STA, 19 January 2020 - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar is attending a ministerial meeting of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in Brussels on Sunday ahead of 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp and International Holocaust Remembrance Day observed on 27 January.
In a press release, the Foreign Ministry said that as an IHRA member Slovenia is aspiring for the preservation of historical memory of the Holocaust and for respect for the victims of Nazism and Fascism.
In his brief address to the ministerial, Cerar said that Slovenians experienced the rise of Fascism as early as 100 years ago when their National Home (Narodni Dom) in the city of Trieste was burnt down.
He pledged Slovenia's continued commitment to preserving the awareness and historical records of the Holocaust, genocide against the Roma and persecution of other victims.
The ministerial is expected to adopt a declaration expressing political support for IHRA's efforts in Holocaust education, remembrance, and research, and support for the efforts to preserve historical records about the persecution of victims at the hands of Nazi Germany, its fascist and extreme-nationalist allies and other collaborators, and for condemnation of present-day anti-Semitism.
Established in 1998, IHRA brings together 34 participating countries, one liaison country, seven observer countries and eight standing international partners, including the EU. Slovenia has been a member since 2011.
STA, 19 January 2020 - The Marjan Šarec government is entering a new challenging period as Karl Erjavec, the mainstay of Slovenian government politics for 15 years, announced he was withdrawing from public life after losing the contest for the leadership of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) to Aleksandra Pivec.
Campaigning on an alternative vision of the party's future in a desire to make it more inclusive and collaborative, Pivec, the 47-year-old serving as agriculture minister, won 143 votes at Saturday's congress to Erjavec's 80 in a development that few had expected.
As soon as the results were declared, Erjavec announced his intention to resign as defence minister. Taking a step further, he issued what he described as his "last political statement" on the morning after, announcing that he was withdrawing from public life altogether.
"Since 2004 I have been part of all the governments, served as minister in various departments (...) after the congress's decision that I will no longer lead DeSUS, I see no reason to continue as a minister or government member any longer," the 59-year-old said in a written statement.
While Erjavec is willing to discuss the timing of his resignation with Prime Minister Marjan Šarec so as not to cause any inconvenience to the government, his decision is expected to put the ruling coalition in a tight spot as it struggles to secure a majority to appoint his replacement.
Sources close to the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) say that quick moves are not to be expected, because any potential candidate to succeed Erjavec at the ministerial post would first need to get the endorsement of the party bodies, which are yet to formed anew in the coming weeks following the congress.
While Šarec was quick to welcome Pivec's victory on Saturday night, he has not yet commented on Erjavec's decision to resign as minister, and coalition parties have been mostly muted in their reactions, but appear to be concerned about how to muster a majority needed to appoint a new minister.
Matjaž Han, the leader of the deputy faction of the Social Democrats (SD) is aware that "it will be absolutely hard to get a new minister through parliament".
The narrow vote on Angelika Mlinar, the cohesion policy minister, in December showed how precarious the ruling coalition's position became after the Left withdrew its support, with the opposition National Party (SNS) staying away in order to tip the scales as even one DeSUS member voted against Mlinar.
Rok Čakš, the editor of the news portal Domovina, said that Šarec was probably not happy with Erjavec's standing down as minister, even though he preferred Pivec as a non-confrontational person at the helm of the coalition partner, and pulled some strings to make that happen.
"Not because the prime minister would be happy with his [Erjavec's] work, but because it means he will have to put forward a new ministerial candidate to the National Assembly. As seen in the case of Angelika Mlinar, securing the required parliamentary majority is all but a routine for the Šarec minority government," Čakaš commented.
By contrast, even as admitting that developments remain unpredictable, analyst Andraž Zorko from the pollster Valicon maintained that DeSUS's decision to vote out Erjavec made the Šarec government stronger. What is more, he sees it as a very positive step for further developments in Slovenia.
Another question raised in the wake of the congress was a potential rift in the DeSUS deputy faction, as three out of the party's five MPs backed Erjavec in the leadership contest.
However, all of the DeSUS MPs, bar the rebel MP Robert Polnar, who has withdrawn his support for the minority government on several occasions and who failed to attend the congress, were quick to pledge their support for the new leader, and rushed to assure the public of the deputy faction's unity.
Erjavec's resignation also raised speculation about a government reshuffle, as Pivec indicated she planned to talk it through with Šarec whether DeSUS might assume responsibility for some other ministry than defence.
In her address to the congress, Pivec suggested DeSUS focus on areas concerning its platform in the future, including taking over at the Ministry of Labour, the Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.
However, coalition parties expressed their reservations about any broader reshuffle at the moment, and DeSUS told the STA that the party would discuss changing government departments only if Šarec was considering a reshuffle, but they would not want to interfere in the coalition partners' briefs.
Social Democrat Han said that having a broader reshuffle endorsed by parliament given the current balance of power, would be a "mission impossible", adding that DeSUS would simply need to find a new defence minister.
STA, 18 January 2020 - Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore called on sexual abuse victims within the Slovenian Roman Catholic Church to report the crimes and dismissed accusations of Church inactivity, as he spoke for the Odmevi news show on Friday evening.
Urging the victims to report abuse cases, Zore said that such actions would help "remove all that does not belong in the Church".
The Dovolj.je (It's Enough) NGO, a Catholic civil society group dedicated to fighting sexual abuse in the Church, has recently accused the institution of its persistent failure to tackle sexual abuse allegations against members of the clergy or even its systemic cover-up.
The group has thus urged a couple of senior clerics to step down, including Zore, Slovenia's top cleric.
Zore said that such accusations were general statements reflecting an exaggerated reaction, since the Church had been active in addressing the issue.
He pointed out that it had dealt with every single case that was brought to its knowledge, involving the police and providing support for the victims.
The Ljubljana archbishop stressed that there had not been any reports of alleged cover-ups, adding that the Ljubljana Archdiocese had received a couple of sexual abuse reports since the summer.
Zore said that the issue had been weighing him down, since it was difficult to carry the burden and faith of the victims, their abuse and turmoil, but he was also burdened by the faith of the perpetrators since the Church had to take care of those priests as well.
"You cannot just simply write them off," he said, adding that the situation had tarnished the reputation of innocent priests as well.
Igor Vovk, a senior member of the Dovolj.je (It's Enough) group, told the press this week that the Church kept adopting and updating recommendations on how church workers should deal with allegations of sexual abuse, but "everything remains dead ink on paper".
The only one who has seriously dealt with the situation so far is Murska Sobota Archbishop Peter Štumpf, who stripped a priest of his status upon finding out he has been accused of sexual abuse, Vovk added.
Štumpf expressed support for Zore this week, though, declaring that "if Archbishop Zore resigns, Archbishop Štumpf resigns as well" and praising Zore's efforts in tackling the issue.
STA, 19 January 2020 - Slovenia's ski jumper Timi Zajc placed third in Sunday's World Cup event in Titisee-Neustadt, Germany, in what is his best result this winter season.
Pole Dawid Kubacki was victorious for the second straight day, scoring 283.3 points, 0.3 points ahead of Japanese Ryoyu Kobayashi, who came in third at the same venue yesterday. Zajc mustered 271.6 points.
Kubacki and Kobayashi were a class apart in the first series, securing an advantage of more than 10 points ahead of the rest, while the battle for the third spot was wide open.
Going into the finals, Slovenia had two contenders for the remaining slot on the podium, Domen Prevc, who placed 5th in the first series, and Timi Zajc in 7th.
Zajc jumped 134 metres to take the lead, while losing minimum wind compensation points. Domen Prevc was very late into his jump, making it only as far as 113 metres.
Zajc's is only the fourth podium finish for Slovenia this season, after Anže Lanišek placed second in Poland's Wisla and third in Ruka, Finland, and Peter Prevc finished second in Engelberg, Switzerland.
Zajc was Slovenia's best jumper last season, finishing 9th overall.
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
LJUBLJANA - After losing the contest for the presidency of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), which he has led for 15 years, Karl Erjavec announced he was withdrawing not only from active politics as Slovenia's defence minister but also from public life. Erjavec, who was surprisingly defeated by his younger colleague Aleksandra Pivec, a fellow minister, plans to discuss the timing of his resignation Prime Minister Marjan Šarec so as not to cause any inconvenience to the minority government. While Šarec is yet to respond, even coalition members admit that mustering a majority in parliament to appoint Šarec's replacement would be a challenge.
Ceremony appeals for keeping memory of Holocaust alive
LJUBLJANA - Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina told a ceremony in Ljubljana that the unimaginable horrors and hardship of that time must not be forgotten. He also urged standing up to hatred and xenophobia. "Those images are embedded in our collective memory, our identity, and it is the duty of us all, in particular those whose voice is head in public, to make sure the memory doesn't fade," said Svetina. President Borut Pahor, who was also present, said young generations should be reminded where hatred lead, but not in a way as make them fear the future.
Cerar attends VIHRA ministerial
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar attended a ministerial meeting of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in Brussels ahead of 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp and International Holocaust Remembrance Day observed on 27 January. In his address, Cerar pledged Slovenia's continued commitment to preserving the awareness and historical records of the Holocaust, genocide against the Roma and persecution of other victims.
Ski Jumper Zajc makes podium in Titisee-Neustadt
TITISEE-NEUSTADT, Germany - Ski jumper Timi Zajc placed third in the World Cup event in Titisee-Neustadt, Germany, in what is his best result this season and the fourth season podium finish for Slovenia. Pole Dawid Kubacki was victorious for the second straight day, scoring 283.3 points, 0.3 points ahead of Japanese Ryoyu Kobayashi, who came in third at the same venue yesterday. Zajc mustered 271.6 points.
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
MONDAY, 20 January BRUSSELS, Belgium - Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj will take part in a session of the Eurogroup, focusing on deepening the economic and monetary union and the European Commission's recommendations for the euro zone as part of the European semester. BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar will take part in a session of the EU Foreign Affairs Council discussing developments in Bolivia, India, Libya and Venezuela. LJUBLJANA - The Office for Slovenians Abroad will speak about the course of repatriation of Venezuelans of Slovenian descent. LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor will receive the credentials of newly appointed ambassadors from Australia, Italy, Russia, Paraguay and Saudi Arabia. LJUBLJANA - The Human Rights Ombudsman's council will debate climate policy and Slovenia's long-term climate strategy. LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor will host a reception to mark the 30th anniversary since a Slovenian delegation walked out of the 14th congress of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, a major milestone in the break-up of Yugoslavia. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary inquiry into party financing will interview former governor of the central bank, Boštjan Jazbec, and former NKBM bank executives. LJUBLJANA - The presidency of the coalition Social Democrats (SD) will be in session to debate plans for 2020. LJUBLJANA - The Health Insurance Institute and the Public Administration Ministry will launch electronic medical certificate for sick leave. LJUBLJANA - An international photo exhibition Rabbit Hole will kick start Slovenia 2050 festival at Cankarjev Dom.
TUESDAY, 21 January DAVOS, Switzerland - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec will take part in the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum; until 22 Jan. BRUSSELS, Belgium - Development and Cohesion Policy Minister Angelika Mlinar will hold talks with European Cohesion Commissioner Elisa Ferreira. BRUSSELS, Belgium - Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj will take part in a session of EU finance ministers discussing taxation of digital economy and the European Green Deal. LJUBLJANA - The Defence Ministry will present a white paper on defence policy. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Commission will discuss hirings at the intelligence agency SOVA behind closed doors. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Infrastructure Committee will debate planned investment in traffic infrastructure until 2025. LJUBLJANA - A debate held by the Peace Institute will discuss repatriation of persons granted international protection in Slovenia and the EU. LJUBLJANA - A press conference on HPV infections will mark European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week.
WEDNESDAY, 22 January JERUSALEM, Israel - President Borut Pahor will take part in the World Holocaust Forum marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp; until 23 Jan. LJUBLJANA - An international conference on performance-based remuneration in the public sector. LJUBLJANA - Conventa, a two-day trade show for business tourism in New Europe, will get under way. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Committee on Education, Science, Sport and Youth will debate shortage of dentists in the country. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary committees on defence and health will debate helicopter emergency service at a joint session. LJUBLJANA - The Museum of Contemporary History will host a symposium dedicated to the 30th anniversary of a walk-out of the Slovenian delegation from the 14th congress of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia. LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Film Centre will speak about plans for the year.
THURSDAY, 23 January ZAGREB, Croatia - Boštjan Poklukar will attend an informal session of the EU's Justice and Home Affairs Council. LJUBLJANA - An auction of the bankruptcy estate of Adria Airways, including its Air Operator's Certificate. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Constitution Commission will resume debate on a proposal to start procedure for constitutional reform. MARIBOR - A commemoration ahead of the 27 January International Holocaust Remembrance Day, to be addressed by Culture Minister Zoran Poznič. PORTOROŽ - A two-day tax conference will get under way. LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release the consumer confidence index for January. POKLJUKA - The IBU World Cup Biathlon meet will get under way, to run until 26 January.
FRIDAY, 24 January LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services will debate the legality of hiring at the intelligence agency SOVA. LJUBLJANA - A public debate on 5G technology, hosted by the Public Administration Ministry. ČRNA NA KOROŠKEM - A three-day festival King Matthias's Castles will get under way as part of which participants will build sculptures from ice and snow. ŽALEC - The annual BUMfest percussion festival will kick off, until 26 January.
SATURDAY, 25 January LJUBLJANA - 2020, a theatre production inspired by texts by contemporary Israeli historian and thinker Yuval Noah Harari, will open at Cankarjev Dom. MARIBOR - The newspaper publisher Večer will hand out its Spade of the Year award for the statement that its readership believe best captured the zeitgeist of 2019.
SUNDAY, 26 January POKLJUKA - The IBU World Cup Biathlon meet will come to a close.
STA, 18 January 2020 - Grega Lačen, one of Slovenia's top mountain climbers, was killed after falling from a great height while descending one of the peaks in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps in northern Slovenia on Friday afternoon. The police have ruled out any foul play.
The 43-year-old died falling down a high-steep rock face near the Mlinar Saddle despite being well-equipped and familiar with the area. A local rescue team has already recovered the body.
Lačen was part of Slovenia's many successful climbing expeditions, reported the newspaper Večer. He summited numerous peaks, including Mount Everest, having skied down the world's highest mountain.
He also led an expedition to the Karakoram mountain range, which spans the borders of Pakistan, India, China, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
In the wake of several tragic climbing accidents in January, the police have urged climbers to exercise extra caution, particularly when descending steep snow slopes.
STA, 18 January 2020 - The Italians dominated the men's World Cup parallel giant slalom in Slovenia's ski resort Rogla on Saturday, whereas the Czech Republic took the top place in the women's race.
Italy's Edwin Corrati beat his countryman Roland Fischnaller to defend last year's win in Rogla. Ester Ledecka of the Czech Republic won the women's race, beating Germany's Ramona Theresia Hofmeister.
Third places went to Russian snowboarders in both categories, Natalija Soboleva and Vic Wild.
Slovenian snowboarders left empty-handed, with Tim Mastnak the only one to have made it into the final rounds.
Mastnak, who placed eighth in the qualifying stage, was beaten by Poland's Oskar Kwiatkowski in the round of 16.
Slovenia's best women's snowboarder was Gloria Kotnik, who ranked 31st in the qualifiers.
STA, 18 January 2020 - Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec surprisingly defeated Defence Minister Karl Erjavec for the presidency of the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS). Erjavec announced he would resign as minister.
Pivec, 47, won 145 votes at Saturday's congress to Erjavec's 80 to end his 15-year tenure at the helm of the party, having ran an insurgency campaign that offered an alternative vision of the party's future in a desire to make it more inclusive and collaborative.
Erjavec, one of the most seasoned politicians in Slovenia, had meanwhile pledged to stay the current course of focusing on pensions, brushing off allegations that his leadership style and substance were eroding the party's approval rating.
After the results were revealed, Erjavec immediately announced he would resign from government. "I expected confidence but did not get it ... I followed my conscience and worked to the best of my abilities. The time has come for a new generation and I wish it all the best," he said.
Erjavec, 59, led the party for 15 years, the second longest tenure of any current party president in Slovenia, and has been a minister in successive left and right governments, holding the environment, foreign affairs and defence portfolios.
Pivec said she had expected to win but by a narrower margin and was "humbled" to take over the leadership of DeSUS.
She urged the party to close ranks after the bitter contest, even going as far as implying that Erjavec may have announced his resignation prematurely since she saw no problem in continuing to work with him in government.
"Let's forget bad feelings and some overly emotional statements," she said, as the party has a lot of work ahead and would need the experiences of its senior members.
Addressing the party's core constituency, Pivec said that demographic change required Slovenia to take measures to prevent the older population from falling into poverty and social exclusion.
But she said it was also necessary "to remember the younger generation".
Outlining her leadership plans, Pivec said DeSUS would no longer be so willing to compromise. "We will not accept alliances without assurances of clear measures," she said.
Erjavec had been criticised for a while for the party's low public approval ratings, and Pivec said she would make sure the party is not merely around the threshold to enter parliament.
Under Erjavec's leadership, DeSUS has been in successive left and right governments for two decades, a natural position for a party that had a single issue at its core - pensions. But it performed dismally in the last two national elections and its ratings have stagnated.
In the general election in 2018 it saw its share of the vote more than halved to under 5%, barely past the 4% threshold to enter parliament.
In the 2019 elections to the European Parliament, it won under 6% of the vote and no longer has an MEP.
The congress capped weeks of very public campaigning in the media focusing on Pivec's alleged misdeeds in a period shortly before she became minister, when she was making a significant amount of money consulting for a state-funded tourism project that are now the subject of a police investigation.
She also forgot to report the funds to the anti-graft commission as required by law, a transgression that raises ethical issues but is unlikely to be serious enough to warrant action by law enforcement.
Erjavec, meanwhile, has been under pressure in recent days due to his handling of the withdrawal of Slovenian troops from Iraq after Iran attacked two bases there, with media accusing him of turning a serious matter into a PR stunt to shore up support within party ranks.
The leadership race has also had reverberations in government, with Prime Minister Marjan Šarec seen as implicitly favouring Pivec over Erjavec, leading Erjavec to accuse him of trying to take control of the party by proxy.
Šarec has denied the accusation and said he was ready to work with Erjavec or Pivec as party presidents, but many pundits believed he would have had to take some kind of action against Erjavec over the troop withdrawal in any case.
The election result makes Pivec one of the fastest rising stars in Slovenian politics.
Before she was named agriculture minister in the Šarec government in 2018, she served as state secretary at the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad, a fairly low-key government position that does not provide much public exposure.
But as minister, she has proved to me media-savvy and has made it a point to appear at agricultural events large and small across the country, even as her ministry has so far not produced major new legislation.
Pivec holds a PhD in chemical engineering and had previously worked 17 years at the Scientific Research Centre Bistra in Ptuj, of which six years as director. She comes from a well-known wine making family.
If you're not in town for the week of this guide (20 - 26 January, 2020) then you can see all the editions here, and if there's event or activity you want to promote in a future edition of What's on in Ljubljana please get in touch with me at flanner(at)total-slovenia-news.com or try and find me on Facebook. If you want something a little different and easy to print, then a comprehensive PDF of events for the next seven days, as prepared by Ljubljana Tourism, is here. If you're in town and want to follow the news then check out our regular morning headlines for Sloveniahere.
You can see more about upcoming events and festivals in Slovenia here, to fill your calendar with things to look forward to, while below is a selection of entertainments, educations and diversions on around the capital in the next seven days.
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday SNG Opera and Ballet are putting on Tchaikovsky’s Joan of Arc, all starting at 19:30 except Friday, when it’s 18:00.
Alcoholics Anonymous has an English language meeting every Tuesday, 19:00 in Poljane – email for more details: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Friday Kino Šiška has the acclaimed Slovenian musician Bowrain presenting a new music project titled 2020 Seconds(A)live at 20:00. Same night, 21:00, there’s Jazz at the Castle, and this week it’s Femi Temowo.
Friday and Saturday 20:00 the city’s most intimate venue, Pocket Theatre, is bringing back Vaudeville: Matilda, Let's Do It. It’s a small place and usually sells out. Details here.
Saturday the 5th Philharmonic Festival of Baroque Music is back with another concert, with this one titled Handel and the English, with the other names being Arne, Avison, Purcell, Greene and Boyce. Note that this starts at 11:00am, at Slovenian Philharmonic, Kongresni trg 10. The piece from Handel is the one shown below.
Still open until 5 March, 2020, Magic Ice-rink Lumpi Park offers 600 m2 of the covered ice surface and 180 m of ice-skating paths which enable you to skate through the Sports park Savsko naselje, at Kranjčeva ulica 24. Details here.
Looking ahead, the next edition of the MENT music festival, in early February, has just announced the full line-up. Check it out
New or new-ish movies in town this week include the following:
How much do tourists spend in Slovenia? Find out here
You may have heard about Free Tour Ljubljana, the tour company that’s #1 on TripAdvisor for the city and gives away its main product. What’s the deal with that? Find out here.
While the Old Town is quaint, and full of music, where does Ljubljana really shop? One popular answer is BTC City, a vast complex of malls, entertainment facilities and more, including more than 70 different food vendors, offering everything from Slovenian to Thai, Indian to Italian, Mexican to Chinese. Check out my recent visit here.
Looking for something different to eat? Trubajeva cesta, running right by Dragon Bridge, has the greatest concentration of "ethnic food" places in Ljubljana, and thus perhaps the country. Check out our walk through guide as of June 2019.
In warmer days than you'll see this week. Photo: JL Flanner
You can read about all the cinemas in town here, while a selection of what’s playing this week is below, and note that kids' movies tend to be shown in dubbed versions, while non-English language movies for older viewers will have Slovenian subtitles.Parents should also pay attention to Kinobalon, which is Kinodvor's regular weekend series of film screenings and events for children, from babies on up, with special parent/child events, "first time in a cinema" screenings, and babysitting. Learn more about it here, and see the current schedule here.
Note - most children's films will be dubbed (sinhronizirano) - for subtitles look for 'podnapisi'.
Kinodvor –This is an arts cinema, not far from the train station, that shows new features as well as hosting the occassional festival.
Kinoteka – And not far from Kinodvor you can find this revival cinema, which shows art house classics along with some deep dives in the archives.
Kino Bežigrad - A relatively small theatre, but one which usually has the biggest of the new releases.
Kolosej -The multiplex out at BTC City Mall shows all the big movies, with well over a dozen titles on the schedule, although note that there are far more movies than screens, so some of the older ones mayonly be playing once or twice a week.
Komuna – The cinema in a basement behind Nama department store shows two or three different features a week, usually including the biggest titles.
Looking for a souvenir you'll really enjoy? Take a look at Broken Bones Gin, the first gin made in Ljubljana (learn more here, and try it at the Central Market or selected downtown bars).
Photo: Genius loci d.o.o.
Know that big triangular building behind the train station? Learn what's inside here.
Clubbing
Compared to some European capitals it can seem that nightlife in Ljubljana ends rather early, especially along the river, but there are still bars that stay open late and clubs were you can dance until dawn, and perhaps the best place to stumble across something interesting is the legendary Metelkova. Be aware it's a grungy kind of place and not for all tastes, but also that there's considerable variety to found within the various clubs there, from death metal to electropop, gay cabaret to art noise. You can read "the rules" of the place here. And if you're curious about how the place started then read our story, and look at some pictures, about last year's 25th anniversary.
Božidar - DJ events aren't too common here, but when they happen they often have a big name.
Channel Zero – DJs shows here include regular dub nights as well as electronic music.
Gala Hala – Another Metelkova venue, you can sometimes hear bhangra and Bollywood here, but more often funk, hip hop, breakbeat and so on.
Klub Cirkus – The more commercial end of clubland, and a venue that aims to serve the student party scene. Expect house, anthems, and bangers.
Klub K4 – The home of techno, old and new, along with various other electronic genres,
Koncertna Dvorana Rog– There are irregular DJ sets at this underground (not literally) venue at the far end of Trubarjeva cesta, and they range from techno to goa to drum'n'bass.
Orto Bar– 80s and 90s throwback nights can often be found here, along with rock-based DJ sets.
Cankerjev dom- The main arts venue in the country always has something of interest going on.
Gledališče IGLU - IGLU Theatre – Saturday night this group is usually putting on an English improv show somewhere in town, but it’s generally promoted after this is written, so check the Facebook before putting on your shoes.
Kino Šiška – One of the top live venues in the city also hosts some dance performance, often of the more experimental variety.
Mini Teater Ljubljana –The English schedule of varied performances, for adults and children, for the month is here.
Ljubljana Puppet Theatre - Puppetry has a long and noble tradition in Slovenia, and you can see performances for children and adults (including non-puppet shows) drawing from the Theatre's rich repetoire as well as new productons.
SNG Opera and Ballet - As the name suggests, here you'll find the best of opera and ballet in the country.
Španski borci - The home ofcontemporary dance(and the EnKnapGroup) in Slovenia.
Pocket Teater Studio– There are regular flamenco evenings at perhaps the smallest venue town, but note that the number of seats is very limited, and thus you should make a reservation via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 070 325 522.
Drogart is an organization that aims to minimise harm on the party scene, and offers drug-testing services and reports on their webpage. It’s in Slovene, but you can Google translate it or work things out yourself, and our story on the group is here.You can find the latest warnings on fake drugs and high strength pills and powders (in Slovene) here. However, be aware that all the usual drugs are illegal in Slovenia.CBD is legal, though, and our retailer of choice can be found on Trubarjeva cesta - read more about Sena Florahere.
You can find our Top 12 list of things to do with kids in Ljubljana here. If want to read more about the philosophy behind the wonderful House of Experiments look here, while our trip to the Museum of Illusions is documented here, and there’s always riverside walks, pizza and ice cream. With regard to the latter, take a look at our guide tosix places that serve good ice cream in winter, and thus are serious about the dessert.
Mini Teater Ljubljana – The season sees a lot of puppet performances for children, in Slovene, at this theatre not far from Križanke. The English schedule for the month is here.
Ljubljana Puppet Theatre - The puppet theatre near the Central Market and next to the Castle funicular has a full programme or shows, for children and adults, with the schedule here.
If you're looking for more general links on "gay Slovenia", including a history of the scene and various projects, then you can find that here, while our stories about the community can be found here.
Klub Monokel– This lesbian bar in Metelkova is open every Friday, although sometimes there are other events
Klub Tiffany –And the gay bar next door is also open on Fridays. Other things coulds also be planned, so click on the name to find out.
Pritličje – This seems to be the only "always open" LGBT-friendly cafe / bar / events space in town, and perhaps the country, so it's a good thing it's such a good one, open from morning to night, and with fliers and posters letting you know what's happening outside the narrow confines of, say, a general interest online what's on... guide.
Screenshot from Google Maps, showing the location of the Castle vineyard
Ljubljana Castle
The city’s main attraction is said to be the top tourist draw in the country overall, and to my mind it earns a spot near the top just for the history and views. But beyond that the current owners, the City of Ljubljana, have laid out a varied, interesting and enjoyable programme of events, one that rewards regular revisits. On until 17 November Mighty Guardians of the Past: Castles in the Slovenian Lands, a presentation that delivers on the promise of its title.
I try and get up there every Saturday morning to clear my head and move my feet on the trails, and never tire of that end of the hill. At the other end, where the Castle sits, there’s a lot more than fresh air on offer. There are guided tours, restaurants, a café, Castle museum, puppet museum, a Watchtower you can climb to the highest point in the city, art shows, dances, live music, movies under the stars, festival days and more – enough to reward multiple trips up the hill through the year. All of these activities and events can be found on the Castle website, while on TSN you can see “25 things to know about Ljubljana Castle” here, and “Ten Ways to Enjoy Ljubljana Castle” here.
Most public galleries and museums are closed on Mondays, although not the National Museum.
Bežigrajska galerija 2 – Take a trip to Vodovodna cesta 3 and until 8 February 2020 you can see Lojze Spacal (1907–2000): From the Littoral and the Karst Region.
Plečnik’s House is worth a visit if you want to learn more about the architect who gave Ljubljana much of its character, and it's also in a really nice part of town, Trnovo, just a short walk or cycle upriver. Read about our guided tour here.
Balassi Institute – The Hungarian culture centre is next to a Spar and Hofer, and not far from Dragon Bridge, and always has something interesting going on. Learn more here.
City Museum – The Museum in French Revolution Square an interesting permanent exhibition on the history of Ljubljana, from prehistoric times to the present day, with many artefacts, models and so on that bring the story alive.You can read about my visit here. On until August 2020 there’s Book. Reason. Knowledge. From Protestantism to Enlightenment (1500–1800), which presents the processes and events that encouraged and fostered the cultural and spiritual development in Ljubljana from the end of the 15th to the beginning of the 19th century – from humanism and Protestantism to the Enlightenment. More on that here.
The Faces of Ljubljana in the City Museum. Photo: JL Flanner
Drink like a pro - find gallery openings. Photo: JL Flanner
MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design has much of what you'd expect, along with some temporary shows and a good cafe. BIO 26: Common Knowledge is on until 9 February, looking at information, fake news and citizenship, with details here.
Moderna galerija – The main branch of this gallery, to be found near the entrance to Tivoli Park, has a good collection of modern art, as well a nice café in the basement.
Alan Ford was recently at the National Gallery - read more about this comic book here.
National Gallery – The country’s main gallery has “the best” of what’s on offer from the Middle Ages to non-contemporary modern visual arts, and is in a great location for exploring other areas, just by Tivoli Park and opposite the main branch of the Moderna galerija. You can read about our visit to the room containing sacred art from the Middle Ages
The real Robba Fountain can be found in the entrance to the National Gallery - the one you see in the Old Town is a genuine fake, as seen below and reported here.
Photo: JL Flanner
National Museum of Slovenia – There’s plenty to see in the permanent collection here, from Roman times, Egypt and more. Meanwhile, the museum's Metelkova branch, located between one branch of the Moderna galerija and the Ethnographic Museum has some rooms on Church art, furniture and weapons, with the latter including more guns than you'll see anywhere else in town, and quite a thrill if coming from a nation where such objects are not household items.
A fragment of a Coptic textile; 5th–6th cent.: Upper Egypt; linen, wool; National Museum of Slovenia. Photo: Tomaž Lauko
Until 24 May 2020 you can see Coptic Textiles from the Collection of the National Museum of Slovenia at the branch in the Metelkova museum quarter, by the Ethnographic Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Details.
Natural History Museum – On until the end of December 2019 is Our Little Big Sea, which takes a look at the oceans.
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.
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
Defence Minister Erjavec announces resignation after losing party presidency
LJUBLJANA - Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec surprisingly defeated Defence Minister Karl Erjavec for the presidency of the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), prompting Erjavec to announce his resignation as minister. Pivec, 47, won 145 votes to Erjavec's 80 to end his 15-year tenure at the helm of the party, having ran an insurgency campaign that offered an alternative vision of the party's future in a desire to make it more inclusive and collaborative, and broaden its appeal beyond its core constituency.
Archbishop urges victims to report sexual abuse
LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore called on sexual abuse victims within the Slovenian Roman Catholic Church to report the crimes and dismissed accusations of Church inactivity by the Dovolj.je (It's Enough) NGO. Speaking for TV Slovenija on Friday evening, he pointed out that the Church had dealt with every single case that was brought to its knowledge, adding that the issue had been weighing down on him.
Slovenia discusses agriculture cooperation with W Balkans
BERLIN, Germany - Slovenia's agriculture delegation talked about providing support to the Western Balkans countries in their EU enlargement efforts with the region's representatives as it attended the International Green Week agricultural trade show. They discussed in particular assistance in implementation of EU regulations.
Ljubljana's only five-star hotel exceeding expectations
LJUBLJANA - Intercontinental Ljubljana, the Slovenian capital's sole five-star hotel, is exceeding the expectations of its owner. Opened in August 2017, it has a higher-than-planned occupancy rate and it is among the best rated hotels in the group worldwide, according to general manager Miloš Cerović. In the coming years it wants to improve occupancy and raise prices, but in order to do that the competition must follow suit.
Italian, Czech victories at Rogla snowboard World Cup
ZREČE - The Italians dominated the men's World Cup parallel giant slalom in Slovenia's ski resort Rogla, whereas the Czech Republic took the top place in the women's race. Italy's Edwin Corrati beat his countryman Roland Fischnaller to defend last year's win in Rogla. Ester Ledecka of the Czech Republic won the women's race, beating Germany's Ramona Theresia Hofmeister.
Skilled climber falls to death in Jezersko area
JEZERSKO - Grega Lačen, one of Slovenia's top mountain climbers, was killed on Friday after falling from a great height while descending one of the peaks in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps near Jezersko in northern Slovenia. The police have ruled out any foul play.
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
