STA, 18 April 2019 - The air quality in Ljubljana today is significantly better than it was decades ago, Nataša Jazbinšek Seršen of the environment department of the Ljubljana city told the press on Thursday. One reason the situation has improved so drastically because increasingly many people cycle rather than drive a car in the city.

Contributing the most to air quality, however, was the development of the city's heating system, Jazbinšek Seršen said.

In 2015, 74% of the population used the system and the goal is to raise this share to 80% by 2024.

In recent years, the concentration of PM10 particles dropped significantly. In 2006, the daily PM10 statutory limit was exceeded 155 times in the Ljubljana city centre, while last year it was exceeded only 51 times, during the heating season.

The main source of PM10 particles are individual furnaces, including those in neighbouring municipalities, as well as fireplaces, which are becoming increasingly popular again.

Another emerging problem is nitrogen oxide, whose level has been rising not only in Ljubljana, but in other European cities as well. Jazbinšek Seršen said the reasons for the increase had not been officially confirmed yet, but experts suspect diesel vehicles.

Ljubljana has been expanding its heating and gas supply networks, and replacing coal with gas. In renovating public buildings, it strives for energy efficiency.

The city is also introducing various measures to discourage the use of small furnaces.

How to spend from four to 48 hours in Ljubljana

The capital is also encouraging alternatives to cars. By 2020, it would like people to conduct 35% of their journeys on foot, 16% by bicycle, 16% using public transport and 33% by car. "We have already reached the target share for going on foot," said Vita Kontić, another municipal official.

In 2013, about 11% of routes in the capital were made by bicycle and the goal of 16% has probably already been reached, but "we need a survey to confirm this," Kontić added.

Counters on seven locations around the city recorded 3.81 million bike rides in 2016, and 3.74 million in 2017.

Ljubljana boasts 260 kilometres of cycling routes and more than 10,000 bicycle stands. Cycling is also possible on more than 10 hectares of surfaces for pedestrians in the city centre.

The bicycle renting system BicikeLJ also gave a big boost to the cycling culture in the city. The system is expected to get 20 new stations soon.

Currently, it has 59 stations for the 590 bikes available for rent. Since May 2011, more than six million rides were recorded. The system has some 33,500 annual subscribers and a total of 131,000 users.

How to rent a bike in Ljubljana

"Ljubljana boasts the highest number of bike rentals per number of inhabitants in the world," Kontić said.

In 2017, Ljubljana ranked eighth in the Copenhagenize Index of cyclist-friendliest cities in the world. The city eagerly awaits the new ranking to be released this year.

Note that this edition of What’s on… runs for two weeks, so if you something’s planned for Friday check if that’s the 19^th or the 26^th.

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Two events in the days ahead are 420 – April 20^th – the usual celebration of marijuana, and then the next day, Sunday 21^st, which is Easter. With regard to the former note that cannabis remains illegal, although widely tolerated, and you’ll certainly be smelling it in Kongresni trg on Friday afternoon (yep, the 19^th), for the annual marijuana march / event. Turning to Easter, note that some stores may be closed on Monday, including the all-important supermarkets, so stock up on milk, coffee and so on.

A weekly event that many enjoy is Open Kitchen, bringing food stalls to the market next to the Cathedral every Friday, and giving you the chance to eat outside and sample dishes from many of the city’s restaurants, as well as beer, wine and other drinks. It’s colourful and lively, and worth checking out even if you’ve already eaten. Read out interview with one of the organisers here.

If you're not in town for the time of this guide (April 15–28, 2019)  then you can see all the editions here, and you can enhance your stay in the city and impress or annoy friends and companions by learning some obscure facts about the city here, and the Castle here.

As ever, clicking on the venue names in the list below should get you more details with regard to the time, price and location, as well as other events on at this place in whatever week you're here. Finally, if there's something 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.

Contents

• Cinemas and films
• Clubbing
• Live music
• Opera, 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 – The arts cinema not far from the train station is showing, among other features, the Ljubljana comedy Ne bom več luzerka (often with English subtitles), Putin’s Witnesses, Loro, Transit, High Life, Missing Link, Us, Shoplifters, Non-Fiction, The Favourite and Mirai of the Future.

Kinoteka – This revival cinema isn’t far from Kinodvor, at the train station end of Miklošičeva, is showing, among other titles,  The Rider (Chloé Zhao), Irréversible (Gaspar Noé); Sleepy Hollow (Tim Burton), and Riding in Cars With Boys (Penny Marshall). On Thursday, April 25, there’s also the LGBTQ+ FestIval of Short Film.

 Kino Bežigrad - Hellboy, Shazam! , a dubbed version of Missing Link, a dubbed version of Wonder Park, After, The Curse of La Llorona, and – from April 25, something called Avengers: Endgame

Kolosej - The multiplex out at BTC City Mall is playing all the big titles, but note that there are far more movies than screens, so some of the older ones may only be playing once or twice a week. Click on the theatre name to see the actual times before making a date. This week there are Loro, Pet Sematary, Shazam!, The Aspern Papers, 100 Dinge, Dumbo, Ne bom več luzerka, Storm Boy, Us, Creed II, Captain Marvel (2D and 3D), How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Green Book, A Star is Born, Bohemian Rhapsody, Escape Room,  Alita: Battle Angel (2D and 3D), Qu'est-ce qu'on a encore fait au bon Dieu?, Mia et le lion blanc,  Instant Family, Izbrisana, and a dubbed version of The Queen’s Corgi. New attractions are Missing Link and Wonder Park (both dubbed), The Curse of La Llorona, After, The Beach Bum (starting April 23), and Avengers: Endgame (April 24).

Komuna – The cinema in a basement behind Nama department store is showing Ne bom več luzerka, Colette, and Loro. That only takes us up to April 17, beyond which the schedule is a mystery, so click the cinema name if looking for something after that and see the latest news.

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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 - Friday April 26 the club night is back with Shanti Celeste (UK).

Channel Zero – April 19, a Friday, there’s SUBØ: 7 years of Bojler w/ Retina Set and support, playing club,  bass,  trap,  grime,  footwork,  dancehall,  dembow,  baile funk,  hardcore,  and trance.

Cvetličarna – April 20^th, a Saturday, there’s PURE Oldies Goldies with a live performance by Lisa Millett, an all-night affair orchestrated by DJ Shift. The Friday the 26^th it’s RnB Reunion Season Closing, with DJ Sami Biyeh, DJ Em Bee, and DJ Sheko.

Gala Hala – Friday, 19, there’s drum’n’bass and a night called DIVE IN with Hugh Hardie (UK) and support. The next day, 420, it’s the turn of Rapetek Extra: Puff Puff Pass, playing reggea, hop hop and footwork, as the promo says “Se weedmo!”. The this place seems to go quiet until Friday the 26^th, when there’s Umešana jajca, with a music policy of jungle, hip hop, dnb and breakbeat, including DJ Woo-D.

Klub Cirkus – The more commercial end of club land, with a lot of student nights, has a packed schedule the next two weeks. Thursday 18^th there’s a party aimed at medical students, but open to all. Friday there’s Kosta Radman Special, with the man himself picking the tunes. Saturday, 420, there’s an all-nighter (as most club nights are) with Best of RNB. Easter Sunday it’s a big night, not least of all because Monday’s a holiday, and the kids at Cirkus will be spening it with Velikonočna HITčina, organised by another group of students. Going into the second week of this guide, Wednesday April 24^th there’s a night for “all students”, Vseštudentski RnB w/ Clemens. The big party though seems to be Friday, with Crazy Cirkus x Furious Stylez (Las Vegas, USA), with EDM, Festival Anthems & Party Hits. The week, and almost the month, then come to an end on Saturday 27^th, with the regular Tutti Frutti night of 90s and 00s hits.

Klub K4 – Friday’s post marijuana march party (and yes, it’s on the 19^th), will start at 22:00, and the all-night event will feature reggae, drum & bass, dub, and liquid. Saturday it’s a party called K4 ROZA: Tama Sumo, plus suppory, with a set from Ms Sumo below. Sunday, 21^st , it’s time to dust off your dancing shoes, squeeze into your old jeans, and head down to Techno Oldies Goldies w/ Ben Long [Space DJz / UK]. Jumping all the way ahead to Friday the 26^th, you can head back to K4 and enjoy LuckIsOn w/ Onur Özer, slicing and dicing techno, electro and house (I think). Saturday, 27^th, it’s a night called Knauf – with techno being played by Thon Kland, Tritch, Shekuza, RSN and Herman K.

Koncertna Dvorana Rog – It’s all quiet at the dirty end of Trubarjeva until April 26^th, a Friday, when you can enter this bicycle factory and dance to Tektonika vol.2. One of the DJs will be Nulla, as heard below.

Orto Bar – Friday the 19^th, starting at 23:59 and going on until 05:00, there’s Petkov 80s Žur, which will be playing 80s music.

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Live music

Božidar – Friday April 19 there’s Interstellar Funk (Rush Hour / NL), while the next night there’s the Vasko Atanasovski Trio.

Cankerjev dom – Monday (15^th) the Schallfeld Ensemble will be presenting Fluid Disorder, which “explores extended perceptions of contemporary sound”. On the Thursday you can then see and hear Lojze Lebič, Fauvel '86, a “vocal-instrumental stage performance for mixed choir, soloists, instruments, percussion and audio recordings”. Jumping ahead to the 23^rd, A Tuesday, there’s The New Standard Trio featuring Jamie Saft, Steve Swallow & Bobby Previte. Then the next evening The Gesualdo Six, Vocal Ensemble will hit the stage.

Channel Zero – Saturday, April 20^th, there’s  the 420 Weekend with a live show from Newly Crowned Hope, along with Paprika Korps (Heavy Reggae / POL).

Klub K4 – Thursday 18^th, 20:00 to 22:00, you can see Slovenia’s Eurovision hopefuls, Zala Kralj & Gašper Šantl, live on stage.

Kino Šiška – Monday (15^th) IC3PEAK are in town, the “provocative Russian duo, whose blend of alternative hip-hop, post-internet bass tunes, explicit, fantasy-filled lyrics and a daring visual aesthetic is winning over the new generation”. Thursday “The gods of stoner. The marijuanauts of doom. The high priests of heavy riffs and meaty grooves.”…i.e. Sleep, are playing. Friday (19^th) it’s then Chui and Porto Morto. Tuesday, the 23^rd, “one of the fastest pianists in the world, Lubomyr Melnyk” will be tickling the ivories. The next evening Divanhana, a popular neosevdah group, are on stage. Thursday (25^th) the Slovenian a cappella group Bassless will be singing. The legendary Japanese instrumental band Mono are here on Friday. Finally, our two-week guide comes to an end in Šiška with The Iron Maidens on Sunday the 28^th – a great-sounding all-female Iron Maiden tribute act, as seen and heard after the other acts below.

Klub Gromka – April 19^th and 20^th there’s Antifa Fest, with music and other events, and details here. Friday there’s industrial, drone and experimental music from Author & Punisher, along with Lingua Ignota. The jumping ahead to Friday, April 26^th, you can come here and enjoy Ritval IX - Stasis, Shock Troopers, and Zabojnik, a punk metal affair.

Ljubljana Castle – Friday 19^th you can make your way up the hill for a show by the Full Moon Collective, while the next week, Friday 26^th, it’s the turn of Nipke & The Nipples, doing local rap.

Orto Bar – Ortofest continues, with another full schedule of live music, mostly metal and rock, but not always. Tuesday (16^th) it’s Samuel Blues & Miha Erič. Wednesday there’s Detour. Wednesday there’s another Kadilnica of Death presentation, with Simptomi. Thursday Raggalution reggae zmešnjava take the stage. Friday (19^th) local legends Borghesia take the stage. The same night you can also see Riffeater #10 w/ Wrong, Coilguns, She Loves Pablo. Going into the following week, Tuesday 23^rd there’s the fairly unGoogleable Jackson, joing by Fat Butlers. The next night Smaal and N3L take the stage.

Slovenska filharmonija – Thursday 18^th the orchestra and chorus will be performing Verdi, with the programme being: Vespri Siciliani – Overture, Ave Maria from Otello, Libera Me (from Requiem), and Quattro pezzi sacri. The next evening there’s a celebration of the 80^th birthday of Alojz Ajdič, which actually comes in September, including performances of his works and a talk with the man himself. The pieces will be chamber music and solos, and while I don’t know the programme there’s an example work below.

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Opera, theatre and dance

Cankerjev dom – Saturday, April 27^th, there’s a performance, in English, marking the 70th anniversary of ŽKUD Tine Rožanc Folklore Group and its activities aimed at celebrating the national folklore heritage. The show, which starts at 19:30, “brings together more than a hundred performers including three generations of dancers and the diverse line-up of musicians of the ŽKUD Tine Rožanc Folklore Group who will be joined by the vocal music group Katice.”

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.

Klub Gromka – Tuesday, 16^th, 21:00, there’s a Slovenian language performance of “Endless Medication” at this Metelkova venue, with the evening going out under the name Marijs Boulogne & Simona Semenič: Večna medikacija, and part of the Syndicate of Outlandish Entities. That Syndicate continues 20:00 Wednesday with Zatiranje v Gromki: 108,1 MHz, an art piece. The mini Syndicae festibval then closes with an all-ight party on Thursday, Zaključni sindikalni žur, which promises theatre, world music, and alt-rock.

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

SNG Opera and Ballet - There will be performances of the opera Giselle, by Adolphe Adam, on April 15, 15, 24, 25 and 26. Philip Glass’ Beauty & the Beast is staged April 18 and 20.

Pocket Teater Studio – April 18^th there’s be a performance of Border Love, in English, loosely based on a Sam Shephard work and set on the Mexican/American border. 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. The price of ticket includes a shot of tequila.

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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, while you can read about another new player on the scene - Responsible Pot - and it's efforts to get CBD into more cafes and bars 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

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 – This lesbian bar in Metelkova is open every Friday, but nothing special seems to be planned for the next two weeks.

Klub Tiffany – And the gay bar next door is also open on Fridays, while every Monday until June 2019 there's tango at 18:00. Thursday, 18^th, there’s a coffee evening (20:00) on the DJ and LGBT+ club scene. Saturday the 27^th there’s an all-nighter with the intriguing name Cerkev Sodomije – TransForma.

Kinoteka – There’s the LGBT+ festival of short film on here Thursday April 25.

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.

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 – The 13th Slovenian Biennial of Illustration is here until May 19^th, while a free to see show called Subterranean Worlds, showing cave photography, runs from April 24^th 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 has Interlacement – exhibition of Éva Farkasvölgyi and Žiga Okorn, starting April 16th. 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.

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

International Centre of Graphic Arts – Starting March 22 and running until May 19 is Photographic Images and Matter: Japanese Prints of the 1970s and Japan, Yugoslavia and the Biennial of Graphic Arts: Documents of Collaboration. One of the images promoting the show is shown below.

Kosuke Kimura: Present Situation – Existence A, colour and silkscreen, 1971.

MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design has much of what you'd expect, along with some temporary shows and a good cafe. Until May 19 there's Tendencies: Architecture and Urban Planning in Celje, 1955–1985.

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).”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

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.

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.

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 called Shamanism 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.

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.

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

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

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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If you enjoy honest trash then check out the Kurja polt (Goosebumps) festival of genre film, 9–14 April, which takes place at Kinodvor and Kinoteka. This year’s theme is freaks, and the programme is packed with cheap sex and nasty thrills, with a selection of cult classics and classics in the making. Check out our write up and some of the trailers here. Another festival this week, albeit just Friday and Saturday, is Tresk – “the clash between music and record labels” – which you can read about here.

If you want to wake up to the big headlines in Slovenia then take a look at the new format of our daily morning news feature.

Something new we added recently that will delight or enrage you is our suggestions on how to spend from four to 48 hours in Ljubljana. Check it out here.

If you're not in town for the week of this guide (April 8 to 14, 2019) then you can see all the editions here, and you can enhance your stay in the city and impress or annoy friends and companions by learning some obscure facts about the city here, and the Castle here.

As ever, clicking on the venue names in the list below should get you more details with regard to the time, price and location, as well as other events on at this place in whatever week you're here. Finally, if there's something 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.

Contents

• Cinemas and films
• Clubbing
• Live music
• Opera, 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.

As noted in the intro, this week Kinodvor and Kinoteka are hosting a festival of genre film, with more details and some trailers here.

Kinodvor – The arts cinema not far from the train station is showing, among other features, Loro, Vision, Leave No Trace, My Last Year as a Loser (a good Slovene film – I’ve seen it – with a lot filmed in downtown Ljubljana; it’s screened with English subtitles), Transit, Un couteau dans le coeur (in French, with English subtitles)

Kinoteka – This revival cinema isn’t far from Kinodvor, at the train station end of Miklošičeva, is showing Ilsa Harem Keeper Of The Oil Sheiks and Der Fan (German, with English subtitles). Yep, they’re both part of the genre film festival

Kino Bežigrad - This place is showing Dumbo and Shazam!, while starting on Thursday is a remake of Hellboy.

Kolosej - The multiplex out at BTC City Mall is playing all the big titles, but note that there are far more movies than screens, so some of the older ones may only be playing once or twice a week. Click on the theatre name to see the actual times before making a date. Click on the theatre name to see the actual times before making a date. This week there are Pet Sematary, Shazam!, The Aspern Papers, 100 Dinge, Dumbo, Ne bom več luzerka, Storm Boy, Us, Creed II, Captain Marvel (2D and 3D), Colette,  How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Green Book, A Star is Born, Bohemian Rhapsody, Escape Room,  Alita: Battle Angel (2D and 3D), Qu'est-ce qu'on a encore fait au bon Dieu?, Mia et le lion blanc, Happy Death Day 2U, Instant Family, Replicas, Izbrisana, and a dubbed version of The Queen’s Corgi. New this week is Loro.

Komuna – The cinema in a basement behind Nama department store is showing, among other features, My Last Year as a Loser, Loro and Colette.

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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.

Channel Zero – Friday there’s an all-nighter (as most club events are) called Mami's Magic & Mo:Dem Teaser Party, a Mushroom Magic Lights affair, with the main DJ being Val Vashar.

Gala Hala – Friday there’s Balkan Campers Opening Party, with DJ Bayo (Jugofunk set), Mokoš (ex-Yu hip hop set) and Brat & Sestra (ex-Yu rock set) – sadly, no sets from this crew seen to be online. Saturday there’s Versus: Shekuza / Brtinzz, a techno event, a set below.

Klub Cirkus – Friday night it’s time to dress for the lights with BLACK MOON – UV Gathering, with the music being dance, future house, edm, house, r&b, hip hop, and trap. Saturday you can then enjoy El Fuego with latino flavored pop, r&b, dance, reggaeton, latin house, tropical, and island beats.

Klub K4 – Friday the klub 4 kool kids has 30K4 : Jane Fitz [Night Moves, Freerotation / UK], Jane Fitz (NIGHT MOVES, FREEROTATION / UK), Lara H., Fraku, Nulla, Maša, Nika (Rite of Passage), and Nikolaj (PHI), with visual support from VJ 5237. The night, a Saturday, it’s K4 Gibanica x Tresk, with Blaž (playing live), along with DJs Terranigma (Tigerbalm), Šuljo, and DVS (Tigerbalm, RŠ), and back again is VJ 5237.

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Live music

Božidar – Friday evening there’s the Jazz klub Mezzoforte, Freestyle Karaoke & Jam Session.

Cankerjev dom – Tuesday evening, 20:00, the country’s main arts centre will see a concert by Mario Batković + Damir Avdić – sadly, no videos are available. The same evening, same time, in a different hall, there’s the Partisan Choir, celebrating it’s 75^th anniversary with an event partisan and patriotic songs. Thursday, the 11^th, Teresa Salgueiro  – “the finest voice of Portugal and beyond” – is on stage. Friday it’s then the turn of the Dresden Philharmonic, with Beatrice Rana on the piano, playing Brahms.

Cvetličarna – Saturday you can see a true legend of the Slovenian music scene, with Vlado Kreslin and the Little Gods.

Kino Šiška – Thursday evening The Ills are on stage, the Slovakian champions of instrumental post-rock, shoegaze and prog. Saturday this venue is hosting the Tresk Festival, with details here. Sunday there’s a live show from Raul Midón.

Klub Gromka – Thursday, 11^th, 20:00 to 02:00, there’s Noites do Brasil #2, an evening of Brazilian music with several acts on the bill, as organised by Sherzer Brigade. Friday things are very different with a packed programme of grindcore (and mincecore) coming from Aligrindtor, Decom-Posers, Dead Corcoras, and Morbid Creation.

Ljubljana Castle – This Friday there’s a Bob Dylan Tribute - The Complete Unknowns.

Orto Bar – Orto Fest continues with more hard rock and metal. Tuesday there’s Lumberjack, Wednesday it’s Demolition Group, Thursday come Avven with support from Tears of Kali, Friday DMP take the stage, as do, at a different time, The Stroj. Saturday the week ends with Bohem.

Slovenska filharmonija – There seems to be noting in town from the orchestra this week, as they're in Zagreb.

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Opera, theatre and dance

Cankerjev dom - Thursday evening there’s a staging, in Slovene, of Martin Sherman’s Bent. Sunday the British comedian Eddie Izzard will be taking the stage.

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 – There’s a lot of dance out at this venue. On Monday there’s REAR WINDOW / Dancers Without Answers, Tuesday it’s Ana Kreitmeyer and Sonja Pregrad: Out There and In Here, with the same evening also seeing Maja Delak: Just For Today. Wednesday there’s David Somló: Mandala. There seem to be no videos to promote these shows.

Klub Gromka –  Saturday evening you can go to Metelkova and enjoy Sindikat odklonskih entitet / the Syndicate of Outlandish Entities, with new comedy, performative humour, irony, satire, parody, and social commentary, in Slovenian

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

SNG Opera and Ballet - Adolphe Adam’s ballet Giselle will be performed here Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with choreography by the Cuban ballet artist Howard Quintero Lopez.

Pocket Teater Studio – The new play Border Love is playing here Friday and Saturday, 20:00 Note that the number of seats is very limited – just 24 – 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. The price of ticket is 20€, and includes a shot of tequila.

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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 this week we also added an interview with the guy behind Responsible Pot, which is getting CBD into the city’s cafés and bars.

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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

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.

Cankerjev dom – A Slovenian version of Martin Sherman’s Bent will be staged here on Thursday evening.

Klub Monokel – This lesbian bar in Metelkova is open every Friday, and this week there’s an all-night techno event called Katarza, Noir, featuring two DJs with those names.

Klub Tiffany – And the gay bar next door is also open on Fridays, while every Monday until June 2019 there's tango at 18:00. This week the events page seems to be missing.

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.

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

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 has an exhibition entitled “Encounters in Visual Art” introduces works of selected visual artists, painters and sculptors, who define today's art scene in Hungary and Slovenia, as promoted with the image below. 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.

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

International Centre of Graphic Arts – Starting March 22 and running until May 19 is Photographic Images and Matter: Japanese Prints of the 1970s and Japan, Yugoslavia and the Biennial of Graphic Arts: Documents of Collaboration. One of the images promoting the show is shown below.

Kosuke Kimura: Present Situation – Existence A, colour and silkscreen, 1971.

MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design has much of what you'd expect, along with some temporary shows and a good cafe. Until May 19 there's Tendencies: Architecture and Urban Planning in Celje, 1955–1985.

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

Moderna galerija – The main branch of this gallery, to be found near the entrance to Tivoli Park, has a good collection of modern art, as well a nice café in the basement. The 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 above.

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.

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.

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 called Shamanism 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.

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.

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

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

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, 5 April 2019 - The man who hijacked a bus in Ljubljana last night before dying after being restrained by the police, had a history of violent criminal acts and had suffered from a psychiatric disorder, according to officials.

Addressing a press conference in Ljubljana on Friday, Stojan Belšak, the head of the organised crime division of the Ljubljana Police Department, said the cause of the man's death was not clear yet and would be established in a postmortem.

The man, identified as a 49-year-old from Kranj, boarded a bus No 6B headed for Dolgi Most in the south-west of Ljubljana shortly before 9 PM last night.

Threatening the driver with a screwdriver, he forced him to divert the bus in the direction of the Ljubljana ring road, threatening to kill him and the passengers on the bus.

To alert the police, the driver drove through a red light, switching on the indicators and waving his hand. One of the passengers also managed to call the police.

Noticing the signs, a police patrol followed the bus, intercepting it before it drove onto the Ljubljana ring road, Belšak said, praising the driver's reaction.

In the meantime, the police received several calls from citizens reporting that a man in a bus was threatening the driver with a screwdriver.

After the police stopped the bus, the suspect attempted to flee the scene, and when he lashed at the two police officers, the pair used a pepper spray and managed to handcuff him, said Belšak.

Once they managed to control the suspects, other police patrols arrived at the scene and they all started taking witness statements, during which time the suspect started to show signs of health problems and a loss of consciousness.

Seeing his condition, the police removed the handcuffs and started to resuscitate him, calling an ambulance. The suspect died after the paramedics arrived.

The Ljubljana UKC hospital confirmed on its Twitter account that the paramedics, having arrived at the scene, resumed resuscitation procedures started by the police, but that after 45 minutes of unsuccessful attempts the man was pronounced dead.

The suspect is the same man who barricaded himself at the Kranj office of the Agency for Public Legal Records (AJPES) last year. He had been hospitalised in the past for psychiatric problems.

Belšak said this time as well the man appeared to be confused, with a diminished capacity, "which could be a result of substance abuse", but this cannot be ascertained until a postmortem is conducted.

Before the incident at the Ljubljana bus the police received a similar report from the driver of a coach en route from Ljubljana to Kranj.

The driver told them that there was a man on the coach who kept "mentioning special police on the phone before he pulled out a screwdriver, wielding it". He got off at the first stop in Ljubljana, leaving behind a backpack, based on whose content the police established that it was the one and the same man.

Police Commissioner Tatjana Bobnar has already appointed a special fact finding commission to look into exact circumstances of the incident, something that is a routine procedure in cases of death during arrest procedures.

STA, 5 April 2019 - A 48-year-old man hijacked a bus in Ljubljana last night, but died after losing consciousness while he was being arrested by the police despite attempts at resuscitating him, the police said.

According to media reports, the driver and the passengers have not been injured in the incident.

An updated version of this story can be found here

Citing the boss of the Ljubljana public transportation company LPP, Peter Horvat, the newspaper Delo reported that shortly before 9 PM last night a man boarded a bus No 6B headed for Dolgi Most in the south-west of Ljubljana.

Threatening with a screwdriver, he forced the driver to divert the bus in the direction of the Ljubljana ring road. He threatened to kill him.

The driver drove through a red light on purpose to alert the police. One of the passengers also managed to call the police.

The police confirmed the incident, identifying the man as a 48-year-old Kranj resident.

They said that several police patrol cars intervened, managing to stop the bus in Barjanska Street before it entered the Ljubljana ring road.

Applying coercive measures, they managed to get the man out of the bus and handcuffed him. During the procedure he started losing his consciousness.

Despite being given emergency aid by the police and subsequent attempts by paramedics to resuscitate him, he died on the spot.

More information will follow at a press conference at the Ljubljana Police Department at 11 AM today.

The news web site Siol cited a man claiming to be the father of the female passenger who called the police. He described the suspect as a fair haired man wearing dark clothes.

Entering at the Drama bus stop, he pulled out a screwdriver two stops later threatening the driver and demanding of him to drive the bus to the Barje service station.

The man talking to Siol also said that the suspect threatened to kill everyone on the bus claiming he had a gun, but it later turned out he did not have one. He says there six passengers on the bus at the time.

The traffic information centre reported that the south section of the Ljubljana ring road was closed at the Ljubljana Centre slip road.

The occupation of Ljubljana by Italian Fascists lasted from April 1941 until September 1943, and was a time of horror, with around 25,000 people from the area deported and sent to concentration camps, as well as the city itself being surrounded by barbed wire. Moreover, when the Italians left the Germans moved in.

However, this story won’t dwell on these details, but instead presents some Italian archive footage showing scenes of the occupation, with many sights and buildings that will be familiar to those who only know the city today, in happier times.

All our stories about Slovenian history are here

STA, 31 March 2019 - Ljubljana will host in 2020 the annual international conference of ECSITE, the European network of science centres & museums. The five-day meeting will be organised in June by the Kersnikova Institute, the first NGO to be entrusted with ECSITE's central event in its 30-year history.

Jurij Krpan, the head of the Kersnikova Institute for Culture, Arts and Education, told the press this week that ECSITE had recognised fresh and interesting content in the institute's programme and new approaches meant to boost public sensibility to a world increasingly marked by technology.

The students-initiated institute has been serving as an institutional frame for three progressive venues.

The Kapelica Gallery is a platform for contemporary investigative arts, the hacker space Rampa is exploring relations between society, science, technology and art, while the inspirational laboratory BioTehna focuses on the artistic research of living systems.

Krpan said that the institute encouraged reflection about how European institutions dealing with the promotion of science could act in a different, modernised and proactive manner. Thus ECSITE decided to give the 2020 the name Echoes From the Future.

Krpan would like more Slovenian institutions, including those specialising in humanities, to join ECSITE, which has more than 350 member institutions from around the world. The Slovenian members are the Kersnikova Institute, Ljubljana's House of Experiments and the Technical Museum of Slovenia.

Mikko Myllykosk, a member of the network, told the press that the Kersnikova Institute was doing an extraordinary job when it came to bridging the gaps between art, science and technology.

He announced Ljubljana would host 1,200 experts from Europe and beyond next year.

A fun event for the weekend of April 6 and 7 is the Pivo & Burger Fest, run by the same folk as Open Kitchen (Odptra kuhna) and taking place in the same place, Pogačarjev trg 1, the marketplace next to the Cathedral. Expect craft beer, burgers and BBQ and more. I’ll be there both days, Sunday’s hangover permitting.

Something new we added this week that will delight or enrage you is our suggestions on how to spend from four to 48 hours in Ljubljana. Check it out here.

If you're not in town for the week of this guide (April 1 to 7, 2019) then you can see all the editions here, and you can enhance your stay in the city and impress or annoy friends and companions by learning some obscure facts about the city here, and the Castle here.

As ever, clicking on the venue names in the list below should get you more details with regard to the time, price and location, as well as other events on at this place in whatever week you're here. Finally, if there's something 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.

Contents

• Cinemas and films
• Clubbing
• Live music
• Opera, 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 – The arts cinema not far from the train station is showing, among other features, Putin's Witnesses, Izbrisana, the late Agnes Varda’s Faces Places, Godard’s The Image Book, Colette, Dumbo, Mirai no Mirai and Ne bom več luzerka (with English subtitles on Tuesday).

Kinoteka – This revival cinema isn’t far from Kinodvor, at the train station end of Miklošičeva, is showing Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis, Gérard Corbiau’s Farinelli: Il castrato, Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Lili Marleen, Sam Mendes’ American Beauty, with Kevin Spacy playing a predatory older man.

Kino Bežigrad - This place is showing Dumbo and Us.

Kolosej - The multiplex out at BTC City Mall is playing all the big titles, but note that there are far more movies than screens, so some of the older ones may only be playing once or twice a week. Click on the theatre name to see the actual times before making a date. New this week are Pet Sematary, Shazam!, The Aspern Papers and 100 Dinge. Continuing are Dumbo, Ne bom več luzerka, Storm Boy, Us, Creed II, Captain Marvel (2D and 3D), Colette, Posljednji Srbin u Hrvatskoj, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Green Book, Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (dubbed), A Star is Born, Bohemian Rhapsody, Escape Room, Lego Film 2, Alita: Battle Angel (2D and 3D), Qu'est-ce qu'on a encore fait au bon Dieu?, Mia et le lion blanc, Happy Death Day 2U, Instant FamilyReplicas, Izbrisana, and a dubbed version of The Queen’s Corgi.

Komuna – The cinema in a basement behind Nama department store is showing Us, Ne bom več luzerka, Green Book and Dumbo.

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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.

Cvetličarna– Saturday there’s an all-night techno event called Old Kitchen - Slovenian All Stars, with DJs Bloody-J, Dojaja, Flis, Gumja, Numarex, Plotz, Psiho, Ulix, and Veztax.

Channel Zero – Friday night sees another Dub Lab all-nighter with Massive! Sound Clash w. Roots in Session VS. Boris. Saturday is then Saturday Night Smokeout with Memphis style music from Cookie, Borsaleano, and Wichiwaka. As the promotional material says, “Bring your stash, smoke dat onion!”

Gala Hala – Friday the 5^th you can party till 5am with Swaguljčica #3, with the hip hop and trap being provided by .čunfa (Trite, Rx:tx), K'Pow (Big Nose Ent.), White AF and Tschimy. Saturday Wave Riders! are back, with synthwave lined up by DJs Torulsson and Kobayashii.

Klub Cirkus – Friday the night is given up to RnB Explosion: Fresh Anthems & Classics Cuts, while Saturday is for fans of Slovenian pop, disco and dance with Tutti Frutti – Slovenska edicija.

Klub K4 – Friday the home of electronic dance music plays host to SOLVD w/ Felver, with support from Evident, R.Bade and Alex Ranerro. As noted on Soundcloud: “Widely appreciated for his music connoisseurship and unspoken sensitivity of a gentleman, Felver has defined Zagreb’s clubbing scene like no other DJ.” Saturday it’s the turn of Just Us x Just Jam, with techno & house to be played by Limc, Rokko, Tmme and Nade.

Koncertna Dvorana Rog – Friday the 5^th you can get down to dirty end of Trubarjeva cesta and enjoy a night of techno with RGB Series: Cogo meets Aleja Sanchez, with support from Insolate, Volster, MARTA, and Tonske.

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Live music

Cankerjev dom – Tuesday, April 2, there will be a live show from Mart and The Frictions, two separate acts. Saturday you can go to Slovenia’s biggest arts centre and see DrummingCellist and Big Band RTV Slovenija, and there’s a video of the former below too.

Gala Hala – Thursday, April 4^th, you can see a live show from Masha Qrella (DE) and Generator (SI).

Kino Šiška – Monday there’s a show by Bullet for my Valentine; it’s already sold out, but you can see what you could have seen below. Thursday there’s Soap&Skin, with support from Jungstötter. Saturday The Young Gods will then take the stage, along with Nina Bulatovix.

Klub Gromka – Wednesday evening you can head to this Metelkova venue and enjoy “adult contemporary music” / sound art under the headline of FriForma & FriFormA\V: Patterson / Kutin + Ripak / Miklós. Saturday there’s an all-nighter called Ritval VIII: Tytus, Challenger, and iBreatheYouDie, which seems to be all about speed metal.

Ljubljana Castle – Friday night is jazz night, and this week you can go up the hill and see Cherry Wine – a Tribute to Amy Winehouse.

Orto Bar – Ortofest continues with a packed week of metal and metal-adjacent music. Tuesday sees Bordo and Fed Horses; Tuesday is Šank Rock; Thursday it’s Panikk, Drobovina, and Inkubator Bukator, a Kadilnica of Death presentation; Friday Hamo & Tribute 2 Love take the stage, as do – in a separate show – Valter svira Parafe; the week then ends on Saturday with Zmelkoow, with more until the end of the month.

Slovenska filharmonija – Thursday and Friday Håkan Hardenberger will be playing the trumpet and conducting the orchestra in a programme of Haydn, Takemicu and Lutosławski, including the piece shown below. Sunday, April 7, James Tuggle will be leading the orchestra, playing Hugo Wolf and Mahler.

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Opera, theatre and dance

Cankerjev dom - A Slovenian version of Martin Sherman’s Bent will be staged here on Friday evening.

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.

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

SNG Opera and Ballet - Nothing seems to be on this week.

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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 this week we also added an interview with the guy behind Responsible Pot, which is getting CBD into the city’s cafés and bars.

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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

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.

Cankerjev dom – A Slovenian version of Martin Sherman’s Bent will be staged here on Friday evening.

Klub Monokel – This lesbian bar in Metelkova is open every Friday, and this week there’s NANI MO IV // Kuthi Jinani (IT), with support.

Klub Tiffany – And the gay bar next door is also open on Fridays, while every Monday until June 2019 there's tango at 18:00. This week, Friday night, you can also get tested for a variety of STDs.

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.

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

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 has an exhibition entitled “Encounters in Visual Art” introduces works of selected visual artists, painters and sculptors, who define today's art scene in Hungary and Slovenia, as promoted with the image below. 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.

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

International Centre of Graphic Arts – Starting March 22 and running until May 19 is Photographic Images and Matter: Japanese Prints of the 1970s and Japan, Yugoslavia and the Biennial of Graphic Arts: Documents of Collaboration. One of the images promoting the show is shown below.

Kosuke Kimura: Present Situation – Existence A, colour and silkscreen, 1971.

A K67 by the Triple Bridge, in Ljubljana. Unknown photographer

MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design has much of what you'd expect, along with some temporary shows and a good cafe. Until April 5 there's an exhibition on the K67 Kiosk, an icon of Slovene design that you can learn more about here, while until May 19 there's Tendencies: Architecture and Urban Planning in Celje, 1955–1985.

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

Moderna galerija – The main branch of this gallery, to be found near the entrance to Tivoli Park, has a good collection of modern art, as well a nice café in the basement. The 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 above.

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.

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.

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). This place is located near the newer branch of the Moderna galerija and Metelkova.

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.

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

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

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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Most visitors only spend a day or two in the capital, so what follows is a few suggestions on how to enjoy from four to 48 hours in Ljubljana, starting with the essential then going on to the more optional, and often more enjoyable, items. It’s a personal list with an eye to pleasing a wide audience, so feel free to disagree and choose your own adventure - I've been living here five years, and am still not bored with the city.

Related: 25 things to know about Ljubljana

The locations named in the text – all except the Zoo are close to each other

A view from the Castle: Photo JL Flanner

Essential Sightseeing in Ljubljana: The Castle and Old Town

If you only have a few hours in the city then there’s really only two things you have to do, see the Castle (and Old Town. If you’re able to walk then you can get to the Castle on foot in around 20 minutes and if not there’s a funicular (3) that’ll take you up and down a lot faster. But if you have the time and mobility then on foot is recommended, as you’ll save some money and get some exercise, along with an idea of how well defended the place was when attackers would need to trudge up while being fired down upon.

Much of the Castle can be enjoyed without a ticket, but if you do buy one you’ll get to go to the top of the tower for the best view in town, as well as entrance to various exhibitions. If you want to read up on the place beforehand, or while you’re there, then check out our 25 things to know… or 10 ways to enjoy Ljubljana Castle.

The Old Town is basically a street that runs from the Central Market (4) to Gornji trg (5), with the whole thing lined with attractive buildings housing boutiques, restaurants and cafés. You can easily go from one end to the other, without stopping too much, in 30 minutes, but you probably want to pause and explore, especially some of the lanes. You should also make time to walk by the River Ljubljanica, ideally along both sides so you get to see the colourful and well-preserved  mansions that give this part of town a very picturesque chocolate box look.

Everyone takes a picture at Dragon Bridge. Photo JL Flanner

Even if only in town for a half a day you’ll also want to see Dragon Bridge (6), although be prepared to be underwhelmed. Far prettier, in my opinion, are Triple Bridge (7) and Cobbler’s Bridge (8), and the best place to take pictures of both is from the easy to miss Fishmarket Footbridge, as outlined here.

Taking a picture from Fishmarket Footbridge. Photo JL Flanner

Things to do with 24 to 48 hours in Ljubljana

If you have more time in town then you can take in some culture, nature and nightlife, with plenty of options for all tastes, and all packed into or nearby the pedestrianised area.

“The best” is obviously subjective, so here I’ll just focus on the museums and galleries with the broadest appeal and biggest collections. If you like art then you’ll want to check out the National Gallery (9) and the Modern Gallery’s main branch (10), both near Tivoli Park. The former has everything from the Middle Ages to mid-20^th century, while the latter contains the nation’s collection of modern art, with contemporary art housed in another branch by Metelkova. With regard to museums, the big two are the National Museum of Slovenia (11) and the City Museum (12), focusing on Slovenia as a whole and Ljubljana in particular, respectively.

Contemporary art at the Modern Gallery's Metelkova branch. Photo JL Flanner

Street art: Photo: Alternative Ljubljana

Metelkova (13), the city’s graffiti-covered squat turned art space / autonomous area is worth visiting in the daytime to see the grittier side of the art scene, while at night it plays hosts to various music and performance venues. Note that unlike some similar looking places in Europe it’s not an open (or legal) drug market, so don’t go looking for trouble (or expecting it).

The Opera House is one of Ljubljana's many beautiful buildings. Photo: Wikimedia - Grega Pirc CC-by-4.0

For nightlife beyond cafés and bars there are plenty of clubs and live music venues, and a usual week will see these offering a broad range of music, from classical to techno, death metal to jazz, flamenco to dub, house music to experimental noise, with many all-night events, while there’s also a ballet and opera house, along with a number of cinemas. For all of these the best place to find out what’s on is TSN’s very own What’s on in Ljubljana this Week.

Tivoli Park. Photo: D Wedam for Visit Ljubljana

If you’re the kind of traveller who likes to walk or run then you have several options. Going up and down Castle Hill will certainly get the blood pumping and air in your lungs, without taking you off schedule, while if you want something longer then head to Rožnik Hill in Tivoli Park, with both areas having plenty of paths and trails to explore if you want to go jogging. The river can also be walked along in both directions, although going upstream is the more scenic route.

Further upriver. Photo: bananaway.eu

For children, in addition to the Castle, consider trips to the Puppet Theatre (near 3), the very popular Museum of Illusions or Ljubljana Zoo (13) (I haven’t been, but also haven’t heard bad things). Check out our obligatory Top 10 things for kids in Ljubljana story here.

Photo: Open Kitchen

Fine dining, street food and cafés in Ljubljana

If you want to eat “the best” then you can head to a review website and find something to your taste. The names that come up most with regard to fine dining are Strelec (in the Castle) and JB (14) on the architecturally interesting Miklošičeva Street , although check the prices before sitting down. Cheaper options are easy to find, and while Slovenian food is good there’s no real “must-eat” dish to put on your schedule, so relax and eat what you want. If that’s “ethnic food”, then head to Trubarjeva cesta (15) . If hungry after midnight then your options are very limited, but a few places can be found here. If visiting in the warmer months, and on a Friday, then don't miss Open Kitchen in the marketplace next to the Cathedral.

With regard to cafés and bars, the best thing is just to find somewhere with a free table that looks like your kind of thing, order a drink and settle down, as with most of the places you get what you see or hear from the outside.

Photo: JL Flanner

Tourist shopping in Ljubljana

Ljubljana isn’t known for its shopping, with most of the more functional stores out of town at the massive BTC shopping complex, which isn’t really worth visiting if you’re a tourist. No, if you’re just looking cute boutiques and places to pick up a souvenir then the Old Town will have you covered, while if you need any toiletries or stationary then head to Müller (16), on Čopova (near the McDonald’s).

If you need prescription drugs, or even just aspirin, head to the Lekarna (17) in Prešeren Square (the one with the big pink church by Triple Bridge). When I travel I like to visit supermarkets, both to pick up some snacks and drinks for my hotel room, and to get some idea of the local products on offer. The two main chains in town are Spar and Mercator, which you’ll come across just walking around. However, note that while this is a capital city there are no 24-hour, or even very late night, convenience stores, so do your shopping before 20:00 or risk disappointment.

Photo: Wikimedia - Thomas Geiregger CC by 2.0

Getting around Ljubljana

Everything is within easy walking range, if you find walking easy, although if you want to experience the city “like a local”, and see more, faster, then rent a bike. These can be borrowed from the city’s Bicikelj system, but can also be rented from various hotels and hostels, so if you’re spending the night somewhere ask there. There are city buses, but if you’re only in town for a day or two then you’re unlikely to need one.

If you’re in a wheelchair or less mobile than you’d like then don’t worry. Ljubljana is an old city, and there are still steps in many places, but the municipality is also working hard to improve accessibility. The best way to learn about this, and to find out which places have ramps, where the Eurokey bathrooms are, and so on, is with the Ljubljana by Wheelchair app.

In short, whether spending four or 48 hours in Ljubljana there's plenty to enjoy without feeling too rushed, and if you’re a first-time visitor then I envy the pleasures of discovery that await you.

Related: How to spend from four to 48 hours in…

March 26, 2019

Trubarjeva and Poljanska Roads are facing total closure till the end of this summer, but these are not the only streets that will be disrupted in the near future. Luckily, there’s a city government website to keep you informed of when, where and why you can’t drive – or sometimes even walk – along a certain route.

Most of the current road works in Ljubljana are due to construction of a new sewage canal system, an 88-km long project that began in 2017, is expected to end in 2021 and include the renovation of 261 streets in the city, so do bookmark that site and keep it handy for the next two years.