STA, 15 February 2020 - President Borut Pahor has expressed sadness over the "abuse of 10 February, the Foibe Remembrance Day," and regret that high representatives of Italy ignored the historical truth Slovenia and Italy established together.
Addressing a World War II commemoration on Friday in the town of Komen, not far from Slovenia's border with Italy, Pahor was quoted by his office as saying he regretted that "high representatives of the Italian state still do not respect the mutually agreed historical truth for the period between 1880 and 1956 as determined by the final report of the Slovenia and Italian mixed historic and cultural commission".
PRS na spominski slovesnosti ob 76. obletnici izgnanstva in begunstva ter 75. obletnici vrnitve. Pred spominsko slovesnostjo je predsednik republike položil venec k spomeniku padlim žrtvam v narodnoosvobodilni vojni in v izgnanstvu pred Kulturnim domom Komen. pic.twitter.com/jzfPQ4QyvQ
Sunday night the Italian neo-Fascist movement CasaPound put up banners describing World War II Partisans as assassins, issuing a protest following an attempt in December to deny the suffering of Slovenians at the hands of Fascists.
The banners were raised in Slovenian towns and villages on the eve of the Foibe Remembrance Day dedicated to the victims of post-WWII killings by Yugoslav Communists, many of whom were thrown in Karstic chasms called foibe in Italian.
On Monday, the Foreign Ministry condemned the smear campaign and urged the Italian authorities to respond and "take measures in accordance with their powers"
The ministry added that Slovenia respected the Italian Foibe Remembrance Day and that it expected "the same respect for Slovenian and other victims of the resistance against the occupying Fascism, in particular civilian victims who massively perished in Italian concentration camps."
Yesterday, Pahor said that he had great hopes for the joint commemoration Italy and Slovenia are preparing to mark 100 years since the Fascists burnt down the Narodni Dom community centre of the Slovenian population in Trieste.
Pahor will attend the ceremony planned for 13 July alongside his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella. He also expects that the building, which had been renewed, would be returned to the Slovenian minority in Italy. "It should be a great day, a turning point we all will remember with joy," he said.
STA, 16 February 2020 - Addressing a ceremonial session marking the 31st anniversary of the Democratic Party (SDS) in Murska Sobota on Saturday, its leader Janez Janša said that the next snap election is likely close. He repeated that the SDS was open to cooperation with everybody in the spirit of constitutional values.
Janša has launched coalition-building talks after the resignation of Prime Minister Marjan Šarec. He has been talking with the Modern Centre Party (SMC), the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and New Slovenia (NSi).
While the NSi already gave its leader Matej Tonin the mandate to negotiate a partnership with Janša, the SMC and DeSUS, both partners in the outgoing coalition, have not yet decided whether they would join this coalition.
The SDS is the biggest party in the National Assembly, however, Janša was unable to put together a coalition after the 2018 election, as most parties refused to enter a partnership with Janša.
Unless a new coalition is formed by early March, Slovenia will hold an early election, an option for which the SDS says it is ready. Indeed, the party has been faring very well in public opinion polls.
In his speech today, Janša said that new faces spring up ahead of every election and this will also be the case this time. "Although it is known that such attempts do not work, things can obviously still be manipulated up to a point."
He also said that the SDS was open to cooperation on the basis of values stated in the Constitution. After every fall of a government or before an election, there are always discussions whether it is possible to put together a government that would not open ideological issues, he said.
Janša believes it is possible to build a majority coalition solely on the values of the Constitution. If these had been in focus and not undermined, things would be much different today.
He also invited the parties that refuse to cooperate with the SDS to "come out of the woods after 75 years, stop living in the past and turn to the future". Janša's invitation to talks has been rejected by the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the Social Democrats (SD), the Left and the National Party (SNS).
Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.
A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here
Cerar discusses W Balkans and Three Seas Initiative in Munich
MUNICH, Germany - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar attended panels on the Western Balkans and the Three Seas Initiative and held a number of bilateral meetings at the 2020 Munich Security Conference, the Foreign Ministry said. Cerar met his counterparts from Iran, Egypt, Georgia and Croatia as well as Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić, while he also participated in the meeting of PM Marjan Šarec with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
Vlhova takes Golden Fox slalom and overall trophy
KRANJSKA GORA - Slovak Alpine skier Petra Vlhova won the women's World Cup race in Slovenia's Kranjska gora, also bagging the overall Golden Fox trophy following a second place in Saturday's giant slalom. Vlhova secured her 14th career win with an aggressive second run, attacking from fourth after the first. Second place in Kranjska Gora, which stood in this year for Maribor as the traditional Golden Fox venue, went to Wendy Holdener of Switzerland (+0.24) and third to Katharina Truppe from Austria (+0.89). The best Slovenian skier was Meta Hrovat, who finished 11th after a third place in the giant slalom.
Zajc with another podium finish at Kulm ski flying meet
BAD MITTERNDORF, Austria - Following a second place at Saturday's FIS Ski Jumping World Cup event in Austria's Bad Mitterndorf, Slovenia's Timi Zajc (230.1 points) finished third at the same venue on Sunday. Victory went to Austria's Stefan Kraft (232.6) and second place to Ryoyu Kobayashi (231.9) from Japan. Zajc's third podium finish of this winter was embellished with a strong performance by several more Slovenians. Domen Prevc was fifth, Anže Semenič 12th, Žiga Jelar 14th, Peter Prevc 20th and Juri Tepeš 21st.
Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here
If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here
STA, 16 February 2020 - Slovak Alpine skier Petra Vlhova won Sunday's women's World Cup race in Slovenia's Kranjska gora, also bagging the overall Golden Fox trophy following a second place in Saturday's giant slalom. The best Slovenian skier was Meta Hrovat, who finished 11th after a third place in the giant slalom.
Vlhova secured her 14th career win with an aggressive second run, attacking from fourth after the first. Sweden's Anna Swenn Larsson, who had the best first half of the race, was well on her way to beating Vlhova, but crashed just a few gates before the finish line.
Second place in Kranjska Gora, which stood in for Maribor as the traditional Golden Fox venue, went to Wendy Holdener of Swizerland (+0.24) and third to Katharina Truppe from Austria (+0.89).
Another Slovenian to finish in the points along with Hrovat (+2.67) was Ana Bucik in 22nd place (+3.54).
Ex-Yu Aviation reports that events surrounding last year’s collapse of Adria Airways are now under investigation by the Slovenian police, who are looking into suspected abuse of office and fraud. Adria was last owned by a Luxembourg based German fund, 4K Invest, which liquidated a number of affiliated companies after the carrier’s collapse, making investigations of the circumstances more complicated. What’s more, 4K itself has closed its website and cut off its phone lines, as well as disappearing from business registries in a number of companies
The whole story is worth a read, and although no specific allegations are being made yet by the police, there are enough odd facts and suspect actions to raise questions as to whether 4K was ever sincere in its wish to run Adria Airways, and why the Slovenian government did not choose to find a strategic partner within the aviation industry.
MONDAY, 17 February BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar will attend a meeting of the EU's Foreign Affairs Council and attend an EU Commission donor conference for Albania. BRUSSELS, Belgium - Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj will attend a meeting of EU finance ministers dedicated to the winter economic forecast of the European Commission and guidelines for enhancing the economic and monetary union; until 18 February. LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release wage data for December.
TUESDAY, 18 February LJUBLJANA - The National Culture Council, an advisory body, is expected to debate the draft National Culture Programme for 2020-2027, a key strategic document. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Health Committee will debate Slovenia's preparedness for a possible coronavirus outbreak.
WEDNESDAY, 19 February LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Public Finance Oversight Commission will debate a report on the performance of the fund for the decommissioning of the Krško nuclear power plant in 2018. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Agriculture, Forestry and Food Committee will discuss the possibilities for increasing the use of geothermal energy in agriculture, tourism and energy generation.
THURSDAY, 20 February BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Marjan Šarec will attend an EU summit dedicated to the bloc's next seven-year budget; until 21 February. LJUBLJANA - Weekly government session. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary inquiry into the financing of political parties will interview former Banka Slovenije Governor Boštjan Jazbec. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary health and infrastructure committees will debate pollution in the central Soča Valley as a result of the co-incineration of waste. VIENNA, Austria - Culture Minister Zoran Poznič will pay a visit to Austria as part of composer Hugo Wolf Year; until 21 February. LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release the consumer confidence index for February.
FRIDAY, 21 February STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar will pay a working visit to Sweden; until 22 February.
SATURDAY, 22 February LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian entrant for the Eurovision song contest will be selected.
SUNDAY, 23 February CERKNICA/PTUJ/CERKNO... - Carnival festivities will draw to a close with processions and costume parties held in cities and towns across Slovenia.
Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.
A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here
President regrets Italian leaders ignore historical truths
KOMEN - President Borut Pahor expressed sadness over the "abuse of 10 February, the Foibe Remembrance Day," and regret that high representatives of Italy ignored the historical truth Slovenia and Italy established together, as he addressed a World War II commemoration on Friday. This comes nearly a week after the Italian neo-Fascist movement CasaPound put up banners describing World War II Partisans as assassins, issuing a protest following an attempt in December to deny the suffering of Slovenians at the hands of Fascists.
Janša says next snap election likely close
MURSKA SOBOTA - Addressing a ceremonial session marking the 31st anniversary of the Democratic Party (SDS) its leader Janez Janša said that the next snap election is likely close. Janša has been in coalition-building talks with the Modern Centra Party (SMC), the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and New Slovenia (NSi) for over a week and said on Friday that a coalition would be possible in terms of content.
Nova24TV poll shows SDS in lead, LMŠ losing ground
LJUBLJANA - A poll commissioned by broadcaster Nova24TV shows the Democratic Party (SDS) in the lead with 20.1% support (up 1.8 pp over a week ago), with the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) in second place with 12.8% (down 4.4 pp compared to a week ago). The Social Democrats (SD) are in place three with 6.5%, followed by New Slovenia (NSi) with 4.9% and the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) with 3.9%. The Modern Centre Party (SMC) with a support of 3.2% would not have made it into parliament.
Robinson wins Golden Fox giant slalom, local Hrovat 3rd
KRANJSKA GORA - Slovenian skier Meta Hrovat was third at the Golden Fox FIS World Cup giant slalom, sharing the result with Swiss Wendy Holdener. First place went to Alice Robinson of New Zealand, while Slovak Petra Vlhova was second. Vlhova was 0.34 seconds slower that Robinson, whereas Hrovat's and Holdener's gap was 1.59 seconds. Federice Brignone, the overall giant slalom world cup leader, was eighth.
Zajc second in ski flying competition in Kulm
BAD MITTERNDORF, Austria - Ski jumper Timi Zajc won second place in the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup competition on the Kulm ski flying hill. Piotr Žyla of Poland won first place, while third place went to Austrian Stefan Kraft. This was Zajc's second podium this winter, and fourth of his career, whereas Žyla logged his second victory today, some seven years after his first.
TEŠ power plant likely to close earlier than expected
LJUBLJANA - teš6, Slovenia's newest coal-fired generator, is not likely to reach its life expectancy, the boss of HSE, the national power utility, Stojan Nikolić indicated in an interview for the newspaper Dnevnik. The reason for this is that the nearby Velenje mine is unlikely to be viable after 2045. It would simply not be prudent for the TEŠ power plant, which like the mine is owned by the HSE, to operate after the mine closes because imported coal would be more expensive. Life expectancy of TEŠ6 has been estimated at 2054.
Kurentovanje carnival kicks off in Ptuj
PTUJ - The 60th Kurentovanje carnival got under way, bringing together thousands of traditional masks and costumes. For the first time ever during Kurentovanje, the popular festival will showcase decadent Venetian masks and exotic appearances from Bolivia. Kurentovanje will, of course, feature Kurents as well, scary and clamorous sheep-skin wearing Slovenian costumes. The biggest carnival in the country remains the greatest museum of intangible carnival heritage, according to the organisers. More than 2,200 persons or 44 groups from across the world were to take part in the procession, and four costumes which are protected by UNESCO.
Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here
If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here
STA, 15 February 2020 - Slovenian skier Meta Hrovat was third at the Golden Fox FIS World Cup giant slalom event in Kranjska Gora on Saturday, sharing the result with Swiss Wendy Holdener. First place went to Alice Robinson of New Zealand, while Slovak Petra Vlhova was second.
Vlhova was 0.34 seconds slower that Robinson, whereas Hrovat's and Holdener's gap was 1.59 seconds. Federice Brignone, the overall giant slalom world cup leader, was eighth.
This was the second world cup podium for Hrovat, a Kranjska Gora native. She was third in the 2018 Lenzerheide giant slalom.
Slovenian Tina Robnik came in sixth, while Ana Bucik was 14th.
If you're not in town for the week of this guide (17 - 23 February, 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 Sloveniahere.
The big event this week takes place on Saturday, 22/02, starting 11:00 in Prešeren Square and snaking its way around the downtown area. It’s the annual Dragon Carnival, part of Pust and Shrovetide, with face masks and costumes, cracking whips and ringing bells. The main thing is the parade that leads to a live entertainment programme in Kongresni trg, but the real appeal is the atmosphere, with many in the crowds dressed up in the outfits of their dreams and taking full advantage of this pagan festival to show their true colours. You’ll see all the major ethnographic figures associated with Pust and have a wonderful time, weather permitting, with lots of great photos to be taken.
Photo: JL Flanner
Photo: JL Flanner
Bi-Flamenko, the flamenco biennial, is on until the 18th, with videos and other details here.
Wednesday, 19/02, The nomadic artistic duo hackedepicciotto, formed by Einstürzende Neubauten bassist Alexander Hacke and famed Berlin Love Parade cofounder Danielle de Picciotto, is back at Kino Šiška to promote their new album, The Current. The same evening Cankarjev dom has a show from Mnozil Brass.
Thursday the German composer and conductor Johannes Kalitzke is in town, leading the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, with music from Liszt and Paul Hindemith.
Friday 5K HD are visiting from Austria, taking the stage at Kino Šiška. The same evening is Jazz at the Castle, and this week it’s Midnight Lightnin', a Tribute to Jimi Hendrix. Friday also sees Guilty Pleasures at Metelkova’s Gala Hala, with DJ’s playing Rihanna, M.I.A., Rosalia, Usher, Sean Paul, Kylie Minogue, Destiny’s Child, D’Angelo, Nelly Furtado, Nelly, Rasta, Relja, and the like. Same evening Rog on Trubarjeva cesta is offering Red Techno, which Facebook says starts at 23:59. A lot of DJs with be there, and all the money raised from the voluntary contribution entrance fee will go towards preserving the space. Shown below is footage from an original 90s techno / competitive chewing gum event, for older readers.
Friday and Saturday Plesni Teater Ljubljana / Dance Theatre Ljubljana (Prijateljeva 2a) has Uroš Kaurin & Vito Weis: HEROJ 3.0 - Več kot besede. You can see HEROJ 1.0 below, in Slovene with English subtitles.
Thursday to Sunday Kinoteka has a short Nicolas Cage season, with five movies from the ‘90s, including Snake Eyes, Con Air, Leaving Las Vegas, The Rock and Face Off. New or newish movies in town this week also include the following.
A new book is came out recently that tells some of the stories of Trubarjeva cesta – you can learn more about it here. If you want to buy a copy, look / ask around on your next visit to the street.
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.
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 a visit before the recent renovation was finished for some idea of what's on offer here.
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.
Know that big triangular building behind the train station? Learn what's inside here.
Photo: Genius loci d.o.o.
Clubbing
Compared to some European capitals it can seem that nightlife in Ljubljana ends rather early, especially along the river, but there are still bars that stay open late and clubs were you can dance until dawn, and perhaps the best place to stumble across something interesting is the legendary Metelkova. Be aware it's a grungy kind of place and not for all tastes, but also that there's considerable variety to found within the various clubs there, from death metal to electropop, gay cabaret to art noise. You can read "the rules" of the place here. And if you're curious about how the place started then read our story, and look at some pictures, about last year's 25th anniversary.
Božidar - DJ events aren't too common here, but when they happen they often have a big name.
Channel Zero – DJs shows here include regular dub nights as well as electronic music.
Gala Hala – Another Metelkova venue, you can sometimes hear bhangra and Bollywood here, but more often funk, hip hop, breakbeat and so on.
Klub Cirkus – The more commercial end of clubland, and a venue that aims to serve the student party scene. Expect house, anthems, and bangers.
Klub K4 – The home of techno, old and new, along with various other electronic genres,
Koncertna Dvorana Rog– There are irregular DJ sets at this underground (not literally) venue at the far end of Trubarjeva cesta, and they range from techno to goa to drum'n'bass.
Orto Bar– 80s and 90s throwback nights can often be found here, along with rock-based DJ sets.
Cankerjev dom- The main arts venue in the country always has something of interest going on.
Gledališče IGLU - IGLU Theatre – Saturday night this group is usually putting on an English improv show somewhere in town, but it’s generally promoted after this is written, so check the Facebook before putting on your shoes.
Kino Šiška – One of the top live venues in the city also hosts some dance performance, often of the more experimental variety.
Mini Teater Ljubljana –The English schedule of varied performances, for adults and children, for the month is here.
Ljubljana Puppet Theatre - Puppetry has a long and noble tradition in Slovenia, and you can see performances for children and adults (including non-puppet shows) drawing from the Theatre's rich repetoire as well as new productons.
SNG Opera and Ballet - As the name suggests, here you'll find the best of opera and ballet in the country.
Španski borci - The home ofcontemporary dance(and the EnKnapGroup) in Slovenia.
Pocket Teater Studio– There are regular flamenco evenings at perhaps the smallest venue town, but note that the number of seats is very limited, and thus you should make a reservation via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 070 325 522.
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.
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.
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
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 tosix places that serve good ice cream in winter, and thus are serious about the dessert.
Mini Teater Ljubljana – The season sees a lot of puppet performances for children, in Slovene, at this theatre not far from Križanke. The English schedule for the month is here.
Ljubljana Puppet Theatre - The puppet theatre near the Central Market and next to the Castle funicular has a full programme or shows, for children and adults, with the schedule here.
If you're looking for more general links on "gay Slovenia", including a history of the scene and various projects, then you can find that here, while our stories about the community can be found here.
Klub Monokel– This lesbian bar in Metelkova is open every Friday, although sometimes there are other events
Klub Tiffany –And the gay bar next door is also open on Fridays. Other things coulds also be planned, so click on the name to find out.
Pritličje – This seems to be the only "always open" LGBT-friendly cafe / bar / events space in town, and perhaps the country, so it's a good thing it's such a good one, open from morning to night, and with fliers and posters letting you know what's happening outside the narrow confines of, say, a general interest online what's on... guide.
Screenshot from Google Maps, showing the location of the Castle vineyard
Ljubljana Castle
The city’s main attraction is said to be the top tourist draw in the country overall, and to my mind it earns a spot near the top just for the history and views. But beyond that the current owners, the City of Ljubljana, have laid out a varied, interesting and enjoyable programme of events, one that rewards regular revisits.
On all 2020 is an Exhibition of Slovenian History, included in the price of a Castle ticket, that takes you through prehistory and the Romans, the Middle and early Modern Ages, the 19th century and WWI, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and WWII, Yugoslavia, independence and after. On until 22 March 2020 you can enjoy an inflatable spatial installation from Nina Koželj (free to enter).
At one of Castle hill there's a many walking and jogging paths, with good views of the city. At the other end, where the Castle sits, there’s a lot more than fresh air on offer. There are guided tours, restaurants, a café, Castle museum, puppet museum, a Watchtower you can climb to the highest point in the city, art shows, dances, live music, movies under the stars, festival days and more – enough to reward multiple trips up the hill through the year. All of these activities and events can be found on the Castle website, while on TSN you can see “25 things to know about Ljubljana Castle” here, and “Ten Ways to Enjoy Ljubljana Castle” here.
Most public galleries and museums are closed on Mondays, although not the National Museum.
Aksioma – On from 19 February 9 March is The Abstraction of Nature by Anna Ridler – “Anna Ridler’s work stands out for her effort to establish a feedback loop between herself and the machine, producing work that displays and thematises the amount of human labour involved in the process, from coding, to producing a dataset, to educating the machine.”
Bežigrajska galerija 2 – Take a trip to Vodovodna cesta 3 and you'll find nothing this week, according to the schedule, as the place will be between exhibitions.
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. Until 10 May you can see History of the Future. Archetypes of Plečnik's architecture – summarising the ideas of selected Plečnik works.
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 Gallery – On until 5 April there’s a show from Vlado Martek, called Exhibition with Many Titles, the second part of a retrospective exhibition by the Croatian conceptual artist.
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
Galerija Kapelica –Eirik Brandal: Electonicsculpture is on until 17 March, with the promotional image shown below.
Galerija Vžigalica – Until 15 March you can enjoy Counter:Movement / Gegen:Bewegung, an exhibition of contemporary artistic positions in Carinthia, selected by the Klagenfurt University Cultural Centre – the Universitätskulturzentrum UNIKUM.
MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design has much of what you'd expect, along with some temporary shows and a good cafe. On until 31 January 2021 is An Object and a Collection, showing part of the museum’s valuable and extensive collection of objects related to architecture, design, and photography of the 20th and 21st centuries.
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 Millennia of Metallurgy in Slovenia is on until 3 May 2020.
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 – Until 18 June 2020 there’s Enlightened Natural Sciences: Scopoli and Zois, looking at the lives and legacies of two pioneering naturalists, on the both Slovene and global scales, Sigismondo (Žiga) Zois and Giovanni Antonio Scopoli.
Union Experience – The Ljubljana-based brewer has a museum showing the history of the company, with the ticket also including access to part of the factory and a few samples of the product. You can read about our visit here.
Alternative Ljubljana isn't a museum or gallery, as such, but instead turns the city streets into a museum and gallery. Learn more about their tours of street art, history and LGBT Ljubljanahere.
If you like the city's architecture then check out this great book, Let’s See the City - Ljubljana: Architectural Walks & Tours, with our review here and a page from the book shown above. We took a walk with one of the authors who showed us how much there is to learn and enjoy if you slow down and pay attention - read about that here.
Ljubljana has some beautiful buildings from the early 20th century, in the Secessionist style, like the one below. Learn where to find them here.
Some view of the city you can only get from the river. If you'd like to take a boat ride then read about my experience here. If you'd like to spend an evening painting with others, then take a look at Design with Wine, which organises painting parties on Trubarjeva cesta,
If you want to see some antiques, then check out the wonderful Antika Carniola, as discussed here. The man behind it, Jaka Prijatelj, has a fine eye for life on this street, as you can see on his Facebook account.
Photo: JL Flanner
If you’re in town and want to go jogging or walking in nature, why not take another look at the Castle, with a brief guide to the trails here. If you want something bigger, head to Tivoli Park.
And if you're bored with the Old Town, why not take a walk, cycle or boat ride to nearby Špica and enjoy the riverside life. Learn more about that here.
Prefer to have someone else stretch you? The check out the totally legit massages you can get from Sense Wellness - either in one of their spas or in you home, office or hotel. (And - to repeat - these are legit and non-sexual in nature)
There are some golf courses near Ljubljana, but even ones further away are not far, as seen in our list of all the golf courses in Slovenia, which usually run until the first snow.
If you want to get a Ljubljana Tourist Card, which gives you travel on the city buses and entry to a lot of attractions, then you can read more about that here, and if you want to use the bike share system, as useful for visitors as it is for residents, then you can learn more by clicking this. Visitors with reduced mobility will be pleased to find that downtown Ljubljana is generally rated as good with regard to accessibility, and that there’s a free, city-sponsored app called Ljubljana by Wheelchair highlighting cafés, attractions and so on with ramps, disabled bathrooms and Eurokey facilities, which you can read about and download here. Manual wheelchair users can also borrow, for free, an attachment that will motorise their equipment, as reported here.
Screenshot from a Twitter video
If you’re driving into town and don’t know where to park, our guide to how to park in Ljubljana is here.
Ljubljana is a small and relatively safe city, but if need to contact the police then there’s a special number for foreigners, and that’s 113.
Photo: JL Flanner
There aren't many places to eat after midnight, and most of them are by the train station, as reported here.
Want / need cigarettes but the stores have closed? Here's an incomplete list of bars downtown that will satisfy your craving for the demon weed. While if you’re having trouble with the ATMs then here’s a guide to the Slovene you’ll see on screen. If you get a hangover then find out where to get paracetamol (and prescription drugs) in Ljubljana here, while details on emergency birth control can be found here.
The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 14 February 2020
Mladina: Parties should reject SDS-led government
STA, 14 February 2020 - Mladina, the left-leaning magazine, appeals to MPs and parties to refrain from joining a coalition led by the Democrats (SDS), arguing in Friday's commentary headlined All the Masks Have Fallen that now is the time to stand up for democratic standards.
"All the masks have fallen, all faces have been revealed. It is no longer possible to debate who stands for what kind of policies or democratic standards, the political parties have already made that plain," reads Mladina's editorial.
The leaders of the Modern Centre Party (SMC), New Slovenia (NSi) and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) have no qualms about SDS's democratic standards.
"They don't care if this party spreads intolerance, if its propaganda machine calls for the lynching of those who think differently, if it threatens journalists and politicians who disagree with them, they don't care if this party is connected to lobbies and is an ally of the Hungarian government and the Fidesz party."
Whether or not SDS leader Janez Janša forms a government now depends solely on individual MPs in the SMC, NSi and DeSUS. "How many MPs leave the SMC if these parties agree coalition is the only issue that remains open and will determine the course of events to come."
Mladina sees Foreign Minister Miro Cerar and Labour Minister Ksenija Klampfer, both senior SMC members, who oppose cooperation with the SDS, as examples of politicians who have stood up for democratic standards and who have created an opportunity for SMC lawmakers to reject party leader Zdravko Počivalšek's "Machiavellian stance".
It also suggests Slovenia should look to Germany, where the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer had to step down "due to inconsistency about cooperation with the Alternative for Germany (AfD)".
"In Slovenia, a young democracy where MPs and ministers are seen as some kind of party soldiers, this was received with amazement... Yes, it is democratic for an MP or politician to follow their conscience. And in the coming days, when perhaps another MP decides in a similar fashion, this would be a feast of democracy."
Demokracija: The left's violent streak
STA, 12 February 2020 - The right-wing weekly Demokracija condemns death threats against politicians interested in forming coalitions with right-wing parties, saying that violence has always been in the left's domain. "Any death threat is a deplorable act... But it is all the more serious if it comes from the radical left because we know from history that it is usually carried out."
Demokracija editor-in-chief Jože Biščak points to the recent events in Thuringia, with the newly appointed state premier Thomas Kemmerich stepping down a day after he was sworn in.
His family received death threats after Kemmerich, a member of the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), was appointed with the support by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the "patriotic" Alternative for Germany (AfD).
"The coalition with patriotic Germans caused unease among the Christian Democrats, even aggravation, but the leftists, unable to come to terms with the legitimately elected Kemmerich, immediately activated ANTIFA, a radical left group prone to violence."
Biščak notes that in Slovenia Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) head Aleksandra Pivec received a threat against her life last week, after she said the party would continue speaking to the Democrats (SDS) about a potential coalition.
Moreover, he says that back in 2012 somebody broke the window on the car of People's Party (SLS) leader Radovan Žerjav as he was negotiating a coalition with the SDS.
When the left fails to achieve what it wants in the legitimate and legal way, they start intimidating. ANTIFA is the left's violent background, a paramilitary unit. It responds to calls by a variety of NGOs nurturing the same ideology.
The Peace Institute is one of them, Biščak says under the headline Born for Violence. In one of its annual reports, the institute said that it helped to topple the second SDS government and the then Maribor Mayor Franc Kangler.
We all know how that happened: through violence (granite pavement cubes), threats (life-size human dummies suspended from a bridge) and betrayal (Gregor Virant), the commentator says about the protests that ultimately led to the fall of the SDS government in 2013.
What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.
If you’d like to keep up on the daily headlines then follow those here, or get all our stories in your feed on Facebook.
FRIDAY, 7 February LJUBLJANA - The Democrats (SDS), the largest party in parliament, started formal talks in a bid to form coalition with the Modern Centre Party (SMC) and the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), both junior partners in the outgoing coalition, and opposition New Slovenia (NSi). LJUBLJANA - Slovenia posted a trade gap of EUR 564 million in 2019 as growth in goods imports outpaced growth in exports. Exports rose by 8.5% to EUR 33.47 billion and imports increased by 10.9% to EUR 34.04 billion, the Statistics Office said. BRUSSELS, Belgium - Outgoing PM Marjan Šarec was adamant that Slovenia would insist on its position that drastic cuts to cohesion funds planned under the Finnish proposal for the EU's next long-term budget were unacceptable, as he discussed the issue with EU Council President Charles Michel. BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Marjan Šarec expressed "moderate realism" about the arbitration implementation impasse with Croatia, saying that if both countries had elections the same year, there would be more time to reflect on the issue in a more relaxed manner. LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian police released data showing a total of 16,099 illegal crossings of the border for 2019, almost 74% more than in 2018. Citizens of Pakistan were involved in a total of 4,101 illegal crossings, followed by citizens of Algeria (1,892) and Afghanistan (1,733). LJUBLJANA- The Prešeren Prizes, the top national accolades in arts and culture, were conferred on the eve of Culture Day. The two lifetime achievement prizes went to photographer Stojan Kerbler and choreographer and dancer Milko Šparemblek. LJUBLJANA - A day after DeSUS head Aleksandra Pivec received death threats warning her not to join an SDS-led coalition, the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) said a package containing an unknown powder had been sent to the party headquarters. The powder turned out to be harmless. LJUBLJANA - The newly opened Ljubljana mosque hosted the first prayer. With 3,000-4,000 Muslim worshippers attending, some had to be put up in a number of other venues apart from the prayer hall. WASHINGTON, US - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Dobran Božič concluded a working visit to Washington where met Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Keith Krach and Assistant Secretary of European Affairs Phil Reeker. LJUBLJANA - Health officials warned that flu season was in full swing and that the disease was widespread, with some deeming the situation unprecedented and borderline extreme. The majority of patients are children aged up to 14.
SATURDAY, 8 February LJUBLJANA - Poems by France Prešeren were read at several events on Culture Day, as Slovenia paid tribute to its most celebrated poet. A number of museums and galleries were open free of charge. BELGRADE - MEP Tanja Fajon (S&D/SD), the chair of the European Parliament's Delegation to Serbia, vowed that the bloc would continue assisting the country in ensuring a fair election in April, as she paid a visit to Serbia together with European Commissioner for Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi and Rapporteur for Serbia Vladimir Bilčik (EPP).
SUNDAY, 9 February VALENCIA, Spain - Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) the Tour of Valencia 2020, having won stages two and four of the race earlier this week.
MONDAY, 10 February ANKARA, Turkey - Outgoing Foreign Minister Miro Cerar called for a strengthening of trust between the EU and Turkey, including in the fight against illegal migration, as he met his counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara at the outset of a two-day official visit to the country. The next day he attended a business conference in Istanbul. LJUBLJANA - Ksenija Klampfer, the outgoing labour minister, announced she was quitting the SMC in protest against the party entering coalition talks with the SDS. Moreover, Miro Cerar, the former leader of the SMC, ruled out being part of a government led by SDS leader Janez Janša. LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Foreign Ministry condemned a smear campaign in which the Italian neo-Fascist movement CasaPound put up banners describing World War II Partisans as assassins, issuing a protest following a recent attempt to deny the suffering of Slovenians at the hands of Fascists. SKOPJE, Macedonia - Speaker Dejan Židan started a two-day visit to North Macedonia by meeting his host and counterpart Talat Xhaferi. The pair confirmed excellent bilateral relations and expressed support for closer economic cooperation. LJUBLJANA - The SDS threatened outgoing PM Marjan Šarec with a lawsuit unless he apologised for stating last month on public TV Slovenija that the SDS "being financed by Hungary". LJUBLJANA - After the appointment of Nada Drobne Popovič as the CEO of energy group Petrol in January, the supervisory board filled the remaining two vacancies on the management board by appointing Matija Bitenc and Jože Bajuk board members effective on 11 March. LJUBLJANA - Strong winds, in particular in the east of the country, toppled trees, damaged roofs and disrupted power supply 9 and 10 February. A motorist was killed when a tree fell on his car. LJUBLJANA - The National Bureau of Investigation arrested five police officers operating at the Gruškovje and Zavrč border crossings with Croatia suspected of having accepted bribes for stamping the passports of third-country Schengen zone residents to allow them to prolong their stay beyond the permitted 90-day period. LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's industrial output increased by 3% last year, the sixth consecutive year of growth. The growth was driven by a 3.4% growth in manufacturing, while the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply industries and mining slowed down.
TUESDAY, 11 February SKOPJE, North Macedonia - Parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan addressed the North Macedonian parliament as it ratified the country's NATO accession protocol. In his speech, Židan reiterated that Slovenia supported North Macedonia's accession to both NATO and the EU. LJUBLJANA - The public broadcaster TV Slovenija reported that the National Bureau of Investigation is investigating the funding of some media outlets close to the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS). Web portal Necenzurirano.si reported on 10 February that the media had received EUR 1.5 million from Hungarians with ties to Hungarian PM Viktor Orban. LJUBLJANA - Women remain under-represented in STEM, especially at senior levels. Unconscious bias, double standards and gender stereotypes are some of the reasons why headway towards gender equality in this field remains sluggish. The University of Ljubljana, Slovenia's largest, has been dominated by men since it was established a century ago. LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Delo reported that Semenarna, the biggest seed producer in the country, had been sold for EUR 5.5 million to the Serbian Dušan Mojsilović businessman and his Agromarket company, which will make the latter one of the biggest seed producers and sellers in the region.
WEDNESDAY, 12 February LJUBLJANA - The executive committee of NSi decided to give its head Matej Tonin and his team full support in the SDS-led negotiations on a new government. Tonin now has the mandate to negotiate on the programme and staffing decisions of the potential new government. LJUBLJANA - The SMC deputy group head Igor Zorčič indicated that a snap election-entailing alliance proposed the LMŠ looked increasingly unlikely, while coalition talks with the SDS were going as expected. He also indicated that staffing questions were open not only about ministry distribution but also about the potential prime minister. LJUBLJANA - The SDS accused the LMŠ of leaking classified information to journalists about Hungarian financing of media outlets with close ties to the party. LJUBLJANA - TV Slovenija reported that a criminal complaint had been filed against chief market inspector Andrejka Grlić by tax inspectors over her interference in their cases, including stopping inspections to protect selected individuals. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee unanimously postponed a Left-sponsored proposal to declare support to the protection of political and civil liberties in Spain. The MPs agreed that dialogue on tackling the Catalan issue between the governments in Barcelona and Madrid should be given time. LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor said after a farewell meeting with Croatian counterpart Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović that her picking Slovenia for her last visit had not been a coincidence, since Slovenia and Croatia were neighbouring and friendly countries. LJUBLJANA - Slovenian companies wondering about the future relationship with their UK partners after Brexit were assured at an event held by the British Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and the British Embassy that Britons wanted to preserve the close business ties. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Environment Committee unanimously endorsed the proposed national environmental protection programme by 2030, despite criticism of the lack of concrete measures therein. LJUBLJANA - Environmental NGOs labelled the draft National Energy and Climate Plan not ambitious enough. Carbon neutrality by 2050 is too far off, Slovenia should aim for 2040 and should strive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than only 40% by 2030. LJUBLJANA - Staš Ravter, who was the director of the Slovenian Cinematheque between 2005 and 2010, was appointed director of the SNG Opera and Ballet theatre in Ljubljana, ending a leadership hiatus that lasted for almost two years.
THURSDAY, 13 February LJUBLJANA - SDS head Janez Janša, who is trying to build a coalition, said that in terms of content, a coalition able of tackling current issues and some delays is possible. Moreover, MPs of the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) were wooed by SMC head Zdravko Počivalšek to support the Janša coalition. LJUBLJANA - The Journalists' Association (DNS) condemned in the strongest terms "intensive attacks" on journalists reporting about alleged funding for the publishers of media close to the SDS from the circles of Hungarian PM Viktor Orban. LJUBLJANA - Slovenian bishops issued a pastoral letter, calling on believers to demonstrate their patriotic duty and responsibility for the common good by casting their vote come the election or voting time. LJUBLJANA - Motorway company DARS signed a EUR 90 million 22-year loan agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the construction of a second tube of the Karavanke tunnel. The loan represents roughly half of the investment value of the entire project. LJUBLJANA - A tie-up between the cargo division of state-owned rail operator Slovenske Železnice and the Czech energy and industrial group EPH is expected to be wrapped up in the first quarter of the year, Slovenske Železnice director Dušan Mes told Dnevnik. LJUBLJANA- The government decided for Slovenia to send over 1.2 million face masks to China to help it contain the coronavirus outbreak. LJUBLJANA - In its winter economic forecast, the EU Commission has kept Slovenia's economic forecast unchanged at 2.7% for 2020 and 2021, more than double the eurozone average.
