STA, 10 January 2020 - Medical experts in the western Goriška region and the Medical Chamber of Slovenia have urged decision-makers to properly address the local environmental issues, pointing at pollution effects on people's health in the area. They also expressed concern over efforts to expand incineration capacities at a local cement factory.

The region's doctors and dentists have sent their appeal to a number of relevant institutions and decision-makers, most notably to the Environment Ministry and Environment Agency.

The medical chamber endorsed the petition at its Thursday's session. So far, it has been signed by more than 140 doctors and dentists from the region as well as a number of their colleagues from other parts of the country, altogether more than 160 experts.

"The area has been marked by several decades of asbestos-cement production, moreover, in the recent years, the local cement factory or co-incineration plant has been producing an increasingly larger share of energy by incinerating waste, including toxic waste," said the signatories.

The Salonit Anhovo cement factory endeavours to get the go-ahead to incinerate more waste. The factory is the largest such facility in Slovenia, incinerating more than 100,000 tonnes of waste per year.

In December, the local branch of the opposition party Left held a public debate on these developments which included experts and environmental civil initiatives.

The debate heard warnings about detrimental effects of such an activity on general health and requests for the area to be declared degraded land and restored.

The Environmental Agency is currently examining the factory's request for expanding its incineration capacities by almost 25%.

Meanwhile, the medical experts have warned about exercising caution in technology implementation and capacity expansion due to potential long-term effects and interactions among pollutants.

They have urged decision-makers to employ the precautionary principle, prevent any further exposure to pollutants and set the same limit values for all citizens regardless of where they work or live.

STA, 11 January 2020 - Skier Žan Kranjec won the giant slalom FIS World Cup Alpine Skiing race in Adelboden, Switzerland, on Saturday. Four giant slaloms into the season, he has taken the lead in the giant slalom rankings. Croatian Filip Zubčić was second and French Victor Muffat-Jeandet took third place.

He was sixth after the first run and made it to the top following a mistake by Italian Luca di Aliprandini, who was in the lead after the first run.

This was Kranjec's first victory of the season, during which he has not placed lower than place four.

"This win means a lot to me," Kranjec said after the race. "I've always dreamt of winning a world cup race and then I finally made it last season," he said, referring to his first world cup victory.

"I've also dreamt of winning in Adelboden, for me one of the most demanding pistes, and now I've achieved this as well," Kranjec said.

"Right now I'm probably in the best shape of my career. The race today was hard but I know that anything is possible in the second run."

It seems however that Kranjec's victory was a surprise for the organising team, as they did not have a Slovenian flag ready for the award ceremony and had to borrow it from one of the spectators.

STA, 11 January 2020 - Cross-country skier Anamarija Lampič took second place in the sprint event of FIS Cross-Country event in Dresden, Germany, on Saturday. She has thus taken the lead in the cross country sprint rankings.

After clocking the fastest time in her group in qualifications, she was the fastest in her group in the quarter finals and second in her group in the semi-finals.

In the final run, Lampič finished 0.21 seconds slower than the winner, Swede Linn Svahn. Swede Maja Dahlqvist took third place, lagging only 0.5 seconds behind Lampič.

"I think Dresden is growing on me. There's a bit of a bitter aftertaste because I feel that I could have won today. But it is what it is and we'll keep on fighting tomorrow," she said, referring to the sprint relay scheduled for tomorrow.

"Today I was blocked in the home stretch and I couldn't take advantage of my speed. I couldn't make it to the front and had to wait for the piste to widen. I attacked by I didn't manage to win.

"Tomorrow Katja and I will do our best, improve our handoff and hope for a podium," Lamšič said, referring to her teammate Katja Višnar.

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

This summary is provided by the STA:

PM critical of public exposure of mission to bring troops from Iraq

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec expressed criticism of the way Slovenian military instructors were pulled out of Iraq earlier in the week. "The last thing we wanted was media hype... Unfortunately some experienced politicians completely neglected that and carried it all out in the spotlight. International credibility should not be played with," he said in a tweet, three days after Defence Minister Karl Erjavec and President Borut Pahor, the supreme commander of the Armed Forces, decided to bring home Slovenia's six instructors stationed in Erbil after a rocket attack of their base by Iran.

Kranjec wins giant slalom

ADELBODEN, Switzerland - Skier Žan Kranjec won the giant slalom FIS World Cup Alpine Skiing race in Adelboden, Switzerland and took the lead in the giant slalom rankings. Croatian Filip Zubčić was second and French Victor Muffat-Jeandet took third place. "This win means a lot to me," Kranjec said after the race. "I've always dreamt of winning a world cup race and then I finally made it last season," he said, referring to his first world cup victory.

Lampič second in cross-country sprint

DRESDEN, Germany - Cross-country skier Anamarija Lampič took second place in the sprint event of FIS Cross-Country event in Dresden, Germany. She has thus taken the lead in the cross country sprint rankings. After clocking the fastest time in her group in qualifications, she was the fastest in her group in the quarter finals and second in her group in the semi finals. In the final run, Lampič finished 0.21 seconds slower than the winner, Swede Linn Svahn. Swede Maja Dahlqvist took third place, lagging only 0.5 seconds behind Lampič.

Bank branches losing out to online

LJUBLJANA - The number of brick-and-mortar bank branches in Slovenia has been on decline in recent years due to digital banking reducing demand for branch services. Their number dropped by almost 20% in 2013-2018, with the number of employees decreasing by some 15% in this period as well. At the end of 2013, Slovenia boasted more than 600 branches, while in late 2018, there were fewer than 500 left. The number of ATMs is on the decline as well. Their presence decreased by 9% between 2015 and 2019, a downturn that has caused backlash in certain local communities.

SiChain aims for blockchain deployment at companies, state bodies

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia launched SiChain, a blockchain infrastructure platform, just over a year ago to become the first EU country to have a pilot blockchain infrastructure system in place at state level. SiChain technology aims to facilitate blockchain technology use for companies and state agencies, and could be used for document verification as well. The pilot project is run by the Economy Ministry in cooperation with the EU Commission, with the project's infrastructure being devised by blockchain firm HashNet and telecoms provider Telemach.

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

It’s been 18 years since the plans for construction of the so called Brda Spa, which would include a hotel, swimming pools, shops and a 45-metre-high tower, were set up. On Friday, however, an investor has been finally confirmed after Italian Private Value Capital Management fund signed a letter of intent to make the project a reality.

At the signing the letter of intent at the Vipolže Villa, the Mayor of Brda stated that the municipality’s commitment is now to take care of changing the land use of the property, which spans over six hectares between the villages of Medana and Fojana.  The property is still owned by two private owners with whom the municipality has a sale agreement.

The news of a “spa” centre in Goriška Brda was met with mixed responses from the public. While some support the project as a good development plan, others are worried that it would have a negative impact on picturesque cultural landscape of Brda, sometimes called Slovenian Tuscany.

What do you think?

If you're not in town for the week of this guide (13 - 19 January, 2020) then you can see all the editions here, and if there's event or activity you want to promote in a future edition of What's on in Ljubljana please get in touch with me at flanner(at)total-slovenia-news.com or try and find me on Facebook. If you want something a little different and easy to print, then a comprehensive PDF of events for the next seven days, as prepared by Ljubljana Tourism, is here. If you're in town and want to follow the news then check out our regular morning headlines for Slovenia here.

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The last of the Christmas / New Year wine, beer and whisky store is long gone, and in terms of delicacies we’re down to whatever strange cheeses came through the season unharmed. It’s time, for real, to get back to work, get back in shape, and get back on track after what seems like weeks of indulgence and sloth. And what better way to reconnect with the world than by going out and having fun in Ljubljana?

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

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.

Tuesday evening, 19:30, Cankarjev dom will host the Tetzlaff Quartett playing Schoenberg, String Quartet No 1 in D minor; and Beethoven, String Quartet No 13 in B flat Major, Op. 130 with Grande Fugue, Op. 133. That same evening, 14 January, “You are cordially invited to the opening of the exhibition Ritual Purification by Tadej Vaukman … at 7pm at the P74 Gallery in Ljubljana.”

Starting Wednesday 15 January and on until 1 April, visitors to Tivoli Park can enjoy Matevž Paternoster’s photographs, in an open-air show called A City With Plečnik's Signature. Wednesday also sees the opening of a new show at Aksioma, just on the corner and up the hill, away from the Castle, on the road with Dragon Bridge. It’s called The Cleaning of Emotional Data by Elisa Giardina Papa, and there should e people and wine between 20:00 and 22:00 (details).

Friday sees the 5th Philharmonic Festival Of Baroque Music at the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall, Kongresni trg, with a programme titled Baroque 2- Bach and Telemann. Friday is also Jazz Night at the Castle, with that jazz covering a broad range, from pop to funk. This week it’s Cherry Wine: A Tribute to Amy Winehouse. The same evening Hamo & Tribute 2 Love are playing at Cankarjev dom.

After the show you could head to Klub K4 and enjoy Šamar w/ Dacho & Levanael + Pop up LENA & Elovetric, which promises guilt-free pleasure with the likes of "Inner City, Madonna, Moloko, SNAP!, Moby, Altern 8, Sonique, Armand van Helden, Scatman John, Technotronic, The Chemical Brothers, Whitney Houston, Will Smith, The KLF, and The Prodigy".

The MENT music festival doesn’t open until February, but you can learn more about the performers here if you like to plan ahead.

The Opera and Ballet only has one show this week – Saturday’s nights Joan of Arc, by Tchaikovsky Here's Jessye Norman with some of the music.

Saturday, 18 January “The refined Ljubljana group Neomi will finally present their long-awaited second album at their return to [Kino] Šiška”. Earlier in the day there’s Record fair Ljubljana-Biljardna Hiša-Parmova 25, 10:00 to 18:00 – details. Later that night Klub K4 offers New Blood, with the young DJs Laurus, Inneas, Jona and Chiro making you feel old as they play dark techno and old-school house music. Also ,on Saturday, 21:00 to 03:00, Klub Monokel is hosting “Sin Girls”, which appears to offer entertainment in the form of Lesbians Got Talent! (apply to enter here). The night also has a 50s, 60s theme, so dress, or down, in historical butch and femme style (I'm quoting) - or just come as you are.

New or new-ish movies in town this week include the following:

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In town and looking for a gift or souvenir? Take a look at Cook Eat Slovenia - the book.

How much do tourists spend in Slovenia? Find out here

You may have heard about Free Tour Ljubljana, the tour company that’s #1 on TripAdvisor for the city and gives away its main product. What’s the deal with that? Find out here.

While the Old Town is quaint, and full of music, where does Ljubljana really shop? One popular answer is BTC City, a vast complex of malls, entertainment facilities and more, including more than 70 different food vendors, offering everything from Slovenian to Thai, Indian to Italian, Mexican to Chinese. Check out my recent visit here.

Looking for something different to eat? Trubajeva cesta, running right by Dragon Bridge, has the greatest concentration of "ethnic food" places in Ljubljana, and thus perhaps the country. Check out our walk through guide as of June 2019.

In warmer days than you'll see this week. Photo: JL Flanner

Ljubljana is forecast to be the fastest-warming city in the world over the next few decades.

You're in the town of Slavoj Žižek, but do you find yourself lost when conversation turns to the philosopher? If so, check out our collection of quotes and clips to learn more.

Screenshot from YouTube

Contents

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

Cinemas and films

You can read about all the cinemas in town here, while a selection of what’s playing this week is below, and note that kids' movies tend to be shown in dubbed versions, while non-English language movies for older viewers will have Slovenian subtitles.Parents should also pay attention to Kinobalon, which is Kinodvor's regular weekend series of film screenings and events for children, from babies on up, with special parent/child events, "first time in a cinema" screenings, and babysitting. Learn more about it here, and see the current schedule here.

Note - most children's films will be dubbed (sinhronizirano) - for subtitles look for 'podnapisi'.

Kinodvor –This is an arts cinema, not far from the train station, that shows new features as well as hosting the occassional festival.

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

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

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

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

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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.

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Live music

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Slovenska filharmonija– Classical music in the centre of town.

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

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

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Slovenska cesta, 1959. Wikimedia. See more pictures of Old Ljubljana here

Theatre and dance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Harm reduction and drug testing

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

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Photo: Igor Andjelič. See more of his work here

Things to do with children

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

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

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

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LGBT+ Ljubljana

If you're looking for more general links on "gay Slovenia", including a history of the scene and various projects, then you can find that here, while our stories about the community can be found here.

Klub Monokel – This lesbian bar in Metelkova is open every Friday, although sometimes there are other events

Klub Tiffany –And the gay bar next door is also open on Fridays. Other things coulds also be planned, so click on the name to find out.

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

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

Ljubljana Castle

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

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

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Museums and galleries

Most public galleries and museums are closed on Mondays, although not the National Museum.

Bežigrajska galerija 2 – Take a trip to Vodovodna cesta 3 and until 8 February 2020 you can see Lojze Spacal (1907–2000): From the Littoral and the Karst Region.

 Cankerjev dom – On until 3 March 2020 there's an exhibition on Ancient Greek Science and Technology. Details here.

Plečnik's desk. Photo: JL Flanner

Plečnik’s House is worth a visit if you want to learn more about the architect who gave Ljubljana much of its character, and it's also in a really nice part of town, Trnovo, just a short walk or cycle upriver. Read about our guided tour here. On until January 2020 you can see plans and models for some of the things Plečnik planned but never built in Ljubljana. Take a look at some pictures here.

Image: Nejc Bernik. ZRC-SAZU

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. This month, until 17 January, there's also an exhibition with more works like the one shown below for a show described as follows: “The concept of the exhibition “Awkwardly Close” in Balassi Institute is exactly the self-conscious unease coming from artistic and content similarities between the works of Kata Bereczki, and the Slovenian artistic collective Son:DA."

City Gallery - From 28 November until 19 January 2020 there's a sculpture by Jiři Bezlaj.

Jiři Bezlaj, Hrošč, 2010 - 2016. Source: Mestna galerija

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 untl 30 August is BOOK. KNOWLEDGE. REASON. From Protestantism to Enlightenment (1500–1800), with details here.

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

Drink like a pro - find gallery openings. Photo: JL Flanner

Ljubljana Castle - (Un)known Ljubljana is on at the top of the hill, a free to enter National Geographic exhibition with photographs of some of the lesser seen parts of the city, with one example below and more here. It ends 12 January.

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. The 9th Triennial of Contemporary Art U3 is also on here until 12 January 2020. Titled Dead and Alive: “The exhibition unfolds around three contradictory states of now – the dead and alive state of conceptualism, analogue and liquid materiality, and the subconscious as the battlefield of cognitive capitalism. Because – how do art and avant-garde progress? By making sensible what is beyond. At the end of the day, Dead and Alive is a quantum time search for an engaged form.” More details here, on one of the works on show below.

© Aleksandra Vajd, Collage by K. E. Graebner Nature the Unknown Acquaintance (1971) and a unit of five hand-dyed photograms titled: ‘rivalry of superior vs. inferior’, 2017

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 here. Until 12 January there's a nice collection of Travel Posters, like the one below, to enjoy.

The real Robba Fountain can be found in the entrance to the National Gallery - the one you see in the Old Town is a genuine fake, as seen below and reported here.

Photo: JL Flanner

National Museum of Slovenia – There’s plenty to see in the permanent collection here, from Roman times, Egypt and more. Meanwhile, the museum's Metelkova branch, located between one branch of the Moderna galerija and the Ethnographic Museum has some rooms on Church art, furniture and weapons, with the latter including more guns than you'll see anywhere else in town, and quite a thrill if coming from a nation where such objects are not household items.  

A fragment of a Coptic textile; 5th–6th cent.:  Upper Egypt; linen, wool; National Museum of Slovenia. Photo: Tomaž Lauko

Until 24 May 2020 you can see Coptic Textiles from the Collection of the National Museum of Slovenia at the branch in the Metelkova museum quarter, by the Ethnographic Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Details.

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

National Museum of Contemporary History - Tucked away in park Tivoli, you can see a permanent exhibition on Slovenians in the 20th century.

Slovene Ethnographic Museum – The museum has two permanent exhibitions. One of these is called Between Nature and Culture, and has a great collection of objects from Slovenia and around the world, well worth the trip up to the third floor to see it (as recounted here). 

Vžigalica Gallery – On until 12 January 2020 is SAEBORG: SLAUGHTER HOUSE 17 from the Japanese artist Saeborg, which is being promoted with the following image. Details here.

SAEBORG: SLAUGHTER HOUSE 17. Photo: © DARKMOFO

Union Experience – The Ljubljana-based brewer has a museum showing the history of the company, with the ticket also including access to part of the factory and a few samples of the product. You can read about our visit here.

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

Verba. Photo: JL Flanner

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

Photo: JL Flanner

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Other things to do in Ljubljana

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

If you like the city's architecture then check out this great book, Let’s See the City - Ljubljana: Architectural Walks & Tours, with our review here and a page from the book shown above. We took a walk with one of the authors who showed us how much there is to learn and enjoy if you slow down and pay attention - read about that here.

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

Photo: Neža Loštrek

For something a little more brual, check out Republika trg / Republic Square, in the heart of the political quarter.

Photo: JL Flanner

Photo: JL Flanner

Some view of the city you can only get from the river. If you'd like to take a boat ride then read about my experience here. If you'd like to spend an evening painting with others, then take a look at Design with Wine, which organises painting parties on Trubarjeva cesta,

If you want to see some antiques, then check out the wonderful Antika Carniola, as discussed here. The man behind it, Jaka Prijatelj, has a fine eye for life on this street, as you can see on his Facebook account.

Photo: JL Flanner

If you’re in town and want to go jogging or walking in nature, why not take another look at the Castle, with a brief guide to the trails here. If you want something bigger, head to Tivoli Park.

And if you're bored with the Old Town, why not take a walk, cycle or boat ride to nearby Špica and enjoy the riverside life. Learn more about that here.

visitljubjana.si

Nataraja Studio

Want to stretch and breath? Then check out our list of drop-in yoga classes for tourists, visitors and the uncommitted. We go to Nataraja Studio, by Dragon Bridge, and here's a story about it.

Prefer to have someone else stretch you? The check out the totally legit massages you can get from Sense Wellness - either in one of their spas or in you home, office or hotel. (And - to repeat - these are legit and non-sexual in nature)

There are some golf courses near Ljubljana, but even ones further away are not far, as seen in our list of all the golf courses in Slovenia, which usually run until the first snow.

Photo: maxpixel.net, public domain

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Daytrips

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

Photo: Google Image Search

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Getting around

If you want to get a Ljubljana Tourist Card, which gives you travel on the city buses and entry to a lot of attractions, then you can read more about that here, and if you want to use the bike share system, as useful for visitors as it is for residents, then you can learn more by clicking this. Visitors with reduced mobility will be pleased to find that downtown Ljubljana is generally rated as good with regard to accessibility, and that there’s a free, city-sponsored app called Ljubljana by Wheelchair highlighting cafés, attractions and so on with ramps, disabled bathrooms and Eurokey facilities, which you can read about and download here. Manual wheelchair users can also borrow, for free, an attachment that will motorise their equipment, as reported here.

Screenshot from a Twitter video

If you’re driving into town and don’t know where to park, our guide to how to park in Ljubljana is here.

Emergencies

Ljubljana is a small and relatively safe city, but if need to contact the police then there’s a special number for foreigners, and that’s 113.

Photo: JL Flanner

There aren't many places to eat after midnight, and most of them are by the train station, as reported here.

Want / need cigarettes but the stores have closed? Here's an incomplete list of bars downtown that will satisfy your craving for the demon weed. While if you’re having trouble with the ATMs then here’s a guide to the Slovene you’ll see on screen. If you get a hangover then find out where to get paracetamol (and prescription drugs) in Ljubljana here, while details on emergency birth control can be found here.

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The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 10 January 2020

Mladina: Pahor is undermining government

STA, 10 January 2020 - In Friday's editorial, the left-leaning Mladina analyses two of President Borut Pahor's recent public appearances only to draw the conclusion that he is undermining the Marjan Šarec government to pave the way for Janez Janša of the opposition Democrats (SDS). The party won the 2018 election.

In his 30 December interview for TV Slovenija, Pahor clearly indicated that he does not like Prime Minister Šarec and that Šarec should leave the premiership to Janša.

"This was harsh manipulation by the president and an attempt to picture the situation in the country as strained and abnormal," says editor-in-chief Grega Repovž.

His attempt to fuel uncertainty and question the government's legitimacy has failed, having had no response, but the president nevertheless behaved oddly.

Pahor hinted at his discontent a few days earlier in his Independence Day speech, in which he presented his view that consensus politics was in a serious crisis.

Repovž admits Slovenia has a far-right party which spreads intolerance, namely the SDS, various militias have been popping up and hate speech is a problem.

"But this is not what Pahor meant. On the contrary, he wanted to say that he does not find it right that political parties refuse to cooperate with the SDS and Janša."

In the interview Pahor took a step further; while admitting the coalition has secured political stability, he indicated the government should now embark on reforms even at the cost of its own collapse.

Mladina says in the editorial headlined Pahor, the Manipulator that the president's statements are full of manipulation and deceit.

He pictured political stability as a source of instability, and said reforms were needed for Slovenia's revival, but Repovž wonders what revival he had in mind when Slovenia has one of the highest GDP growth rates and one of the lowest public debts in Europe.

Repovž believes Pahor's manipulation is aimed at creating the impression that Slovenian politics is in an emergency situation which needs to be stopped right now, so he in effect advised Šarec to cause his government'collapse by himself.

Mladina admits neither the government not Šarec is ideal, and ministers do not deserve As, which should provide Pahor with enough material for justified criticism.

"But Pahor is not interested in content, he is bothered by Šarec and by the fact the government is not led by his favourite politician Janša. This is the bottom line.

"He is thus willing to portray the situation as an emergency. What is most worrying is his superiority and his attempt to show that it is not legitimate if the government is run by this coalition, which is something a serious president cannot afford."

Demokracija: How the rich help the poor

STA, 9 January 2020 - As first consumers of very expensive goods, the rich have in fact helped reduce social inequality, so there is no need to raise taxes for them to channel more money towards the poor, the right-leaning weekly Demokracija argues in its editorial on Thursday.

It was an invaluable experience to listen to all sorts of leftists before the New Year saying they would continue their fight against exploitative capitalism, says the editor-in-chief Jože Biščak.

Wicked capitalism, as opposition Left leader Luka Mesec termed it, is apparently also reflected in social inequality measured by wealth.

Since we are not as far as redistributing it by looting, Mesec is reciting his mantra of "fair taxation" under which the rich should pay more.

It is of course typical of socialists to fight against capitalism with other people's money, which defies the logic of market economy.

But the statistically-corroborated fact is that never in the world have so few people lived under the poverty threshold and have goods been more available to everyone.

"And the credit goes solely to the rich, who play the role of 'food tasters in royal courts'," the magazine's editor-in-chief says in the eponymous commentary.

They can be credited with having been able to afford a terribly expensive innovation such as a TV set or a mobile phone at a certain moment in history, and their response enabled producers to assess the future demand.

Them being pioneer consumers benefits all, making goods more accessible also for the poorer classes. "So eventually, if I use the speak of the leftists, this helps reduce social inequality," Biščak concludes.

All our posts in this series are here

STA, 11 January 2020 - Slovenia has launched SiChain, a blockchain infrastructure platform, to become the first EU country to have a pilot blockchain infrastructure system in place at state level. SiChain technology aims to facilitate blockchain technology use for companies and state agencies, and could be used for document verification as well.

The pilot project, which was launched in December last year, is designed to test blockchain applications by the state, companies, local communities and research agencies.

It is run by the Economy Ministry in cooperation with the EU Commission, with the project's infrastructure being devised by blockchain firm HashNet and telecoms provider Telemach.

The deployment timeline depends on EU Commission-approved pilot projects. As soon as they are given the go-ahead, development of prototype models will start, Telemach has told the STA.

Theoretically, there are three development phases spread across this year. Initially, transaction testing and capacity measurements are to be carried out, followed by a second phase developing more complex applications and expanding the network to the state and international levels.

The third phase is expected to create links between networks and public use.

In general aim is to implement transactions and smart contracts using hashnet technology, a distributed data block technology that is considered energy and time efficient.

SiChain could potentially be used to verify marriage certificates and other documents, standardise student ID cards, for electricity market transactions, and inter-governmental contracts within the EU.

The EU Commission has earmarked EUR 10 million for the project's pilot stage, but the actual figure depends on the proposed and approved project, according to Telemach.

"The total amount which the EU will allocate for the development and implementation of blockchain technology in the next five years, is estimated at EUR 300 million," said the telco.

European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) is one of the key European Blockchain Partnership projects, developed by the EU Commission in cooperation with member states and blockchain experts.

All our blockchain in Slovenia stories are here

STA, 10 January 2020 - The Supreme Court's controversial annulment of the guilty sentence for a WWII collaborationist general has raised questions about the legal and historical implications of the decision. While the court has ordered a retrial, the most likely outcome seems to be a termination of procedure.

The Supreme Court recently annulled the death sentence of Slovenian general Leon Rupnik (1880-1946), who collaborated with the occupying forces during World War II, on an appeal on a point of law lodged by his relative, and sent the case to the Ljubljana District Court for retrial.

Rupnik was a general in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in WWI and later collaborated with the Fascist Italian and Nazi German occupation forces during World War II. He served as the head of the Provincial Government of the Nazi-occupied Province of Ljubljana in 1943-1945, and was also chief inspector of the Domobranci (Slovene Home Guard), a collaborationist militia.

The Supreme Court's ruling rests on procedural grounds: the court held that the military court's ruling had not been sufficiently reasoned, even under the standards applicable at the time.

The annulment means the case will now be sent into retrial, and Miha Hafner, an associate professor at the Ljubljana Faculty of Law, believes it will either be thrown out by the prosecution, or that the court will declare it cannot conduct a retrial since the accused is already dead.

Under the criminal procedure act, courts cannot try dead persons, which means that Rupnik's guilt will not be examined once again, Hafner told the STA.

The end effect of the Supreme Court decision, therefore, is that "since the procedure will be terminated whereas the previous ruling was annulled and the presumption of innocence applies [in Slovenia], Rupnik cannot legally be regarded as guilty of this criminal act," according to Hafner.

Hafner stressed, however, that the decision does not strictly mean Rupnik is rehabilitated. "If the gentleman were still alive, a retrial would start and the court of first instance would carry out the entire procedure."

Another consequence of the ruling may be that Rupnik's heirs may claim the return of property since Rupnik's property was seized by the state after the trial, said Hafner.

The ruling has earned the Supreme Court fierce criticism, in particular from the left, but the court told the STA it had no other choice than to decide on the Rupnik heir's appeal on a point of law.

All our stories on Leon Rupnik are 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

This summary is provided by the STA:

President defends decision to evacuate troops from Erbil

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor defended Slovenia's decision to evacuate troops from Iraq following an attack by Iran on the Erbil airbase where the six soldiers were stationed, saying that a sovereign country had the right to assess whether its soldiers were safe or not. He said the evacuation was merely an early rotation of the team deployed to Erbil to train the Kurdish fighters. Pahor also said in an interview with the public broadcaster TV Slovenija on Thursday that Slovenia remained a part of the international coalition against Islamic State.

Slovenia urges greater EU role in Middle East de-escalation

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar called on the EU to play a greater role in the de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East as EU foreign ministers held an emergency session. "I called for a greater role of the EU in forging dialogue to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East. Slovenia calls for respect of Iraq's sovereignty and international law, and condemns attacks on civilians, foreign units and cultural monuments," he said according to the Foreign Ministry. Cerar also reiterated Slovenia's commitment to remaining a partner in the fight against IS and continue training Iraqi security forces.

Central bank challenges act on bail-in repayments

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian central bank mounted a Constitutional Court challenge against legislation that would require it to cover all repayments to those who lost their investments during the banking sector bailout of 2013. "The most controversial parts of the law affect monetary financing and the financial independence of the central bank," Banka Slovenije said. The act was passed in late-2019 and provides easier access to recourse for roughly 100,000 potential plaintiffs, both shareholders and holders of junior bonds, wiped out on instruction from the EU.

Adria Airways's licences to be auctioned off on 23 January

LJUBLJANA - The licences of bankrupt air carrier Adria Airways, including its air operator's certificate, will be put up for an action on 23 January at an opening price of EUR 45,000. Having received five non-binding bids for what has been left of Adria's assets, official receiver Janez Pustatičnik set the price based on the bids. It is impossible to assess the value of the assets on the basis of comparable market prices, he explained. Media reports suggest three Slovenian businessmen are interested in Adria's estate.

Concerns about 5G legitimate, says minister

LJUBLJANA - Public Administration Minister Rudi Medved rushed to reassure the public that concerns about 5G technology were given due attention. But while he deems the concerns legitimate, he also said that Slovenia needed 5G. Speaking after a protest against the introduction of the 5th generation wireless technology, Medved said the ministry was planning a debate this month, where it expects "a clash of all opinions". However, he said 5G was a technology of the future and it would be unacceptable for Slovenia to remain an isolated island.

End of procedure likely outcome of ruling on collaborationist general

LJUBLJANA - Jurist Miha Hafner indicated that the most likely outcome of a recent Supreme Court annulment of the guilty sentence for WWII collaborationist general Leon Rupnik, who was sentenced to death by firing squad, would be a termination of procedure. The annulment means the case will now be sent into retrial, and Hafner, an associate professor at the Ljubljana Faculty of Law, believes it will either be thrown out by the prosecution, or that the court will declare it cannot conduct a retrial since the accused is already dead. However, he was quick to point out that does not mean rehabilitation for the general.

Industrial output down in November

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's industrial output decreased by 1.1% in November compared to the month before but it was 1.2% higher than in November 2018, the Statistics Office said. Output was up on monthly level only in electricity, gas and steam supply, by 0.1%. In manufacturing, it dropped by 1.2% and in mining by 5.6%. Industrial production in capital goods industries was up by 1.7%, while in intermediate goods industries and in consumer goods industries it was down by 1.4% and 3.6%, respectively.

Police uncover driving licence test fraud

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana police have busted a pair of suspects who have enabled 76 persons, in exchange for bribe money, to pass a written test which is a prerequisite for a driving licence. A 36-year-old working for Slovenia's Traffic Safety Agency is suspected of having given a 28-year-old his password for backdoor access to online tests taken by candidates for driving licence, so that he could correct their answers, Irfan Beganović from the Ljubljana Police Department told the press. House searches at 81 addresses around Slovenia were carried out this week, with some of the suspects being not only into bribes but also drugs and weapons.

Survey: Over 60% of Slovenians use social media

LJUBLJANA - As many as 82% of Slovenian residents aged 16 to 74 have their profile on at least one social media, which translates into 1.25 million people, or some 60% of Slovenia's population, shows the latest Media+ survey for 2019 by pollster Valicon. The most popular platform is Facebook, which had 995,500 users last year, followed by Instagram (450,500), Twitter (208,500), Pinterest (180,500) and Linkedin (161,000). The users said they spent at least one hour a day on social media, with Valicon adding the arithmetic mean was at slightly more than 80 minutes.

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