Keep up with the daily news in Slovenia by checking the morning headlines here

This schedule was prepared by the STA:

MONDAY, 17 June
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly will start its plenary for June with a Q&A session with members of the cabinet.
        LJUBLJANA - The Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetta will meet President Borut Pahor and parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Infrastructure, Environment and Spatial Planning Committee will debate the emergency bill on the culling of brown bears and wolves.
        LJUBLJANA - Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek will speak about her recent visit to China at a press conference.
        LJUBLJANA - A concert by the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Spanish tenor Placido Domingo.
        LJUBLJANA - The start of the four-day Festival of Migrant Film.

TUESDAY, 18 June
        LUXEMBOURG - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar will attend a session of the EU's Foreign Affairs Council.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly will debate amendments to the energy act and the act on drivers as it continues its plenary.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services will interview Maj-Gen Alenka Ermenc, chief of the general staff, over the sacking of force commander Miha Škerbinc.
        GOSZTOLA, Hungary - Maj-Gen Alenka Ermenc, chief of the general staff, will meet with her Hungarian counterpart, Lt-Gen Ferenc Korom.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - The Chamber of Trade Crafts and Small Business will host its annual summit of small business.
        LJUBLJANA - Electricity distributor Elektro Ljubljana will present results for 2018 and challenges in the transition to a low-carbon economy.
        LJUBLJANA - A round table debate will be hosted by a civil initiative to discuss changes to the electoral legislation.
        PORTOROŽ - The International Conference on Advancements in Nuclear Instrumentation Measurement Methods and their Applications (Animma) will be hosted by the Association of Slovenian Nuclear Experts and the Jožef Stefan Institute; until 21 June.
        LJUBLJANA - The 60th Ljubljana Jazz Festival will kick off with a concert by the Big Band RTV Slovenija and Slovenian soloists.
        LJUBLJANA - British singer Tom Jones will play in Stožice Arena.

WEDNESDAY, 19 June
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly will debate the national crime prevention programme until 2023 as it continues its plenary.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services will interview Miha Škerbinc, who was recently dismissed as force commander.
        LJUBLJANA - The Education Ministry will present the results of Talis 2018, a teaching and learning survey conducted by the OECD.
        LJUBLJANA - Archbishop of Ljubljana Stanislav Zore will celebrate a mass for the homeland ahead of Statehood Day.
        LJUBLJANA - The Tour of Slovenia, the country's biggest cycling race, will start with a 171-kilometre stage from Ljubljana to Rogaška Slatina.

THURSDAY, 20 June
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec will attend the EU summit; until 21 June.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly will examine the annual report of the Human Rights Ombudsman and an emergency bill on the culling of brown bears and wolves.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services will interview Dejan Matijevič, the boss of the military intelligence, over the recent sacking of force commander Miha Škerbinc.
        LJUBLJANA - Weekly cabinet session.
        SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina - Speaker Dejan Židan will attend a plenary of South-East European Cooperation Process's parliamentary assembly.
        LJUBLJANA - Focus, an NGO, and the Jožef Stefan Institute will host a debate on Slovenia's long-term climate strategy.
        LJUBLJANA - A group of NGOs and the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants will hold a press conference to mark World Refugee Day.
        LJUBLJANA - The Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce, the Slovenian chamber and the Slovenian-German chamber will sign an agreement on cooperation.
        RIBNICA - A debate with UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin at the Škrabec Homestead.
        MARIBOR - The start of Lent Festival, the biggest summer festival in Slovenia.
        LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release the latest consumer confidence index.

FRIDAY, 21 June
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly will vote on a motion of no confidence in Defence Minister Karl Erjavec.
        MOKRICE - A business breakfast of the Slovenian-Croatian Business Club will be held to mark Statehood Day. The event will be attended by the Slovenian and Croatian economy ministers, Zdravko Počivalšek and Darko Horvat.
        LJUBLJANA - Left leader Luka Mesec will be arraigned in a case brought against him by far-right politician Bernard Brščič.
        LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release June business sentiment data.

SATURDAY, 22 June
        LJUBLJANA - Pride Parade will be held as the final event of the Pride Festival.
        LJUBLJANA - Japan Day, the biggest festival of Japanese culture in Slovenia.

SUNDAY, 23 June
        LJUBLJANA - The Kresnik Prize for the best novel of the year will be handed out by the publisher Delo.

If you're not in town for the week of this guide (17 to 23 June, 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.

As ever, links to the basic listings are after the following selection, while a comprehensive PDF of events for the next seven days, as prepared by Ljubljana Tourism, is here.

In town and want to follow the news? Check out our regular morning headlines for Slovenia here.

 Jump to listings

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

Photo: Neža Loštrek

The June in Ljubljana Festival runs until the 21^st, with  free events in Kongresni trg / Congress Square – the big square in the centre of town that’s next to Zvezda Park – with a varied programme of music, dance, children’s shows, and so on. Some details are here, but in short Monday is circus day, Tuesday ballet, and Friday World music day.

The Summer in Ljubljana Old Town and goes on until 28 August. This presents classical concerts, many of which are free, in the churches, inner courtyards and squares in the old city centre. The programme is here.

Ljubljana Jazz Festival starts on Tuesday and continues until 22 June. Details here.

Also on Tuesday, 20:00, Tom Jones is playing Stožice Sports Park Arena. Tickets here.

Wednesday the Tour de Slovenia cycling race starts in Kongresni trg. The teams are presented at 10:50 and the race starts in 12:15.

Thursday night Kino Šiška plays host to the French trio Lysistrata., while on Friday the Black Lips play the same venue.

Also on Thursday evening is the opening of a new show by one of the best photographers of the city, Igor Andjelič, on the theme of Bauhaus. It's on at Galerija ŠKUC (here).

Photo: Igor Andjelič. See more of his work here

The 8th annual Japanese Day is on this Saturday, 10:00 - 17:00, in the museum quarter of Metelkova, brining art, music, food, drink and more, and promoted with the following poster.

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.

Volčji Potok Arboretum (Volčji Potok 3) has a rose garden in bloom until 31 August, nature permitting.

Ljubljana Pride Festival continues until the 22^nd, when it climaxes with the annual parade before a concert in Novi trg and then various parties around town. Read more about the schedule 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 our recent visit here.

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

Contents

• Cinemas and films
• Clubbing
• Live music
• Theatre and dance
• Harm reduction and drug testing
• Things to do with children
• LGBT+ Ljubljana
• Ljubljana Castle
• Museums and galleries
• Other things to do in Ljubljana
• Daytrips
• Getting around & miscellaneous

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.

Kinodvor –This is an arts cinema, not far from the train station, that shows new features as well as hosting the occassional festival, and this week, starting the 13th, it's the Let it Roll festival of music documentaries.

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

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

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

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

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Clubbing

Compared to some European capitals it can seem that nightlife in Ljubljana ends rather early, especially along the river, but there are still bars that stay open late and clubs were you can dance until dawn, and perhaps the best place to stumble across something interesting is the legendary Metelkova. Be aware it's a grungy kind of place and not for all tastes, but also that there's considerable variety to found within the various clubs there, from death metal to electropop, gay cabaret to art noise. You can read "the rules" of the place here. And if you're curious about how the place started then read our story, and look at some pictures, about last year's 25th anniversary.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Live music

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ljubljana Castle – Jazz, funk and pop every Friday night.

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

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

Slovenska filharmonija– Classical music in the centre of town.

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

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

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Theatre and dance

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

Gledališče IGLU - IGLU Theatre – Saturday night this group is usually putting on an English improv show somewhere in town, but it’s generally promoted after this is written, so check the Facebook before putting on your shoes.

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

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

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

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

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

Pocket Teater Studio– There are regular flamenco evenings at perhaps the smallest venue town, but note that the number of seats is very limited, and thus you should make a reservation via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 070 325 522.

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Harm reduction and drug testing

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

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Things to do with children

You can find our Top 12 list of things to do with kids in Ljubljana here. If want to read more about the philosophy behind the wonderful House of Experiments look here, while our trip to the Museum of Illusions is documented here, and there’s always riverside walks, pizza and ice cream. With regard to the latter, take a look at our guide to six places that serve good ice cream in winter, and thus are serious about the dessert.

Mini Teater Ljubljana – The season sees a lot of puppet performances for children, in Slovene, at this theatre not far from Križanke. The English schedule for the month is here.

Ljubljana Puppet Theatre - The puppet theatre near the Central Market and next to the Castle funicular has a full programme or shows, for children and adults, with the schedule here.

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LGBT+ Ljubljana

Ljubljana Pride Festival starts on Tuesday, 11 June, and continues until the 22^nd. There’s a lot going on, and you can see the schedule here.

If you want to learn more about Ljubljana Pride, then take a look at our interview with its president 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 – Thislesbian barin Metelkova is open every Friday, although sometimes there are other events

Klub Tiffany –And the gay bar next door is also open on Fridays, while every Monday until June 2019 there'stangoat 18:00. Other things coulds also be planned, so click on the name to find out.

Pritličje – This seems to be the only "always open" LGBT-friendly cafe / bar / events space in town, and perhaps the country, so it's a good thing it's such a good one, open from morning to night, and with fliers and posters letting you know what's happening outside the narrow confines of, say, a general interest online what's on... guide.

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Screenshot from Google Maps, showing the location of the Castle vineyard

Ljubljana Castle

The city’s main attraction is said to be the top tourist draw in the country overall, and to my mind it earns a spot near the top just for the history and views. But beyond that the current owners, the City of Ljubljana, have laid out a varied, interesting and enjoyable programme of events, one that rewards regular revisits. On until 17 November Mighty Guardians of the Past: Castles in the Slovenian Lands, a presentation that delivers on the promise of its title.

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

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Museums and galleries

Most public galleries and museums are closed on Mondays, although not the National Museum, and - as noted at the start

Cankerjev dom – A free to see show called Subterranean Worlds, showing cave photography, runs until June 16^th.

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.

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

City Museum – The Museum in French Revolution Square an interesting permanent exhibition on the history of Ljubljana, from prehistoric times to the present day, with many artefacts, models and so on that bring the story alive.You can read about my visit here. On until 25 September is Treasures from Russian Museums, an exhibition showcasing more than 80 Russian icons from leading Russian museums.

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

International Centre of Graphic Art  – The 33^rd Biennial of Graphic Arts runs until 29 September. It's called Crack Up – Crack Down, and is curated by the collective Slavs and Tartars, with a focus satire and the graphic arts. Learn more here.

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

MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design has much of what you'd expect, along with some temporary shows and a good cafe. On until 19 September is a show called Creators, on contemporary Slovenian fashion and textile design, which is being promoted with the following image.

Photo: Urša Premik

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. Opening Thursday, April 25^th, 20:00, The Visual Arts in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, 1929–1941, which then runs until September 15^th 2019. This offers “an overview of painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, photography, and film from the time the king's dictatorship was set up (6 January 1929) to the beginning of World War II on Yugoslav soil (April 1941)” - you can read more about it here. The museum's Metelkova branch also has a big new show, runing until at least September 2019, an the art of the Non-Aligned Movement, with an example shown below.

Rafikun Nabi: Poet, 1980, print, 96.5 x 110 cm. Courtesy of the Contemporary Art Center of Montenegro. On display at the Metelova branch of the Moderna galerija

Alan Ford at the National Gallery

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. The Space Within the Space: Scenography in Slovenia before 1991 will provide a comprehensive historic, stylistic, visual and theatrical overview of Slovenian scenography until 8 September. There’s also a big show on Alan Ford, one of the great comic books of the Yugoslav era, on until 13 October.

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.

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

 Roma Aeterna: Masterpieces of Classical Sculpture - see below

National Museum of Contemporary History - Tucked away in park Tivoli, in addition to his permanent collection will be showingIn Search Of Freedom: 1968-2018 until 16 August. Until 29 September there also a retrospective on the photographer Edi Šelhaus, which is being promoted with the following image. Opening 4 June and closing 3 November is Roma Aeterna: Masterpieces of Classical Sculpture. With sculptures from the collection of the Santarelli family in Rome, ranging from the age of the Roman Empire to that of neoclassicism.

Photo: Edi Šelhaus

Slovene Ethnographic Museum – The museum currently has a temporary show on Bees and Beekeeping, on until June 16 2019, as well 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). From April 18 until October 19 (2019) you can also see a show calledShamanism of the Peoples of Siberia, from the Russian Museum of Ethnography, Saint Petersburg. The place is located near the newer branch of the Moderna galerija and Metelkova. You can read about this fascinating show here. On until September 15 is Petra Šink: The circle between design and nature, in which the award-winning designer takes visitors through the life cycle of useful products for the home which are made from natural biodegradable fungal materials.

Union is "the Ljubljana beer", but now both it and Laško are owned by Heineken. There are many local brews on offer around town, though, if you want to explore IPAs, stouts, wheatbeers, sours and so on Photo: JL Flanner

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.

Volčji Potok Arboretum - Running until 3 November you can see a large collection of cacti here.

It's not a formal museum, but if you're interested in "Yugo-stalgia" then you'll enjoy a trip to Verba, a small, privately run space that's crammed with objects and pop culture items from the era, and is conveniently located at the start of one of the short walks to the castle. It's also a great place to take pictures, if you leave a donation, and you can read more about it here.

Verba. Photo: JL Flanner

Alternative Ljubljana isn't a museum or gallery, as such, but instead turns the city streets into a museum and gallery. Learn more about their tours of street art, history and LGBT Ljubljana here.

Photo: JL Flanner

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Other things to do in Ljubljana

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

Open Kitchen brings market stalls selling food and drink from some of the best restaurants in town every Friday, from 11am to 11pm, in the square between the cathedral and the river - just follow your nose and the crowds. Read more about it here.

Photo: Open Kitchen

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 prefer to get in the water rather than on it, then here's a guide to the various open air pools in Ljubljana. Note that it was written last year and so the prices and times may have changed, so do click the links and check.

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

maxpixel.net, public domain

Want to stretch and breath? Then check out our list of drop-in yoga classes for tourists, visitors and the uncommitted. If you're heading to the coast, check out our interview with a yoga teacher who offers breakfast sessions there, while if you're staying in town (or nearby) and want to try some "family yoga" then you can learn more about that here and maybe get your kids to calm down a moment or two.

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.

Photo: maxpixel.net, public domain

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Daytrips

Most of Slovenia is only a few hours from Ljubljana, and you can easily visit Lake Bled, Lipica Stud Farm, Postojna Cave, Predjama Castle, the coast and other locations, while if you'd like to take a photo of from that bench in Bled, then you can learn how to get there here. If you’re looking for something more ambitious, then check out our recent guide to the 17 members of the Association of Historical Towns of Slovenia. We've also written guides on spending from four to 48 hours in Bled and Piran.

Photo: Google Image Search

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Getting around & miscellaneous

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

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.

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

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STA, 13 June 2019 - Slovenia is the eighth family-friendliest country among the developed world, according to the latest UNICEF report. The list of 31 developed countries with available data is topped by Sweden, followed by Norway, Iceland, Estonia and Portugal, while Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, UK and Ireland are at the bottom.

The report ranked countries across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the EU based on their national family-friendly policies, which include the duration of parental leave at full pay equivalent, and childcare services for children until six years of age.

In the report, UNICEF says that family-friendly policies strengthen the bond between parents and their children, which is critical for the development of families and socially cohesive societies.

"There is no time more critical to children's brain development - and therefore their futures - than the earliest years of life," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. "We need governments to help provide parents with the support they need to create a nurturing environment for their young children. And we need the support and influence of the private sector to make this happen."

Estonia offers mothers the longest duration of leave at full pay at 85 weeks, followed by Hungary (72 weeks) and Bulgaria (65 weeks). In Slovenia, the maternity leave lasts 48 weeks.

The only country included in the analysis with no national paid leave policy for mothers or fathers is the US.

The countries with the shortest maternity leave, up to 10 weeks, are Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland.

The report also finds that even when fathers are offered paid leave, many do not take it. In Japan, the only country that offers at least six months at full pay for fathers, only one in twenty took paid leave in 2017. In Slovenia, eight in ten fathers took paid leave in 2017.

The full report can be read here

STA, 12 June 2019 - The government adopted an intervention bill ordering the culling of overgrown bear and wolf populations on Wednesday. The move comes after a decree with the same order was successfully challenged by an environmental NGO in Administrative Court, leading to a steep increase in wolf and bear attacks on farm animals this year.

The bill stipulates the "removal" of 200 bears, of which 175 are to be culled, while the rest is expected to perish naturally or in car accidents or other incidents. Moreover, 11 wolves are to be culled.

Slovenia is home to 12 wolf packs, each five to ten strong, Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec said as she announced this bill earlier this week. She also said that wolves alone had killed 72 sheep, 19 cows, 15 horses, a donkey and two other farm animals this year.

Slovenia's bear population, which was on the brink of extinction in early 20th century, is estimated at about 1,000, whereas a population of some 400 bears is deemed optimal.

While bear attacks have also caused significant damage in agriculture, with livestock herds decimated in some cases, the government also says that there is a significant risk of bear attacks on humans.

Experts believe that Slovenia's bear population has reached a number that should not be exceeded, underlining that acceptance of big carnivores by the population is key in successful management of their population.

Slovenia has been nearing a boiling point in this respect, with farmers and agricultural associations staging rallies to protest against the government's inaction in the face of their decimated herds.

The bill, drafted by the Ministry of Agriculture, has been filed by the Ministry of Environment, which is in charge of large carnivores management in Slovenia.

Meanwhile, the parliamentary environment and agriculture committees will hold a joint session this afternoon to discuss the attacks of bears and wolves on livestock.

If you haven’t been paying attention to the Slovenian craft beer scene over the last 18 or so months then there’s a lot for you to catch up on. There’s been an explosion, both in the number of producers and variety of brews released. The developments have been especially exciting for those drinkers who aren’t fans of IPAs, your correspondent included, with sours, saisons, wheatbeers, porters, radlers and ales of all varieties making their way into bottles, cans and glasses all over the country, and gaining increasing attention abroad.

But where can dedicated beer hunter, or casual drinker, go to learn more about the scene and sample interesting brews with likeminded folk in a non-bar setting, one that’s suitable for all the family? Or to quote Tim Earles, organiser of the Pure Craft Beer Festival: “There are a variety of events around Ljubljana where the craft brewers all come together, but the environment doesn’t always present the quality of the beers in the best light. The Open Air Museum in Rogatec is an undiscovered gem on the border between Slovenia and Croatia, which seemed like the perfect place to run a garden-party style event, where the smaller breweries could represent their beer in an atmosphere befitting their products.”

The Open Air Museum. Photo: Pure Craft

The festival will take place on Saturday 22 June (2019), and the breweries set to appear include Human Fish, Green Gold, Omnivar, Loo-Blah-Nah, Crazy Duck, Mali Grad, Maister, Barut, Lobik, Bevog, Haler, Old Franz, APE, and Clef. The event runs from 10:00 to 22:00, giving you enough time to sample many, if not all, of all the beers. What’s more, your adventures in liquid sunshine will be accompanied by gourmet delights, with a full culinary program from the highly recommended Gostišče Jurg.

The breweries and beers to enjoy 

Karikature Boris

In addition to food and drink, including some wine and even non-alcoholic beverages, there’ll be entertainment suitable for the whole family. This includes museum workshops showcasing the skills of blacksmithing, bracelet making, basket weaving and bread making; pony riding and carriage rides; dance workshops; a supervised climbing wall; a giant art wall; laser maze, a slackline and more, such as free caricatures from Karikature Boris. Music will be provided by from Jeanette & Počeni Škafi, while true wonder will be brought to the festival by Magic Aleksander.

Tickets come with a Rogaška Crystal souvenir glass and cost €10 until 15th June, €15 thereafter, with the price including a museum tour. To keep things simple all the beers at the festival will be sold at the same price, €1 for a 150ml sample pour, a size that gives you a chance to safely enjoy all the brews on offer.

Tickets can now be purchased at eventim or on the day. For more information please visit the website or Facebook page.

This year’s Ljubljana Pride Festival presents just under two weeks of LGBTIQ+ activities and events celebrating all the colours of the rainbow in the capital. It started yesterday, 11 June, and ends on Saturday 22 with the annual parade through the city that itself ends in Novi trg with speeches and live performances, before moving on into various clubs and other venues around town.

ljubljanapride.org

Last year the theme was intersectionality, and this year’s Pride is motivated by a further call for solidarity and mobilisation among all marginalised groups, with the aim of overcoming a culture of hate, and thus to combat the promotion of fear of and hostility towards “the other” with openness, tolerance and love.

Or as Nina Perger of the Ljubljana Pride Association writes:

With every silence and every lack of response, the line of acceptable political strategies and society building moves further in the wrong direction - further towards normalising and accepting the politics of fear and hate that are rooted in the rhetoric of the victim complex and moral panic, and of intimidation and bullying. Every time we stay silent, what is at least quietly unacceptable today becomes acceptable tomorrow.

Th full (English) program of events – with talks, debates, music, workshops, parties, a roller derby and more – can be found here, while details of the Pride March (Saturday 22 June) are here. Pride’s Facebook page can be found here, while all out stories on the community are here.

STA, 11 June 2019 - After winning an important legal battle against the users of Ljubljana's Rog squat, the city has set up a construction site outside the former bicycle factory's southern wall. Speaking of the mayor's "might is right approach", the users of the centre insist on participating in plans for Rog's renovation and "will defend Rog just like in 2016".

The users of Rog, which developed into an alternative arts and social centre in 2006 after it had been left to decay for 15 years, told the press on Tuesday that the move spoke volumes about the sincerity of the city's offer for dialogue.

They said the construction fencing was put up in the presence of city officials by builder Euro Grad on Monday, the very day they had drawn up a response to Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković regarding the format of the talks on the future of the huge complex located just off the city centre.

While the city has already put a EUR 27 million price tag on the commercial makeover of Rog, the users want to discuss the centre's future in the format of an open public panel, which they plan to organise on 18 June.

The city, which bought Rog's 7,000 m2 premisses in 2002, recently won ownership lawsuits against eight of Rog's users who had managed to enforce their possession right.

While the eight users ended up with procedural costs totalling EUR 40,000 and had to leave, the city authorities - by some accounts unable to make a decisive move as long as dozens of unidentified users continue to hold on to Rog - has been insisting that it be clear who they are talking to.

The users told the press that they were not bent on staying in dilapidated buildings, but they are also convinced the planned Centre Rog project only shows that "the city is unable to face real problems and that it is leaving Ljubljana's inhabitants with no alternative to watching the capital turn into an amusement park for tourists and wealthy investors".

"We successfully defended Rog in 2016 and we will also do it in 2019," they told the press, referring to a previous attempt by the city to start with the demolition of most of Rog's buildings.

The Ljubljana Municipality responded by saying its representatives would not attend the public panel announced by Rog's users. The time for such discussions has expired and the city held a number of public debates with various stakeholders in the past, the press release says.

"By destroying the construction site, set up outside the factory wall, the temporary users of Rog showed their true face," the city authorities wrote, speaking of hypocrisy on the side of Rog's users and announcing the public would be informed about the continuation of the works in due time.

As for the dialogue efforts, the city said that 10 June had been the deadline for a response from Rog. The response was provided with the names of three users who would attend the talks, but there was not concrete content, which had been a basic condition for dialogue, the press release says.

Keep up with the daily news in Slovenia by checking the morning headlines here

MONDAY, 10 June
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Coalition party leaders will discuss budgeting for 2020 and 2021, healthcare measures, electoral system reform and, presumably, candidacies for Slovenian EU commissioner.
        LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec will host a reception for newly-elected Slovenian MEPs.
        LJUBLJANA - The annual general meeting of NLB bank.
        LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Karl Erjavec and Pivka Mayor Robert Smrdelj will sign an annex to an agreement related to the Poček military training grounds. Similar annex will be signed with the mayor of Ilirska Bistrica on 14 June.
        TRNAVA, Slovakia - Defence Ministry State Secretary Miloš Bizjak will take part in a two-day ministerial meeting of the Central European Defence Cooperation focusing on security in the region in view of migration.
        LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release April industrial output data.
        RIGA, Latvia - Slovenia will take on Latvia in a qualifier for the Euro 2020.
        LJUBLJANA - Alpine skiing champion Ilka Štuhec will present her new team for the next World Cup season.

TUESDAY, 11 June
        LJUBLJANA - The European Commission Representation in Slovenia will host a conference on the European Semester 2019.
        GENEVA, Switzerland - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec will attend celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the International Labour Organisation.
        TRIESTE, Italy - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar will inaugurate new premises of the Slovenian consulate general.
        LJUBLJANA - The Health Ministry will hold a conference on inequality in healthcare in conjunction with the World Health Organisation.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Home Policy Committee will resume debate about the protection of the Schengen border.
        LJUBLJANA - The international festival Imago Sloveniae will kick off with a concert at Congress Square.
        LJUBLJANA - The start of the Pranger festival of poetry, literary criticism and translation.

WEDNESDAY, 12 June
        STRASBOURG, France - The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights will hold an oral hearing in Slovenia's case against Croatia over Croatian companies' debt to the defunct bank Ljubljanska Banka.
        TRIESTE, Italy - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar will attend a meeting of the Central European Initiative.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Council, the upper chamber of parliament, will debate integration of immigrants.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Constitution Commission will convene a maiden session to debate launching procedure for constitutional reform.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - A conference on the future of industry co-organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS), Economy Ministry and the agency Spirit.
        LJUBLJANA - The Environment Ministry will present the latest Climate Mirror, the central national document monitoring climate change action.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary environment and agriculture committees will jointly debate attacks on livestock by bears and wolves.
        LJUBLJANA - An exhibition entitled Idea - Science and Technology of Ancient Greece, put on in cooperation with the Thessaloniki Science Centre and Technology Museum NOESIS, will be launched.
        BRNIK - The annual Broken Wing aviation accident response exercise will be held at Ljubljana Airport.

THURSDAY, 13 June
        VIENNA, Austria - President Borut Pahor will pay an official visit to Austria.
        LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj will attend a meeting of the Eurogroup.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Commission for Slovenians Abroad will debate cross-border cooperation with the diaspora in the framework of EU cohesion policy.
        HOČE - A Panasonic teaching centre for HVAC technology will be inaugurated by Japanese Ambassador Masaharu Yoshida and Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek.
        LJUBLJANA - Weekly government session.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary inquiry probing reasons for problems in child heart surgery will interview several UKC Ljubljana officials.
        LJUBLJANA - A conference on mobility, to be joined by European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc.

FRIDAY, 14 June
        LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj will attend a meeting of EU finance ministers while Health Minister Aleš Šabeder will attend a session of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Labour Committee will discuss social benefits at the request of the opposition, which thinks the number of recipients is too high given the current state of the economy.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary EU Affairs Committee will debate a report on the phasing of EU funds until March 2019.
        LJUBLJANA - The government and public sector trade unions are expected to start talks on amendments to legislation on public employees and their pay.
        IDRIJA - The three-day Festival of Idrija Bobbin Lace will begin.

SATURDAY, 15 June
        LJUBLJANA - Museums will be open until midnight for the annual Museum Summer Night.

SUNDAY, 16 June
        LJUBLJANA - The opening of Klovnbuf, a clown festival; until 24 June.

If you're not in town for the week of this guide (10 to 16 June, 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.

As ever, links to the basic listings are after the following selections…

Jump to listings

I took a boat ride the other week, and it was great - see a timelapse video of a trip on the same boat, below, and read about it here.

If you prefer to get in the water rather than on it, then here's a guide to the various open air pools in Ljubljana. Note that it was written last year and so the prices and times may have changed, so do click the links and check.

In town and want to follow the news? Check out our regular morning headlines for Slovenia here.

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

Lighting Guerrilla will continue to delight after dark at various locations around town until 15 June, so if you see anything strange and lit up, that’s why.

The June in Ljubljana Festival has begun, with  free events in Kongresni trg / Congress Square – the big square in the centre of town that’s next to Zvezda Park – with a varied programme of music, dance, children’s shows, and so on. Some details are here.

The Summer in Ljubljana Old Town starts Tuesday and goes on until 28 August. This presents classical concerts, many of which are free, in the churches, inner courtyards and squares in the old city centre. The programme is 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.

Ljubljana Pride Festival starts on Tuesday, 11 June, and continues until the 22^nd. There’s a lot going on, and you can see the schedule here.

Tuesday, 16:00-19:30, the 58th Ljubljana Comics Bazaar will again take over Kino Šiška, with something for all comics nostalgists and collectors, with second-hand classics t more recent comics releases. If this appeals, then also note the Alan Ford show at the National Gallery (see later in this guide).

Every Saturday through the summer are two art markets. ARTish is in Gornji trg square, the far end of the Old Town, where you can buy works from Slovenian artists (09:00 – 18:00). Around the same time, but ending 16:00, there are more local artists along the nearby Breg Embankment, on the other side of the river, under the banner of the Ljubljana Art Market. (While Sunday mornings, same location, see the regular flea / antique market. There's also the famed food market Open Kitchen, every Friday 10:00 to 21:00 in the central market - it's lively, with a good mix of locals and visitors, and even if you're not hungry you'll enjoy it (but go hungry).

Volčji Potok Arboretum (Volčji Potok 3) has a rose garden in bloom until 31 August, nature permitting.

Contents

• Cinemas and films
• Clubbing
• Live music
• Theatre and dance
• Harm reduction and drug testing
• Things to do with children
• LGBT+ Ljubljana
• Ljubljana Castle
• Museums and galleries
• Other things to do in Ljubljana
• Daytrips
• Getting around & miscellaneous

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.

Kinodvor –This is an arts cinema, not far from the train station, that shows new features as well as hosting the occassional festival, and this week, starting the 13th, it's the Let it Roll festival of music documentaries.

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

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

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

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

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Clubbing

Compared to some European capitals it can seem that nightlife in Ljubljana ends rather early, especially along the river, but there are still bars that stay open late and clubs were you can dance until dawn, and perhaps the best place to stumble across something interesting is the legendary Metelkova. Be aware it's a grungy kind of place and not for all tastes, but also that there's considerable variety to found within the various clubs there, from death metal to electropop, gay cabaret to art noise. You can read "the rules" of the place here. And if you're curious about how the place started then read our story, and look at some pictures, about last year's 25th anniversary.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Live music

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ljubljana Castle – Jazz, funk and pop every Friday night.

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

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

Slovenska filharmonija– Classical music in the centre of town.

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

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

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Theatre and dance

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

Gledališče IGLU - IGLU Theatre – Saturday night this group is usually putting on an English improv show somewhere in town, but it’s generally promoted after this is written, so check the Facebook before putting on your shoes.

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

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

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

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

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

Pocket Teater Studio– There are regular flamenco evenings at perhaps the smallest venue town, but note that the number of seats is very limited, and thus you should make a reservation via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 070 325 522.

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Harm reduction and drug testing

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

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Things to do with children

You can find our Top 12 list of things to do with kids in Ljubljana here. If want to read more about the philosophy behind the wonderful House of Experiments look here, while our trip to the Museum of Illusions is documented here, and there’s always riverside walks, pizza and ice cream. With regard to the latter, take a look at our guide to six places that serve good ice cream in winter, and thus are serious about the dessert.

Mini Teater Ljubljana – The season sees a lot of puppet performances for children, in Slovene, at this theatre not far from Križanke. The English schedule for the month is here.

Ljubljana Puppet Theatre - The puppet theatre near the Central Market and next to the Castle funicular has a full programme or shows, for children and adults, with the schedule here.

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LGBT+ Ljubljana

Ljubljana Pride Festival starts on Tuesday, 11 June, and continues until the 22^nd. There’s a lot going on, and you can see the schedule here.

If you want to learn more about Ljubljana Pride, then take a look at our interview with its president 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 – Thislesbian barin Metelkova is open every Friday, although sometimes there are other events

Klub Tiffany –And the gay bar next door is also open on Fridays, while every Monday until June 2019 there'stangoat 18:00. Other things coulds also be planned, so click on the name to find out.

Pritličje – This seems to be the only "always open" LGBT-friendly cafe / bar / events space in town, and perhaps the country, so it's a good thing it's such a good one, open from morning to night, and with fliers and posters letting you know what's happening outside the narrow confines of, say, a general interest online what's on... guide.

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Screenshot from Google Maps, showing the location of the Castle vineyard

Ljubljana Castle

The city’s main attraction is said to be the top tourist draw in the country overall, and to my mind it earns a spot near the top just for the history and views. But beyond that the current owners, the City of Ljubljana, have laid out a varied, interesting and enjoyable programme of events, one that rewards regular revisits. On until 17 November Mighty Guardians of the Past: Castles in the Slovenian Lands, a presentation that delivers on the promise of its title.

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

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Museums and galleries

Most public galleries and museums are closed on Mondays, although not the National Museum, and - as noted at the start

Cankerjev dom – A free to see show called Subterranean Worlds, showing cave photography, runs until June 16^th.

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.

Balassi Institute – The Hungarian culture centre hasInterlacement – exhibition of Éva Farkasvölgyi and Žiga Okorn, showing tapestries and paintings on until June 14th.Free to enter, this venue is next to a Spar and Hofer, and not far from Dragon Bridge, and always has something interesting going on. Learn more here.

City Museum – The Museum in French Revolution Square an interesting permanent exhibition on the history of Ljubljana, from prehistoric times to the present day, with many artefacts, models and so on that bring the story alive.You can read about my visit here. On until 25 September is Treasures from Russian Museums, an exhibition showcasing more than 80 Russian icons from leading Russian museums.

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

International Centre of Graphic Art  – The 33^rd Biennial of Graphic Arts runs until 29 September. It's called Crack Up – Crack Down, and is curated by the collective Slavs and Tartars, with a focus satire and the graphic arts. Learn more here.

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

MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design has much of what you'd expect, along with some temporary shows and a good cafe. On until 19 September is a show called Creators, on contemporary Slovenian fashion and textile design, which is being promoted with the following image.

Photo: Urša Premik

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. Opening Thursday, April 25^th, 20:00, The Visual Arts in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, 1929–1941, which then runs until September 15^th 2019. This offers “an overview of painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, photography, and film from the time the king's dictatorship was set up (6 January 1929) to the beginning of World War II on Yugoslav soil (April 1941)” - you can read more about it here. The museum's Metelkova branch also has a big new show, runing until at least September 2019, an the art of the Non-Aligned Movement, with an example shown below.

Rafikun Nabi: Poet, 1980, print, 96.5 x 110 cm. Courtesy of the Contemporary Art Center of Montenegro. On display at the Metelova branch of the Moderna galerija

Alan Ford at the National Gallery

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. The Space Within the Space: Scenography in Slovenia before 1991 will provide a comprehensive historic, stylistic, visual and theatrical overview of Slovenian scenography until 8 September. There’s also a big show on Alan Ford, one of the great comic books of the Yugoslav era, on until 13 October.

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.

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

 Roma Aeterna: Masterpieces of Classical Sculpture - see below

National Museum of Contemporary History - Tucked away in park Tivoli, in addition to his permanent collection will be showingIn Search Of Freedom: 1968-2018 until 16 August. Until 29 September there also a retrospective on the photographer Edi Šelhaus, which is being promoted with the following image. Opening 4 June and closing 3 November is Roma Aeterna: Masterpieces of Classical Sculpture. With sculptures from the collection of the Santarelli family in Rome, ranging from the age of the Roman Empire to that of neoclassicism.

Photo: Edi Šelhaus

Slovene Ethnographic Museum – The museum currently has a temporary show on Bees and Beekeeping, on until June 16 2019, as well 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). From April 18 until October 19 (2019) you can also see a show calledShamanism of the Peoples of Siberia, from the Russian Museum of Ethnography, Saint Petersburg. The place is located near the newer branch of the Moderna galerija and Metelkova. You can read about this fascinating show here. On until September 15 is Petra Šink: The circle between design and nature, in which the award-winning designer takes visitors through the life cycle of useful products for the home which are made from natural biodegradable fungal materials.

Union is "the Ljubljana beer", but now both it and Laško are owned by Heineken. There are many local brews on offer around town, though, if you want to explore IPAs, stouts, wheatbeers, sours and so on Photo: JL Flanner

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.

Volčji Potok Arboretum - Running until 3 November you can see a large collection of cacti here.

It's not a formal museum, but if you're interested in "Yugo-stalgia" then you'll enjoy a trip to Verba, a small, privately run space that's crammed with objects and pop culture items from the era, and is conveniently located at the start of one of the short walks to the castle. It's also a great place to take pictures, if you leave a donation, and you can read more about it here.

Verba. Photo: JL Flanner

Alternative Ljubljana isn't a museum or gallery, as such, but instead turns the city streets into a museum and gallery. Learn more about their tours of street art, history and LGBT Ljubljana here.

Photo: JL Flanner

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Other things to do in Ljubljana

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

Open Kitchen brings market stalls selling food and drink from some of the best restaurants in town every Friday, from 11am to 11pm, in the square between the cathedral and the river - just follow your nose and the crowds. Read more about it here.

Photo: Open Kitchen

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

maxpixel.net, public domain

Want to stretch and breath? Then check out our list of drop-in yoga classes for tourists, visitors and the uncommitted. If you're heading to the coast, check out our interview with a yoga teacher who offers breakfast sessions there, while if you're staying in town (or nearby) and want to try some "family yoga" then you can learn more about that here and maybe get your kids to calm down a moment or two.

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.

Photo: maxpixel.net, public domain

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Daytrips

Most of Slovenia is only a few hours from Ljubljana, and you can easily visit Lake Bled, Lipica Stud Farm, Postojna Cave, Predjama Castle, the coast and other locations, while if you'd like to take a photo of from that bench in Bled, then you can learn how to get there here. If you’re looking for something more ambitious, then check out our recent guide to the 17 members of the Association of Historical Towns of Slovenia. We've also written guides on spending from four to 48 hours in Bled and Piran.

Photo: Google Image Search

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Getting around & miscellaneous

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

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.

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

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STA, 7 June 2019 - The outdoor festival season in Ljubljana will open on Friday with June in Ljubljana, a series of free events in the centre of the city that will kick off by Giselle performed by the SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana.

More than thirty events will be held over two weeks starting during the day and culminating with evening shows on Congress Square and multiple other venues in the city centre.

Some of the highlights include a concert by the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra on 12 June, a circus show on 17 June and a concert by Swedish performer Tami T on 21 June.

In the afternoon and early evening, there will be numerous workshops, theatre and puppet performances, and hands-on activities.

Some days will be thematic, with 14 June dedicated to children's shows 15 June to dance and 17 June to circus.

The full programme (in Slovenian) is available at on the festival's official site.