Lifestyle

15 Jan 2020, 12:36 PM

STA, 15 January 2020 - Slovenia's average net pay for November was EUR 1,235, up by 10% in nominal terms and 9.9% in real terms compared to October and by 4.1% nominally year-on-year. The surge was due to extra payments at the end of year, such as Christmas and performance bonuses, shows the Statistics Office data released on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the average gross pay rose by 9% nominally to EUR 1,898, up 8.9% in real terms compared to October.

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The average gross extra payment in November amounted to EUR 724, with around 23% of employees receiving the sum, mostly level with 2018.

The November average net salary increased by 2.7% in real terms year-on-year. At a monthly level, the figure grew both in the private sector (+13%) and public sector (+5%), increasing the most in financial and insurance business (+24%).

Moreover, the average net pay for November grew in the electricity, gas and steam sector (+24%), where it was the highest (EUR 1,975), and in manufacturing (+17%).

You can learn more about the images on Slovenia’s euro coins here: Slovenia in your pocket – coins that celebrate the culture

14 Jan 2020, 17:59 PM

Ever wondered where all the second homes are in Slovenia, the vikendi and those defined by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (Statistični urad Republike Slovenije – SURS) as “dwellings reserved for seasonal and secondary use”? If so, wonder no more as we zoom in the data for 2018, the most recent year for which it’s available.

According to SURS, in 2018 there were a total of 19,896 such dwellings in Slovenia. Of these, 9,766 (49%) were in the west, and 10,130 (51%) in the east.

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But that scale, the two “cohesion regions”, hides a lot of detail, and if we look at the 12 statistical regions then something become clear: that Gorenjska (AKA Upper Carniola) seems to be the most desired location, with 3,376 holiday homes, or just under 17% of the total, as seen in the following map and table.

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Slovene English # %
Gorenjska Upper Carniola          3,376           5.22
Osrednjeslovenska Central Slovenia          2,489         12.51
Obalno-Kraška Coastal–Karst          2,333         11.73
Jugovzhodna Slovenija Southeast Slovenia          2,324         11.68
Podravska Drava          2,168         10.90
Savinjska Savinja          2,078         10.44
Goriška Gorizia          1,568           7.88
Posavska Lower Sava          1,037           5.21
Pomurksa Mura             988           4.97
Koroška Carinthia             650           3.27
Zasavska Central Sava             446           2.24
Primorsko-Notranjska Littoral–Inner Carniola             439           2.21

 

And the most popular place to buy a holiday home in Slovenia is...

Now zooming in to the highest level of detail that SURS offers – the 212 municipalities – we can see that there are seven areas where there are more than 500 holiday homes: Piran (1,038), Kranjska gora (961), Bohinj (843), Bovec (608), Brežice (526), Ljubljana (523), and Izola (512). You can visit an internactive version of the map below here and learn more, if wanted, while if you’re interested in more statistics about Slovenia then all our related stories are here.

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If you’re curious about some of the homes on the market, then check our real estate section, while all our stories on property are here.

13 Jan 2020, 17:00 PM

The skiing season is here, and with the lack of snow at lower altitudes it’s easy to forget that, once upon a time, skiing, sledding and the like could be reliably enjoyed outside the big resorts and off the mountains in Slovenia, a common part of winter life.

Related - Is there snow on the slopes in Slovenia?

Now with climate change the snow line is receding and cannons are often needed to keep the slopes in business, a trend that’s only likely to increase in the years ahead – provided the slopes and resorts stay open at all.

But all that’s rather depressing, so let’s take a break from the climate worries of today and look back at some postcards from Kranjska gora, with snow and without, and see what’s changed and what’s stayed the same over the last 120 years.

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1900

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1910

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1933

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You can see all our old photos stories here

13 Jan 2020, 11:28 AM

Orthodox communities in Slovenia are getting ready for the New Year's celebrations, which will take place on Monday night, January 13th.

 

In 1582 a switch to the Gregorian calendar started to take place in the Western Christian world due to increasing divergence between the Julian calendar and certain religious holidays based on astronomical events, such as Easter. The change to a shorter Gregorian year in the 16th century required 10 days to be skipped. The difference has since increased to 13 days.

Although most Eastern Orthodox countries had adopted the Gregorian calendar by 1924, the national Churches had not, which is why most of the shared Christian holidays are not synchronised and the New Year’s Eve seems to be celebrated twice.  

Another interesting fact has been brought to our attention by one of our readers. In 1923 a Serbian geophysicist, climatologist and astronomer Milutin Milanković (1879–1958) presented the following suggestions for the Julian calendar reform:

The beginning of the year would have be changed for 13 days to offset the astronomical difference which accumulated since the first Council of Nicaea in 325, the same thing that needed to be done when the Gregorian calendar was introduced.

Most importantly, the rule for adding leap days would be corrected so that the calendar would no longer lag behind astronomical phenomena. The adjustment would apply to years ending with 00. Such a year is, according to Milanković, a leap year only when the division by 900 bears the remainder of 200 or 600.

In comparison, the Gregorian calendar introduced leap year omissions every year that is divided by 100 but not if it can also be divided by 400.

As a result, the non-leap years according to Milanković are: 2100, 2200, 2300, 2500, 2600, 2700, 2800, 3000, 3100, 3200, 3400, 3500, 3600, 3700, etc., while the non-leap years according to Gregorian calendar are 2100, 2200, 2300, 2500, 2600, 2700, 2900, 3000, 3100, 3300, 3400, 3500, 3700, etc.

As you can see, the Gregorian and Milanković’s calendar begin to diverge in 2799, the year when Gregorian calendar fails and Milanković’s doesn’t.

The revised Julian Calendar was adopted by most of the Orthodox churches except for the Orthodox churches of Jerusalem, Russia, Serbia, North Macedonia, Georgia, and Ukraine. In these countries the new calendar was refused for mostly political reasons – the calendar seemed to have resembled obedience to the Catholic papal decree to closely.

12 Jan 2020, 15:00 PM

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, 13 January

        ABU DHABI, UAE - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar will attend Sustainability Week, an international conference on sustainable development.
        KRŠKO - GEN Energija, the state-owned enterprise that manages the Krško Nuclear Power Plant, will present its business results for 2019 and plans.

TUESDAY, 14 January
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Finance Committee will debate a report on an audit of the Bank Assets Management Company.
        LJUBLJANA - Publisher Mladinska Knjiga will confer its Blue Bird Prize for best as yet unpublished youth novel. The prize is conferred biennially for different genres.

WEDNESDAY, 15 January
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - An event will mark the centenary of the University of Ljubljana, to be addressed by the head of the Slovenian Business and Research Association, Draško Veselinovič, and featuring the university chancellor, Slovenia's ambassadors to to the EU and Belgium and European Commission official Jean-Eric Paquet.
        LJUBLJANA - The Environment Ministry will unveil a new national spatial development strategy, launching a period of public consultation.
        LJUBLJANA - Asset manager NLB Skladi will speak about trends in capital markets in 2020 and comment on developments in the mutual funds market.
        LJUBLJANA - The recipients of this year's Prešeren Prizes for lifetime achievements in culture will be announced.
        LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release wage data for November 2019.

THURSDAY, 16 January
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee will convene at the behest of the Left to debate what it calls US imperialist policies in the Middle East and policy of aggression against Iran.
        LJUBLJANA - Preparations for a business conference called Texas feels Slovenia and details of a partnership between Slovenia and the NBA club Dallas Mavericks will be presented.
        LJUBLJANA - A regular weekly government session.

FRIDAY, 17 January
        LJUBLJANA - European Migration and Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson will pay a visit to Slovenia.
        LJUBLJANA - Croatian Ambassador Boris Grigić will present priorities of Croatia's presidency of the Council of the EU until 30 June at the National Assembly.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Commission will be in session behind closed doors.

SATURDAY, 18 January
        LJUBLJANA - The coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) will hold leadership election, choosing between incumbent leader Karl Erjavec, Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec and local councillor Borut Stražišar.

SUNDAY, 20 January
        No major events are scheduled.

11 Jan 2020, 20:24 PM

It’s been 18 years since the plans for construction of the so called Brda Spa, which would include a hotel, swimming pools, shops and a 45-metre-high tower, were set up. On Friday, however, an investor has been finally confirmed after Italian Private Value Capital Management fund signed a letter of intent to make the project a reality.

At the signing the letter of intent at the Vipolže Villa, the Mayor of Brda stated that the municipality’s commitment is now to take care of changing the land use of the property, which spans over six hectares between the villages of Medana and Fojana.  The property is still owned by two private owners with whom the municipality has a sale agreement.

The news of a “spa” centre in Goriška Brda was met with mixed responses from the public. While some support the project as a good development plan, others are worried that it would have a negative impact on picturesque cultural landscape of Brda, sometimes called Slovenian Tuscany.

What do you think?

11 Jan 2020, 15:22 PM

If you're not in town for the week of this guide (13 - 19 January, 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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The last of the Christmas / New Year wine, beer and whisky store is long gone, and in terms of delicacies we’re down to whatever strange cheeses came through the season unharmed. It’s time, for real, to get back to work, get back in shape, and get back on track after what seems like weeks of indulgence and sloth. And what better way to reconnect with the world than by going out and having fun in Ljubljana?

You can see more about upcoming events and festivals in Slovenia  here, to fill your calendar with things to look forward to, while below is a selection of entertainments, educations and diversions on around the capital in the next seven days

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.

Tuesday evening, 19:30, Cankarjev dom will host the Tetzlaff Quartett playing Schoenberg, String Quartet No 1 in D minor; and Beethoven, String Quartet No 13 in B flat Major, Op. 130 with Grande Fugue, Op. 133. That same evening, 14 January, “You are cordially invited to the opening of the exhibition Ritual Purification by Tadej Vaukman … at 7pm at the P74 Gallery in Ljubljana.”

Starting Wednesday 15 January and on until 1 April, visitors to Tivoli Park can enjoy Matevž Paternoster’s photographs, in an open-air show called A City With Plečnik's Signature. Wednesday also sees the opening of a new show at Aksioma, just on the corner and up the hill, away from the Castle, on the road with Dragon Bridge. It’s called The Cleaning of Emotional Data by Elisa Giardina Papa, and there should e people and wine between 20:00 and 22:00 (details).

Friday sees the 5th Philharmonic Festival Of Baroque Music at the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall, Kongresni trg, with a programme titled Baroque 2- Bach and Telemann. Friday is also Jazz Night at the Castle, with that jazz covering a broad range, from pop to funk. This week it’s Cherry Wine: A Tribute to Amy Winehouse. The same evening Hamo & Tribute 2 Love are playing at Cankarjev dom.

After the show you could head to Klub K4 and enjoy Šamar w/ Dacho & Levanael + Pop up LENA & Elovetric, which promises guilt-free pleasure with the likes of "Inner City, Madonna, Moloko, SNAP!, Moby, Altern 8, Sonique, Armand van Helden, Scatman John, Technotronic, The Chemical Brothers, Whitney Houston, Will Smith, The KLF, and The Prodigy".

The MENT music festival doesn’t open until February, but you can learn more about the performers here if you like to plan ahead.

The Opera and Ballet only has one show this week – Saturday’s nights Joan of Arc, by Tchaikovsky Here's Jessye Norman with some of the music.

Saturday, 18 January “The refined Ljubljana group Neomi will finally present their long-awaited second album at their return to [Kino] Šiška”. Earlier in the day there’s Record fair Ljubljana-Biljardna Hiša-Parmova 25, 10:00 to 18:00 – details. Later that night Klub K4 offers New Blood, with the young DJs Laurus, Inneas, Jona and Chiro making you feel old as they play dark techno and old-school house music. Also ,on Saturday, 21:00 to 03:00, Klub Monokel is hosting “Sin Girls”, which appears to offer entertainment in the form of Lesbians Got Talent! (apply to enter here). The night also has a 50s, 60s theme, so dress, or down, in historical butch and femme style (I'm quoting) - or just come as you are.

New or new-ish movies in town this week include the following:

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

How much do tourists spend in Slovenia? Find out here

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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 my recent visit 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.

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

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

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.

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Screenshot from YouTube


Contents

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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Looking for a souvenir you'll really enjoy? Take a look at Broken Bones Gin, the first gin made in Ljubljana (learn more here, and try it at the Central Market or selected downtown bars).

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Photo: Genius loci d.o.o.

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

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 Bar80s 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.

CvetličarnaRegional 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 filharmonijaClassical 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, 1959. 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

Drogart is an organization that aims to minimise harm on the party scene, and offers drug-testing services and reports on their webpage. It’s in Slovene, but you can Google translate it or work things out yourself, and our story on the group is here.You can find the latest warnings on fake drugs and high strength pills and powders (in Slovene) here. However, be aware that all the usual drugs are illegal in Slovenia.CBD is legal, though, and our retailer of choice can be found on Trubarjeva cesta - read more about Sena Flora here.

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Photo: Igor Andjelič. See more of his work here

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 until 17 November Mighty Guardians of the Past: Castles in the Slovenian Lands, a presentation that delivers on the promise of its title.

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

Bežigrajska galerija 2 – Take a trip to Vodovodna cesta 3 and until 8 February 2020 you can see Lojze Spacal (1907–2000): From the Littoral and the Karst Region.

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

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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. On until January 2020 you can see plans and models for some of the things Plečnik planned but never built in Ljubljana. Take a look at some pictures here.

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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. This month, until 17 January, there's also an exhibition with more works like the one shown below for a show described as follows: “The concept of the exhibition “Awkwardly Close” in Balassi Institute is exactly the self-conscious unease coming from artistic and content similarities between the works of Kata Bereczki, and the Slovenian artistic collective Son:DA."

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City Gallery - From 28 November until 19 January 2020 there's a sculpture by Jiři Bezlaj.

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Jiři Bezlaj, Hrošč, 2010 - 2016. Source: Mestna galerija

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 untl 30 August is BOOK. KNOWLEDGE. REASON. From Protestantism to Enlightenment (1500–1800), with details here.

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

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

Ljubljana Castle - (Un)known Ljubljana is on at the top of the hill, a free to enter National Geographic exhibition with photographs of some of the lesser seen parts of the city, with one example below and more here. It ends 12 January.

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MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design has much of what you'd expect, along with some temporary shows and a good cafe. BIO 26: Common Knowledge is on until 9 February, looking at information, fake news and citizenship, with details here.

Moderna galerija – The main branch of this gallery, to be found near the entrance to Tivoli Park, has a good collection of modern art, as well a nice café in the basement. The 9th Triennial of Contemporary Art U3 is also on here until 12 January 2020. Titled Dead and Alive: “The exhibition unfolds around three contradictory states of now – the dead and alive state of conceptualism, analogue and liquid materiality, and the subconscious as the battlefield of cognitive capitalism. Because – how do art and avant-garde progress? By making sensible what is beyond. At the end of the day, Dead and Alive is a quantum time search for an engaged form.” More details here, on one of the works on show below.

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© Aleksandra Vajd, Collage by K. E. Graebner Nature the Unknown Acquaintance (1971) and a unit of five hand-dyed photograms titled: ‘rivalry of superior vs. inferior’, 2017

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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 here. Until 12 January there's a nice collection of Travel Posters, like the one below, to enjoy.

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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.

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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.  

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

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). 

Vžigalica Gallery – On until 12 January 2020 is SAEBORG: SLAUGHTER HOUSE 17 from the Japanese artist Saeborg, which is being promoted with the following image. Details here.

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SAEBORG: SLAUGHTER HOUSE 17. Photo: © DARKMOFO

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.

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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.

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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.

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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 20th century, in the Secessionist style, like the one below. Learn where to find them here.

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Photo: Neža Loštrek

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

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Photo: JL Flanner

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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,

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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10 Jan 2020, 14:01 PM

According to Siol.si, Ljubljana City government is preparing changes and amendments to the Ordinance on the Special Use of Public Lands in the section that regulates the field of spontaneous street performances, aka busking. The final proposals are expected to be known in March, reports Siol.si.

Spontaneous performances in the city centre, explains the website, are regulated by the abovementioned  decree, which was adopted by Ljubljana City government several years ago, due to the constant performances of the same persons in the city centre, who have completely saturated the area with their programme. Among other restrictions and regulations, on most of the streets of the City Centre such street performances are allowed between 16:00 and 22:00 on weekdays and from 10:00 on weekends and holidays, without any use of loudspeakers.

These restrictions, however, seem not to have calmed residents concerns. Last year, writes Siol.si, 18 initiatives on the matter were filed with the City Initiatives Section, seven of which expressed concern with the Triple Bridge accordion player, who not only occupies the same space daily but also demands money to stop playing if someone else would like to use space for their activities. Apparently he even applied this tactic to a Planet TV crew when they chose the location to live stream their programme, so that they eventually had to move to another place.

09 Jan 2020, 17:24 PM

The latest statistical data on baby names reveals the latest trends in Slovenia., and according to the Statistics Administration of the Republic of Slovenia, in the last full year for data is available, 2018, the most popular names were Luka for boys and Ema for girls.

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The most common names in Slovenia, even if out of fashion for about half a century, remain Franc and Marija. On possible reasons for their perseverance, click here.

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However, just a few years from now Franc’s leading position might be in trouble. Luka has been popular for several decades and, as we can see above, it doesn’t seem to be losing momentum. Luka already occupies the ninth place overall and it’s only a matter of time when Franc loses his throne.

After all, how many Lukas do you know, and how many Francs?

09 Jan 2020, 11:14 AM

STA, 9 January 2020 - A large-scale wooden effigy of US President Donald Trump, which had recently been relocated to Moravče, some 30 kilometres east of Ljubljana, has been torched, the Moravče municipality said on Thursday.

There were photos circulating on social media in the morning showing the charred remains of the completely torched wooden structure. The municipality has called a press conference for 10am to speak about the incident.

The statue, standing almost eight metres tall and mimicking the Statue of Liberty, had originally been erected in Selo, a small village some 20 kilometres north of Ljubljana, in August.

A multi-faceted critique of the US president, it was relocated to Moravče in late December due to unease that it was causing among the Selo locals and the media interest that came with it.

Moravče Mayor Milan Balažic at the time said Moravče would serve as a shelter for the art installation.

The night prior to the second unveiling the effigy was defaced with a Hitler moustache.

You can learn more about this sculpture here

06 Jan 2020, 20:19 PM

In 1584 the Gregorian calendar was introduced in Slovenian lands, which from the extinction of the Counts of Celje in 1456 belonged to the Austrian line of the Hapsburg Monarchy. 

The new calendar was promulgated in 1582 by Pope Gregory XII, addressing the leap year calculation problem of the earlier Julian calendar. Since every fourth year in the Julian calendar is a leap year, an average year is 235.25 days long. But as the tropical solar year is 365.24217 days long, in time the Julian calendar drifts away from observed astronomical events such as vernal equinox, the base for calculating Easter.

The new, Gregorian calendar, introduced leap year omissions every year that is divided by 100 but not if it can also be divided by 400. In order to realign with the tropical year, the introduction of Gregorian calendar at the time required the skipping of 10 days. Which is why the date that followed January 6th in 1584, was January 17.

Although the Gregorian calendar has been adopted by most of the world, the Julian calendar remains in use by the Christian Orthodox church, which is why Orthodox Christian holidays are currently celebrated 13 days after their Catholic/Protestant dates.

Therefore, we have another Christmas coming on January 7th and another New Year on January 13.

Cheers!

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