22:00, there’s a talk on chemsex. Thursday, 20:00 to 22:00, there’s a café night on video games and geek culture.

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.

Museums and galleries in Ljubljana

Most public galleries and museums are closed on Mondays, although not the National Museum.

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. Something on for a limited time is Plečnik and the Sacred, showing here until January 20, 2019.

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 Art Gallery – Drago Tršar recently had a show at the main Moderna looking at his monumental works, and now this smaller gallery in the Old Town, not far from Town Hall, is showing some the sculpture’s erotic works, on until January 20, 2019. It’s being promoted with the following example.

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 visit here. Until March 2019 there's a show highlighting the work Elza Kastl Obereigner (1884-1973), a pioneer Slovenian sculptress, with an example of her work shown below.

Photo: M Paternoster

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

Galerija Vžigalica – Saša Spačal has a show here until January 6, 2019 called Earthlink, “working at the intersection of intermedia art, exploration of living systems and audio frequencies, links Earth to the post-human present, that includes both a seed of the future as well as a shadow of the past.” A promotional image is what's shown below.

Simbiom – ekonomija simbioze, 2016 © Dejan HabichtArhiv Moderne galerije

Galerija Kresija – Showing in the City Hall’s right atrium until December 13 is an installation, Gorazd Krnc: Tod in Ondod (Worth Not Knowing Where Knowington Is), which includes video projections

International Centre of Graphic Arts – Running from Friday until March 3 2019 there will be a show of posters from Milton Glaser, with the poster for the show shown below.

Ljubljana Exhibition & Convention Centre – Just outside the centre of town, at Dunajska cesta 18, you can see a lot of plasticized bodies at the Body Worlds Vital show, running from October 20 until January 20 2019.

Photo: Body Works Vital

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.”

Sam, 1966, fotografija na srebroželatinskem papirju. ©Stojan Kerbler

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 it's latest exhibition focuses on the photographer Stojan Kerbler, which runs until January 13, 2019, and shows rural live in Slovenia for the recent past.

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. This runs until February 15th.

Photo: Wang Wei Chang

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). This 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, 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

Opera, theatre and dance in Ljubljana

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 – Friday night there’s A Sentimental Education - Songs and Stories, which is being promoted as “a colourful storytelling tour through the Sentimental Education of a subcontinent, with Carlos Pascual on the microphone and Carlos Yoder on the piano. Storytelling in English and songs in Spanish from the Latin American tradition in order to illuminate a world that seems completely gone.” The venue is tiny, and so it’s important to make a reservation via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in 070 325 522. The price of ticket is 20€ (15€ for students) and includes wine during the whole performance.

SNG Opera and Ballet – Swan Lake will be performed from Wednesday to Sunday, although most shows seem to be sold out. Note that it continues to be performed throughout the season, so maybe book now to avoid disappointment.

Other things to do in Ljubljana...

From November 2 to 30 there’s the Gourmet Ljubljana Festival, with a full programme of culinary events, as detailed here.

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,

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 can't make it to Breg on Sunday morning, but still 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 at the top of this page, with more 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

maxpixel.net, public domain

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.

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. Note that these close when the snow starts.

Photo: maxpixel.net, public domain

Daytrips from Ljubljana

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

Photo: Google Image Search

Finally...

You can see all our stories tagged Ljubljana here, while if you're curious about the cost of living compared to other cities then you can learn more here.

Photo montage: JL Flanner

Ljubljana has a surprising number of film festivals, and after November’s LIFFe and the LGBT+ programmes it’s time for Animateka, the International Animated Film Festival. This runs from December 3^rd to the 9^th and from around 11:00 to 21:00, mostly from 15:00 on, showing at Kinoteka (Cinemateque in the schedule) and Kinodvor, with other events at Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova (MSUM+) and Elektra Ljubljana. In addition to the programme of features and shorts from around the world, this year animation from Hungary is a particular focus. Another major part of the festival is Slon [The Elephant], promising “the finest animated films for children”, with a PDF of that schedule here.

Of course, animation isn’t just for kids, and there’s also the “adult” section for those aged 14 and over (here).

There are also workshops offering, among other things, hand-drawn animation for those aged 11 to 15, green screen animation for kids aged 7 to 11, an optical toys workshop for children 11-15, and a flip-book making class (ages 8 to 12). And if you’re a little older, and perhaps work (or would like to work) in the industry, then note that there’s also a section for industry professionals with master classes, talks and panel discussions. Learn about that side of Animateka here.

And if you can’t make any of the scheduled events then there are exhibitions, including one on VR and 360 degree gaming being held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova, and another looking at the work of Špela Čadež at Kinodvor. Finally, one focus of the event is a competition, with the screenings for that here.

Related: Animator Špela Čadež Gets Retrospective in Italy (Videos)

In short, whether you’re free during the week or at the weekend, an adult or a child, if you like animation, or just would like to learn more about what the art’s been up to over the last year or so, then be aware the Animateka festival is back in town, and there’s a chance for you to enjoy it in the next few days. The official website, in English, is here.

STA, 29 November 2018 - A former Ljubljana primary school headteacher has been put on trial for banning two male final year students from school grounds after they sexually harassed a pair of their female classmates.

According to a report in the newspaper Dnevnik, Dušan Merc, the former headteacher of the Prule primary school, is facing charges of negligence at work for violating the two boys' right to education.

The case goes back five and a half years when two year 9 Prule students harassed their classmates in a swimming pool during a sports day.

After pushing them under water several times to the point of exhaustion, they sexually attacked the girls and later even made fun of them on school premises.

Five days later, after the marking period was over, Merc banned the boys from school grounds in order to protect the victims.

Merc has support from the public and school board

The public sided with the headteacher, but a schools inspector found he acted against the rules and he demanded the school board to dismiss him, which the board refused to do.

However, the inspector's findings were taken up by the state prosecution, which filed charges against Merc. The trial started at the Ljubljana Court on Wednesday, but the judge closed it to the public due to the involvement of underage witnesses.

While the prosecutor would not comment on the case, Merc's defence counsel Andrej Razdrih told Dnevnik that this was the first time in his career that he had come across such a case.

"My client acted correctly, professionally and in a highly ethical manner," he said, blaming the trial on the personal grudge and frustration of the schools inspector.

In his plea address, Merc said that the inspection oversight in the case went on for eight months, from August 2013 to April 2014, but that the inspector never told him what he was investigating so he was unable to respond to the charges.

He said that by "suspending" the two students for three days just before the end of the school year he did not violate their constitutional right to education, but only banned them from school premises and from attending the final outing and the annual awards ceremony on the final day of school.

"My reasoning was that the victims should not meet the perpetrators again and that the school would not put up with such conduct and violence," Merc said, adding that he protected the victims from potential further sexual harassment and ridicule.