Did you feel Wednesday morning’s earthquakes in Albania (03:54) and Bosnia & Hercegovina (10:19)? The Slovenian Environment Agency (Agencija RS za okolje) received 50 and 58 reports (at the time of writing), respectively, with the tremors being felt in, among other places, Ljubljana and Primorska.
The density of reports for the quake in Albania…
…and for that in Bosnia & Hercegovina.
You might be surprised at the amount of seismic activity Slovenia experiences on a near daily basis, and often several times a day. There were 36 earthquakes recorded between 28 October and 16 November alone, none stronger than 1.9, and most of these went unreported. The strongest had a magnitude of 1.9 and happened 09:00 18 November (2019) 5km from Črna na Koroškem (see more here).
Find our where and when the earth moved.
If you feel something, then visit the website and click on the earthquake, look for Čutil sem ta potres (I felt this earthquake) and answer the questionnaire. It’s only in Slovene, but works well with Google Translate.
STA, 26 November 2019 - In the wake of the first heavy rainfall of this autumn, locals living along the river Drava warned the river had started flooding at a relatively low flow because the riverbed had not been maintained properly. They believe that the funds paid to the state by the hydro plants operator should be used to clear the overgrown riverbed.
In the past, the river spilled over when its flow reached 1,500 cubic metres per second, while in the recent years it floods at the 800 cubic metres mark, said the Ptuj Agriculture and Forestry Institute Andrej Rebernišek.
He is a member of a task force appointed after disastrous floods in 2012. The body met on Tuesday to inspect the consequences of the last week's high water, when Drava flooded nearly a thousand hectares of prime agricultural land.
"Damage to agricultural land is massive, this is an existential threat for those who live from the land," Hajdina Mayor Mitja Horvat, the task force president, told the press after the body inspected the damage.
Horvat said that the state needed to become aware that neglecting the maintenance of the riverbed was a significant problem. This was further reinforced by the fact that neither the Environment Ministry nor the Water Agency attended the task force meeting today.
Rebernišek said that the damage caused by last week's floods reached millions. He also said that total flood damage between 2012 and 2018 reached EUR 96.5 million.
Because its river bed is not being maintained, Drava has started flowing outside its usual course, resulting in sediment build-up and erosion, said Rebernišek, adding that some parts that had been flooded most recently have become completely unusable for agriculture.
Rebernišek said that the problems had started after hydro plants were built on the river, which meant that downstream from Maribor a part of the river was diverted in the 1960s into a man-made channel feeding the hydro stations Zlatoličje and Formin.
After the channel was built, the old river course became neglected, its riverbed overgrown. "The situation was critical in 2012, when there was a big flood. Since then we've had big floods nearly every other year," said Rebernišek.
He said that some 2,800 hectares of agricultural land were in jeopardy, adding that farmers just north of the border with Croatia were hit the hardest.
The task force wants a comprehensive approach to address the problems and thinks the funds paid to the state by the hydro plants operator, Dravske Elektrarne, should be used for the riverbed maintenance.
STA, 26 November 2019 - The annual Slovenian Book Fair (Slovenski knjižni sejem), opening on Tuesday, will this year focus on Europe, bringing to Ljubljana authors from all over the continent. It will also honour poet, writer and linguist Valentin Vodnik (1758-1818) and the region of Prekmurje, whose people were reunited with the rest of Slovenian nation 100 years ago.
Vodnik, a top representative of the Enlightenment Age in what were then Slovenian lands, works well with this year's focus, Europe, Enlightenment being "the foundation of modern European culture", the organisers have said.
Europe in Focus will bring to Ljubljana a number of Europe-based authors, among them the Irish writer Jacke Harte, German Sibylle Berg, Lukas Bärfuss, this year's winner of the Georg Büchner Prize and Jan Carson from Northern Ireland, the winner of EU prize for literature 2019.
Italian author and publisher Elisabetta Sgarbio will also be in Ljubljana, presenting her documentary set in Slovenia The Nearest Elsewhere (2017).
The fair will moreover focus on the country's eastern-most region of Prekmurje. The opening today will feature one of the best known Prekmurje natives, singer and songwriter Vlado Kreslin.
Moreover, at noon every day the Writers' Stage will feature an author from Prekmurje: Feri Lainšček, Štefan Kardoš, Vlado Žabot, Dušan Šarotar and Suzana Tratnik.
A study about reading habits among Slovenians will be presented at the fair, and a special programme dubbed Cicifest will feature works and events for children.
The Pocket’s Vaudeville “Matilda, Let’s Do It!” –an original production of the Pocket Teater (sic) Studio that will have it’s premiere run on the 6th, 7th and 8th of December – is a multilingual show (mainly English, but sprinkled, with Slovene, Serbo-Croat and Spanish) that follows the tradition of the old Vaudeville, Varieté and the acts that would appear American and Latin-American travelling fairs. It will present spectacles ranging from the shaky circus numbers, “freak shows” to slapstick comedy, along with music, dance, low budget beauty, on-stage magic and brimming enthusiasm with one single idea – to entertain the audience.
If most cabaret and burlesque shows in Ljubljana are put on as if they aimed to be created and premiered in today’s Berlin – always trying to provoke or scare the long-disappeared bourgeoisie – Pocket’s Vaudeville’s natural environment would be a train car with a run-down troupe of international artists travelling through forgotten towns of last century’s or present-day Bolivia, simply trying to make the bumpy road of life a little smoother for a brief moment.
Note that the Pocket Teater - tucked away in a courtyard by Le Petit Cafe - lives up to it’s name and reservations are required. Tickets for all three nights – 6, 7 and 8 December, 2019, 20:00 – can be made at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..For more info call 070 325 522, or take a look on Facebook.
STA, 25 November 2019 - Various forms of violence experienced online will be in the focus as Slovenia joins a 16-day international campaign addressing violence against women. The Ministry of Labour, the Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities says a number of studies have shown online violence and harassment of women is increasing.
To address the issue, an international conference will be held at Brdo pri Kranju on Wednesday to present a project aimed to combat various forms of digital violence.
The campaign will be launched today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, running until Human Rights Day, observed on 10 December.
Statistics show that one in two Slovenian women have experienced at least one form of violence before turning 15.
The ministry says Slovenia has committed to make major progress in addressing the issue of violence against women.
It notes the country has taken a major step forward by ratifying the Council of Europe's convention against violence against women and domestic violence.
This year Slovenia compiled its first report on the implementation of the convention and submitted it to GREVIO, a monitoring mechanism set up to ensure parties to the convention implement it effectively.
The UN declared 25 November the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in 1999 to remember the assassination of the Mirabel sisters from the Dominican Republic.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has noted violence against women is one of the most wide-spread and persistent violations of human rights, urging action.
Globally, more than a third of women have already experienced physical and/or sexual violence, with 750 million marrying before the age of 18.
In 2017, at least 87,000 women and girls were killed around the world only because they were women. As many as 58% were victims of their partners or other family members, UN statistics show.
The flamingo is not a bird one expects to see in Slovenia. Although a large flock of these birds regularly spends the winters in neighbouring Italy, and some can therefore occasionally be seen on the Slovenian coast, observations of these exotic birds continue to be extremely rare further inland.
In fact, this was just second time in history flamingos have been seen in Dolenjska, the first being 49 years ago.
This time two birds, an adult in all its colours along with a still greyish youngster, stayed in the swampy field by Temenica long enough for the arrival of the ornithologist-photographer Gregor Bernard.
The photos he managed to capture of these birds and a flock of cranes that flew over Dolenjska some days earlier can be seen on his blog.
STA, 21 November 2019 - Slovenians' level of satisfaction with the general state in the country deteriorated this year for the first time following a steady climb of seven years, suggests the Slovenian Mirror survey, released on Thursday by pollster Valicon. Trust in institutions and professions meanwhile continues to rise.
Measuring the perception of the general state in Slovenia, expectations and personal happiness, the survey showed the share of discontent respondents increasing for the first time after the 91% peak, recorded in 2012, a year of country-wide street protests.
While the share reached its lowest point in the 2018 survey with 44%, the trend saw a reversal in the survey for this year, conducted in November. The share of discontent respondents was 51%, while the share of those content decreased to 22%.
Also up is the share of those who really do not feel happy, from 5% to 12%, while the share of those describing themselves as very happy fell from 9% to 6%.
Valicon noted that the decline in personal and general satisfaction was in keeping with the findings of other relevant recent surveys, which for instance recorded a drop in the support for the government in the autumn, a decline in consumer confidence and expectations regarding future finances.
Slovenian Mirror also measures trust in institutions and professions and found trust in institutions remaining on par with 2018, at -19% and still among the highest in the history of the survey.
The biggest drop was suffered by public broadcaster RTV Slovenije, which currently ranks 13th, while a relative strong decline was also recorded for banks and markets.
The recent years also brought a constant rise in trust in the companies and organises where the respondents are active. Support for the army and police is also stable, although both lost a few points this year.
The biggest rise in trust was recorded this year for opposition parties, which moved up two spots from last place to 21st, and for healthcare, where trust is positive again after years of decline. Trust in the country's president is also no longer negative, having risen by 5 percentage points, just like for education.
Firefighters continue to be the most trusted professionals, followed by nurses and scientists.
Trust in lawyers improved substantially, but is still in negative territory. The biggest drop was recorded for university professors, while minor declines were also suffered by journalists and police officers.
The survey was conducted via the Jazvem.si platform between 29 October and 5 November on a sample involving 875 respondents.
MONDAY, 25 November LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Development Days, a Foreign Ministry event dedicated to development aid; until 29 November. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary inquiry commission examining the performance of the bad bank will interview Boštjan Jazbec, former central bank governor. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Agriculture Committee will debate suspected wrongful conduct by the agriculture minister concerning an EU-funded project. JESENICE - Industrial conglomerate Hidria will present the details of EUR 300 million in contracts it has recently signed. BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Simona Leskovar will attend a session of EU ministers in charge of development. LJUBLJANA - The results of a genetic analysis of the olm, an aquatic salamander native to Slovenia, will be presented. LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release business sentiment figures for November. LJUBLJANA - An exhibition will open in parliament on the 110th anniversary of the first flight by Slovenian flight pioneer Edvard Rusjan.
TUESDAY, 26 November LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly plenary will conclude with a vote on an opposition-sponsored housing bill. BRDO PRI KRANJU - The business promotion agency SPIRIT will hand out awards to best foreign investors at the FDI Award Slovenia 2019. PORTOROŽ - The shareholders of the Istrabenz holding will vote on the proposal for its assets be transferred to the bad bank and for the company be liquidated. LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Digital Coalition Forum will open. LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Book Fair will open; until 1 December.
WEDNESDAY, 27 November STRASBOURG, France - The European Parliament will vote on Ursula von der Leyen's European Commission. LJUBLJANA - Piero Mauro Zanin, president of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia regional parliament, will pay a visit. LJUBLJANA - Parliamentary parties will hold supposedly the last round of talks on changes to electoral law. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Finance Committee will debate the central bank's new consumer borrowing rules at the request of all five coalition parties. LJUBLJANA - Retailer Mercator is scheduled to release its financials for January-September. MARIBOR - Slovenia's latest supercomputer, the Vega, will be officially launched as part of the EuroHPC network of supercomputers. LJUBLJANA - The Institute of Public Health will host a conference on AIDS ahead of World AIDS Day.
THURSDAY, 28 November BRUSSELS, Belgium - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek will attend a session of the EU Competitiveness Council. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Commission for National Communities will review the implementation of bilinguality regulations in 2015-2018. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Finance Committee will debate amendments to the act on the prevention of money laundering and a bill on state guarantees for the Divača-Koper rail track. LJUBLJANA - Weekly government session. LJUBLJANA - The Culture Ministry will host a Council of Europe conference on conditions for quality journalism. BRDO PRI KRANJU - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) will host a Slovenian-Croatian conference on plastic.
FRIDAY, 29 November LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release GDP growth figures for the third quarter, inflation figures for November, and survey unemployment in the third quarter. LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly will debate amendments to the pension and disability insurance act at an emergency session. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Privileges and Credentials Commission will debate proposed changes to the National Assembly's rules of procedure concerning MP immunity. LJUBLJANA - NLB bank is scheduled to release its financials for January-September. BRUSSELS, Belgium - Education Ministry State Secretary Jernej Štromajer will attend a session of EU ministers in charge of competitiveness. LJUBLJANA - Christmas lights will be turned on marking the start of the month-long Christmas Market.
SATURDAY, 30 November MARIBOR - A commemorative ceremony will be hosted by the Sever association of independence war veterans, to be addressed by Prime Minister Marjan Šarec.
SUNDAY, 1 December MURSKA SOBOTA - Leon Novak will be inaugurated as the new head of Slovenia's Evangelical and Lutheran Church, with Prime Minister Marjan Šarec and parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan in attendance. LJUBLJANA - Book of the year as selected by the Slovenian Book Fair jury will receive the Grand Prix. LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian International Ladies Association will hold its annual charity bazaar.
If you're not in town for the week of this guide (25 November to 1 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 Sloveniahere.
Perhaps the biggest event this week is the turning on of the lights on Friday, with the switch being flipped at 17:15 on Friday in Prešeren Square, where you’ll find the city’s Christmas Tree. A festive market is set to open 3 December, but some stalls are already popping up selling mulled wine, hot food, gifts and the like.
But for me the real start of the season is SILA’s annual bazaar, when the international community in Ljubljana comes together in the ballroom of the Grand Hotel Union with stalls selling food and other items from around the world, along with cultural performances, prize draws and more, this year in aid of diabetes charities. It’s free to enter on Sunday, 1 December, 10:00 to 16:00, and you can learn more about it here.
Thursday Vida Vatovec (saxophone) and Annemarie Glavič (flute) will be playing at 19:30 in Križanke at a free to enter concert. The same evening, same time, but with tickets you need to buy there’s Hommage Á Mozart at Cankarjev dom, with Dmitri Smirnov, Mozart Variations; Dmitri Shostakovich, Violin Concerto No 1 in A minor, Op. 77; Valentin Silvestrov, The Messenger, for strings and piano; and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Symphony No 40 in G minor, K. 550. Tickets here.
Friday you can head to Kino Šiška and enjoy the sights and sounds of Lebanon Hanover, while at the same time the Castle will have a show by Rick Leon James. Also on the night is Noches de Tablao: Flamenco meets Persia at Ljubljana’s cosiest performance space, Pocket Theatre – details here.
Saturday 70s pop pianist and housewives’ favourite Richard Clayderman will be playing at Cankarjev dom. The blond bombshell Nancy Reagan once called the Romantic prince is on tour celebrating 40 years in the business. The same night Orto Bar has a show from Latex My Ass and Detroit Groove Gang.
New and recent movies include the following.
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
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.
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.
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 Florahere.
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 tosix 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Ageshere. 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.
Vžigalica Gallery – From 12 November to 1 December there's going to be a show from called SAEBORG: SLAUGHTER HOUSE 17 from the Japanese artist Saeborg which is being promoted with the following image. Details here.
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.
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 Ljubljanahere.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
SILA, the international women’s club in Slovenia, is once again hosting its annual charity bazaar, this year taking place on Sunday, 1 December (2019). It’s an event that’s something to look forward to, one in which the international community in Slovenia takes centre stage to celebrate its diversity and start the festive season with a focus on charity, culture and cuisine.
Presdent Pahor at last year's bazaar. Photo: SILA
Photo: Neža Loštrek
Photo: SILA
Photo: SILA
As reported in a previous story, SILA (the Slovenian International Ladies Association), was originally established as a social group for the wives of diplomats and foreign businessmen stationed in the country. However, as times have changed so has the group, which is now open not only to any foreign woman living in Slovenia, but also Slovenes, a meeting point to share experiences, adventures and pleasures. As such the group organises a full and varied programme of social, educational, cultural and sporting events for its members, but the focus of the year is its free to enter annual bazaar, which takes place this Sunday, December 1, from 10:00 to 16:00 in the ballroom of the Grand Hotel Union.
The bazaar is a lively, colourful and welcoming event, with around 40 countries from all the continents except Antartica, and for the first time stretching over two floors, with the food to be found on the second. Here you'll find stalls selling various items from each contry along food that’s often prepared by the related embassy chef, and thus of top quality and authenticity, all at very reasonable prices. The Celiac Association and Sladkorcki will also prepare food for visitors with celiac disease and diabetes, with the latter being one of the charitable foci of the day.
New this year is a Latin Corner, featuring Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico, and Guatemala, an attraction offered under the initiative of the Brazilian Ambassador Renato Mosca. A room will be set aside for children’s activities, as organised by Minicity, while the cultural programme will include tango, Irish dance, Brazilian drummers, Thai dancers and more. There will also be an appearance by Zala Istenic, a Slovenian athlete who has Type 1 diabetes. She’s just 17 years old, was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 14 and holds a number of national records. She will talk about her condition and give advice and inspiration for a healthy, active life.
India... Photo: Neža Loštrek
Indonesia... Photo: Neža Loštrek
...and Iran, and that's just the I's. Photo: Neža Loštrek
While it's the celebration of the foreign community in Slovenia and the varied sights, sounds and flavours that will draw the crowds, the real focus of the bazaar is charity, with money raised by the prize draw and other means. This year the focus is on projects for children, while at the same time raising awareness of Type 1 diabetes. The aim is to support the purchase of one medical device for newborns that helps to diagnose neonatal osteopenia, scientific research on diabetes, one-year payment for five students from disadvantaged families to go to boarding school, a yearly meeting for families with diabetes, and a theoretical and practical workshop for children diagnosed with celiac disease. The events partners in this regard are the Department of Neonatology, Division of Paediatrics, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Department of Endocrinology, diabetes and metabolic disorders, Division of Paediatrics, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Botrstvo, Sladkorčki, Slovensko društvo za Celiakijo.
Photo: SILA
Photo: SILA
Photo: SILA
In short, as I hope these pictures illustrate, SILA’s annual bazaar is a fantastic way to start the festive month, with food, music, colour, an international spirit and the opportunity to give back to, and be part of, the wider community in Slovenia, while celebrating differences and enjoying each other’s cultures. A highly recommended event, from 10:00 to 16:00 Sunday December 1, in the ballroom of the Grand Hotel Union (the entrance on Nazorjeva Ulica, next to the Atelje restaurant and Hood Burger).
In 1925 Nikolaj Muster, known as Miki Muster, a Slovenian academic sculptor, illustrator, cartoonist and animator was born in Murska Sobota.
Muster was a pioneer of Slovenian comics and one of the most successful creators in both that field and the one of animation. His creative opus is extremely large and characterised by technical perfection and lively content.
Miki, born to a Hungarian mother and a Slovenian father, moved to Ljubljana at the age of eight, where he lived and attended schools for most of his childhood, except for the WWII era, when his mother was employed by the occupying Hungarian administration and he attended grammar school in Murska Sobota.
During these years he dreamt about leaving for the United States to join Disney Studios after the war, which wasn’t possible due to the Iron Curtain. He began drawing his first comic book when Yugoslavia was in the Stalinist era, before the Tito-Stalin split in 1948, and the American, Disney-style characters were not allowed.
Muster completed his studies in sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana. Between 1952 and 1973 he published his comic Dogodivščine Zvitorepca Trdonje in Lakotnika (The Adventures of the Trickster, Hardie and Hungerly) in Slovenski poročevalec, where he was employed as a journalist and illustrator. They were later reprinted several times in book form.
He is well known among children for his picture books Medvedek Neewa (Neewa Bear), Maja the Bee, Snežek, and others.
In 1973, he moved to Germany and dedicated most of his time to animation. Most successful was his animation series Mordillo, based on the work of the Argentinian comic book artist Guillermo Mordillo and produced between 1976 and 1981. Also well known in Germany are the Knax cartoons, the first four of which Muster created in the mid-1980s for Deutsche Sparkasse.
In the 1990s, his work was marked by TV sports and animated commercials such as those with the Cik-Cak Bunnies, created to announce the end of kids programming after the evening cartoon on national TV, and ads for High C candies, Jelovica, Medex, Pomurje Dairy Farms, Pips and others.
On his return from Germany Miki Muster engaged in competitive swimming and eventually won gold in the masters category (for 75 to 85-year-olds) at the 2000 World Championship in Munich, and bronze and silver at the 2003 European championships in France.
Image: Nejc Bernik. ZRC-SAZU
