Lifestyle
STA, 22 January 2020 - Thirty years to the day, the Slovenian delegation walked out of the 14th Congress of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia in Belgrade, in what participants as well as historians deem one of the key moments in the dissolution of Yugoslavia, one that presaged Slovenia's independence.
The delegates of the League of Communists of Slovenia walked out of the congress on the third day of sessions following the rejection of all of their proposals.
Slovenian representatives had called for more autonomy of party organisations in Yugoslav republics and had several proposals aimed towards greater democratisation of Yugoslavia and decentralisation of the League of Communists.
The remaining delegates reacted to the walkout with applause, laughter or boos, with the Belgrade unit of the national television labelling the move as an ill-advised act of separatism.
Following the walkout, the head of the Croatian delegation Ivica Račan proposed that the congress be suspended until the party organisations of the republics examined the situation and found solutions.
The head of the Serbian League of Communists, the future Serbian President Slobodan Milošević, said that this would constitute a dissolution of the congress and called on the remaining delegates to continue the session.
The congress was suspended in less than a week as it was held without representatives of Slovenia, Croatia and Macedonia, in what many see as the start of the disintegration of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia.
The 30th anniversary of the event was marked with a ceremony on Monday hosted by President Borut Pahor, who was among the almost 120 Slovenian delegates to leave the congress on 22 January 1990.
Sociologist Franci Pivec said that the walkout had effectively ended the congress and practically excluded the "ever present" Central Committee of the party from political developments.
Pivec, who was also among the Slovenian delegates, noted that the exclusion of the the League of Communists of Yugoslavia from the political developments at the time was a major event in the run-up to Slovenia's independence.
A month ahead of the congress, the League of Communists of Slovenia adopted a document in which it "expressed its full programme of independence" and called for more Europe-oriented policies in Yugoslavia.
"We came to Belgrade determined that we are going to Europe with Yugoslavia, or without it, if they don't want to go," said Pivec.
He added that even before the congress, it had been clear that the League of Communists of Yugoslavia was "increasingly identifying itself with political views of a military junta" and "openly opposing democratisation."
Ciril Ribičič, the then president of the League of Communists of Slovenia and head of the Slovenian delegation at the congress, said that the plan was to convince others of the need to reform society and the ruling party.
He believes that leaving the congress was the right decision, as "many who were on the opposing side at the event are now sitting in the waiting room for the EU."
Ribičič admitted that it was not simple to maintain unity about the right moment for the walkout, but the delegates nevertheless had left the congress "united, with heads held high and even more convinced that we are on the right path."
President Pahor said that the walkout did not mean that Slovenian communists "returned to Ljubljana with a clear vision that we want to have a Slovenian state".
But the decision did force them to think about alternatives, while at the same time "weakening the federal authorities, in effect lessening their resistance to the democratic aspirations of Slovenians."
Slovenian leaders had diverging views at the beginning of 1990, but the achieved unity, later confirmed at the independence referendum in December, should nevertheless be seen as something exceptional, Pahor added.
In the run-up to the independence referendum, Slovenia declared economic independence from Yugoslavia in March 1990, and the following months a coalition of centre-right called DEMOS won a majority in the first democratic elections in Slovenia.
Following the decisive referendum in favour of independence on 23 December 1990, Slovenia declared independence on 25 June 1991, which was followed by the Ten-Day War and eventual independence from Yugoslavia.
According to a Statistical Office report, there were 75,991 students enrolled in tertiary education in 2018/19. This is 0.7% less than the year before and the ninth consecutive year in a row that saw a decline in number of students enrolled in higher education. Currently 34.2% fewer students are enrolled in higher education than ten years ago, when there were 115,445 college and university students studying in Slovenia.
While number of students enrolled in the 1st and 2nd Bologna cycles (Bachelors and Masters Programmes) is on decline, the number of doctoral students seems to be rising. Compared to the previous academic year, the number of enrolled students in the 3rd Bologna cycle rose from 2,824 to 3,089, or by 9.4%.
As for field of study, the largest group of students in the 2018/19 academic year were in study programs of engineering, manufacturing and construction (13,974 or 18.4%), followed by business, administration and law (13,784 or 18.1%), and health and social security (10,224 or 13.5 %). In contrast, the fewest students were enrolled in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary medicine (2,320 or 3.1%) and information and communication technologies (3,842 or 5.1%).
For more information on this data, please click here.
STA, 22 January 2020 - Slovenia has sought to convince the European Commission to loosen rules on the protection of large carnivores when populations of the animals are booming, but EU officials appear to have poured cold water on the idea at a meeting at the Environment Ministry this week.
The Brussels officials said the key goal of European policies was cohabitation with large carnivores, which means prioritising protective measures and paying out compensation in the event of livestock loss.
"The extreme measure in the event protective measures are not working is culling, provided ... that the favourable state of the population is being maintained and does not worsen," the ministry said in a press release on Wednesday.
It is the job of the state to strengthen communication and awareness raising, especially in the countryside and in areas where populations of large carnivores are growing, the EU officials were quoted as saying.
The statement came a day after the ministry organised a meeting on Tuesday featuring EU officials and the members of a national task force for the management of brown bear, wolf and lynx.
The populations of brown bear and wolf have been expanding in Slovenia in recent years, leading to push-back from locals living in affected areas and demands that culling, the principal management measure used in Slovenia, be intensified.
In 2019 just over 170 bears were culled out of a rapidly rising population that is estimated to number just under 1,000 animals, and five of the estimated 88 wolves on Slovenian territory.
But despite the extensive culling, Slovenia had sought additional loosening of EU-wide rules on protected species to make it even easier to control the population.
Environment Minister Simon Zajc thus called for a more flexible approach at an EU ministerial in December, with the argument that the specifics of each country ought to be taken into account.
The EU officials have now said that no such change is currently planned. Procedures may be initiated assuming such motions are backed by hard science, but the procedure is exceptionally long, the Environment Ministry said in a release after the meeting.
All our stories on bears in Slovenia are here
STA, 22 January - The Public Administration Ministry is working on changes to the system of performance-based remuneration, also to make jobs in the public sector more attractive to experts and for young people who are increasingly looking for opportunities in the private sector. It also wants to change the system of promotion.
The plan was discussed at an international conference in Ljubljana on Wednesday, with Minister Rudi Medved noting that the austerity measure freezing performance bonuses in the public sector would expire in July.
Medved said that it would be ideal if the proposed changes were implemented by then or, if not, in the autumn at the latest, after they were tested with a pilot project and a consensus was reached with public sector trade unions.
The basic solutions were presented by Peter Pogačar, who noted that the current system allowed for someone to have up to 48% higher wage than another employee who did the same job.
The differences are not a consequence of the performance, but seniority, explained the head of the ministry's public sector directorate.
According to him, the government wants to abolish annual evaluation as the basis for promotion for a total of ten wage brackets. Under the proposal, promotion would be automatic over a longer period of time, up to five wage brackets.
Variable rewarding of performance would be introduced, and considerably more funds would be earmarked for this purpose, with an individual being able to receive performance bonus equalling up to 30% of their base pay.
Minister Medved said that one of the reasons was that the public sector was already facing problems with attracting experts, for example in digitalisation.
Wages in the public sector are not high, and the sector has become unattractive for young people, who are looking for opportunities in the private sector as the economy is growing and good job opportunities are popping up, he added.
For this reason, the plan is to make the system more stimulative, Medved said, adding that the experience of countries which had a long tradition in this field had been examined, even at today's conference.
Daniel Gerson of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said that performance-based remuneration models should be implemented cautiously and gradually, and unwanted consequences should be monitored.
The conference also heard that the capability of the management to evaluate how well someone performs and how high the reward should be should also be questioned, and that the criteria to be used would also need to be negotiated.
Jakob Počivavšek, one of the top public sector trade unionists, referring to Gerson said that the two main problems were the competences of the management and prudent implementation.
"I claim that we have major issues in Slovenia with this," he said, adding that there were already elements in the pay system related to performance and quality of work that could be applied in Slovenia today.
Počivavšek labelled as misguiding the claim that promotions had so far been exclusively tied to seniority and said that the new system must not be introduced at the expense of the basic pay.
But Medved reiterated for trade unions today that they could not count on an "influx of fresh funds from the budget" for performance bonuses and that the wage bill would not be increased significantly.
The ministry highlighted in a statement in the afternoon that the purpose of proposed changes was not to reduce funding for wages in the public sector, but to increase opportunities for variable rewarding.
STA, 21 January 2020 - Slovenia is one of the most effective EU countries in fighting cervical cancer, mostly due to its successful ZORA screening programme. Moreover, prevention efficiency has been boosted by a steady increase in the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination rate among girls.
The vaccination rate for eleven-year-old girls has increased by 10 percentage points to nearly 60% last year, health officials said on the occasion of the European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week.
The lowest rate was recorded in the Ljubljana region, bellow 50%, and the highest in the Koroška region, at 87%.
Experts are pushing for the vaccination to be free of charge also for boys. The proposal has been drawn up by the National Public Health Institute, pending approval by health and public health fund authorities.
Some municipalities, especially in Koroška, are funding vaccination for boys themselves.
According to Leon Meglič of the gynaecology unit of the UKC Ljubljana hospital, at least 90% vaccination rate is required to eradicate the disease not only among girls but in the entire population.
HPV infection, one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases, causes more than 99% of cervical cancers but also the cancers of the throat, anus, and penis.
Ideally, girls should get the vaccine before becoming sexually active, but as of last year, girls born after 1998 who were not vaccinated when they were 12, can still get the vaccine free of charge in Slovenia.
Last year, 420 girls and 38 boys were vaccinated in a four-day campaign, said Mojca Miholič from the Ljubljana Student Health Centre. Some 60% of the girls received the shots free of charge.
Meanwhile, women, including those over 50, are urged to get screened regularly, as cervical cancer discovered in its early stages is often easily curable. Cervical cancer incidence has halved since the launch of the ZORA prevention programme in 2003.
Some 120 women in Slovenia are diagnosed with the disease every year, one of the lowest rates in Europe, which is quite an achievement given the country used to have one of the worst statistics in Europe on cervical cancer incidence, according to Urška Ivanuš from the Ljubljana Oncology Institute, who heads ZORA.
According to Meglič, no other country has made such progress in such a short time.
Keep up with the daily news in Slovenia by checking the morning headlines here. What to find out what happened last week in Slovenia? Look no further.
The following schedule was prepared by the STA:
MONDAY, 20 January
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj will take part in a session of the Eurogroup, focusing on deepening the economic and monetary union and the European Commission's recommendations for the euro zone as part of the European semester.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar will take part in a session of the EU Foreign Affairs Council discussing developments in Bolivia, India, Libya and Venezuela.
LJUBLJANA - The Office for Slovenians Abroad will speak about the course of repatriation of Venezuelans of Slovenian descent.
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor will receive the credentials of newly appointed ambassadors from Australia, Italy, Russia, Paraguay and Saudi Arabia.
LJUBLJANA - The Human Rights Ombudsman's council will debate climate policy and Slovenia's long-term climate strategy.
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor will host a reception to mark the 30th anniversary since a Slovenian delegation walked out of the 14th congress of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, a major milestone in the break-up of Yugoslavia.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary inquiry into party financing will interview former governor of the central bank, Boštjan Jazbec, and former NKBM bank executives.
LJUBLJANA - The presidency of the coalition Social Democrats (SD) will be in session to debate plans for 2020.
LJUBLJANA - The Health Insurance Institute and the Public Administration Ministry will launch electronic medical certificate for sick leave.
LJUBLJANA - An international photo exhibition Rabbit Hole will kick start Slovenia 2050 festival at Cankarjev Dom.
TUESDAY, 21 January
DAVOS, Switzerland - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec will take part in the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum; until 22 Jan.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Development and Cohesion Policy Minister Angelika Mlinar will hold talks with European Cohesion Commissioner Elisa Ferreira.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj will take part in a session of EU finance ministers discussing taxation of digital economy and the European Green Deal.
LJUBLJANA - The Defence Ministry will present a white paper on defence policy.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Commission will discuss hirings at the intelligence agency SOVA behind closed doors.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Infrastructure Committee will debate planned investment in traffic infrastructure until 2025.
LJUBLJANA - A debate held by the Peace Institute will discuss repatriation of persons granted international protection in Slovenia and the EU.
LJUBLJANA - A press conference on HPV infections will mark European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week.
WEDNESDAY, 22 January
JERUSALEM, Israel - President Borut Pahor will take part in the World Holocaust Forum marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp; until 23 Jan.
LJUBLJANA - An international conference on performance-based remuneration in the public sector.
LJUBLJANA - Conventa, a two-day trade show for business tourism in New Europe, will get under way.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Committee on Education, Science, Sport and Youth will debate shortage of dentists in the country.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary committees on defence and health will debate helicopter emergency service at a joint session.
LJUBLJANA - The Museum of Contemporary History will host a symposium dedicated to the 30th anniversary of a walk-out of the Slovenian delegation from the 14th congress of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia.
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Film Centre will speak about plans for the year.
THURSDAY, 23 January
ZAGREB, Croatia - Boštjan Poklukar will attend an informal session of the EU's Justice and Home Affairs Council.
LJUBLJANA - An auction of the bankruptcy estate of Adria Airways, including its Air Operator's Certificate.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Constitution Commission will resume debate on a proposal to start procedure for constitutional reform.
MARIBOR - A commemoration ahead of the 27 January International Holocaust Remembrance Day, to be addressed by Culture Minister Zoran Poznič.
PORTOROŽ - A two-day tax conference will get under way.
LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release the consumer confidence index for January.
POKLJUKA - The IBU World Cup Biathlon meet will get under way, to run until 26 January.
FRIDAY, 24 January
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services will debate the legality of hiring at the intelligence agency SOVA.
LJUBLJANA - A public debate on 5G technology, hosted by the Public Administration Ministry.
ČRNA NA KOROŠKEM - A three-day festival King Matthias's Castles will get under way as part of which participants will build sculptures from ice and snow.
ŽALEC - The annual BUMfest percussion festival will kick off, until 26 January.
SATURDAY, 25 January
LJUBLJANA - 2020, a theatre production inspired by texts by contemporary Israeli historian and thinker Yuval Noah Harari, will open at Cankarjev Dom.
MARIBOR - The newspaper publisher Večer will hand out its Spade of the Year award for the statement that its readership believe best captured the zeitgeist of 2019.
SUNDAY, 26 January
POKLJUKA - The IBU World Cup Biathlon meet will come to a close.
If you're not in town for the week of this guide (20 - 26 January, 2020) then you can see all the editions here, and if there's event or activity you want to promote in a future edition of What's on in Ljubljana please get in touch with me at flanner(at)total-slovenia-news.com or try and find me on Facebook. If you want something a little different and easy to print, then a comprehensive PDF of events for the next seven days, as prepared by Ljubljana Tourism, is here. If you're in town and want to follow the news then check out our regular morning headlines for Slovenia here.
You can see more about upcoming events and festivals in Slovenia here, to fill your calendar with things to look forward to, while below is a selection of entertainments, educations and diversions on around the capital in the next seven days.
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday SNG Opera and Ballet are putting on Tchaikovsky’s Joan of Arc, all starting at 19:30 except Friday, when it’s 18:00.
Alcoholics Anonymous has an English language meeting every Tuesday, 19:00 in Poljane – email for more details: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Friday Kino Šiška has the acclaimed Slovenian musician Bowrain presenting a new music project titled 2020 Seconds(A)live at 20:00. Same night, 21:00, there’s Jazz at the Castle, and this week it’s Femi Temowo.
Friday and Saturday 20:00 the city’s most intimate venue, Pocket Theatre, is bringing back Vaudeville: Matilda, Let's Do It. It’s a small place and usually sells out. Details here.
Saturday the 5th Philharmonic Festival of Baroque Music is back with another concert, with this one titled Handel and the English, with the other names being Arne, Avison, Purcell, Greene and Boyce. Note that this starts at 11:00am, at Slovenian Philharmonic, Kongresni trg 10. The piece from Handel is the one shown below.
Still open until 5 March, 2020, Magic Ice-rink Lumpi Park offers 600 m2 of the covered ice surface and 180 m of ice-skating paths which enable you to skate through the Sports park Savsko naselje, at Kranjčeva ulica 24. Details here.
Looking ahead, the next edition of the MENT music festival, in early February, has just announced the full line-up. Check it out
New or new-ish movies in town this week include the following:
In town and looking for a gift or souvenir? Take a look at Cook Eat Slovenia - the book.
How much do tourists spend in Slovenia? Find out here
You may have heard about Free Tour Ljubljana, the tour company that’s #1 on TripAdvisor for the city and gives away its main product. What’s the deal with that? Find out here.
While the Old Town is quaint, and full of music, where does Ljubljana really shop? One popular answer is BTC City, a vast complex of malls, entertainment facilities and more, including more than 70 different food vendors, offering everything from Slovenian to Thai, Indian to Italian, Mexican to Chinese. Check out my recent visit here.
Looking for something different to eat? Trubajeva cesta, running right by Dragon Bridge, has the greatest concentration of "ethnic food" places in Ljubljana, and thus perhaps the country. Check out our walk through guide as of June 2019.
In warmer days than you'll see this week. Photo: JL Flanner
Ljubljana is forecast to be the fastest-warming city in the world over the next few decades.
You're in the town of Slavoj Žižek, but do you find yourself lost when conversation turns to the philosopher? If so, check out our collection of quotes and clips to learn more.
Screenshot from YouTube
- Cinemas and films
- Clubbing
- Live music
- Theatre and dance
- Harm reduction and drug testing
- Things to do with children
- LGBT+ Ljubljana
- Ljubljana Castle
- Museums and galleries
- Other things to do in Ljubljana
- Daytrips
- Getting around
- Emergencies
Cinemas and films
You can read about all the cinemas in town here, while a selection of what’s playing this week is below, and note that kids' movies tend to be shown in dubbed versions, while non-English language movies for older viewers will have Slovenian subtitles.Parents should also pay attention to Kinobalon, which is Kinodvor's regular weekend series of film screenings and events for children, from babies on up, with special parent/child events, "first time in a cinema" screenings, and babysitting. Learn more about it here, and see the current schedule here.
Note - most children's films will be dubbed (sinhronizirano) - for subtitles look for 'podnapisi'.
Kinodvor –This is an arts cinema, not far from the train station, that shows new features as well as hosting the occassional festival.
Kinoteka – And not far from Kinodvor you can find this revival cinema, which shows art house classics along with some deep dives in the archives.
Kino Bežigrad - A relatively small theatre, but one which usually has the biggest of the new releases.
Kolosej -The multiplex out at BTC City Mall shows all the big movies, with well over a dozen titles on the schedule, although note that there are far more movies than screens, so some of the older ones mayonly be playing once or twice a week.
Komuna – The cinema in a basement behind Nama department store shows two or three different features a week, usually including the biggest titles.
Looking for a souvenir you'll really enjoy? Take a look at Broken Bones Gin, the first gin made in Ljubljana (learn more here, and try it at the Central Market or selected downtown bars).
Photo: Genius loci d.o.o.
Know that big triangular building behind the train station? Learn what's inside here.
Clubbing
Compared to some European capitals it can seem that nightlife in Ljubljana ends rather early, especially along the river, but there are still bars that stay open late and clubs were you can dance until dawn, and perhaps the best place to stumble across something interesting is the legendary Metelkova. Be aware it's a grungy kind of place and not for all tastes, but also that there's considerable variety to found within the various clubs there, from death metal to electropop, gay cabaret to art noise. You can read "the rules" of the place here. And if you're curious about how the place started then read our story, and look at some pictures, about last year's 25th anniversary.
Božidar - DJ events aren't too common here, but when they happen they often have a big name.
Channel Zero – DJs shows here include regular dub nights as well as electronic music.
Gala Hala – Another Metelkova venue, you can sometimes hear bhangra and Bollywood here, but more often funk, hip hop, breakbeat and so on.
Klub Cirkus – The more commercial end of clubland, and a venue that aims to serve the student party scene. Expect house, anthems, and bangers.
Klub K4 – The home of techno, old and new, along with various other electronic genres,
Koncertna Dvorana Rog– There are irregular DJ sets at this underground (not literally) venue at the far end of Trubarjeva cesta, and they range from techno to goa to drum'n'bass.
Orto Bar– 80s and 90s throwback nights can often be found here, along with rock-based DJ sets.
Live music
Balassi Institute – Free Hungarian music, when available, from the Hungarian cultural institute just a short walk downriver from Dragon Bridge.
Cankerjev dom – The main arts venue in the country hosts classical, opera jazz, folk and occassinally pop.
Cvetličarna – Regional pop and rock concerts can be found here.
Channel Zero – This Metelkova venue sees live shows from punk and rock bands, as well as others.
Gala Hala – Another Metelkova venue with indie bands of various styles.
Kino Šiška – One of the top live venues in the city, with a varied programme that include indie, rock, pop, experimental, hip hop, and so on.
Klub Gromka – Live music is often metal, from sludge to stoner, death to thrash, while punk bands also appear, as do others.
Križanke – The venue that hosts the Ljubljana Festival often has classical music, and some rock, in the open air.
Orto Bar– The home of live rock, metal, punk and other guitar-based genres.
Pinelina dnevna soba – LIve music is rare here, but it does happen.
Slovenska filharmonija– Classical music in the centre of town.
SNG Opera and Ballet - As the name suggests, here you'll find the best of opera and ballet in the country.
Španski borci - While dance is more common here, they also have some contemporary and experimental music shows.
Slovenska cesta, 1959. Wikimedia. See more pictures of Old Ljubljana here
Theatre and dance
Cankerjev dom- The main arts venue in the country always has something of interest going on.
Gledališče IGLU - IGLU Theatre – Saturday night this group is usually putting on an English improv show somewhere in town, but it’s generally promoted after this is written, so check the Facebook before putting on your shoes.
Kino Šiška – One of the top live venues in the city also hosts some dance performance, often of the more experimental variety.
Mini Teater Ljubljana –The English schedule of varied performances, for adults and children, for the month is here.
Ljubljana Puppet Theatre - Puppetry has a long and noble tradition in Slovenia, and you can see performances for children and adults (including non-puppet shows) drawing from the Theatre's rich repetoire as well as new productons.
SNG Opera and Ballet - As the name suggests, here you'll find the best of opera and ballet in the country.
Španski borci - The home ofcontemporary dance(and the EnKnapGroup) in Slovenia.
Pocket Teater Studio– There are regular flamenco evenings at perhaps the smallest venue town, but note that the number of seats is very limited, and thus you should make a reservation via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 070 325 522.
Harm reduction and drug testing
Drogart is an organization that aims to minimise harm on the party scene, and offers drug-testing services and reports on their webpage. It’s in Slovene, but you can Google translate it or work things out yourself, and our story on the group is here.You can find the latest warnings on fake drugs and high strength pills and powders (in Slovene) here. However, be aware that all the usual drugs are illegal in Slovenia.CBD is legal, though, and our retailer of choice can be found on Trubarjeva cesta - read more about Sena Flora here.
Photo: Igor Andjelič. See more of his work here
Things to do with children
You can find our Top 12 list of things to do with kids in Ljubljana here. If want to read more about the philosophy behind the wonderful House of Experiments look here, while our trip to the Museum of Illusions is documented here, and there’s always riverside walks, pizza and ice cream. With regard to the latter, take a look at our guide to six places that serve good ice cream in winter, and thus are serious about the dessert.
Mini Teater Ljubljana – The season sees a lot of puppet performances for children, in Slovene, at this theatre not far from Križanke. The English schedule for the month is here.
Ljubljana Puppet Theatre - The puppet theatre near the Central Market and next to the Castle funicular has a full programme or shows, for children and adults, with the schedule here.
LGBT+ Ljubljana
If you're looking for more general links on "gay Slovenia", including a history of the scene and various projects, then you can find that here, while our stories about the community can be found here.
Klub Monokel – This lesbian bar in Metelkova is open every Friday, although sometimes there are other events
Klub Tiffany –And the gay bar next door is also open on Fridays. Other things coulds also be planned, so click on the name to find out.
Pritličje – This seems to be the only "always open" LGBT-friendly cafe / bar / events space in town, and perhaps the country, so it's a good thing it's such a good one, open from morning to night, and with fliers and posters letting you know what's happening outside the narrow confines of, say, a general interest online what's on... guide.
Screenshot from Google Maps, showing the location of the Castle vineyard
Ljubljana Castle
The city’s main attraction is said to be the top tourist draw in the country overall, and to my mind it earns a spot near the top just for the history and views. But beyond that the current owners, the City of Ljubljana, have laid out a varied, interesting and enjoyable programme of events, one that rewards regular revisits. On until 17 November Mighty Guardians of the Past: Castles in the Slovenian Lands, a presentation that delivers on the promise of its title.
I try and get up there every Saturday morning to clear my head and move my feet on the trails, and never tire of that end of the hill. At the other end, where the Castle sits, there’s a lot more than fresh air on offer. There are guided tours, restaurants, a café, Castle museum, puppet museum, a Watchtower you can climb to the highest point in the city, art shows, dances, live music, movies under the stars, festival days and more – enough to reward multiple trips up the hill through the year. All of these activities and events can be found on the Castle website, while on TSN you can see “25 things to know about Ljubljana Castle” here, and “Ten Ways to Enjoy Ljubljana Castle” here.
Museums and galleries
Most public galleries and museums are closed on Mondays, although not the National Museum.
Bežigrajska galerija 2 – Take a trip to Vodovodna cesta 3 and until 8 February 2020 you can see Lojze Spacal (1907–2000): From the Littoral and the Karst Region.
Cankerjev dom – On until 3 March 2020 there's an exhibition on Ancient Greek Science and Technology. Details here.
Plečnik's desk. Photo: JL Flanner
Plečnik’s House is worth a visit if you want to learn more about the architect who gave Ljubljana much of its character, and it's also in a really nice part of town, Trnovo, just a short walk or cycle upriver. Read about our guided tour here.
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 August 2020 there’s Book. Reason. Knowledge. From Protestantism to Enlightenment (1500–1800), which presents the processes and events that encouraged and fostered the cultural and spiritual development in Ljubljana from the end of the 15th to the beginning of the 19th century – from humanism and Protestantism to the Enlightenment. More on that here.
The Faces of Ljubljana in the City Museum. Photo: JL Flanner
Drink like a pro - find gallery openings. Photo: JL Flanner
MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design has much of what you'd expect, along with some temporary shows and a good cafe. BIO 26: Common Knowledge is on until 9 February, looking at information, fake news and citizenship, with details here.
Moderna galerija – The main branch of this gallery, to be found near the entrance to Tivoli Park, has a good collection of modern art, as well a nice café in the basement.
Alan Ford was recently at the National Gallery - read more about this comic book here.
National Gallery – The country’s main gallery has “the best” of what’s on offer from the Middle Ages to non-contemporary modern visual arts, and is in a great location for exploring other areas, just by Tivoli Park and opposite the main branch of the Moderna galerija. You can read about our visit to the room containing sacred art from the Middle Ages
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 2020 you can see Coptic Textiles from the Collection of the National Museum of Slovenia at the branch in the Metelkova museum quarter, by the Ethnographic Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Details.
Natural History Museum – On until the end of December 2019 is Our Little Big Sea, which takes a look at the oceans.
National Museum of Contemporary History - Tucked away in park Tivoli, you can see a permanent exhibition on Slovenians in the 20th century.
Slovene Ethnographic Museum – The museum has two permanent exhibitions. One of these is called Between Nature and Culture, and has a great collection of objects from Slovenia and around the world, well worth the trip up to the third floor to see it (as recounted here).
Union Experience – The Ljubljana-based brewer has a museum showing the history of the company, with the ticket also including access to part of the factory and a few samples of the product. You can read about our visit here.
It's not a formal museum, but if you're interested in "Yugo-stalgia" then you'll enjoy a trip to Verba, a small, privately run space that's crammed with objects and pop culture items from the era, and is conveniently located at the start of one of the short walks to the castle. It's also a great place to take pictures, if you leave a donation, and you can read more about it here.
Verba. Photo: JL Flanner
Alternative Ljubljana isn't a museum or gallery, as such, but instead turns the city streets into a museum and gallery. Learn more about their tours of street art, history and LGBT Ljubljana here.
Photo: JL Flanner
Other things to do in Ljubljana
Learn more about Ljubljana with "25 things to know about Slovenia's green city of dragons", or take a look at our guide to spending from four to 48 hours here.
If you like the city's architecture then check out this great book, Let’s See the City - Ljubljana: Architectural Walks & Tours, with our review here and a page from the book shown above. We took a walk with one of the authors who showed us how much there is to learn and enjoy if you slow down and pay attention - read about that here.
Ljubljana has some beautiful buildings from the early 20th century, in the Secessionist style, like the one below. Learn where to find them here.
Photo: Neža Loštrek
For something a little more brual, check out Republika trg / Republic Square, in the heart of the political quarter.
Photo: JL Flanner
Photo: JL Flanner
Some view of the city you can only get from the river. If you'd like to take a boat ride then read about my experience here. If you'd like to spend an evening painting with others, then take a look at Design with Wine, which organises painting parties on Trubarjeva cesta,
If you want to see some antiques, then check out the wonderful Antika Carniola, as discussed here. The man behind it, Jaka Prijatelj, has a fine eye for life on this street, as you can see on his Facebook account.
Photo: JL Flanner
If you’re in town and want to go jogging or walking in nature, why not take another look at the Castle, with a brief guide to the trails here. If you want something bigger, head to Tivoli Park.
And if you're bored with the Old Town, why not take a walk, cycle or boat ride to nearby Špica and enjoy the riverside life. Learn more about that here.
visitljubjana.si
Want to stretch and breath? Then check out our list of drop-in yoga classes for tourists, visitors and the uncommitted. We go to Nataraja Studio, by Dragon Bridge, and here's a story about it.
Prefer to have someone else stretch you? The check out the totally legit massages you can get from Sense Wellness - either in one of their spas or in you home, office or hotel. (And - to repeat - these are legit and non-sexual in nature)
There are some golf courses near Ljubljana, but even ones further away are not far, as seen in our list of all the golf courses in Slovenia, which usually run until the first snow.
Photo: maxpixel.net, public domain
Daytrips
Most of Slovenia is only a few hours from Ljubljana, and you can easily visit Lake Bled, Lipica Stud Farm, Postojna Cave, Predjama Castle, the coast and other locations, while if you'd like to take a photo of from that bench in Bled, then you can learn how to get there here. If you’re looking for something more ambitious, then check out our recent guide to the 17 members of the Association of Historical Towns of Slovenia. We've also written guides on spending from four to 48 hours in Bled and Piran.
Photo: Google Image Search
Getting around
If you want to get a Ljubljana Tourist Card, which gives you travel on the city buses and entry to a lot of attractions, then you can read more about that here, and if you want to use the bike share system, as useful for visitors as it is for residents, then you can learn more by clicking this. Visitors with reduced mobility will be pleased to find that downtown Ljubljana is generally rated as good with regard to accessibility, and that there’s a free, city-sponsored app called Ljubljana by Wheelchair highlighting cafés, attractions and so on with ramps, disabled bathrooms and Eurokey facilities, which you can read about and download here. Manual wheelchair users can also borrow, for free, an attachment that will motorise their equipment, as reported here.
Screenshot from a Twitter video
If you’re driving into town and don’t know where to park, our guide to how to park in Ljubljana is here.
Emergencies
Ljubljana is a small and relatively safe city, but if need to contact the police then there’s a special number for foreigners, and that’s 113.
Photo: JL Flanner
There aren't many places to eat after midnight, and most of them are by the train station, as reported here.
Want / need cigarettes but the stores have closed? Here's an incomplete list of bars downtown that will satisfy your craving for the demon weed. While if you’re having trouble with the ATMs then here’s a guide to the Slovene you’ll see on screen. If you get a hangover then find out where to get paracetamol (and prescription drugs) in Ljubljana here, while details on emergency birth control can be found here.
During the last months of World War II, several airstrikes were carried out on the mining town of Idrija, destroying a good part of the settlement and taking the lives of many of its citizens. Questions about who the attackers were and what was their objective remained unclear for decades.
It was only by chance that the revelation came about in 2012, when a native of Idrija came across a photo of the attacks.
The 2018 documentary film The Bird of Steel over Idrija explains the events in 1945 with eye-witness accounts as well as never before seen footage of the attacks recorded by the film camera on the plane. The film is currently available on YouTube and comes with English subtitles.
It’s now mid-way through January, and with any luck you’ve stopped writing 2019, have eased back on the over-indulgence, and are still filled with the optimism and desire for new experiences and challenges that tend to mark the beginning of any new year, and new decades in particular.
With that in mind why not take a look at the updated and final line-up for MENT 2020, the latest edition of the international music showcase festival that’s already been named the best indoor festival in Europe, and the best small festival, a three-day extravaganza of live shows, discussions and more. Along with performances there’s a chance to meet up, network, share ideas and enthusiasm with people from all areas of the music industry, from musicians to promoters, DJs to academics.
You can see the full line-up here, where you’ll find pictures and videos of all the acts, or you can read the following lightly edited press release which says everything far better than we could. Note that we're at the age where if we watch MTV we find it hard to guess what's the artist's name and what's the song, so some of the photo captions may be wrong.
We are glad to disclose the full programme of MENT Ljubljana 2020, which will occupy the Slovenian capital’s venues between 5 and 7 February.
The 6th edition brings 81 acts that will perform on 14 locations across Ljubljana. Besides the 60 already announced names, including the headliners of the opening night, the golden boy of London jazz Kamaal Williams and Ukrainian group of seven actresses Dakh Daughters, Dutch electronic music ambassadors Dekmantel Soundsystem and plenty of great Slovenian artists, we have added an additional 21 acts.
It It Anita. Photo Matjaz Rust
Among this year's novelties are venues Dijaški dom Tabor, a student hall of residence with a charming dance hall, and record shop Big Nose, the warm up party preMENT with Turkish legends BaBa ZuLa, and MENT specials like the collab with the respected Amsterdam-based Red Light Radio and synth-oriented music workshops Modul@rnice> and HEX 1.0. In 2020, MENT is again joining forces with gallery DobraVaga for the commercial exhibition of music art prints appointMENT 4.0, while the audio-visual duo Beam Team will again visually adorn three festival locations. Let’s not forget about the four receptions and four speed networking sessions with various music professionals (apply here).
Daily tickets are now available here at the presale price of €15.
For smoother navigation through the programme and the city, we suggest you download the MENT Ljubljana app – Android / iPhone
My Ugly Clementine. Photo: Manifroh
THE FINAL 21-ACT LINE-UP:
Poetic rock duo gone septet ALL STRINGS DETACHED, contemporary interpreter of Basque and other musical traditions AMORANTE, one of the foremost Slovenian DJs BORKA, indie rock revellers ČAO PORTOROŽ, punk troubadour DAMIR AVDIĆ, dark techno producer DOUCHEAN, eclectic digger and synth lover
DULASH DER DJ, praised young Macedonian DJ ERMILOVA, fresh wave of Slovenian synth-pop FUTURSKI, Slovak future pop act FVLCRVM, young exponent of the rave heritage GL.YSTEN, conjurers of sombre electro-acoustic soundscapes II/III, promising hip hop/bass producer JUNKER, the youngest resident at Klub K4 LARA, Ljubljana's club scene veteran LAVKA, internationally acclaimed Croatian DJ MAJA PA, first name of Slovenian electro NULLA, Hungarian electrofolk jewel
Bolt Ruin. Photo: unknown
ODD ID, indie pop soul collective PEOPLE CLUB, singer, multi-instrumentalist, writer and painter PETER PIEK and breakbeat scientist TERRANIGMA. &
The schedule of MENT conference 2020, which will take place at Kino Šiška and M hotel between 6 and 7 February, is here! It is divided into four interconnected sections: EX-YU, DIGITAL, LIVE and AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
Among this year's guests are distinguished booking agent Rob Challice, university professor and music professional Sally-Anne Gross, head of Ljubljana-based record label Glitterbeat Records Chris Eckman and the European representative of the global music platform Bandcamp Aly Gillani.
Photo: Unknown
MENT conference 2020 includes presentations on ex-YU markets, a debate on streaming income, a conversation about Eastern European festivals and a panel with representatives of some successful Eastern European music media. It also covers topics like the sustainability of festivals and musicians' careers, innovative music PR and booking, and the Serbian initiative Hali gali. &
Applications for speed networking are open! Meet the representatives of some of the most famous international festivals (apply here), important Slovenian venues and promoters (apply here), a colourful bunch of French music professionals (apply here) and some key venues and promoters from the former Yugoslavia region (apply here).
If you are interested in innovative approaches to concert booking, visit the presentations The Future of Booking: Sold-out Shows Using Data and Banding – a matchmaking app for bands/DJs to exchange gigs and promote each other, which will be followed by the workshop Banding – Real-life Matchmaking (apply here). You can now also apply for the day-long workshop Europe in Synch (apply here), dedicated to music licensing in advertising, film and TV.
Modularnice Prague Synth 1. Photo: Unknown
Also, don’t miss this year’s receptions where you have the chance to chat with music professionals from four countries. The Austrians, represented at MENT by the acts Alicia Edelweiss, Bernhard Eder, My Ugly Clementine and Petrol Girls, kindly invite you to the Austrian Heartbeats reception. The Russian delegacy is organising the reception New Russian Wave, a nod to the performing Russian artists Gnoomes, Stadt, Wooden Whales and Inturist. Join the Czech delegates at Soundczech in Time and check out their squad Never Sol, Bratři and Market or attend the French Pitch & Brunch, have a snack and learn about their bands Decibelles, Slift and Cheap House.
Receptions:
https://www.ment.si/conference-receptions/
Stadt. Photo dodiques6
___#SPECIALS
MENT specials connect the dots between music, contemporary visual art, technology and community.&
appointMENT 4.0&
In collaboration with the gallery DobraVaga, MENT is organising the fourth commercial exhibition of music art prints appointMENT 4.0 where music art prints of 77 young Slovenian and international visual artists will be on show and available for purchase.
Malidah Moasis. Photo by Horia Victor Munteanu
Red Light Radio (NL) x MENT Ljubljana
Slovenian DJ Borka has recently joined forces with Amsterdam’s indispensable sanctuary of music Red Light Radio and selected a team of DJs from various parts of the Balkan region. On Thursday, they are visiting our local favourite Radio Študent. On Friday, Red Light Radio will stream their sets live from Ljubljana’s brand new record shop Big Nose.
Modul@rnice (CZ) x MENT Ljubljana
A 3-day synth playground for fans of electronic music and the general public with the collective Synth Library Prague (apply here)!
ii iii. Photo: Unknown
Workshop: HEX 1.0&
Under the mentorship of Slovenian artists Anže Sekelj and Staš Vrenko, you will build your personal electronic instrument HEX 1.0 from the semi-modular series of electronic instruments HEX (apply here).&
BEAM TEAM / sound-reactive projection mapping&
Slovenian multimedia artists 5237 (Stella Ivšek) and SMECH (Anja Romih) will again visually adorn three festival locations with their immersive sound-reactive projection mappings.
Borka. Photo: Unknown
___#TICKETS
PRESALES (until 4 February 2020):
- · & DAILY TICKET: €15
- · & FESTIVAL TICKET (3 days, all venues): €39
- · & PRO PASS (festival and conference): €79&
Line-up: https://www.ment.si/lineup/
Conference: https://www.ment.si/conference/
Tickets: www.ment.si/tickets
Website: www.ment.si
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/464482000755911/
All Strings Detached. Photo: Unknown
STA, 15 January 2020 - Slovenia's road safety statistics for 2019 shows a 12% increase in the number of road traffic deaths - more than 100 persons lost their lives in road accidents last year, mostly due to drink driving, speeding and reckless driving. The Traffic Agency has highlighted the importance of raising awareness about responsible driving.
Almost 50 persons died as a result of speeding, followed by some 20 dying because of wrong-way driving, and twelve due to drivers forcing the right of way.
Drivers under influence caused more than 1,520 accidents, killing some 30 persons involved in them, a slight increase compared to the year before. Drink drivers were thus responsible for one out of three road fatalities in 2019.
Related: Interior Minister, Hospitality Industry Oppose Stricter DUI Rules
Source: Wikipedia
Almost half of total road accident victims were traffic participants from vulnerable groups - motor riders, pedestrians and cyclists.
Despite the larger number of road accidents, there were fewer seriously injured people though.
The agency's head Vesna Marinko said at today's press conference that last year's figures were not promising, but the situation was improving taking into account a longer timeline.
Related: Coffee, Cigarettes & Alcohol – Slovenia’s Place in the World
She warned about the dangers of drink driving and urged drivers to exercise caution and responsible driving.
Ivan Kapun, the head of the General Police Department's Traffic Police, said that alcohol abuse was ingrained in society, but the police had noted that most young drivers in cities found it unacceptable to be drunk behind the wheel.
Apart from driving under the influence, mobile phone use is another issue posing danger to road safety. The agency has thus launched a prevention campaign in cooperation with the police raising awareness about the dangers of using a phone while driving.
Related: Youth Say No to Cigarettes & Alcohol, Yes to Marijuana & Social Media
The stories about King Matjaž are part of oral tradition, and the main narrative about the good king goes as follows. King Matjaž and his goodness towards his subjects got him into a conflict with nobility, who eventually went after him and cornered him by Mount Peca. The mountain opened and gave The King a place to hide. Inside the mountain Matjaž fell asleep at a stone table and when his growing beard turns nine times around the table, he will wake up and good times will return to Carinthia (Koroška). Oh, and he had a wife, Alenčica, who had been kidnapped by a Turkish Sultan, so Matjaž goes and sets her free by dressing up as a Turk.
Every year, and this will be the 28th time, the municipality of Črna na Koroškem organizes a King Matjaž inspired weekend event, with a snow castle building competition as the focus. Since the website is only in Slovenian and German, we provide some basic information in English below.
The three-day event begins on Friday night, with a night slalom between torches for the King Matjaž Cup at the ski resort in Črna, Carinthia.
The main event, which will take place on Matevžavi Travniki uder Stadion in the Centre of Črna na Koroškem, is a Saturday competition of teams in the construction of snow castles and snow sculptures thematically related to the legend of King Matjaž. Each year's construction is accompanied by an entertaining cultural program (presentation of teams, selection of Alenčica, lighting of torches and candles, fiery performance, solemn arrival of King Matjaž, best team awards, musical performances, etc.). The all day fairytale happenings will culminate with the lighting of the snow castle torches in the evening.
Sunday is the day reserved for children, with activity programs, puppet shows, songs, a search for hidden treasure, horseback riding and more. On Sunday, awards are presented for the best fine art and literary works on the subject of King Matjaž, created by pupils of Slovenian elementary schools.
Entrance fees for visitors on Saturday:
Children under 8 – free of charge, children aged 8 – 15: €2.5, adults: €5.
Entrance fee for visitors on Sunday:
Children under 15: free of charge, older than 15: €5.
Registration and fees for castle building teams (5-8 members):
The registration fee is €11 per group member
Registration is possible until January 25, 2002 until 9AM at the place of the event or with an online form.
At the registration point every team collects their lunch vouchers and trash bags, and places a plan of their castle on the pole with the number of their building plot. Only natural materials are allowed to be used (snow water, ice and rods) and people should bring their own construction tools.
