Lifestyle
STA, 25 December 2019 - Almost two years after a feminist NGO launched #jaztudi, the Slovenian version of the #metoo campaign, the rate with which victims are sharing their stories has come to a steady trickle. Nevertheless, the campaign has left an indelible mark in society. Not only has it raised awareness about consent and inequality, it has spurred legislative change.
Nika Kovač, the president of March 8 Institute, which launched the campaign in March 2018, believes that the campaign broached broader issues of gender inequality. "I feel that addressing issues of gender inequality raised awareness [about inequality] in general."
A vital shift has taken place, Kovač said. "It has become clear that sexual violence and harassment are pervasive in our society, albeit often unseen," and the campaign created room to address sexual violence in a better and fairer way.
The testimonies reflect the normalisation of sexual harassment in society to the extent that victims feel like they are being overly sensitive for sharing their stories, says Kovač.
Many seem to downplay the severity of what they had suffered, as if sexual violence were normal, something not important enough to be raised to attention, although it was one of the most horrifying experiences of their lives.
In January 2018, the NGO launched a petition demanding a redefinition of rape in the penal code. The effort came as a response to a court case in which a man was acquitted of rape because the victim was asleep and unable to resist (with more details here).
More than 5,000 people signed the petition demanding that rape no longer be defined as a sexual act perpetrated by force but a sexual act perpetrated without consent.
"In response to the ruling ... the expert public, politicians and civil society joined forces in a wish to change unjust criminal legislation."
"The Ministry of Justice decided to redefine rape, I believe this is one of the biggest changes for the better made by the #jaztudi campaign," said Kovač.
Justice Minister Andreja Katič said at a debate on violence against women in late November that she wanted the penal code to change so as to penalise any sexual act without clear consent of both partners. The ministry is yet to present a draft of the legal changes.
Kovač said that the NGO was reserved about #metoo at first because of the sensationalism it caused in the US, where #metoo largely became a part of pop culture mainstream and failed to show different perspectives.
What is more, "in Slovenia, the [global] #metoo campaign did not trigger a spontaneous response it got in many countries around the world."
The March 8 Institute therefore decided to take a different approach and collect and post anonymous stories online, which are available at www.jaztudi.si. Victims can share their stories through the website, which also provides helpful links.
The response surpassed the NGO's expectations. It received more than 150 stories, and more are still coming in, albeit at a slower pace.
The stories collected show that sexual harassment often takes place in places that should be safe, like at home, at school, at the doctor's office.
Very often, the abusers are people close to the victim, people in position of power, coaches, teachers, superiors. "Testimonies also reveal that other people, who know what is happening, remain silent, dismissing or ignoring the problem."
Most of the victims who shared their stories were women, nine of them (6%) were men and one transsexual. 51.3% of the victims were abused as minors.
"The testimonies highlight the structure, the workings of a society that enables and reproduces sexual violence and harassment," said Kovač.
In the face of rising populism, members of the NGO have faced threats, but that comes with the territory, says Kovač, adding also that the campaign had not received negative press from mainstream media.
There can be few film festivals in which theme and location are better matched than the Bovec Outdoor Film Festival (BOFF). Bovec is, after all, the undisputed centre of outdoor pursuits in Slovenia, a base for all those who enjoy hiking, mountaineering, ice-climbing, skiing, snowboarding, sledding, kayaking, canyoning, whitewater rafting, fly-fishing, paragliding, parachuting, and so on. You can thus expect a warm welcome, even in the darkest days middle of winter, for the 13th edition of BOFF.
A three-day event that will present over 30 short films, all screened in Bovec Cultural Centre (Kulturni Dom Bovec), along with lectures on various related topics, a bookstall, art exhibition, workshops, excursions and, perhaps best of all, a chance meet and hang out with likeminded folk in beautiful surroundings.
You can see the full schedule, in English, here, and a page with all the trailers 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, 23 December
LJUBLJANA - A ceremony will be held to mark the 26 December Independence and Unity Day.
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor will decorate constitutional jurist Peter Jambrek with Golden Order of Merit and Erhard Busek, coordinator of the South-Eastern Cooperative Initiative, with the Silver Order of Merit.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian researchers working abroad will come together for a symposium sponsored by Vtis, an association of Slovenians working abroad, and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
LJUBLJANA - Workers at hotel operator Terme Maribor are expected to start striking over pay and work conditions.
LJUBLJANA - The 29th anniversary of Slovenia's independence referendum.
TUESDAY, 24 December
LJUBLJANA - Midnight masses will be held around the country on Christmas Eve.
LJUBLJANA - Maja Keuc - Amaya and the vocal ensemble Soul Out will perform a Christmas concert in front of Town Hall.
WEDNESDAY, 25 December
LJUBLJANA - Christmas Day, a public holiday.
LJUBLJANA/POSTOJNA - Live nativity scenes will be on show in Postojna Cave; until 30 December.
BLED - A water spectacle will revive an ancient legend about the wishing bell in the church on the Lake Bled island.
LJUBLJANA - Pop singer Magnifico will give a Christmas concert at Stožice Arena.
THURSDAY, 26 December
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia observes Independence and Unity Day in memory of the 1990 independence referendum.
LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR - Ana Frost, a festival of street theatre, will get under way.
LJUBLJANA - A series of concerts will get under way in Congress Square, running until New Year's Day.
FRIDAY, 27 December
No major events scheduled.
SATURDAY, 28 December
BOVEC - Bovec Outdoor Film Festival will start, to run until 30 December.
SUNDAY, 29 December
No major events scheduled.
If you're not in town for the week of this guide (23 - 29 December, 2019) 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.
Things you’ll see around town include the Land of Ice exhibition of ice sculptures in Congress Square / Zvezda Park, in a corner with a very good view of the Castle. That requires a ticket, but something free is the same area is the Magical Forest, 16:30 to 19:00, which will host creative workshops of making environmentally friendly Christmas decorations. The Ice Queen will also be appearing until 22 December and offering “ice artists who will impress with juggling, sorcery and acrobatic points that will convince even the most discerning viewers”. This will move around as the evening progresses, following this route from 17:00 to 19:00: Krekov trg Square, Petkovškovo Embankment, Prešernov trg Square, park Zvezda, Gallus Embankment, and Mestni trg Square. There will also be organ grinders wearing vintage clothing and performing without monkeys. There's also live music (and food, drink) in Pogačarjev trg (the square that usually hosts Open Kitchen) from 17:00 to 22:00
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.
The Castle has a festive fair, and it’s a great place to get a bird’s eye view of the city at night. On until 6 January, every evening 17:00 to 20:00 there’s Awaken the Dragon, a free to see architectural projection/3D mapping show that runs every 15 minutes. Note that you also get a great view of the lights from up on the hill.
This week’s focal event is Christmas, and so expect packed stores and bars until the day itself, when things will be rather quiet. Although not everywhere, to be sure, as 25 December (Wednesday) is when Magnifico will have his traditional show in Stožice, while the candles will be lit for Hanukkah at 18:30 at the Jewish Cultural Centre on Križevniška Street. Klub K4 also has a Christmas event, with Just A (Euro)Dance starting at 23:00, the dress code being 70s/80s/90s Après Ski Party and DJs DEN7EL, Von Meister, Elovetric and Pohalino.
Live music continues every day, including Christmas, from 19:00 to 20:00 in Novi trg.
Monday and Thursday, 18:00, SNG Opera and Ballet is staging Rossini’s Cinderella.
Tuesday, Christmas Eve, 17:00 to 18:00 in front of Town Hall you can enjoy the annual free Christmas Concert, right in the centre of the Old Town.
Thursday, the 26th, Dedek Mraz, or Grandpa Frost, will appear riding in his carriage, drawn by white Lipizzaner horses and accompanied by a procession of snowmen, bears, rabbits and other creatures from folk and fairy tales. He’ll visit the Festive Fair and venues that host children's events, with the magic starting at 17:00 and the route being Breg, Cobblers' Bridge, Mestni trg Square, Stritarjeva street, Prešernov trg Square, Wolfova street, Kongresni trg Square, and finally the stage at Novi trg Square.
The same evening, 17:00 to 19:30, there’s another free event, with Ana Mraz bringing performances by street theatre troupes, circus performers and other artistes to Špica, which you can reach if you follow the river upstream, on the same side as the Castle. Don’t worry about missing it for Grandpa Frost, though, as it’s on from 26 – 30 December.
Another thing that starts 26 December is the series of free concerts in Kongresni trg that run up until New Year. The artists take the stage at 20:00, and the biggest names – i.e. the ones I recognize – will be there on Friday, the 27th, with Eurovision’s Lea Sirk and the man himself, Vlado Kreslin.
Want to see Dedek Mraz, aka Grandpa Frost, back in 1959 and 1961? Click this way.
Friday night there’s also Jazz Club at the Castle, at 21:00, with the Balkan Boys.
Saturday night Cankarjev dom will see Cirque Éloize’s Hotel, with acrobatics, theatre, dance and live music “to guide you through this intimate refuge, styled with an avant-garde scenography inspired by the elegance of only the greatest hotels”.
There are no new movies this week, and the biggest ones in town seem to be the following:
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
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.
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.
Screenshot from YouTube
- 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.
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).
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 Bar– 80s and 90s throwback nights can often be found here, along with rock-based DJ sets.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Castle” here, and “Ten Ways to Enjoy Ljubljana Castle” here.
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.
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.
Image: Nejc Bernik. ZRC-SAZU
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 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."
City Gallery - From 28 November until 19 January 2020 there's a sculpture by Jiři Bezlaj.
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
The Faces of Ljubljana in the City Museum. Photo: JL Flanner
Drink like a pro - find gallery openings. Photo: JL Flanner
Ljubljana - (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.
MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design has much of what you'd expect, along with some temporary shows and a good cafe.
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.
© 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
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. Art for the Brave New World runs until 5 January 2020: “The exhibition will present the beginnings and development of an early government art collection in Slovenia, which, despite the economic and political crisis, was created in the 1930s by artistic and professional personalities gathered around Dr Marko Natlačen, the last ban of the Drava Banovina.”
JL Flanner
The real Robba Fountain can be found in the entrance to the National Gallery - the one you see in the Old Town is a genuine fake, as seen below and reported here.
Photo: JL Flanner
National Museum of Slovenia – There’s plenty to see in the permanent collection here, from Roman times, Egypt and more. Meanwhile, the museum's Metelkova branch, located between one branch of the Moderna galerija and the Ethnographic Museum has some rooms on Church art, furniture and weapons, with the latter including more guns than you'll see anywhere else in town, and quite a thrill if coming from a nation where such objects are not household items.
A fragment of a Coptic textile; 5th–6th cent.: Upper Egypt; linen, wool; National Museum of Slovenia. Photo: Tomaž Lauko
Until 24 May 2019 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.
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.
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
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 20th 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
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
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
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.
STA, 20 December 2019 - Home price growth accelerated in the third quarter of 2019, with average prices rising by 8.5% year-on-year and 3.1% over the previous quarter on the back of strong growth in prices of used flats, show Statistics Office figures released on Friday.
Prices of second-hand homes rose by 3.1% over the previous quarter and 5.3% on the year before, mostly due to a 6% increase in the prices of houses.
While the prices of used apartments, the biggest single category of real estate, grew at a slower rate, 1.6% at the quarterly level, in Ljubljana they rose by 2.3%.
"Compared to average 2015 prices, used apartments in Ljubljana are now a full 39.7% more expensive," the statisticians said.
New homes were on average 2% more expensive than in the second quarter, but the figure masks a 3.3% quarterly decline in prices of apartments, which was offset by a 12.7% surge in the prices of houses.
Transactions remained brisk as well, as homes worth EUR 320 million changed hands in the three months, just EUR 10 million less than in the second quarter.
There were very few sales of new homes: second-hand homes accounted for EUR 310 million of the total transactions.
More on this data can be found here
Two years after launching the Slonline course is getting a second level, SLO 2, giving you a chance to expand your basic Slovene for courtesy of the (Centre for Slovenian as a Second and Foreign Language). (Center za slovenščino kot drugi in tuji jezik). Registration is required but everything is free, with support for the course available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Croatian, and Russian.
Eleven vocabulary areas are covered, as shown above, with options to learn the words – along with how to pronounce them – plus a memory game to test your knowledge. Putting things together into more useful chunks, especially important with regard to learning the declensions, aka skloni, you can learn phrases and dialogues covering the same vocabulary items. There’s also a “final test” for each of the eleven sections, with listening a component, plus crosswords (and example for food and drink here) and vocab lists to show what you should know (here). Then there’s a real final test, covering the whole thing, which is 770 words, 550 phrases, and 110 dialogues – enough to give you a grip on the basic vocabulary and sentence forms in most contexts.
This part of the food and drink vocab list gives you some idea of the level.
Related: Learning Slovene as a Foreigner - An Interview with Two Slovenian Teachers
If you can already read children’s books then you’ll find the language rather basic, but thus all the more important for the beginner learner of Slovene as a second or foreign language, as a lack of content at the appropriate level is one of the biggest problems. You can check out SLO 1 and SLO 2 here, while if you want something a little more advanced to play with that still holds your hand then why not check out our growing collection of dual texts, in Slovene and English.
There are also memes
STA, 19 December 2019 - There were 2,089,310 residents in Slovenia on 1 July 2019, of whom there were more men than women for the first time in 160 years, show the latest Statistics Office (SURS) data. There were 2,360 more men than women. This trend can only be seen in three other EU countries, Sweden, Malta and Luxembourg.
"This is mostly a result of immigration, since the majority of immigrants in Slovenia are men," Barica Razpotnik explained at Thursday's news conference in Ljubljana.
However, the immigrants excluded, the country's population increase was negative in the first six months, as the number of newborns was below the number of people who died.
Related: Survey - Young Slovenian Women Unhappy at Work, Would Move Abroad
Related: Where to Find the Most Women in Slovenia
Taking into account the immigrants, the increase in the country's population in January-June was positive.
As many as 28,455 moved to Slovenia last year and 13,527 moved out of it, so the difference of nearly 15,000 makes for the steepest rise in foreigners in 10 years.
As a result, the number of foreign citizens in Slovenia increased to 6.6% in 2018, Razpotnik said.
Half of the foreigners who immigrated here were from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
An average foreigner who moved to Slovenia last year was a 32-year old man with Bosnian citizenship who has completed vocational education and had a job in the construction industry.
The number of immigrants granted Slovenian citizenship in 2018 stood at 1,978, of whom two-thirds were from Bosnia. A third were children under 15.
SURS director general Bojan Nastov said that projections showed Slovenia's population would be rising until 2023 and then start to slowly drop to reach 1,796,000 in 2100.
Another major change in coming decades will a major increase in the number of older people.
Related: Slovenia’s Aging Population, in Graphic Form
At the moment 20% of Slovenia's residents are older than 65, but the share is projected to grow to almost 32% by 2055.
Interestingly, the number of centenaries, now at 200, is to grow to around 5,600 in 2100.
Around one million people in the third quarter of 2019 were persons in employment, who clocked in an average 34 hours of work a week.
Nastov said it was encouraging that unemployment rate in the first three quarters of the year was below 5%, as opposed to over 6% in the EU.
The average monthly net pay was EUR 1,114, up 3.7% in nominal and 2% in real terms.
Monthly pay has been rising in the private and public sectors, and could well result in the highest annual pay growth since 2008 by the end of the year.
Higher pay translated into more disposable household income; in the first half of the year it was by 7% higher than in the same period in 2017.
Retail prices rose by 2% from the start of the year until the end of November, with inflation mostly fuelled by higher prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, but also services, with Nastov highlighting higher health insurance.
This year's inflation was somehow cushioned by lower prices of fuel and energy.
Housing prices in the second quarter of the year rose by nearly 6% and the value of all sold housing units in that period amounted to EUR 330 million.
Over the past year and a half, the number of used homes sold totalled a record 3,452, whereas only 42 new homes were sold in this period.
More on all this data can be found here
In Part 1 we presented our selection of the President’s best Instagram posts from the first half of 2019. His Instagram posts are arranged in a timely fashion. The first part ends with July and the second part begins with August.
Although the year has not finished yet, we find his December 12 post the best conclusion to this collection as well as a food for thought in, as Paul Krugman puts it in a recent YouTube advertisement I’ve had to watch repeatedly, the strange times we are living in.
- August 11: Disco Borut
- August 30: Borut’s advice to pupils for the first day of school: Keep your head open and use your own head, even when it comes to his own advice on using one’s own head. The bloopers suggest one can get far even without using one’s head much.
The content includes scenes that may be unsuitable for parents or guardians of young children. Children’s guidance is therefore recommended for adults viewing. #rumenarutka #pahor #president #presidentpahor #slovenia
- September 2: Pahor and Kersti in roller skating doubles.
- September 19: Borut tells a sexist joke in an attempt to be manlier. We believe, however, that the President really only cares about his own attractiveness.
- September 20: Adria Turbulence?
Dry martini, shaken not stirred, with zero alcohol, please.
- September 21: Standing ovations at an “almost rock’n’roll” gathering
- September 26: President breaks the 100,000 Instagram followers mark.
- October 13: Instagram analytics
- October 16: The President is grateful when diplomats don’t wear boring usual clothes.
- October 20: On rare white tie occasions (and his still youthful figure)
- October 22: Borut does Tokyo
- October 27: Ljubljana marathon
- October 29: Wrinkle trouble
- November 3: Borut realises where those 4 seconds went
- November 14: On devastating criticism.
- November 21: On blue shirt that has to wait to become fashionable again
- November 23: The best day is a good hair day
- November 24:A cCurious journalist drilling into Borut’s Instagram
- November 29: Photographer’s success: a spiritual picture of Borut
- December 5: Ultrapositive
- December 8: Hipster accessories: Reanult 4 aka Katra #2
- December 12: Borut owns it.
All of Total Slovenia's stories on Brexit can be found here
Dear All,
I am sure that you will have seen the result of last week’s General Election in the UK, which returned Boris Johnson as Prime Minister with a substantial majority in Parliament. The Prime Minister has made clear that the Government’s first priority is to leave the EU on the 31st January, on the basis of the Withdrawal Agreement negotiated with the EU, and then conclude negotiations on a free trade agreement and security partnership by the end of 2020.
After the UK leaves the EU there will be an implementation period lasting until the end of 2020. During this period, arrangements will remain broadly the same while the UK and EU agree a future trade and security relationship. This will include, among other things, future immigration and work provisions for British nationals who come to live and work in Slovenia after 2020. This will not affect your status, which is guaranteed by the Withdrawal Agreement.
You might be wondering what this means for you. In short, if you have temporary or permanent residence in Slovenia, you will continue to be able to live and work in Slovenia as now. Your rights will be guaranteed by the Withdrawal Agreement concluded with the EU. The only action you may need to take is to ensure that you are legally resident in Slovenia before 31 December 2020, if you have not already done so. More information about how to do this is on our Living in Slovenia Guide.
I recognise that while there is clarity on the UK Government’s approach post-election, some of you may still be feeling uncertain about your status and what happens next. I will be hosting an event for UK nationals in the course of January to answer any questions you may have. Please check our Facebook page for further details. Please keep following us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates and send any questions to our website or call us on (01) 200 39 10.
For now, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible during the course of next year.
Sophie Honey
British Ambassador to Slovenia
STA, 18 December - Slovenia has placed 35th in this year's human freedom index ranking, retaining the same place as last year. The ranking includes 162 countries, with New Zealand topping the list. Slovenia's index is 7.97, above the average of 6.89.
Among the country's neighbours, Austria is the only one doing better, ranking 13th, while all the others lag behind - Italy ranked 32nd, Croatia 37th and Hungary 45th.
Screenshot from the full report
"Freedom is not only priceless, it also has a vital role in creating prosperity, fighting against poverty and propelling economic development and democratic stability, so it is key that it is assessed as accurately as possible and that the measure is as broad as possible," said Tanja Porčnik of Visio Institut, a Slovenian institute which co-authors the report along with the US think tank Cato Institute.
Other contributors include Canadian Fraser Institute, German Liberales Institut and Russian Institute of Economic Analyses.
The ranking uses publicly available data, with the 2019 report based on the 2017 figures.
On a scale of 0 to 10, the 2017 average human freedom index was 6.89, with 70 countries improving their ranking and 88 ranking lower.
Since 2008, the index has dropped by an average 0.07 - mostly a result of populism, nationalism and authoritarianism worldwide, according to Porčnik.
The index encompasses 76 indicators of personal and economic freedoms, including the rule of law, security, movement, religion, assembly, civil society, expression and information, identity and relationships, legal system and property rights, currency stability, international trade and regulations.
Screenshot from the full report
Country profiles can be found here (PDF), while the full report (PDF) can be found here
STA, 18 December 2019 - The National Assembly passed on Wednesday a proposal tabled by the opposition Left introducing an extra day of paid leave for the parents of first-graders on their first school day. The law applies to both the private and public sectors.
The head of the Left deputy group, Matej T. Vatovec, said on Tuesday that public sector officials already have the right to paid leave on the first day of school of their first-graders, which puts those working in the private sector and their children in an unequal position.
Deputy groups agreed that this inequality should be done away with and backed the Left's proposal.
Karla Urh of the senior coalition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) said the first school day was a stressful experience for a child, which was why children should be accompanied to school by their parents, regardless of where the latter were employed.
The coalition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) and the opposition Democrats (SDS) agreed this was an exceptional day for every child and parent.
There is no excuse for this discrimination between those working in the public and private sectors, they argued.
The opposition National Party (SNS) praised the proposal as "good or very good", while the coalition Social Democrats (SD) noted that schools even expected that children were escorted by their parents on the first day.
The coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) said the unanimous support was an "important indicator of an advanced society guaranteeing equal rights to all".
Aleksander Reberšek of the opposition New Slovenia (NSi) regretted the fact that the proposal had not been backed by the Economic and Social Council (ESS), Slovenia's main industrial relations forum.
Mojca Žnidarič of the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) said the social dialogue was "obviously" weakening and that the passage of the bill could be a dangerous precedent for passage of bills without a consent from social partners.
The ESS voiced objections to the proposal last week, saying that employees were free to take one day of leave whenever they want as it was and that parents of children of up to the age of 15 had one extra day of leave.
All our stories on education in Slovenia are here
