Lifestyle
Although it only started in 2015, the international music showcase festival MENT Ljubljana is now fully established as one of the highlights of the musical year in the capital. Produced by Kino Šiška and co-produced by SIGIC (the Slovene Music Information Centre), it’s already won two European Festival Awards – for Best Indoor Festival and Best Small Festival. You can see a summary of last year in the following video.
The Travel & Arts Channel recently stopped in Ljubljana where they met Stane, a long-time local promotor, who shared some insights on the city's scene and MENT Ljubljana.
New details of the 2020 edition have just been released, with the festival of live music, conferences and more taking place at various venues around town from February 5th to 7th. Note that the super and early-bird tickets have already gone, but from now until 4 February you can gain access to all the concerts for just €39, with Pro Passes, Pro Passes with accommodation, and more available here.
You can see the line-up here, where you’ll find pictures and videos of all the acts. You can also scroll down and see the same in basic text below, along with the rest of the press release.
___#MENT2020
30 ACTS:
Slovenian guitar-driven alarm clock 7AM, one of the best post-bands from Slovakia 52 HERTZ WHALE, imaginative folk pop songwriter ALICIA EDELWEISS, sleepless Austrian pop melancholiac BERNHARD EDER, dark Belgian post-industrial electronica BOLT RUIN, rambunctious four-piece dance machine CHEAP HOUSE, German brunch pop DAS BISSCHEN TOTSCHLAG, Dutch electronic music ambassadors DEKMANTEL SOUNDSYSTEM, Slovenian underground cult heroes DEMOLITION GROUP, living legend of Belgrade’s underground disco scene
DJ BRKA, North Macedonian funk rock darlings FUNK SHUI, Russian psychedelic stargaze outfit GNOOMES, untamed Moscovian new wave beast INTURIST, instrumental psychedelic cumbia rock quintet LOS BITCHOS, Slovenian AV trip hop performance artist MALIDAH, genre-defying Czech indie rascals MARKET, Serbian jazz fusion masters NAKED, Italian brass metal phenomenon OTTONE PESANTE, feminist post-hardcore punks PETROL GIRLS, one-man lo-fi jangle
RUSH TO RELAX, Portuguese electro funaná punk madness SCÚRU FITCHÁDU, kaleidoscopic French psychedelia SLIFT, Lithuanian dark electronica meets lo-fi art rock SOLO ANSAMBLIS, primal, surreal and futuristic Norwegian avant-pop
STURLE DAGSLAND, Serbian garage-punk luminaries ŠAJZERBITERLEMON, Slovenian neo-soul octet WCKD NATION, transnational chamber post-jazz trio
WILD STRINGS, brutalist Polish darkwave xDZVØNx, Serbian trap / hip hop collective ZICER INC. and multitalented Slovenian harpist, composer, performer and singer ZveN / ZVEZDANA NOVAKOVIĆ.
Full list of already confirmed acts here
Photo: Matjaz Rust
___#CONFERENCE
FULL CONFERENCE PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED!
MENT has completed the programme for MENT conference 2020, which will take place at Kino Šiška and M Hotel between 6 and 7 February 2020. We also updated the list of conference speakers. Check them out!
MENT 2020 conference programme here
One of the nominees for Word of the Year 2019 could definitely be sustainability. At this year’s conference, we will present one of the largest Slovenian festivals MetalDays and its five-year plan to become Europe’s most sustainable music festival. On the other end of the spectrum, Sally Anne Gross will discuss different approaches to developing a sustainable music career and finding a healthy balance between music and private life.
Other must-see presentations include Music PR in 2020+, a crash course in music PR for the coming decade, Bandcamp for Artists and Labels, an introduction to one of the most unique and successful direct-to-fan music platforms, and Hali Gali – Young Serbian music scene, a portrait of the Belgrade-based initiative that has managed to connect the young Serbian music and art scene.
Among the many important faces, the list of participants also includes a number of representatives of some of the most famous European festivals such as Le Guess Who? (NL), Colours of Ostrava (CZ), Pohoda Festival (SK), INmusic Festival (HR), Pop Kultur (DE), Sziget Festival (HU), Bol Festival (RU), Monkey Week (ES), Moscow Music Week (RU), MetalDays (SI) and many others.
The conference will also host representatives of a number of respected booking agencies such as Paradigm Agency, ATC Live, Earth Agency, BLiP Agency, Powerline Agency, Kokako Music and many more.
___#INES#TALENT 2020
The European initiative for emerging artists has announced the full list of nominated artists for 2020, which includes more than 130 acts, selected by 19 European festivals. INES#TALENT 2020 also includes 10 Slovenian acts!
More information here
___#TICKETS
We offer presale festival tickets, PRO PASS (FESTIVAL+CONFERENCE) and this year's novelty PRO PASS WITH HOTEL (B&B Hotel Ljubljana Park). If you’re visiting MENT 2020 by train or bus*, send your ticket with visible dates to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before 31 January 2020 and you’ll get a CHOO CHOO PRO PASS (25% discount on your PRO PASS). For more information visit our website.
M E N T Ljubljana. Produced by Kino Šiška. Conference co-produced by Sigic. The festival is supported by the City of Ljubljana and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia.
STA, 10 December 2019 - A Ljubljana stadium designed by acclaimed architect Jože Plečnik in the 1920s has been shortlisted as one of the 14 pieces of European cultural heritage that could be put on a list of seven most endangered pieces.
The 7 Most Endangered pieces of European heritage will be declared in March 2020, the European Commission Representation in Slovenia said in a release on Tuesday.
The stadium was nominated for protection within a campaign of the pan-European Europa Nostra organisation and the European Investment Bank Institute by the Ljubljana Association of Architects.
The association would like to protect this masterpiece of Plečnik's, which has been been decaying for a decade, so that it could be used again in its original form.
Related: Shameful Condition of Plečnik's Stadium in Ljubljana: An Example of Poor Governance?
The landmark stadium began to be built in 1925 for a Catholic sports association as one of the first such facilities in Europe.
In 2003, Slovenian rock band Siddharta filled it with 30,000 fans for a memorable concert, while Depeche Mode played there in 2006.
One of the most notorious events associated with it is the oath the Slovenian pro-Nazi militia Domobranci swore to Adolf Hitler in 1944.
The Bežigrad stadium, as it is sometimes referred to, was used for sport events and concerts until 2007, while efforts to renovate it have turned into a saga.
At the time, entrepreneur Joc Pečečnik's GSA company entered a partnership with the city of Ljubljana and the Slovenian Olympic Committee to renovate it.
Their company BŠP closed the stadium in January 2008, while in 2009 the Berlin-based GMP studio was selected in a public tender to renovate it.
But since then, a combination of problems surrounding the environmental permit, locals complaining about a piece of land between the stadium and their blocks of flats, and a civil initiative insisting the stadium be preserved in its original form has pushed the project into a limbo.
The 7 Most Endangered programme was launched in January 2013 as a civil society campaign to protect European heritage, although it brings no direct funding.
It identifies the most threatened monuments, sites and landscapes in Europe and mobilises public and private partners to find viable solutions.
All our stories on Plečnik are here, while those on architecture are here
In 1987 workers in the state owned company Litostroj, a Ljubljana-based heavy machinery manufacturer, began their strike, which many consider one of the crucial events in the democratisation of Slovenia.
The strike of about five thousand Litostroj workers under the leadership of an engineer France Tomšič lasted between December 9 and 15, expressed no confidence into the existing one-party governing rule by demanding that unions be able to become independent, and countered the ruling party at the political level by establishing an initiative committee of the Social Democratic Union of Slovenia.
Since the existence of another party, besides the ruling one, was not constitutionally possible at the time, the Social Democratic Union’s constitutional meeting could only occur on February 16, 1989, after the constitution had been changed.
The new party’s first leader was Tomšič, and Jože Pučnik became his successor in November 1989. At the 1993 congress, Janez Janša – current leader of the SDS – was elected as the party’s new leader.
It was reported in November that Darko Brlek, the director of Festival Ljubljana, managed to persuade the Slovenian government to sell its share of Plečnik's final masterpiece, Križanke, to the Municipality of Ljubljana, and thus put it under the full control of the Festival. If this were to happen, then the High School of Design and Photography (Srednja šola za dizajn in fotografijo, SŠOF), the alma mater of many great artists and interesting personalities, including Melania Trump, will have to move out of the premises by 2022.
Now the school has launched a petition, hoping to create some social pressure and reverse the deal, with the aim of keeping Križanke in public ownership and continue the tradition of educating the next generation of artists and designers in this architectural treasure.
Matea Benedetti, the owner of Benedetti Life, the ethical luxury fashion brand, shared the petition with the comment: “SSOF, my high school, the best school ever that belongs to Križanke only. Sign (the petition), because only the best people come out of a location like this. I can still feel Plečnik.”
In 1200 the original property where Knights Templar settled after returning from the Crusades was acquired by the German Order of the Holy Cross, who not long after built a monastery there. The monastery went through many reconstructions, and in the 18th century was joined by a church.
In its current form, however, Križanke were designed by the famous architect Jože Plečnik, who, following the nationalisation process of 1945, reconstructed the old monastery with medieval, renaissance and baroque elements for the use of the high school, summer theatre and restaurant between the years of 1952 and 1956. In 2016 Križanke was finally granted a status of a cultural monument of national importance.
However, 2016 was also the year when the harmonious coexistence between Festival Ljubljana and the school started to crumble. The large retractable canopy above the summer open theatre was damaged by snow, and the support stakes that had kept it in place for decades were pulled out of the school walls. Festival Ljubljana then attempted to fasten the roof back the way it was before, but the school refused the move, citing the structural report it ordered for the evaluation of the static condition of the building. The director of Festival Ljubljana, Darko Brlek, then started his efforts to get the school out of the premises altogether, a mission which he’s currently on track to achieve.
However, according to Mladina magazine eyebrows are being raised about the limited understanding of the situation the state has shown in its decision to hand Križanke over to the Ljubljana city government. It is not clear what Festival Ljubljana, which does not put on its own productions, will do with the large building it wants to occupy, other than getting some additional storage, offices and, above all, closing it to the public and any other potential users.
The most important part of today’s Križanke is that the building remains in constant use and is alive with energy of young people being educated in the most inspirational of surroundings, with an effect that extends to the broader environment of the city, and on into the careers of its alumni. Without the school present many claim that the centre of Ljubljana would lose some of its vitality and connection to the living culture, turning into a polished yet somewhat fake town for tourists to spend money in, but with little for the locals to explore. In such an environment the valuable cultural heritage that Križanke represents, which perhaps should not even be for sale, would lose both meaning and value.
Moreover, the plans for the new building that the High School of Design and Photography is supposed to move to in 2022 have not yet been approved, and there’s no word yet on when construction would begin.
You can do you part to help save the school but signing the petition here.
STA, 4 December 2019 - The vast majority of adults in Slovenia have low vitamin D status in winter. Roughly 80% do not have sufficient vitamin D and up to 40% have serum concentrations at levels so low it may pose a health risk, according to the first study of its kind in Slovenia.
The Nutrition Institute, the National Institute of Public Health and the UKC Ljubljana hospital conducted the research by studying the blood samples of 280 Slovenian residents aged 18-74.
Vitamin D is produced by the body when it is exposed to the sun or with specific foods. The study found that most people get enough vitamin D in summer months, when there is plenty of sunshine, but between November and April vitamin D levels plunge.
Low winter vitamin D levels were discovered across all age groups, even though the study included individuals who reported taking food supplements containing vitamin D, according to Nutrition Institute researcher Igor Pravst.
The study, funded by the Health Ministry, the Slovenian Research Agency and the food supplement company Valens, is the first of its kind in Slovenia since previous such studies tended to focus on specific population groups such as pregnant women.
As such, it represents the starting point of a new research project, launched this year, that will look for ways to improve vitamin D status and present them in new national dietary guidelines.
Vitamin D is essential for the functioning of the human organism. Not only does it help the body better absorb nutrients from food, it also helps the immune system.
While exposure to the sun is the main source of vitamin D in summer, in winter its principal source is fatty seafood or fortified vegetable-based food.
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, 9 December
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina/PRISHTINA, Kosovo - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec will visit Slovenian troops serving in peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Kosovo.
BERLIN, Germany - Parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan will meet President of the Bundestag Wolfgang Schäuble for informal talks.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar will attend a session of the EU's Foreign Affairs Council.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Health Minister Aleš Šabeder will attend a meeting of EU ministers in charge of health.
KOČEVJE - The signing of a sales and purchase agreement for a plot of land on which Yaskawa Europe Robotics plans to expand its existing production facility.
LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption will speak to the press as it marks the International Anti-Corruption Day.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Health Committee will debate staff shortages in healthcare.
TUESDAY, 10 December
BERLIN, Germany - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar will participate as a panellist in a high-level conference on human rights called Advocating Human Rights in the 21st Century.
MADRID, Spain - Environment Minister Simon Zajc is expected to attend a ministerial meeting at the UN climate conference COP25.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Labour Minister Ksenija Klampfer will attend a session of the EU's Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services will debate hiring practices at intelligence agency SOVA.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary EU Affairs Committee is expected to endorse Slovenia's position for the final part of negotiations on the EU's multi-year budget framework.
TIRANA, Albania - Defence Ministry State Secretary Miloš Bizjak will attend a ministerial of the Adriatic Charter.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary inquiry investigating the financing of political parties will interview security expert Denis Ćaleta.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Agriculture, Forestry and Food Committee will debate food safety in the aftermath of revelations of problems at the national food safety administration.
LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release foreign trade and industrial production data for October.
LJUBLJANA - An exhibition on the use of metals in Slovenian lands will open at the National Museum.
LJUBLJANA - The Yugoslav Drama Theatre (JDP) from Belgrade will play Uncle Vanya at its Slovenian peer theatre SNG Drama Ljubljana.
WEDNESDAY, 11 December
LUXEMBOURG - The EU Court solicitor general is expected to release their opinion on Slovenia's lawsuit against Croatia over the non-implementation of the border arbitration tribunal's award.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Public Finances will debate governance at state-owned Telekom Slovenije.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Justice Committee will host a public presentation of opinions on proposed changes to the criminal code.
ZADAR, Croatia - Defence Minister Karl Erjavec will attend the inauguration of an aircraft training centre set up in the framework of NATO's Multinational Special Aviation Programme.
LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption will host a debate on staffing at state-owned companies.
LJUBLJANA - A Slovenia-Luxembourg business conference will be organised as a business delegation from Luxembourg pays a visit.
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor will host Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, Parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan and National Council President Alojz Kovšca for an end-of-year reception.
VILLACH, Austria - A selection of Slovenian films will be screened at a film festival under the sponsorship of the Slovenian Film Centre.
THURSDAY, 12 December
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec will be on hand for the EU summit dedicated to the European Green Deal and the bloc's next multi-year budget; until 13 December.
BLED - Hungarian Defence Minister Tibor Benko will pay a working visit.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary defence and home policy committees will debate an SDS-sponsored motion to activate an expansion of the army's policing powers for deployment on the border with Croatia.
LJUBLJANA - Weekly government session.
LJUBLJANA - Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj will present tax policy plans at a session of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) management board.
LJUBLJANA - Shareholders of energy group Petrol will be informed about the causes of the termination of the previous management board and vote on whether there should be an audit of the company's operations going back five years.
LJUBLJANA - The European Commission Representation in Slovenia will present the Slovenian chapter of a report on the state of health in the EU.
LJUBLJANA - The assembly of ZZZS, the public health insurance, will debate the financial plan for next year.
MURSKA SOBOTA - A monument dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the reunification with Prekmurje will be unveiled.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's National Committee of the International Council of Museums will honour best museum projects recognised abroad.
FRIDAY, 13 December
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Finance Committee will examine amendments to the act on ship tonnage.
LJUBLJANA - The Spanish Embassy will host a debate on climate change.
SATURDAY, 14 December
LJUBLJANA - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay an official visit.
SUNDAY, 15 December
No major events scheduled.
If you're not in town for the week of this guide (9 - 15 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, although bear in mind I'm moving house over the coming week and will be stressed, busy and possibly slow to respond. 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.
As with last week, and the next few, the biggest attraction is now the city itself – the lights set up, the stalls set out, and the streets full of locals and visitors, from outside Ljubljana and around the world. Move around, follow the lights, seek out some food and some music, and you’ll have enough fun without any plans.
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
The Castle has a festive fair, and it’s a great place to get a bird’s eye view of the city at night.
December 10 – 14 (Tuesday to Saturday) the seasonal Nutcracker (Hrestač) will be performed by SNG Opera in balet Ljubljana, although note that the video above is from a different ballet company (no good videos from Ljubljana online).
Elsewhere, on Wednesday (11/12) Cankerjev dom plays host to the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra at 20:00, playing – not Liszt – but Mozart and Beethoven.
Thursday the stage at Kino Šiška will be held by GWAR, while on Friday you can enjoy My Baby. Then on Saturday it’s the turn of the Prince’s one-time backing band New Power Generation.
Friday is jazz night at the Castle, and at 21:00 there’s a show by Swingatan. Tatovi podob / Image Snatchers have an early new year show at Klub Gromka on Saturday, 21:00 to 03:00, bringing their form of technoburlesque to Metelkova.
Saturday (14/12) sees the start of a series of free concerts in Novi trg from 18:00 to 21:00. The show on Sunday is Milizza - Sting & Police Tribute Band. On Sunday Ljubljana’s home of metal, Orto Bar, you can see Archspire, Beneath the Massacre, Vulvodynia, and Inferi.
New movies on this week include the following:
New or recent movies this week include the following, with the usual warning that kids' films are usually shown dubbed:
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.
For three decades, Postojna Cave has been the location of the ultimate nativity scene in the country, with the show and experience being expanded each year.
Inside Slovenia's most spectacular subterranean marvel, Postojna Cave, the Living Nativity performance will take place several times a day from 13:30 onwards from December 25 to 30. This will feature some of Slovenia’s top actors and singers, including Nuša Derenda performing Ave Maria, Luka Sešek performing Silent Night and Urška Kastelic performing You Raise Me Up along with Slovenia’s best actors interpreting the nativity scene in an unforgettable 90-minute underground experience in the magical Postojna Cave.
The 90-minute Living Nativity performances are staged along a five-kilometre route. The initial three and a half kilometres are seen during a train ride and the second part, which is a kilometre and a half in length, on foot. The performances is a fascinating experience for adults and children alike. The nativity scenes can also be seen with prams and wheelchairs. Comfortable clothing and footwear is recommended – and there’s no need to worry about freezing, whatever the weather outside, as the temperature inside the cave is 10 °C year-round.
Two adult tickets allow for two free entries for children under the age of 15 and presale tickets are cheaper than those after December 23. For details on ticket prices and packages, please click here.
Sixteen biblical scenes are staged along a five-kilometre route illuminated by 2,100 coloured lights. A traditional Christmas market and a photographic exhibition, which take place at the same time, make the entire Postojna Cave Park come to life during the festive season, making it a magical trip to remember.
STA, 4 December 2019 - A total of 17.76 million m3 of timber has been cut down in Slovenian forests in the clean-up efforts following natural disasters in the last five years, government figures show. Reforestation works related to natural disasters have also been conducted in line with plans.
A total of 5.92 million m3 has been removed in clean-up efforts after the January 2014 ice storm, 8.19 million m3 as a consequence of bark beetle outbreak and 3.66 million m3 due to strong winds in the last five years.
Presenting the statistics on Wednesday, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food said that Slovenian forests had faced many challenges in the last five years due to the changing natural environment, mostly as a consequence of climate change.
"Various extreme events in forests have become very frequent in recent years, and the extent of damage exceeds all consequences of natural disasters in forests known so far," it added.
The ministry has assessed that the sanitary felling measures have been very successful, as it has been estimated that there is only 0.2 million m3 of damaged trees left to be removed from Slovenian forests.
Due to frequent natural disasters, sanitary felling of damaged and infested trees has accounted for almost two-thirds of total felling in Slovenian forests in recent years.
The ministry noted that the growing share of sanitary felling resulted in a lower revenue for forest owners, distorted the market of timber products and forestry services, and made it harder for experts to manage the future structure of forests stands with planned felling.
Reforestation measures also continue to be implemented, with more than 1,000 hectares of forest having been replenished with almost 2.5 million trees, out of the marked 1,800 hectares of forest that need reforestation.
In 1989 DEMOS, or the Democratic Opposition of Slovenia (Demokratična opozicija Slovenije), was established, a coalition of democratically elected parties, which won the first democratic elections since 1945 and carried out the Slovenian independence project.
In 1980 the dictator of the Socialist Yugoslav federation Josip Broz-Tito died, and the economic, nationalistic and political tensions in the country started to grow.
In the Socialist Republic of Slovenia the first political party, Slovenian Farmers’ Association (Slovenska kmčka zveza), was established in 1988, and several more followed in 1989, as part of the democratic movement challenging the one-party political system.
Slovenian National Assembly passed several constitutional amendments in September 1989, which among other freedoms granted the rights of national self-determination and democratisation of Slovenian political system. In December the Assembly then first passed a law on political associations, setting the legal grounds for establishment of political parties (before this they had to be registered as associations or societies) and then called the parliamentary elections for April 8, 1990.
Several of the newly established parties, including the Slovenian Farmer’s Association, Slovenian Democratic Union, Slovenian Social Democratic Union and the Slovenian Christian Democrats signed a cooperation agreement, forming the DEMOS coalition, which won with 54.8 % of the vote in 1990, beating the parties which emerged from the crumbling Communist Party organisations.
DEMOS then formed the first democratically elected Slovenian government since 1945, which successfully carried out the referendum on independence on December 23, 1990, when 88.2% of all voters favoured Slovenia breaking away from Yugoslavia, and then June 25, 1991, the National Assembly on passed the declaration of independence.
The DEMOS government fell in 1992 due to disagreements with regard to changes in economic system, most notably, the question of how the privatisation of public companies should take place, a question then addressed by the second democratically elected government of Janez Drnovšek.
A new book was published on Melania Trump yesterday, 3 December, and so we raced to the index and found all the references to Slovenia, curious to see how the country would be reflected in Free, Melania: The unauthorized biography, written by Kate Bennett, a reporter who covers the First Lady for CNN.
So far we’ve only read “the Slovenian parts” in detail, and with our Total Slovenia hat on it must be said that the book falls short when it comes to introducing aspects of the country that relate to Melania, from the 1970s on, to the wider world. A much better work in that regard being Sandi Gorišek’s Melania Trump: The Slovenian Side of the Story (which can be found on Amazon here, with the Kindle version being free. Our interview with the author is here.)
But what did I learn about Slovenia from the book, chapter 4 of which it titled “The Girl from Slovenia”? Mostly that Slovenians don’t smile, and that they are stoic and suffer in silence, as seen in the following excerpts:
What most people don’t understand is Melania’s heritage and the country in which she was born. In Slovenia, smiling a nongenuine smile isn’t really a thing. Admittedly, it’s a tad disconcerting when shopping in an outdoor market, making eye contact with a vendor, asking a hotel bellhop if they mind carrying a heavy bag, or soliciting a waiter about what he suggests from the menu. “We just don’t always feel like we have to pretend to be when we aren’t,” one of Melania’s old high school classmates from Slovenia told me.
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One aspect of Melania Trump that people find most troubling is that she doesn’t smile. But if you understand Slovenians, you know they are not a grinning country.
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…as one of Melania’s former Slovenian high school classmates told me, revealing emotional hardship or being dramatic simply isn’t something Slovenes do. The joy of being Slovenian is hiding your feelings.
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She didn’t want anyone to know she was sick [in April 2018, when she was hospitalized for a kidney complaint], her Slovenian upbringing compelling her to accept the bad news without showing it on her face, rejecting any impulse to slow down or ask for help or show the slightest hint of weakness.
There are also some references to Slovenia in terms of Melania’s family and home life, although Bennett makes a point to keep details of Barron Trump to a minimum:
Slovenian mothers are notorious for not being able to let go of their children; Melania is no exception.
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Ultimately, Viktor and Amalija [Melania’s parents] have spent so much time with Barron, watching him, looking after him, staying with him when his parents travel, that he is fluent in Slovenian. Those who have spent time with him say that he has a slight Slovenian accent.
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She is a product of where she came from, and that she typifies an old Slovenian proverb: the woman of the house controls three of its corners; the man, just one. Melania is definitely a woman very much in control of her three corners.
And with regard to Slovenia when it was still part of Yugoslavia, and how it shaped the character of the people:
Communism in Slovenia shaped a generation who was willing to settle for, who even expected and was grateful for, the bare minimum. President Josip Broz Tito, the communist leader of Yugoslavia, ingrained in his people that being humble was noble and that standing out was bad. The general thought about Yugoslavia at the time was that if communism was going to be the rule, they had it better than most other communist countries. Tito taught his people to keep their heads down and not lust for anything special. It was a lifestyle that created an intensely private population of mind-your-own-business types.
All in all, while the book has plenty of salacious details on the life of the First Lady - as seen in all the other reviews - it’s rather slim pickings for anyone seeking to learn more about the country of her birth, but perhaps the blame – or credit – for this should go to Nataša Pirc Musar, rather than the author. Pirc Musar is the formidable lawyer who keeps a close eye on Melania Trump’s interests in Slovenia, and does her job very well.
All our stories on Melania Trump can be found here
