The first results of fan voting for the NBA All-star game later this year have revealed Dončić at the top, ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo and James LeBron.
Fan votes account for only half of the votes for the star players of the East and West conferences. The other half is divided between players and the press. Seven reserve players are chosen by the head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own players. Out of the pool of 24 players two teams are put together by the leading vote getters of the respective conference, the team captains. Last year, these were LeBron and Antetokounmpo.
The voting will conclude on January 20, 2020 and the NBA All-star game will take place on February 16, 2020.
STA, 6 January 2020 - President Borut Pahor has called for a de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East as he made an appeal for a peaceful resolution of disputes following the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani by the US.
"I'm in favour of a de-escalation of tensions on all sides," Pahor said on Monday, adding that he has always been "an advocate of a peaceful resolution of disputes".
Pahor also acknowledged that the order by US President Donald Trump to kill Soleimani had "caused tensions across the Middle East and in the entire international community".
As the supreme commander of the armed forces the president is briefed on the state of the six-strong Slovenian contingent currently in Iraq helping to train the local security forces.
"They are safe, together with their German colleagues. They are assessing the situation. In the event the decision is taken that their status in Iraq has to change, the Slovenian state will immediately respond."
Overall, Slovenia plans to keep a close eye on the developments in Iraq, where the situation is "complex," according to Pahor.
The Slovenian Foreign Ministry expressed concern about the escalation of the conflict between the US and Iran, and condemned all kinds of violence and the latest armed attacks in Iraq, which it said increased risks for more violence in the entire region.
"Violence and attacks on civilians, diplomatic and consular missions and on cultural monuments are a blatant violation of civilisational norms and international law, so we oppose such acts," the ministry said in a release.
It urged all sides to avoid any acts that could lead to further destabilisation of Iraq and the region, calling for dialogue.
The ministry added it was in contact with the Slovenian soldiers in Iraq, stressing they were there as part of a global coalition against Islamic State (IS) which played a key role in strengthening the Iraqi military forces' capabilities in fighting IS.
"We believe it is in the interest of the global coalition and of Iraq and the region's long-term stability for the international community to continue to provide Iraq with assistance as Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity are fully respected," the ministry said.
STA, 6 January 2020 - US First Lady Melania Trump remains the most influential Slovenian, according to a list compiled by the right-leaning magazine Reporter, ahead of PM Marjan Šarec and UEFA boss Aleksander Čeferin.
The Reporter Top 100 list takes into account formal influence associated with the person's post or job, as well as their informal influence.
Reporter says that there is no doubt about Melania Trump being by far the most influential Slovenia, and that she will stay so as long as she remains in the White House.
PM Marjan Šarec this year replaced Aleksander Čeferin in second spot, with Reporter commenting that along with the powers associated with the executive post, Šarec has also gained informal influence.
Čeferin, who the magazine says as EUFA boss has access to both the Pope and Russian President Vladimir Putin, is followed by Slovenian President Borut Pahor and parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan.
The most influential aides of Šarec, according to the magazine, are Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj in 6th spot, and Šarec's national security adviser Damir Črnčec in 8th place.
Janez Lenarčič, the European crisis management commissioner, ranks 7th.
Rounding off the top ten are Janez Janša, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party (SDS), and the man widely perceived as his nemesis, Milan Kučan, Slovenia's first president.
Silvester Šurla, the Reporter editor-in-chief, writes that Kučan, who slipped from 6th place a year ago, wields the biggest informal power of all people on the list, along with Gregor Golobič, the former long serving secretary general of Liberal Democracy (LDS), the party that ruled Slovenia for more than a decade until 2004. Golobič ranks 11th on the list.
On the opposite side of the political spectrum, "the main uncle working in the open and behind the scenes", as Šurla writes, is Janez Janša, his formal and informal power being greater than Kučan's.
"Janša has managed to politically subjugate virtually all of the right bloc, from [Marjan] Podobnik's SLS [People's Party] and [Matej] Tonin's NSi [New Slovenia] to a number of civil society organisations in the right ideological pole.
"As a former prime minister he still has a network of loyal people at state institutions and enterprises with millions of euro flowing in regularly from Orban's Hungary allowing him to manage his propaganda machinery, packed into (party) media," writes Šurla about Janša.
After Melania, the second highest ranked woman on the list is former PM Alenka Bratušek in 12th spot.
She is followed in 13th by Zmago Jelinčič, the leader of the National Party (SNS), whose influence increased now that his party secures majority to the Šarec minority government.
The politician whose influence declined the most is Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković, while the NBA superstar Luka Dončić climbed 50 spots to rank 50th in the biggest leap on the list since last year.
The list includes 22 new names, including Andrej Šiško, the leader of the paramilitary Štajeska guard, in 100th spot.
STA, 6 January 2020 - Physician and humanitarian worker Ninna Kozorog, who is heading an association which has campaigned for assistance to retirees living in poverty, is the recipient of the Slovenian Woman of the Year 2019 award by the women's magazine Jana/Zarja.
Kozorog heads Humanitarček, an association for the promotion of humanitarian activity, whose activities include a project called Vida, which aims at highlighting the difficulties faced by the elderly people in remote areas.
"The Humanitarček association helps the homeless and elderly and all who are being lost in the riddles of life they are not able to solve on their own," the magazine said as the award was conferred for the 31st time on Sunday.
According to Jana/Zarja, Kozorog always makes sure that people keep their dignity, and what is very important, she and her colleagues do not assist with money, they jump in to help with exactly what people need.
"This may be advice when people fill in forms, warm socks or wood for an old stove," the magazine's website adds.
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 - As of 2020, bonuses have been excluded from the minimum wage and the monthly minimum wage rose to EUR 940 gross. This will make the difference between the minimum wage and wages just above it hardly noticeable, which is expected to intensify pressure to raise other wages. Experts as well as trade unions and employers believe it is time to reform the country's pay system, but agree it will be a hard nut to crack. Average monthly pay for October, the latest available, stood at EUR 1,750 gross. It rose nominally by 24% from 2008 to August 2019, whereas the average gross monthly minimum wage had been up 75%, an economist said at a recent event.
Cross-country skier Lampič bags red jersey for sprint events
VAL DI FIEMME, Italy - Slovenia's Anamarija Lampič is the winner of the cross-country sprint events of the Tour de Ski series - the highlight of the World Cup season - which ended in Val di Fiemme today. Having won two Tour de Ski sprint races, on 22 December in Switzerland and yesterday in Val di Fiemme, the 24-year-old athlete bagged a red jersey with a cheque for almost EUR 5,400. She finished today's race at the last place, but nevertheless finished the 14th Tour de Ski 19th overall
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, 6 January LJUBLJANA - The trial of four former managers of the dissolved Hypo group, accused of defrauding the Hypo bank of millions of euros, will come to a close. LJUBLJANA - Child carollers dressed up as the biblical Wise Men will call on the heads of state, government and parliament, Borut Pahor, Marjan Šarec and Dejan Židan. ZREČE - A press conference will be held as Croatian police officers join their Slovenian counterparts on Slovenian ski slopes.
TUESDAY, 7 January LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar and former Austrian FM Karin Kneissl will attend an event discussing strategic solutions for the Western Balkans. LJUBLJANA - The Employment Service will publish data on registered unemployment for December 2019.
WEDNESDAY, 8 January LJUBLJANA - The Hungarian OTP bank and the new leadership of SKB Banka will hold a press conference. LJUBLJANA - The woman engineer of 2019 will be declared, with Labour Minister Ksenija Klampfer and Education Minister Jernej Pikalo attending. LJUBLJANA - Trial will start in a major health corruption case against UKC Ljubljana radiologist Zoran Miloševič and co-defendants.
THURSDAY, 9 January LJUBLJANA - The government will hold its regular weekly session. LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary inquiry into party financing will interview former CEOs of NKBM bank Aleš Hauc and Robert Senica, among others. LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release external trade statistics for November 2019. LJUBLJANA - The newspaper publisher Delo will announce its person of the year. LJUBLJANA - The Fran Ramovš Institute for the Slovenian Language will declare the word of the year. LJUBLJANA - An exhibition marking the 40th anniversary of Cankarjev Dom, Slovenia's top cultural centre, will be launched.
FRIDAY, 10 January LJUBLJANA - The European Parliament's Office in Slovenia will host a round-table debate on the importance of the Sakharov Prize for the freedom of thought. LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release industrial output figures for November 2019. GOTHENBURG, Sweden - Slovenia will open their campaign at the European Men's Handball Championship with a match against Poland.
SATURDAY, 11 January LJUBLJANA - The first Slovenian production of Maria by English playwright Simon Stephens, directed by Janusz Kica, will open at SNG Drama Ljubljana theatre.
The 11 companies that are in the SBI TOP index are the most liquid and highly capitalised stocks on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange (LJSE). The index, which is designed to be tradeable, thus serves as a capital benchmark for the country, intended for use in index-linked financial instruments
The SBI TOP rose 15.2% in 2019, representing a good return for investors, even better than real estate (on average). But what are the firms it includes, and what do they do? Using data from the last trading day of 2019 (December 23), the component companies are listed as follows in ascending order of value for their index free-float capitalisations.
Based in Koper and part of the Intereuropa Group, this company offers a global logistics service and the leading supplier of such services in Slovenia and South-Eastern Europe. In September 2019 Pošta Slovenije, the state-owned postal operator, announced plans to acquire 72% of the firm. Our stories on Intereuropa are here.
Now entering it’s 101st year in business, Unior grew from the 18th century tradition ironworks in the Pohorje hills. The forged metals and toolmaker is now a leading global supplier for the auto industry. The name is based on the words univerzalno orodje (universal tools). All our stories on the company are here.
KD Group is one of the Slovenia’s leading financial groups, managing market and non-market investments. The firm was founded by Matjaž Gantar, who died 2018 at the age of 54, having become one of the richest men in Slovenia, with a colourful and varied career that included being the bass player in two of the country’s legendary punk bands, Lublanski Psi and Pankrti. Our stories on KD Group are here.
Established in 1873, Cinkarna Celje is a chemical company whose main product is titanium dioxide pigment. This is able to protect materials against the damaging influences of sunlight and weather, in addition to having very good bleaching and coating properties. Exports account for more than 80% of the firms sales. Our stories on Cinkarna Celje are here.
In addition to its operations in Slovenia, Telekom is also the majority owner of a number of foreign subsidiaries, including mIpko Telecommunications sh.p.k. (Kosovo); Siol DOOEL Skopje (Macedonia); Blicnet d.o.o., Banja Luka and Siol, d.o.o., Sarajevo (Bosnia and Hercegovina); Siol d.o.o., Beograd (Serbia); Siol d.o.o., Podgorica (Montenegro); and Siol d.o.o., Zagreb (Croatia). Our stories on the company are here.
Better known as Sava Re, the company is an international insurance group present in more than 100 insurance and reinsurance markets across the globe, and is the largest of reinsurance firms domiciled in Central and Eastern Europe. Our stories on Sava Re are here.
The recently (2018) privatised NLB is the largest banking and financial group in Slovenia, with subsidiaries throughout the former Yugoslavia and it’s logo atop one of the towers in Ljubljana’s Republic Square. Our stories on the group can be found here.
Triglav is Slovenia’s biggest insurance group, with a story going back to 1900. In recent years it’s also become the leading provider of mutual funds in the country, with asset management activity now an increasingly important part of its business. All our stories on Triglav are here.
The Petrol Group operates petrol stations all over Slovenia and elsewhere in the former Yugoslavia, as befits its original name of Jugopetrol Ljubljana, which it lost in 1953. A major investor in Croatia, where it operates over 100 stations, it also own Jadranplin, which stores and sells liquified petroleum gas, and recently moved into the convenience store market. Our stories on the company are here.
Krka is a pharmaceutical company based on Novo Mesto that focuses on producing generic drugs for the global market. A much smaller part of its business, but with a relatively high profile in Slovenia, is the company’s line of health resorts, under the name Terme Krka Group, which includes spa complexes and hotels. Our stories on Krka are here.
STA, 4 January 2019 - Slovenian cross-country skier Anamarija Lampič dominated the World Cup freestyle sprint event in Val di Fiemme, Italy, on Saturday in what was her third World Cup win.
The second place went to Norwegian Astrid Jacobsen and third to Jessica Diggins from the US.
"I'm very happy ... This was really an excellent day for me. My plan was to stay in the back and attack on the last hill," Lampič told the press after the race.
The Val di Fiemme sprint was the penultimate of the Tour de Ski series, the highlight of the World Cup season, which ends on Sunday.
Lampič is now in the lead in the series' sprint events with 75 points, and has climbed from the tenth to seventh place overall.
She rejoiced at her first World Cup victory in February 2017 and her second in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, last Sunday.
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
MARIBOR - Police apprehended Andrej Šiško, the self-styled leader of a militia that should have reported to prison to serve out his sentence for incitement to subversion of the constitutional order. He was apprehended at a commemoration of a major WWII battle in the Pohorje hills as he was about to approach President Borut Pahor. According to Anica Bidar, who co-chairs Šiško's United Slovenia movement, Šiško came to the ceremony to surrender himself to police.
Slovenian soldiers in Iraq are safe, ministry says
ERBIL, Iraq - Members of the Slovenian contingent in northern Iraq are safe and are staying in the Erbil base, the Slovenian Defence Ministry said after some media reported Slovenian troops were in Baghdad, where Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US air strike on Friday. After the air strike, the situation in the country deteriorated, so the training of Iraqi security forces in which Slovenian troops also participated has been temporarily suspended. The ministry said it was monitoring the situation.
Composer Hugo Wolf to take centre stage on cultural scene in 2020
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will observe 2020 as the Year of Hugo Wolf, the Austrian composer of Slovenian descent who was born in Slovenj Gradec 160 years ago. His birth place and many other Slovenian as well as foreign cities will honour the anniversary with a series of cultural events. The highlight will be a concert by the RTV Slovenija Symphony Orchestra interpreting Wolf's work which will take place in his home town in late May and will be broadcast on television as well.
Cross-country skier Lampič victorious in Val di Fiemme
VAL DI FIEMME, Italy - Slovenian cross-country skier Anamarija Lampič dominated the World Cup freestyle sprint event in Val di Fiemme, Italy, in what was her third World Cup win. Lampič is now in the lead in the series' sprint events with 75 points, and has climbed from the tenth to seventh place overall. Lampič recorded her first World Cup victory in February 2017 and her second in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, last Sunday.
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
Andrej Šiško, president of the United Slovenia political party and a leader of Štajerska varda paramilitary group, was arrested at the Pohorje Battalion Commemorative Ceremony this Saturday.
Andrej Šiško pravkar prijet na Osankarici, med spominsko proslavo na Pohorski bataljon pri Treh žebljih. Viri blizu Šiška: predal se je sam, vedel, da ga bodo prijeli, zato je kot vsako leto prišel sem gor, sicer ga nikoli ne bi našli. “Aretirali” so ga med salutiranjem. pic.twitter.com/lcWAnu6CCf
Šiško has already been sentenced to eight months in jail for incitement to subversion of the constitutional order (see here), but he and his lawyer believed that time served while in remand would suffice, and that Šiško would not be called back to jail after sentencing. The court decided otherwise, and called the militia leader to complete his sentence in December 2019 by issuing an arrest warrant.
This Saturday Šiško and several members of Štajerska varda showed up at the annual ceremony on Osankarica, with the keynote speaker being the Minister of Education, Science and Sport, Jernej Pikalo. Šiško was allegedly apprehended when he attempted to approach President Borut Pahor.
Predsednik republike se je danes udeležil spominske slovesnosti v počastitev 77. obletnice poslednjega boja Pohorskega bataljona in položil venec pred spominsko obeležje padlim borkam in borcem Pohorskega bataljona. pic.twitter.com/CdWpGudZVE
President Pahor responded to the incident with the following comment: “We have the right to express our opinions, but also to respect the dignity of other people as well as of the commemorative events. Especially when these are solemn events.”
The annual ceremony by the Three Nails memorial commemorates the last battle of the Pohorje Battalion, which occurred on January 8, 1943. Only one of the partisans in the battle survived, but he was later executed.
If you're not in town for the week of this guide (6 - 12 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.
That’s it. The party’s over. Time to get back on a normal diet and stop subsisting on cheese, wine, chocolate and coffee, with the occasional mandarin thrown in for colour and fibre.
So we’re entering what for many folk is gloomiest part of the year. Not only do we need to detox and move more, but the days are getting colder and the next big funtime is some weeks away, with the Carnival season in February. You can see more about upcoming events and festivals 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, 17:00 to 20:00, Hotel Tresor, which is on Čopova, has Swap #22, a chance to recycle preloved clothes, books, accessories and fall in love with some "new to you" items. You can see the rules here.
Tuesday Cubana Ljubljana has a class on reggaeton dance, while the next evening there’s Afro-Cuban dancing. Details here.
Friday, 10 January, Metelkova’s KUD Channel Zero offers Štrom: 21 Rave Street from 23:00 to 06:00. The music policy will be everything rave, including industrial, breakbeat, decostructed, club, bass, jungle, techno, ambiental, house, footwork, and Detroit. The full line-up is here, but one of the DJs is called Terranigma, with a set below. The same night, 21:00 to 03:00, Orto Bar has a show from Vit@vox.
Friday, 21:00, is Jazz Night at the Castle, and this week it’s Tadej Kampl, promoting his new album, Habits. The same night, but at 20:00, also sees Andreja Rauch Podrzavnik’s dance / theatre performance “What Remains” at Kino Šiška, which “materializes in a poetics of situations created by the artists through movement, sound, light, and poetry. They thus create parallel spaces that form harmonies resonating (into) potential narrations.” Tickets.
Saturday, 20:00, Kino Šiška then hosts AKA Neomi, a Ljubljana-based group presenting their second album, promising “from electronic indie pop and trip-hop to a more downtempo acoustic feel”. On the same evening, 19:30, opera returns after a short break at SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana, with Tchaikovsky’s The Maid Of Orléans. Details here, and some of the music above. The same night, starting 23:00 and running till 05:00, K4 has the first Temnica of the year.
New movies this week (and ones we didn’t cover because of the holidays) 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. 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.
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.
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 Ageshere. 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.
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.
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.
Image: Nejc Bernik. ZRC-SAZU
