STA, 23 February 2020 - Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus in Italy, the Foreign Ministry has advised Slovenian citizens visiting the country to be cautious on their return home. Those heading to Italy are advised to check the latest situation at their chosen destination.

 Authorities in the north of Italy have imposed emergency measures to try to contain worrying outbreaks of the virus. A dozen towns in Lombardy and Veneto have gone into lockdown as the number those infected exceeded 100 and two of those infected died.

Friuli Venezia Giulia, the region bordering Slovenia, has declared a state of emergency due to the proximity of Veneto, where the authorities have shut down the Venice Carnival and other public events as the number of coronavirus cases has risen to 25.

The carnival is popular with Slovenian tourists and several travel agencies offer trips there, but the STA has learnt that one of Slovenian travel agencies last night notified the clients booked for the trip that their trip, planned for early Sunday morning, had been cancelled.

The Foreign Ministry has noted that the coronavirus outbreak and the measures to contain it are changing fast, urging those headed to Italy to check the latest situation with their hosts, travel agencies or hotels.

The ministry's consular service, the Slovenian Embassy in Rome and the Consulate General in Trieste keep in touch with the Italian authorities and are monitoring the developments.

Slovenia has not recorded any case of the novel coronavirus infection from China except for two passengers who have contracted the virus at the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Japan. They have been hospitalised in Japan.

The other four Slovenians who had been aboard the virus infected ship that had been under quarantine for over a fortnight have since returned home. They have tested negative again, but have been placed in isolation at their homes for two weeks as a precautionary measure.

To prevent catching the infection, the National Public Health Institute has advised the population to follow the usual precautionary measures against contagious diseases such as avoiding close contacts with people showing signs of an infectious disease.

"Do not touch eyes, nose or mouth. Stay at home when falling sick. Follow the cough hygiene measures. Regularly wash your hands with soap and water," or when that is not available use a hand sanitiser, the institute says on its website. It says that the use of face masks is not necessary.

Janez Janša, the leader of the Democratic Party (SDS), urged the caretaker government on Saturday to call a session of the National Security Council to discuss the situation in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

In response, outgoing PM Marjan Šarec tweeted that the authorities in charge were prepared for a potential outbreak of the virus and were coordinating activities on a daily basis.

"There are plans for the case of a potential broader spread of the disease," he said, adding that the situation should be taken seriously but without causing panic or politicising it.

All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia can be found here

Keep up with the daily news in Slovenia by checking the morning headlines here. What to find out what happened last week in Slovenia? Look no further.

The following schedule was prepared by the STA:

MONDAY, 24 February

        THESSALONIKI, Greece - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar will make a working visit to Greece to attend a meeting in support of the enlargement to the Western Balkans in view of the proposal for a new enlargement methodology.
        BRNIK - The police force will accept a new helicopter at a ceremony attended by Police Commissioner Tatjana Bobnar, Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar and PM Marjan Šarec.
        LJUBLJANA - A protest will be held in front of the UK embassy as a hearing starts in London to decide whether to extradite WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange. Meanwhile, a translation of his memoir will be launched at an event attended by former Human Rights Ombudsman Matjaž Hanžek and Amnesty International Slovenija director Nataša Posel.
        LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release the business sentiment index for February.
        LJUBLJANA - The Mountaineering Film Festival will get under way, until 1 March.
        LJUBLJANA - A week-long winter break starts for primary and secondary schools in the eastern half of Slovenia.

TUESDAY, 25 February
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor will hold a second round of consultations on the potential to nominate a PM-designate before the deadline expires and a snap election is called. He will only meet the SDS, SMC, NSi, DeSUS and SAB, as other parties have already opted for a fresh election.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Matej Marn will attend a session of the EU General Affairs Council discussing the future EU-UK relationship and the proposal to reform enlargement process.

WEDNESDAY, 26 February
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee will debate a report on development cooperation and the National Assembly's international activities.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Finance Committee will discuss harmful effects of privatisation at a session called by the Left.
        GENEVA, Switzerland - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Matej Marn will take part in a ministerial session of the UN Human Right Council. He will discuss the effects of artificial intelligence on human tights.
        LJUBLJANA - National Assembly Speaker Dejan Židan will receive Lord German, a member of the UK House of Lords.
        LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Finance will hold a panel debate on the European green deal.
        LJUBLJANA - A round-table debate on violation of principles that authorities should observe when drawing up laws and regulations, Public Administration Minister Rudi Medved to be on hand.
        PIRAN - A concert featuring Italian violinist Salvatore Accardo and the New Ferruccio Busoni Chamber Orchestra will mark the 250th anniversary of the death of composer Giuseppe Tartini.
        LJUBLJANA - The STA and the National Football Association will host a debate on the centenary of organised football in Slovenia.

THURSDAY, 27 February
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Culture Committee will discuss the impact of the alleged Hungarian financing of media with ties to the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) at a session called at the behest of the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ).
        LJUBLJANA - The outgoing government is expected to convene a weekly session.
        LJUBLJANA - The Pension and Disability Insurance Institute (ZPIZ) will debate its report for 2019.
        LJUBLJANA - The shareholders' meeting of tourism company Sava Turizem will decide on absorption of hotel operator Hoteli Bernardin and on a recapitalisation. Hoteli Bernardin shareholders will decide on the merger a day later.
        LJUBLJANA - The Culture Ministry will announce the shortlist for the 2025 European Capital of Culture.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Gallery will launch an exhibition of Dachau drawings by Zoran Mušič.

FRIDAY, 28 February
        LJUBLJANA - The 30-day window in which President Borut Pahor can put forward a PM-designate to prevent an early election will expire.
        LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release data on GDP growth for 2019 and the consumer price index for February.
        LJUBLJANA - Insurance group Sava Re will present its operating results for 2019 and its strategy by 2022 at a press conference.
        KOPER - Port operator Luka Koper will release its financials for 2019.
        LJUBLJANA - Call M for Macbeth, a production directed by Matjaž Pograjc based on William Shakespeare's Macbeth, will premiere.

SATURDAY, 29 February
        LJUBLJANA - A talk with German author Bernhard Schlink will launch the international literary festival Fabula; until 8 March.

SUNDAY, 1 March
        LJUBLJANA - House of Tolerance, a festival organised by the theatre Mini Teater and the Ljubljana Jewish Cultural Centre, will get under way, to run until 6 March.

STA, 22 February 2020 - Ana Soklič will represent Slovenia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam in May after winning the Slovenian EMA contest on Saturday with the song Voda (Water).

 Soklič was picked by televote in a super-final that also featured Lina Kuduzović, who as a 12-year-old placed third in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2015 after winning the first season of Slovenia's Got Talent at the age of 7 in 2010.

The contest, hosted by comedian and impersonator Klemen Slakonja, saw a total of twelve acts, ten of which were selected by a jury from among 74 entrants with additional two picked among up-and-coming artists in an online competition EMA Fresh.

The two super-finalists were selected by a jury comprising Darja Švajger and Nuša Derenda, Slovenia's highest ranked Eurovision entrants to date in 7th in 1995 and 2001, and Maja Keuc, who made it to 13th in 2011.

If you're not in town for the week of this guide (24 February - 1 March, 2020) then you can see all the editions here, and if there's event or activity 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. If you want something a little different and easy to print, then a comprehensive PDF of events for the next seven days, as prepared by Ljubljana Tourism, is here. If you're in town and want to follow the news then check out our regular morning headlines for Slovenia here.

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Eurovision will soon be upon us, and this week there’s a chance to see last year’s entry from Slovenia, now performing under the name ZALAGASPER, presenting their new album at Kino Šiška, 20:00, Thursday 27 February.

Why would anyone want to eat Dinner in the Dark? Learn more about this unique experience in Ljubljana here.

Thursday, 27 February, 19:30 the Križanke Summer Theatre will host Lara Oprešnik (piano) and Aris Vehovec (oboe), in the free to enter 10th concert of the international music cycle Young Virtuosi, with a programme that includes Mozart, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Bach, Poulenc, and Oprešnik. Same evening, same time, but in Cankarjev dom and for a price, you can hear a programme of Beethoven, Haydn, and Mozart, with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Ibrahim Yazici (conductor) and Fazil Say (piano) – tickets. The same show is on Friday. The following piece will be played.

From Friday to Sunday the Ljubljana International Swing Academy will be happening, and “amazing dance/party weekend that will bring you lots of good dances, great music, new friends, new knowledge and an authentic Slovenian experience. Details.

Friday Kino Šiška, 20:00, the French post-metal duo Alcest will be appearing here, with support from + Birds In Row and Kælan Mikla. Friday is also Jazz Night at the Castle, and this week it’s Gabrič-Kampl-Leonardi.

Friday and Saturday SNG Opera and Ballet have Verdi’s Luisa Miller. The overture’s above. Friday and Saturday also see extra performances of the Pocket Teater’s (sic) very popular and usually sold out vaudeville show, Matilda Let’s Do it. Details.

Saturday, 29 February 2020, there’s Maslenica Festiva(l) – as shown at the top of this story - a free and fully public event in the Central Market, between Triple Bridge and Dragon Bridge, closer to the former and on the Castle side of the river. Here you can enjoy performances of Slavic traditions, folklore, singing and dance groups presented by all participating countries. Stalls selling souvenirs and handicrafts will be arranged plus the opportunity to attend workshops and learn the skills involved in producing them. There will also be stalls selling typical food dishes from far and wide". Looks like a good place to buy Russian food and drink, along with pancakes. Some more details.

Saturday night is K4 Roza: Taste of Berlin at Klub K4, with the sounds provided by Ady Toledano, Touché, aMinus and Holomondo.

Want to advertise in this space? Learn more here.

Still open until 5 March, 2020, Magic Ice-rink Lumpi Park offers 600 m2 of the covered ice surface and 180 m of ice-skating paths which enable you to skate through the Sports park Savsko naselje, at Kranjčeva ulica 24. Details here.

New, new-ish and notable movies in town this week include the following, while Onward starts in March. Kinoteka also continues its Nicolas Cage season, including Adaptation and Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans.

A new book came out recently that tells some of the stories of Trubarjeva cesta – you can learn more about it here. If you want to buy a copy, look / ask around on your next visit to the street.

Ljubljana is forecast to be the fastest-warming city in the world over the next few decades.

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 How much do tourists spend in Slovenia? Find out here

You may have heard about Free Tour Ljubljana, the tour company that’s #1 on TripAdvisor for the city and gives away its main product. What’s the deal with that? Find out here.

While the Old Town is quaint, and full of music, where does Ljubljana really shop? One popular answer is BTC City, a vast complex of malls, entertainment facilities and more, including more than 70 different food vendors, offering everything from Slovenian to Thai, Indian to Italian, Mexican to Chinese. Check out a visit before the recent renovation was finished for some idea of what's on offer here.

You're in the town of Slavoj Žižek, but do you find yourself lost when conversation turns to the philosopher? If so, check out our collection of quotes and clips to learn more.

K-pop band Red Velvet came to Ljubljana - with English subtitles

Contents

• Cinemas and films
• Clubbing
• Live music
• 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
• Emergencies

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.

Note - most children's films will be dubbed (sinhronizirano) - for subtitles look for 'podnapisi'.

Kinodvor –This is an arts cinema, not far from the train station, that shows new features as well as hosting the occassional festival.

Kinoteka – And not far from Kinodvor you can find this revival cinema, which shows art house classics along with some deep dives in the archives.

Kino Bežigrad - A relatively small theatre, but one which usually has the biggest of the new releases.

Kolosej -The multiplex out at BTC City Mall shows all the big movies, with well over a dozen titles on the schedule, although note that there are far more movies than screens, so some of the older ones mayonly be playing once or twice a week.

Komuna – The cinema in a basement behind Nama department store shows two or three different features a week, usually including the biggest titles.

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In town and looking for a gift or souvenir? Take a look at Cook Eat Slovenia - the book.

Know that big triangular building behind the train station? Learn what's inside here.

Photo: Genius loci d.o.o.

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.

Božidar - DJ events aren't too common here, but when they happen they often have a big name.

Channel Zero – DJs shows here include regular dub nights as well as electronic music.

Gala Hala – Another Metelkova venue, you can sometimes hear bhangra and Bollywood here, but more often funk, hip hop, breakbeat and so on.

Klub Cirkus – The more commercial end of clubland, and a venue that aims to serve the student party scene. Expect house, anthems, and bangers.

Klub K4 – The home of techno, old and new, along with various other electronic genres,

Koncertna Dvorana Rog– There are irregular DJ sets at this underground (not literally) venue at the far end of Trubarjeva cesta, and they range from techno to goa to drum'n'bass.

Orto Bar– 80s and 90s throwback nights can often be found here, along with rock-based DJ sets.

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Live music

Balassi Institute – Free Hungarian music, when available, from the Hungarian cultural institute just a short walk downriver from Dragon Bridge.

Cankerjev dom – The main arts venue in the country hosts classical, opera jazz, folk and occassinally pop.

Cvetličarna – Regional pop and rock concerts can be found here.

Channel Zero – This Metelkova venue sees live shows from punk and rock bands, as well as others.

Gala Hala – Another Metelkova venue with indie bands of various styles.

Kino Šiška – One of the top live venues in the city, with a varied programme that include indie, rock, pop, experimental, hip hop, and so on.

Klub Gromka – Live music is often metal, from sludge to stoner, death to thrash, while punk bands also appear, as do others.

Križanke – The venue that hosts the Ljubljana Festival often has classical music, and some rock, in the open air.

Orto Bar– The home of live rock, metal, punk and other guitar-based genres.

Pinelina dnevna soba – LIve music is rare here, but it does happen.

Slovenska filharmonija– Classical music in the centre of town.

SNG Opera and Ballet - As the name suggests, here you'll find the best of opera and ballet in the country.

Španski borci - While dance is more common here, they also have some contemporary and experimental music shows.

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 Slovenska cesta, 1968. Wikimedia. See more pictures of Old Ljubljana here

Theatre and dance

Cankerjev dom- The main arts venue in the country always has something of interest going on.

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 – One of the top live venues in the city also hosts some dance performance, often of the more experimental variety.

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

Ljubljana Puppet Theatre - Puppetry has a long and noble tradition in Slovenia, and you can see performances for children and adults (including non-puppet shows) drawing from the Theatre's rich repetoire as well as new productons.

SNG Opera and Ballet - As the name suggests, here you'll find the best of opera and ballet in the country.

Španski borci - The home ofcontemporary dance(and the EnKnapGroup) in Slovenia.

Pocket Teater Studio– There are regular flamenco evenings at perhaps the smallest venue town, but note that the number of seats is very limited, 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.

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Harm reduction and drug testing

Alcoholics Anonymous has an English language meeting every Tuesday, 19:00 in Poljane – email for more details: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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.

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Photo: Igor Andjelič. See more of his work here

Looking for something different to eat? Trubajeva cesta, running right by Dragon Bridge, has the greatest concentration of "ethnic food" places in Ljubljana, and thus perhaps the country. Check out our walk through guide as of June 2019.

In warmer days than you'll see this week. Photo: JL Flanner

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'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, although sometimes there are other events

Klub Tiffany –And the gay bar next door is also open on Fridays. Other things coulds also be planned, so click on the name to find out.

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.

On all 2020 is an Exhibition of Slovenian History, included in the price of a Castle ticket, that takes you through prehistory and the Romans, the Middle and early Modern Ages, the 19th century and WWI, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and WWII, Yugoslavia, independence and after. On until 22 March 2020 you can enjoy an inflatable spatial installation from Nina Koželj (free to enter).

At one of Castle hill there's a many walking and jogging paths, with good views of the city. 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.

Aksioma – On from 19 February 9 March is The Abstraction of Nature by Anna Ridler – “Anna Ridler’s work stands out for her effort to establish a feedback loop between herself and the machine, producing work that displays and thematises the amount of human labour involved in the process, from coding, to producing a dataset, to educating the machine.”

Bežigrajska galerija 2 – Take a trip to Vodovodna cesta 3 and you'll find nothing this week, according to the schedule, as the place will be between exhibitions.

Cankerjev dom – On until 3 March 2020 there's an exhibition on Ancient Greek Science and Technology. Details here.

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. Until 10 May you can see History of the Future. Archetypes of Plečnik's architecture – summarising the ideas of selected Plečnik works.

Balassi Institute – The Hungarian culture centre is next to a Spar and Hofer, and not far from Dragon Bridge, and always has something interesting going on. Learn more here.

City Gallery – On until 5 April there’s a show from Vlado Martek, called Exhibition with Many Titles, the second part of a retrospective exhibition by the Croatian conceptual artist.

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. On until August 2020 there’s Book. Reason. Knowledge. From Protestantism to Enlightenment (1500–1800), which presents the processes and events that encouraged and fostered the cultural and spiritual development in Ljubljana from the end of the 15th to the beginning of the 19th century – from humanism and Protestantism to the Enlightenment. More on that here.

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

Drink like a pro - find gallery openings. Photo: JL Flanner

Galerija Kapelica –Eirik Brandal: Electonic sculpture is on until 17 March, with the promotional image shown below.

Galerija Vžigalica – Until 15 March you can enjoy Counter:Movement / Gegen:Bewegung, an exhibition of contemporary artistic positions in Carinthia, selected by the Klagenfurt University Cultural Centre – the Universitätskulturzentrum UNIKUM.

International Centre of Graphic Arts – A show of works by Helena Tahir.

MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design has much of what you'd expect, along with some temporary shows and a good cafe. On until 31 January 2021 is An Object and a Collection, showing part of the museum’s valuable and extensive collection of objects related to architecture, design, and photography of the 20th and 21st centuries.

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.

Alan Ford was recently at the National Gallery - read more about this comic book here.

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

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. A Millennia of Metallurgy in Slovenia is on until 3 May 2020.

A fragment of a Coptic textile; 5th–6th cent.: Upper Egypt; linen, wool; National Museum of Slovenia. Photo: Tomaž Lauko

Until 24 May 2020 you can see Coptic Textiles from the Collection of the National Museum of Slovenia at the branch in the Metelkova museum quarter, by the Ethnographic Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Details.

Natural History Museum – Until 18 June 2020 there’s Enlightened Natural Sciences: Scopoli and Zois, looking at the lives and legacies of two pioneering naturalists, on the both Slovene and global scales, Sigismondo (Žiga) Zois and Giovanni Antonio Scopoli.

National Museum of Contemporary History - Tucked away in park Tivoli, you can see a permanent exhibition on Slovenians in the 20th century.

Slovene Ethnographic Museum – The museum has 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). Nani in Ljubljana is on until 1 March 2020, in which Nani Poljanec, the folk creator and author of the exhibition, reveals fragments of his life, his roles and his mission. Until the same date there’s also a show on “Ravenski pust”, a Shrovetide custom which, according to village elders, represents an ancient pagan wedding and has been performed for more than a hundred years.

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

Learn more about Ljubljana with "25 things to know about Slovenia's green city of dragons", or take a look at our guide to spending from four to 48 hours here.

If you like the city's architecture then check out this great book, Let’s See the City - Ljubljana: Architectural Walks & Tours, with our review here and a page from the book shown above. We took a walk with one of the authors who showed us how much there is to learn and enjoy if you slow down and pay attention - read about that here.

Ljubljana has some beautiful buildings from the early 20^th century, in the Secessionist style, like the one below. Learn where to find them here.

Photo: Neža Loštrek

For something a little more brual, check out Republika trg / Republic Square, in the heart of the political quarter.

Photo: JL Flanner

Photo: JL Flanner

Some view of the city you can only get from the river. If you'd like to take a boat ride then read about my experience 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,

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

Nataraja Studio

Want to stretch and breath? Then check out our list of drop-in yoga classes for tourists, visitors and the uncommitted. We go to Nataraja Studio, by Dragon Bridge, and here's a story about it.

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, which usually run until the first snow.

Photo: maxpixel.net, public domain

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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. We've also written guides on spending from four to 48 hours in Bled and Piran.

Photo: Google Image Search

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Getting around

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 park, our guide to how to park in Ljubljana is here.

Emergencies

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

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.

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The richest Slovenian couple and the representatives of the right-wing weekly Reporter have been unable to reach an out-of-court agreement on the non-disclosure of private Login family information, reports national broadcaster.

The dispute between the Logins and the Reporter stems from 2017, when the magazine wrote an article about the personal history of Samo and Iza Login, who became Slovenia's richest couple after selling their Talking Tom mobile app to Chinese investors. The article has never been released as the Logins managed to stop its publication through court, before anyone even knew what the exact contents.

The Logins claim not to be public figures and want their personal information, such as their previous names and details of their family members, not to be reported.

According to Silvester Šurla, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, the article "did not interfere with their right to privacy in any way. We wanted to publish some information about their life paths, about their careers, from publicly available sources." Furthermore, added Šurla, "the settlement did not go through because Mr. and Mrs. Login kept making new demands. In the end, they were asking more for the settlement than in the lawsuit.”

The Logins are demanding that Reporter no longer writes about their private life, threatening to sue the magazine for €100,000 in damages for each such intrusion.

"We are not talking about the business part. We are talking about intimacy, personality, private life, family life, relatives. The plaintiffs do not want any interference from the public," the Logins’ lawyer, Janez Stušek, explained.

The trial will continue in mid-April, reports national broadcaster on their MMC multimedia portal, adding that the verdict could have a serious impact on journalistic boundaries, not only when reporting about people who enter public space voluntarily but also others, such as politicians.

STA, 21 February 2020 - Asked to comment on the state of Slovenian amid strong global currents that are headed by English, Nataša Gliha Komac of the Fran Ramovš Institute of Slovenian Language told the STA Slovenian remained an active and vibrant language. Still, many challenges remain, she added on the occasion of 21 February, International Mother Language Day.

Gliha Komac, who said we often forget that language lives with us and because of us, finds it hard to understand "why we feel uneasy when using our mother language, are apologising for our Slovenian or even for using it in the first place".

"And this is the case in a period when we (still) have universities in Slovenian, universities that produce top international experts...when we have a number of extraordinary masters of the language and a state with Slovenian as the official language," she said.

Gliha Komac added that Slovenian and its users also faced a lot of challenges, "but the most unusual thing is that they are about completely self-evident matters, such as Slovenian in the public, in science, higher education, classes in and about the Slovenian language".

She was however happy to report that the institute is working hard on resolving key theoretical issues as well on presenting linguistic issues in different manuals and applications.

Gliha Komac highlighted the www.fran.si platform of web dictionaries, which currently feature 39 dictionaries, four of which are constantly upgraded.

The institute's experts moreover participate in TV shows and contribute regular columns for papers, she said, adding that Slovenian is "actually our lifestyle".

Meanwhile, the president of the Slovenian Writers' Association (DSP) Dušan Merc wrote today that Slovenian has been developed in the last 100-plus years into a tool enabling Slovenia to operate as an independent nation state.

He however feels there is something very wrong with how the Slovenian language is treated in the education system.

"It is turning in a second grade teaching language, as we are getting a new teaching language - in place of the Croatian of Serbian language we would had gotten had we stayed in Yugoslavia - English."

"The mother tongue does not need to be loved and one does not need to raise one's hand to the heart, cry and distort the face when the national anthem is played. It only needs to be used, utilised, supplemented, changed, one needs to dream in it from morning until evening, speak and write.

"It should not be neglected, sidelined, treated like it's a servant to foreign master in its own house, degraded or seen as something one should be feel ashamed of even at home," Merc wrote.

International Mother Language Day was introduced by the UN in 2000 in memory of the 21 February 1952 Bengali Language Movement demonstration that also saw death casualties among Bengali students. The purpose of the day is to promote the preservation and protection of all languages.

Interested in learning Slovene? Find all our posts on this subject, including a growing collection of dual texts – relatively simple news stories in Slovene and English, here

In April 2020 a Slovenian telescope will be placed at 1560 metres in the Atacama Desert in Chile. This will be part of GoChile, an educational joint project of the University of Nova Gorica and the astronomical journal Spika. Although the telescope will be controlled from Slovenia, it’s being placed in Chile because the desert is the ideal location for astronomical research and photographing space.

In 2008 Dark-Sky Slovenia was formed in Slovenia to raise awareness about the problem of light pollution and its negative impact on astronomical observation, human health and the environment in general. About 20 observation stations listed on the Dark-sky Slovenia website report on night sky observation disturbances caused by illuminated churches, gas stations, streetlights and ever brighter towns and cities.

One of the earlier studies (published in 2001) on light pollution at the astronomical observatory of Jožef Stefan Institute at Črni Vrh, which specializes in the search for asteroids and comets, located at about 40 km from Ljubljana and about the same distance from Trieste, reports that Ljubljana contributes most to light pollution, while the lights of Trieste, Nova Gorica, Gorizia and Črni Vrh are very influential as well. With the equipment used in the measurements, the marginal luminosity of the stars in the direction of Ljubljana decreased to 0.15 magnitude, which means about a 10% reduction in the number of stars detected.

Although in 2007 the government adopted the Decree on the Limit Values of Light Pollution – due to Slovenian astronomers’ persistent complaints –  which introduces some regulations and restrictions on light emissions, the problem continues. According to Dark Sky Slovenia’s website, the problem is not in that the streetlights exist but rather that they are not efficiently designed to direct the light at the intended object of illumination. 

In order to avoid such problems, the astrophysicist Andreja Gomboc, professor of astronomy at the University of Nova Gorica and Matej Mihelčič of the astronomic journal Spika, decided to launch the GoChile project, in which a Slovenian telescope would be moved to one of the best suited observation stations in Chile and remotely controlled and used from Slovenia, solely for purpose of education and research.

The location in Chile, where the telescope is about to be placed, has perhaps best conditions for astronomical observation in the world, which is why many of the international observatories can be found there, such as Gemini South, CTIO, La Silla, and El Sauce observatory, designed to host small and middle-sized telescopes from all over the world since 2015.

El Sauce observatory is also where GoChile 400-mm @f/6,4 Ritchey-Chrétien telescope is heading in April after all the equipment is tested and set up.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced a new series of bedrest studies, some of which will take place in Slovenia, with the aim being to learn more about the human body in space. In a bedrest study volunteers stay in bed for long periods of time – 60 days in the research set to be carried out in Planica by the Jožef Stefan Institute.

Source: ESA

But a lack of movement won’t be the only limitation on participants for two months, as there are two further conditions attached to successful participation. First, while in bed their heads must remain 6° below the horizontal. Second, throughout the whole 60 days at least one shoulder needs to remain in contact with the bed at all times – during meals, showers and toilet breaks.  The effects of this regimen will be blood and other fluids moving towards the head, as muscles and bones start wasting away.

Source: ESA

Source: ESA

And while they’ll be staying on their backs the 48 volunteers will see some movement, as the centre is equipped with a centrifuge that can spin them around to recreate gravity pulling towards their feet while laying down, so research can find out ways to counteract the adverse effects of living in space.

Source: ESA

A press release by the ESA notes that Planica is a good location for studying the effects of life off the planet , since it is located at high altitude and there is less atmospheric pressure, as in any future lunar habitat. To further add to the realism the test centre also enables researchers to change the environmental conditions to make them better resemble those in a spacecraft or space habitat. Testing volunteers with low oxygen levels, for example, can produce data relevant to future space missions where the confined environments of spacecraft and space habitats could contain less oxygen.

A total of 48 volunteers are wanted, half of whom will be in Slovenia, the other half in France, and they’ll be paid around €15,000 for their help. The call for volunteers to take part in the study doesn’t seem to be open yet, but you can learn more about the project, which is accepting research proposals for other things to subject the participants to, here.

Elementary and high school students from half of the country began their winter vacation week this Monday, while the other half will have to wait their turn till February 24.

Winter vacations in Slovenia last one week and only take place for half the population at the time, allowing for some distribution of pressure on tourist capacities, especially those of the ski resorts.

Regions that are on vacation this week are Gorenjska (Upper Carniola), Goriška (Gorica area), Notranjsko-kraška (Inner Carniola and Karst), Osrednjeslovenska (Central Slovenia) and Zasavska (Central Sava Valley).

Regions that will take next week off are the South-east Slovenia, Koroška (Carinthia), Podravska (Drava River region), Pomurska (Mura River region), Savinjska (Savinja River region) and Posavska (Lower Sava Valley).

STA, 17 February 2020 - Average monthly take-home pay in Slovenia increased last year by 3.7% in nominal terms and by 2.1% in real terms to EUR 1,133.50, fresh data from the Statistics Office show.

Average gross monthly pay for 2019 amounted to EUR 1,753.84, up 4.3% in nominal terms and up 2.7% in real terms compared to average monthly earnings in 2018.

Gross earnings in the private sector rose by 3.9% and those in the public sector by 5.4%, rising as much as 6.5% in the general government sector.

The growth in the public sector was largely due to a new pay deal negotiated in late 2018.

The highest monthly gross earnings for 2019 were paid in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply; at EUR 2,628.55.

At 8.9%, the highest increase in pay was recorded in the public administration and defence, compulsory social security.

December pay amounted to EUR 1,855.25 gross, a decrease of 2.2% in nominal terms and 2% less in real terms than November pay. The drop is due to performance and Christmas bonuses paid out in November.

Net pay for December amounted to EUR 1,214.93, 1.6% lower nominally and 1.4% lower in real terms than earnings for November.