The Slovenia Times 116 by Slovenia Times

The Slovenia Times, Slovenian magazine in English, volume 6, number 116, EUR 4,80

May 2009

Real Estate: The Only Way is Up

CONTENTS

May 2009 4

Panorama

POLITICS

6 8

First months of a new opposition Slovenia-Croatia border dispute

ECONOMY

13 13 14 16 18 18 20 24 26 28 30 31 32

Partners

Excessive debts weigh on sprawling business empires Energy: LNG surfaces as attractive alternative How to get in on the London Olympics 2012 tenders

REAL ESTATE SPECIAL The state of the Slovenian real estate market Kolizej: The House of Arts opens new vistas for culture Slovenia’s oldest stadium will get a facelift Construction firms face uncertain times in downturn Flagship projects: Šmartinska Partnership and Emonika Building highways: The state gets stingy with money Interview: Janez Koželj, Ljubljana’s chief architect Interview: Janez Suhadolc, the architectural arch critic Interview: Jacqueline Stuart, a real estate expert Innovation in construction: Trimo makes it happen Central and Eastern Europe goes from boom to bust

PEOPLE

Arne Hodalič, photojournalist

LIFESTYLE 36 37 42 46 48 51

The Persistence of Kras Štanjel, the charming city of stone Karst wine routes Dine with style Beautifying oils New fashion brands

SPORTS 52 54 54

Pokljuka plateau training centre Interview: Miran Pavlin, FC Olimpija Ice hockey team misses the elite division

CULTURE

56 57

Maša Kagao Knez, dancer Events

60 62

Snowy Fun photo contest results Every Picture Tells a Story May 2009

CY CMY

PANORAMA

source: STA, Slovenian Press Agency

Face your consciousnes said Interior Minister Katarina Kresal to the opposition, referring to Martin Luther in her ouvertoure to nearly 15 hours of rather acrymonous parliamentary debate, which edned up in a failed no-confidence vote against her. We shall complete the granting of retroactive permanent resident permits to the erased, “whether the SDS likes it or not”, Kresal said after the National Assembly rejected a no-confidence motion against her by 48 votes to 31. The opposition Democrats (SDS) meanwhile voiced determination to use all legal means possible to stop retroactive restitution of permanent resident status without “legal basis”.

Katarina Kresal

The Interior Ministry started granting retroactive permanent resident permits on February 23 to those of the nearly 26,000 erased who already had their status in Slovenia, while the rest are to be tackled with a special law. On the very same day that the ministry started issuing the permits, the SDS filed the motion against Kresal. In a similar situation in 2004, the SDS and New

Slovenia (NSi) submitted a no-confidence motion against the then Interior Minister Rado Bohinc, who issued more than 4,000 permits then, only 62 of which were returned. The opposition insisted that the issue of the people who were removed from Slovenia’s permanent resident registry in 1992 should have been resolved by a constitutional law and on a caseby-case basis. Meanwhile, the coalition referred to the Constitutional Court ruling of 2003 which said that all the erased should have their status reinstated retroactively, saying the settlement of the issue was a mater of rule of law. The opposition also claimed that the issuance of retroactive permits to the erased would create the basis for massive compensation claims against the state - Kresal responded that out of 39 compensation actions brought by the erased against the state and processed by courts, none so far had ended in the court awarding compensation in a decision that was final.

Police

Crime

Education

The NBU is Moving in!

The Dirt on White Collars

Less Children Enroll in Primary Schools

The Government announced that the National Investigation Office (NPU), a state body specialised in the fight against white-collar crime and corruption would probably start its work in January 2010. According to the Prime Minister, the goal is to “show no mercy” and increase the number of uncovered criminal acts by 20%, to boost effectiveness in the seizing of unlawfully secured gains by 30%, and to reduce by 80% the number of deficient criminal charges. “Based on our own experience and comparable experience in other successful countries facing this issue, we need to form a national investigation office in order to meet this goals,” Pahor said.

Criminal police started searching the headquarters of port operator Luka Koper and other locations as part of investigation into company operations on suspicion of white collar crime. It also conducted a search at Slovenia’s biggest mobile operator, Mobitel, looking for evidence thought to be linked to an ongoing investigation. Police confirmed the search at Mobitel, but said that the company itself was not the subject of the investigation, while unofficial sources say that the individual in question in Mobitel CEO Klavdij Godnič. A police official announced a day after that the police have been investigating the insolvent conglomerate Istrabenz some time now on suspicion of abuse of office and white collar crime.

Photo: BOBO

Some 163,500 20,000 children were enrolled in compulsory basic education in Slovenia in 2007/2008, which is 11% or 20,000 children less that in 2000, data from the Statistics Office show. The figure reflects the drop in birth rate registered before 2003. At the beginning of the school year 2008/09 almost 162,000 children were enrolled in elementary schools with regular curriculum and little more than 1,500 children were enrolled in special needs education. 303 children dropped out in 2008 - the figure is decreasing. In their final grades, pupils can choose some of their lessons and as many as 45% of them chose a second or a third foreign language. Besides English, which is compulsory, children are mostly interested in learning German, French, Italian and Spanish.

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The Slovenia Times

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UNDER THE PRESS Crime Three men have attacked the boss of a Slovenian industrial giant with bats. Gorenje CEO Franjo Bobinac, who suffered minor head injuries, believes he has been the victim of rogues who were only after his mobile phone. The three attacked Bobinac in a village near the northeastern town of Prebold. He sought help at the emergency ward of the Celje hospital, where he had 12 stitches in the head wound. An investigation has been launched to identify the attackers.Bobinac would not want to discuss the event, but his spokesperson reports that he was feeling fine, and that believes the only motive for the attack was his mobile. Asked about the speculation that the motive could be revenge for the recent layoffs at Gorenje, Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) Director-General Samo Hribar Milič said something like that wold be absolutely very bad for Slovenia.

History

Wildlife

Return of the King

Bear Panic

The Ljubljana city councillors decided to name a street in the capital after former communist leader Josip Broz Tito. The proposal was supported by 24 councillors while four voted against. The opposing councillosr argued the renaming woul cause pain to families of postwar killings’ victims. The proponent Peter Božič said that in this matter one had to weigh between tradition, history and identity on one side and political outcry on the other. In this case the first prevailed. Before the council’s session, the youth wing of New Slovenia (NSi) presented Mayor Zoran Janković with a petition against such a move, while SocDem Youth Forum gave him a portrait of Tito as their expression of support. Until 1991 the mail Ljubljana bullevard was called Titova cesta.

The bear, which is thought to be no older than three years, was first spotted overnight near the Ljubljana Zoo by its employees and was hunted down and put to sleep the same day. The authorities equipped him with identification collar before releasing into a forest south to Ljubljana. The Rožnik hill where the animal was caught also borders on Rožna dolina, an upscale neighbourhood. The police issued a warning for people to stay away from the area in the morning. According to official statistics, Slovenia is home to around 430 brown bears.

Archeology

Health

Another Grave Found 31% Overweight This is fortunately not from the WWII period: Archaeologists excavating an ancient burial ground in Kranj have found what they believe to be nine Germanic graves from the 6th century. Experts say this was an important burial ground, because it used to be the town cemetery of late-Antiquity settlement of Carnium, the predecessor of the modern Kranj. It is also one of the biggest from the 6th century in Europe.

Some 31% of Slovenians are overweight, a survey has shown. Around 35% of Slovenians have normal weight, while there is the identical share of obese and underweight people in Slovenia, namely 16%. The survey conducted by surveying agency Mediana also asked about the respondents’ income, to see whether there is a correlation between the people’s living standard and their body mass index, which showed that obestiy is more likely to occur among the people with low incomes.

You can view the problem of the erased from two different perspective.s It can be a massive violation upon human rights in all cases, along with those who left the country when it declared its independence only to return when they figured that independent Slovenia had become more than an utopia. This perspective judges those who became foreigners because they didn’t take the new country’s citizenship (which was easily accessible) as victims of a violation of their human rights. Such a view is presented in the dominant media as an absolute truth, and all who deviate from this truth are described as misanthropes, human rights opponents, essentially bad guys under the influence of populist propaganda.

Photo: BOBO

Gorenje Boss Assaulted

Former Minister of Public Administration and SDS MP Gregor Virant on different perspectives in his first column for Reporter weekly. It’s the syndrome of the scorpion that would rather sink together with the frog, because its instinct overrides its reason. In history, many consciously wrong decisions were made and have buried entire nations. Don’t fool yourself that reason can win. What I have learnt is that I should, considering how the opposition works, always account for the so-called ecological precautionary principle: act as the worst could happen. President of the Parliament Pavel Gantar in an interview for Dnevnik explaining why he thinks that Janez Janša was capable of voting against Croatian and Albanian membership in the NATO just to obstruct the coalition, despite his great sympathies for the alliance. If the Minister of the Economy intends to step down, let him do so instead of just announcing it so he could – as a candidate for European Parliament – remain on the front pages. We are all in too many serious problems to deal with such tricks. Opposition leader Janez Janša at his party’s press conference, opining on the truth behind Minister Lahovnik’s intention to resign. Slovenian heartbreaker Jan Plestenjak secretly married his long time love Martina Kajfež, who had been separated for many years. (Unfortunately) the most notable April fool’s joke about the Slovenian latino-lover singer marrying his former great love, a model.

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

POLITICS

Golden Oldies

The opposition

The speech of Minister of the Interior before the session that discussed the motion to oust her was glorious and disarming. It has brought some hope to those who believe By Jaka Terpinc that it is worth putting the rule of law before pleasing the mob. Minister Kresal’s statement she will not bend to ratings in her aim to do the right thing is something completely opposite to Prime Minister Borut Pahor’s indecisive actions, which seem to come only after a careful evaluation of what might influence his public image rather than any other consequences. Kresal became the opposition’s priority target because of her firm decision to carry out the constitutional court’s ruling to restore the civil rights of thousands inhabitants whose citizenship vaporized in the mid-1990s (known as the “erased”), because they didn’t properly and timely handle the bureaucratic procedure needed to transfer their permanent residencies to a newly-established country. The opposition, embodied in three centre-right wing parties, has once again proven their main mobilisation potential is patriotic appeal in various flavours, consequently dividing citizens into “true Slovenes” and the ones less so – or not at all. The erased are defined as a highly malicious element consisting of independence war enemies, traitors and social parasites, despite a desperate lack of any serious evidence to that claim. And again we are dealing with two concepts that have trouble coexisting. One with countrymen, united in blood, roots and virtues, the other with citizens, united under the state – specifically, a state of law. Commonly, the political right wing, of course, bets on the first paradigm and Slovenia is no exception. The patriotic “identity against,” even in the absence of any threats, always finds its way to the public discourse. Most recently national pride focused itself on a small portion of disputed border with Croatia. The decision to block Croatian accession to the EU until a solution to the border issue was found was coalitionunanimous; even those who don’t care that much for the few acres in question took it as a means of standing up against alleged Croatian political arrogance. In any case, when a leftist government takes the national flag in their hands, there are fewer left to the opposition. So, then the opposition reached for another immortal topic, which splits the nation across the ideological line: it went digging for the bones, opening the old wounds, which have troubles healing mainly because politics won’t let them: the question of who committed the greater sin: those who were killing Nazis under the leadership of future communist rulers, or the Domobranci (Homeguards) who swore allegiance to Hitler in order to kill communists. The topic is commonly accompanied with a discussion of whether former Yugoslav leader Tito was a good or a bad guy. Besides manoeuvring through perpetual Slovenian ideological issues, the opposition is a disappointment. When it comes to the real problems, it just can’t reach beyond the populist pre-school mathematics of lowering taxes and simultaneously making everything cheaper and more accessible to the citizens. A part of this problem is due to the fact the opposition’s real foundations were based on neo-liberal ideology, which didn’t materialize in reforms during the previous terms, and sounds weirdly unpopular under the current global economic condition. Also, the solution to the global crisis is not in the hands of small countries, which leaves even more space to old local resentments. So, if flirting with national pride and heating up a cultural war is the best the opposition can do, it takes us right into the direction of their best-selling fears: rejecting pluralism. Ironically, the coalition itself has become its own opposition. The coalition has already demonstrated its instability as Zares threatened to leave it, because of a crisis-related staffing issue. Janez Janša, the personification of current opposition, just found it irrelevant to comment on disharmonies within the coalition. Tactically, waiting for coalition to dissolve itself is a good prospect for the SDS, but what about for the citizens? It would definitely feel better if the alternative beat a healthy opponent rather than cleaning up after the corpses. The opposition, therefore, needs a thorough retuning and regrouping before the next elections. Meanwhile, many things can happen. The Slovenia Times

Looking for an Issue For Slovenia’s centre-right parties, last September’s election loss was a substantial blow. Since then, they have tried to redefine their role in the redrawn political landscape. But while the troubled economy is making life hard for the government, the opposition has yet to find an entirely coherent political voice. By Jaka Bartolj

SDS MP Branko Grims, the voice of opposition

he first months since the election have seen a number of public disagreements between Borut Pahor’s government and the opposition, as the parties seek to portray themselves as being on the side of ordinary people in these times of economic turmoil and thereby position themselves for the future. Still, elements a cross-party consensus remain in place.

Lacking Confidence The highest profile political event during these first few months was the ultimately unsuccessful noconfidence motion against Interior Minister Katarina Kresal. The minister had begun granting residence documents to the “erased”, citizens of other former Yugoslav republics who were stripped of their legal resident status in the early 1990s. Kresal insisted that

she was simply complying with a Constitutional Court order, but the opposition maintained that documents should only be restored on a case-by-case basis. Otherwise, argued opposition politicians, residence and even citizen status will end up being restored to people who actively opposed Slovenia’s independence. Not only that, they warned, but Kresal’s move has also opened the door to substantial demands for legal compensation, which will prove disastrous in this economic climate. High profile political clashes aside, the ideological framework guiding Slovenia’s opposition parties – and politics in general – remains ill-defined. The deepest ideological divisions between the government and the opposition often didn’t center on competing visions for the country’s future, but rather on the culture wars of the past.

Two of a Kind

Photo: BOBO

In fact, there is a profound ideological consensus between the government and the opposition on economic matters. While the government parties take care to stress the center-left credentials and ties to the labor movement, the two blocs share the same broader vision: A strong welfare state, a fair share of protectionism, but also a generally business-friendly economic environment. The opposition has issued policy proposals of its own, including tax breaks for businesses. Still, the “neo-liberal” reforms initially announced by and later shelved by the previous center-right coalition now seem like a distant memory. Especially in this eco-

nomic climate, the commitment to a strong welfare state transcends party politics. Politically divisive “neo-liberal” reforms are off the agenda. In fact, the opposition SDS even played a populist card by introducing a bill that would have given bonuses to Slovenia’s poorest pensioners. The government had promised such bonuses as the governing coalition was being formed (it was one of the demands of coalition partner DeSUS, which represents retirees), but later postponed them indefinitely, arguing that the state could not afford them in the current recession. SDS’s move had little chance of succeeding. However, it essentially represented a challenge to the government from the economic left – an attempt to appeal to an electoral bloc traditionally loyal to the center-left coalition. The proposal serves as an effective illustration of just

how little ideological distinction there is between the government and the opposition on economic matters. The issues that most polarize Slovenia’s political parties – and the electorate – are those of the past. In a country where political allegiance is still frequently shaped by one’s view by events during and after World War II, history is often the focus of heated political debates.

History Wars And it was precisely that historical polarization between the center-left government and the centerright opposition that reemerged several times after the election. When a post-World War II mass grave was found in March near the town of Laško, both the government and the opposition were quick to condemn the crime. However, the occasion resulted in a mostly symbolic, yet high profile political flare-up. The opposition Slovenian Democrats demanded that Slovenia’s remaining streets and squares named after Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito be renamed because of his responsibility for the killings. The youth wing of the government Social Democrats, mindful of Tito’s enduring popularly among a large swathe of the Slovenian electorate, responded by suggesting that if streets named after Tito should vanish because of his divisiveness, the same should happen to the airport named after independence-era politician, Jože Pučnik, the founder of the present-day opposit ion Sloven ia n Democrats. The feud escalated further when Ljubljana city councilors announced plans to name a new street after Tito.

Foreign Affairs But if history has proven as divisive as ever, the country’s foreign policy has been the subject of a wide-ranging consensus. When Slovenia decided to block Croatia’s EU accession negotiations, the opposition was quick to praise the government’s decision. The consensus was not unexpected; after all, the new government had made it clear that it planned no major changes from the policies pursued by its center-right predecessor. Even if the new government’s decision to block the talks was ultimately a step further than anything the previous government had done, the move was a popular one, and the opposition gave the government its due, at least initially. The consensus did not prevent sniping between the government and the opposition over specific

diplomatic strategies. On one occasion, SDS head Janez Janša declared that Croatian politicians were giving Prime Minister Pahor “lessons like a schoolboy.” When it came time to condemn a proposed referendum on Croatia’s EU membership, however, the opposition quickly joined forces with the government. In the end, only a small extra-parliamentary party ended up backing the referendum; it failed to acquire the needed signatures and the referendum was shelved. At least on substantive foreign policy issues, the consensus remained firmly in place.

The Domestic Front On a domestic issue, however, the opposition called for a referendum of its own. After the government restored the right of attorneys to set their own fees, the opposition announced a referendum that would roll back the change, a move seemingly in touch with public opinion. The governing coalition eventually passed a motion to have the proposal reviewed by the Constitutional Court. The referendum proposal was defended most vocally by SDS MP Branko Grims. On this and other hot-button issues, such as the controversy over the “erased”, it was Grims who went head-tohead with the government, while former PM Janez Janša maintained

a comparatively low profile. Retaining his status as the country’s colorful opposition politician, meanwhile, was Zmago Jelinčič, the head of the populist SNS party. Whether calling for a referendum on the planned mosque in Ljubljana, going face-to-face with transition-era tycoons, attacking Slovenian politicians for their alleged impotence in dealing with Croatia, or suggesting that 20% of public employees should be fired, Jelinčič reprised his role as a perennial gadfly, eager to attack any government in power. His criticism of the previous government did nothing to blunt his views of this one. And what does the Slovenian public think of the opposition and its strategy? Opinion polls show a fairly stable level of support for both government and opposition parties since the election. Disagreements over political issues aside, Pahor’s relatively popular, non-confrontational rhetorical style seems to be relatively popular among the electorate, and opposition politicians have, on occasion, praised Pahor’s approach. In fact, given the perilous state of the coalition, and bickering between the governing parties, Pahor’s biggest political challenge right now almost certainly comes from his erstwhile political allies, rather than from the opposition. May 2009

POLITICS

Slovenia-Croatia Border Dispute

Much Ado About Nothing? When European Commissioner Olli Rehn announced a revised plan to end the border dispute between Slovenia and Croatia on April 22, the details were still a mystery. At least initially, however, it appeared as if nothing much had changed; Slovenia and Croatia were simply engaged in last minute wrangling over the exact terms of the proposed arbitration process, a process that has been underway for weeks. Photo: BOBO

By Jaka Bartolj

The teams: Croatian and Slovenian PMs with their foreign ministers.

ccording to media reports, Rehn’s revised proposal separates Slovenia’s demands for access to the high seas from the border dispute. While an international arbitration tribunal would apparently define the border between the two countries, the decision on Slovenia’s access to the high seas would be made on the basis of international law, but also taking into consideration the principle of equity.

The involvement of Hague International Court is welcomed by Croatia. Slovenia insisted on arbitration Natural Justice For All? panel that would include The revised proposal apparthe legal concept of ently also establishes the comof the arbitration panel, equity in addition to position which would include five memstrictly literal reading of bers. Slovenia and Croatia would international law. each name one. The two countries

Observers in both countries wonder whether Croatia is using he dispute with Slovenia as an excuse, as it struggles to fulfil its responsibilities in other chapters of its EU accession talks. The Slovenia Times

would then choose the rest by consensus. If unable to reach an agreement, the remaining three would be chosen by the president of the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The involvement of the International Court is welcomed by Croatia. For a long time, the country had insisted that the Hague court settle the dispute. Slovenia has rejected this view; it also insisted on an arbitration panel that would base its decision at least in part of the legal concept of equity – also known as natural justice - in addition to the strictly literal

reading of international law favoured by Croatia. While equity remains a component Rehn’s latest proposal, the changes seem to benefit Croatia the most. In fact, Croatian Foreign Minister Goran Jandroković was quick to praise the revised proposal, stating that it “incorporates to a large degree Croatia’s wellknown positions” and “forms a good basis for reaching an acceptable solution.” Nevertheless, Rehn stresses that he took both Slovenian and Croatian proposals into consideration when drafting the proposal. Any addit ional last-m i nute changes to Rehn’s proposal appear unlikely as the two countries continue their talks. By accepting the arbitration process, Slovenia and Croatia would acknowledge that the final decision made by the arbitration panel would be binding. Croatia’s acceptance of Rehn’s proposal would open the way for Slovenia to stop blocking its southern neighbour’s EU accession talks.

Neighbourly Feud Slovenia blocked the talks in December after Croatia had submitted a number of documents that, in the eyes of Slovenia’s government, effectively prejudged the disputed border.

Slovenia’s move triggered a flurry of diplomatic activity between the two countries and the EU, with each side trying to convince as many EU opinion makers as possible. Despite Croatia’s insistence that the dispute was a purely bilateral matter, Rehn has made several proposals to resolve the impasse, but no agreement has been reached. Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari was once expected to mediate the border dispute but stepped aside when talks shifted from mediation to arbitration. Croatian political analyst Davor Gjenero characterized Ahtisaari’s withdrawal as a defeat for Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor, as Slovenia missed its last chance for a negotiated settlement. Croatia failed to respond to Rehn’s next proposal, which involved ad hoc arbitration. Instead, Jandroković met Rehn personally and simply reiterated his country’s positions. The revised proposal addresses some of Croatia’s concerns. Croatia’s actions have prompted some observers in both Slovenia and Croatia to wonder whether the country is using he dispute with Slovenia as an excuse, as it struggles to fulfil its responsibilities in other chapters of its EU accession talks. The border dispute between the two countries has dragged on since independence. The dispute centres on several segments of the land border, which was often poorly defined in Yugoslav times, the maritime border, which wasn’t defined at all, as well as Slovenia’s access to the open sea. While the border dispute is in danger of substantially delaying Croatia’s EU accession, the country did become a NATO member despite a referendum threatened in February by SSN, a Slovenian nationalist extra-parliamentary party, which could have prevented Croatia from joining the military alliance. Slovenia’s major political parties all joined forces in speaking out against the referendum, and SSN ultimately failed to collect the required signatures.

Economy

FACTS AND FIGURES

source: STA, Slovenian Press Agency

Of Tycoons and Politicians As the biggest Slovenian holdings are slowly crumbling under the burden of excessive debts incurred in times when the leading Slovenian managers thought they could still have their cake and eat it, politicians have smelled blood. Political points can be scored by lambasting the bosses who tried to take over the companies they led and accusing the bankers of negligence when approving the loans that might force the government to bail the banks out with taxpayer’s money.

Boško Šrot: Looking for a buyer for Mercator

The first serious crisis in the ruling coalition was sparked by the decision of NLB, the stateowned banking giant that dominates its sector in Slovenia, to extend the EUR 130 m loan to Infond Holding by 45 days (see page 12). Gregor

Golobič, the leader of Zares, the junior partner in the government of Prime Minister Borut Pahor, threatened to walk out of the government, if NLB’s boss Draško Veselinovič would not resign over the loan extension.

succeeded; Veselinovič has already turned in his resignation, but whether Golobič will be able to install his candidate at the top of NLB remains to be seen. In any case, the bashing of Šrot and his helpers in the banks makes for good publicity.

Golobič’s anger is understandable. Banks are refusing to refinance the loans of small and medium-sized companies, households are struggling to pay back their mortgages; yet Boško Šrot, the owner of Infond Holding and a vast business empire, allegedly built by circumventing takeover laws and stock trading rules, has no problems getting the bank owned by the state to grant him another month and a half to sort out his troubles.

If Šrot has been treated leniently by his biggest creditor, Igor Bavčar, the boss of Istrabenz, had to suffer the ignominy of surrendering to banks’ demands for his resignation (see page 12). As insolvency proceedings started, NLB acted as the long arm of the government. It seized a significant stake in Petrol, the fuel retailer that Istrabenz had pledged as collateral in a repurchase agreement and sold it to Mercator, the country’s biggest grocer. Mercator then helped the government to appoint a friendly supervisory board in Petrol, quashing any hopes Bavčar might have entertained that his stake in Petrol could be used as leverage in a possible bailout.

Observers say that Golobič sensed the opportunity to settle some old scores with LDS, the political party with which he started his career, but later formed his own political platform. The rumours have it that Zares was outmanoeuvred by LDS when Draško Veselinovič was appointed the CEO of NLB after the 2008 general election. Veselinovič is a member of LDS, and with his appointment Zares was robbed of influence over an important segment of the economy. Lacking a business power base, Golobič has obviously recognized an opportunity to assert Zares in a field that has until now been dominated by Pahor’s Social Democrats. He partially

It is ironic that Mercator, which was sold to Šrot and Bavčar in 2006 in a contentious, politicallycharged deal by the previous government of Janez Janša, is now being used against them. Šrot cannot tap Mercator’s cash flow to repay his debt until the Competition Protection Office grants him the right to exercise his votes in the retailer, while the latter keeps Bavčar away from Petrol. What goes around, comes around, some would say.

Real estate

Energy

State to Sell EUR 80 m Worth of Buildings

GEN Boosts Profit by 56 percent in 2008

At the end of March, the National Assembly passed changes to the ordinance of the state’s real property sale plan for 2009 under which the state will put this year on sale 82 pieces of real estate worth a total of EUR 80m. Prior to the changes, the ordinance envisaged that 10 pieces of real estate worth a total of EUR 13m will be sold this year. It was expanded with 72 buildings in the total value of EUR 66.7m.

The group around Gen Energija, the company managing the Slovenian part of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant (NEK), posted EUR 280.10m in revenues in 2008, which is 41% more than the year before. The net profit in the same period surged by almost 56% to EUR 51.9m. The core company GEN meanwhile had a turnover of EUR 192.97m last year, while the net profit stood at EUR 44.12m, the company’s director Martin Novsak told the press.

including including virtual virtual reception, reception, daily daily workstation workstation rental, shared and serviced offices rental, shared and serviced offices

Energy

Petrol Reports Slump in Q1 Profit Energy group Petrol generated EUR 10.9m in net profit in the first three months of this year, which is down 30 percent on the same period last year, the company reported. First quarter net sales revenues were down 14 percent year-on-year to EUR 555.3m. The drop comes despite bigger sales volumes, mainly as a result of lower prices of oil products, Petrol explained. The core company generated EUR 462.8m in Q1 net sales revenues, which is down 18 percent on the first quarter of 2008. Its net profit was down 38 percent to EUR 7.6m.

The Slovenia Times

11 Advertising

Retailing

Simobil Advertiser of the Year

Retailers Starting to Feel Pinch

Slovenia’s no. 2 mobile operator, Simobil, received the Slovenian Advertising Chamber’s “Advertiser of the Year” award. The “Advertising Personality of the Year” award went to Droga Kolinska Group boss Milena Stular. An eight-member judging panel said that Simobil showed with its thorough repositioning of the trade mark in 2008 that it was bold, original and innovative, while maintaining consistency within a very dynamic branch.

Taxes

Excise Duty on Tobacco Goes Up The excise duty on tobacco products and consequently the prices of tobacco products in stores was raised on the 1st of May. The move is expected to bring an extra EUR 24m into the state budget annually. Finance Ministry State Secretary Helena Kamnar told the MPs that the excise duty on tobacco products in Slovenia was at the lowest level permitted by EU regulations.

Companies

Adria Airways Renewing Its Fleet The Slovenian flag carrier Adria Airways has signed a letter of intent to purchase a new Airbus 319, valued at around USD 45m, the company wrote in a press release. The company plans to successively replace its three Airbus 320s with new modern Airbus 319 planes by 2013 as part of the strategic plan to modernise its entire fleet. After four new Canadair CRJ 900s, this is Adria’s fifth new plane in the last five years. Airbus 319s have around 140 seats, which is also economical for the route profile of Adria Airways, the company added.

The economic downturn is starting to affect wholesale and retail sales, which have seen year-on-year drops in the first two months of 2009, the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce said. While sales had been steady from November through January compared to the same quarter a year earlier, drops were seen both in January and February of this year compared to the same months last year. January sales were down 1.3%, while a drop of 6.6% was registered in February, the organisation representing Slovenia’s wholesalers and retailers said. While grocers are not reporting a drop for now, companies trading in durable goods have begun to feel the pinch. The hardest hit have been furniture and hardware wholesalers and retailers.

Economy

Annual inflation down to 1,8 percent Slovenia’s annual inflation rate fell by 0.3 percentage points to 1.8 percent in March although consumer prices rose by 1 percent on February. Higher prices of clothing and footwear contributed most to monthly inflation, the Statistics Office reported on Tuesday. The end of clearance sales and the arrival of new collections to stores pushed up prices of clothing and footwear by and average 11.1 percent, which is a feature typical for this time of the year. Deflation rearing its ugly head? inflation rate, y-o-y, in % 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 J J 2008

A S

O N

J F 2009

Telecoms

Cars

Telekom Slovenije Acquires Cosmofon

Car Sales Drop by 22 percent Car sales in Slovenia fell by 22 percent year-on-year in March, the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce reported on Wednesday. A total of 5,731 cars and vans were newly registered in March, while car sales in the first quarter of 2009 also fell by some 22% to 14,648. The sales of cars fell by 19.3% to 5,360, while sales of vans were down by 47.8% to 371. Renault remained the top-selling brand in Slovenia in March with 753 cars sold. This is 29.4% less than in the same month of 2008.

Slovenia’s Telekom Slovenije signed a EUR 190m contract on the acquisition of 100 percent stakes in Macedonia’s no. 2 mobile operator Cosmofon Mobile Telecommunications and its main distributor Germanos Telecom Skopje (GTS). The contract has to be confirmed by the Macedonian telecoms market regulator.

Industry

Industrial Output Down 22 percent Slovenia’s industry contracted by 22.3% year-on-year in February. Compared to January, industrial output fell by 0.9%, according to preliminary data from the Statistics Office. In the first two months of the year, industrial output declined by nearly 20%. All sectors reported a fall in production at the annual level, but the most substantial one, 24.2%, was recorded in manufacturing. Among the main industrial groupings, the output fell the most in capital goods industries, by 22.7%.

Economy

Central Bank: GDP Will Drop by 2 percent Slovenia’s central bank expects the Slovenian economy to shrink by 2 percent in 2009. In 2010, Banka Slovenije forecasts that the trend is to change and that growth will stand at 1.9 percent. However, this canNot so good economic growth in % not be predicted for certain, central 8 bank governor Marko Kranjec warned. Inflation is expected to 6 amount to 0.4 percent this year and 1.8 percent in 2010. The 4 employment rate is to fall by 2.6 2 percentage points in 2009, while the unemployment rate according 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 to standards of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) could rise -2 to 7 percent.

Pensions

Govt Quashes Pensioner Bonus The government failed to back on an opposition-sponsored bill under which Slovenian pensioners would get a cost-of-living bonus in 2010. Labour Minister Ivan Svetlik told the press after the cabinet meeting that the bill was dismissed because it only focused on pensioners and left out other population groups, which are also at risk.

12 ECONOMY

Holdings

The Endgame When the bankers move in as decisively as in the case of Istrabenz, a sprawling holding, then you know the dice have finally fallen. Owing its creditors more than EUR 900 m, the company has been declared insolvent. How the debt will be restructured and whether the company will file for bankruptcy is an open question. Istrabenz’s boss, Igor Bavčar, however, is not alone in his predicament. His counterpart at Pivovarna Laško, Boško Šrot, is also in dire straits for precisely the same reasons. By Marko Vuković

ot h men overst retc hed themselves. Bavčar and Šrot tried to engineer management buyouts of the companies they lead by relying on borrowed funds and posting shares of takeover targets as collateral. That is how a classic management buyout looks: take over the company with other people’s money, load its balance sheet with debt and then service the latter with the cash flow of the newly acquired firm. The banks played along happily. There was nothing unusual in accepting shares as collateral in the heady days of the stock market boom when even households took out loans to buy what were, from today’s perspective, clearly overvalued shares. Since then, priceto-earnings ratios have halved and the market is down 60 percent from its peak of August 2007. The banks that financed the MBOs of Istrabenz and Pivovarna Laško suddenly discovered that the value of collateral is not nearly sufficient to make up for the losses should one of the behemoths default on their debt. In moments like that, bankers usually start thinking about jumping ship rather than finding ways of refinancing the obligations of their once prized customers.

Easy come, easy go Istrabenz, with interests in energy, tourism and food processing, was the first to bite the bullet. In March, the negotiations between Bavčar and 19 banks that extended EUR 900 m of loans to the holding exposed the differing interests of creditors. The biggest two, UniCredit Slovenija, a subsidiary of the Italian banking giant, and NLB, Slovenia’s leading bank, decided to break ranks, selling shares from share repurchase agreements to recover at least a portion of the funds lent to the company. Judging by Istrabenz’s 2008 results, one cannot blame the bankers for doubting the ability of Istrabenz to repay the loans. The group posted a loss of more than EUR 220 m in 2008, depleting its The Slovenia Times

The first to go: Igor Bavčar, the boss of Istrabenz was forced to resign by company’s creditors

capital to the level where insolvency procedures kick in. “Mr Bavčar had his chance, but the losses stemming mainly from Istrabenz’s purchases of stakes in other companies at inflated prices strengthen the bankers’ case for the sacking of the company’s management,” a seasoned observer of the situation says. One of the conditions the banks have set for the reprogramming of Istrabenz’s loans is that Bavčar and his leading managers leave the holding. After all, they are the ones to blame for huge losses; they are the ones who decided to buy a significant stale in Petrol, a fuel retailer, at the height of the stock market boom, only to see its value plummet by more than 60 percent, shrinking the holding’s capital to a level at which bankruptcy no longer seems far-fetched.

Drunk on the boom

Indeed, some banks are already pushing for bankruptcy, calculating that they have more to gain in bankruptcy proceedings than in a debt restructuring that could prove to be protracted affair. With Istrabenz in such a bad shape, it is no wonder that Maksima Invest, a holding owned by Bavčar and a vehicle he used in his MBO activities, is also insolvent. A couple of years ago, Bavčar was able to persuade the bankers to lend him the money for the takeover and post Istrabenz’s shares as collateral, but as the MBO has gone awry, he has found out

that refinancing the loans may be harder than anticipated in those times when it seemed the only way for the stock market was up. Boško Šrot, in contrast, used Infond Holding, a financial firm of which he is the majority owner, in his takeover of Mercator, Slovenia’s biggest retailer. The owner of Pivovarna Laško, the leading beverages producer in the country, Šrot wanted Mercator to be the jewel in the crown of his business empire.

Hard times With EUR 2.7bn of revenues in 2008, it made perfect sense for Infond Holding to use the retailer’s strong cash flow to repay the debts incurred in the MBOs over the past couple of years. However, when Šrot was manoeuvring to take over Mercator in 2006 and 2007, he obviously did not give much thought to competition law. What Šrot wants is to take control of Mercator’s supervisory board and management, which would allow him to start tapping the retailer’s cash flow to repay his debts. The Competition Protection Office (UVK) is not amused; the watchdog says Laško’s takeover of Mercator flouted the takeover law. It has therefore decided to freeze half of Šrot’s voting rights in Mercator (Laško owns 48 percent of it), in effect robbing him of the influence over the firm’s management decisions. The news that Pivovarna Laško and Infond Holding have more

than EUR 900 m of debts should therefore not be taken lightly. As the case of Istrabenz shows, companies can quickly crumble under such enormous volumes of debt, especially in times when falling profits make it harder for them to service it. If push comes to shove, the bankers are sure to take control of Mercator, whose shares were posted as collateral for the loans. There has not yet been any talk of insolvency for Infond Holding, the key company in Šrot’s business system, but it looks as if Mercator will have to be sold sooner or later, if Šrot does not succeed in tapping its cash flow to pay back the loans.

Playing along If in Istrabenz’s case the banks are seriously considering breaking up the holding and selling off its assets to recover their funds, they have been more lenient in Šrot’s case. NLB, Infond Holding’s biggest creditor, decided to defer the repayment of a EUR 130 m loan for 45 days, giving Šrot some extra time to find a buyer for Mercator. Rumours have it that Šrot already offered his 48 percent stake in Mercator to the Croatian food group, Agrokor. This did not go down well with the government, which could scupper any plan by exerting pressure on Infond Holding through the state-owned NLB. Is the government considering acquiring a stake in one of Slovenia’s biggest companies just three years after the state-run funds sold their stakes to Šrot and Bavčar in what was one of the least transparent business deals under the Janša government? Be that as it may, the troubles of Istrabenz and Pivovarna Laško and the holdings that were set up to take them over are symptomatic of a trend in the Slovenian economy, in which financial firms speculated on rising stock prices, but instead got caught in the bust. Banka Slovenije, the Slovenian central bank, thinks these holdings have taken out around EUR 2.5 bn in loans. It seems that the skeletons have only started to fall out of the closets.

ECONOMY 13

Energy

It’s a Gas, Gas, Gas When Economy Minister Matej Lahovnik started a two-day working visit to Moscow in April, dedicated to ironing out open issues with regard to building the Slovenian section of the South Stream gas pipeline, energy security was on everybody’s lips. However, the question whether increasing the volume of gas supplies from Russia really serves this goal, was not addressed. By Marko Vuković

nofficial sources say that the open issues include the ownership shares in the joint venture that would build and operate the pipeline and the tax position of the company. Slovenia does not want to accept a minority stake in the company, as originally proposed by Russia gas giant Gazprom. S out h St rea m w i l l by pa ss Ukraine, bringing gas from Russia under the Black Sea and then through Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary to an Austrian gas hub serving the wider region. Slovenian offshot would link South Stream to Italy, Europe’s largest gas consumer. Not only would Slovenia be able to collect transit fees, its gas supplies would no longer be hostage to pricing disputes between Ukraine and Russia. The project is scheduled for completion by 2015.

Secure? But is increasing dependence on Russian gas supplies a sensible policy? It is somewhat surprising that in times when the dependence on Russian gas is hotly debated in expert circles and in the media, the government has not yet rolled out a consistent strategy of securing diversified gas supplies. Currently,

Slovenia imports around two thirds of its gas from Russia, with the rest coming from Algeria and Austria. TGE, a German gas engineering company, has been trying to sell its plan to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and a gas-fired power plant in Koper for quite some time. The government seems to have other priorities. Given its superior technology, it is hard to argue that the terminal in Koper would unduly burden the sensitive marine environment. An LNG terminal on the Slovenian coast would certainly allow for greater diversification and the security of supply. As Janko Puklavec, TGE’s advisor, explains, only about a quarter of the gas from the terminal would be destined for the Slovenian market. Geoplin, the country’s gas network operator, could charge substantial transit fees for the rest of the gas that would flow towards Austria and further west. Slovenia would get a strategic energy facility it could tap in an event of the crisis, while at the same time ensuring its gas supply is sufficiently diversified.

LNG on the rise This is not the only planned LNG terminal in the region, however.

LNG: A good way to diversify energy supply sources

The northernmost tip of the Adriatic where the Mediterranean meets the mainland is as close as LNG tankers from the Middle East can get to the energy-hungry markets of Central Europe and further north. Italians will soon begin building an offshore and a land terminal on their side of the border, while there is another terminal planned on the Croatian island of Krk. The trend is clear; the countries of the region have recognized LNG as an important alterna-

tive to Russian gas. As energy expert Djani Brečevič explains, LNG is an energy source that can be bought all around the world. “This is its main advantage; you are not tied to any one supplier, as is the case with Russia, but can go and buy it on the open market, much as oil,” says Mr Brečevič, adding that when thinking about LNG terminals from a Russian point of view, they represent an unwelcome competition to their pipeline plans.

UK-Slovenia Business Relationship

Higher, Faster, Stronger When thinking about trade in Slovenia, United Kingdom is not the first country that one thinks of. However trade between the countries is ever increasing and United Kingdom is currently 14th largest investor in Slovenia. The Olympic Games 2012 in London might be the perfect place to start making progress on this front.

ear 2012 might look far away but to be able to apply for one of the 75.000 business opportunities worth an estimated EUR 6.7 bn across all sectors that will be available, you need to start acting as fast as possible to get a decent advantage against your competition. The British Chamber of Commerce in Slovenia (www.bccs.si)

believes in the abilities of Slovenian companies to successfully compete against bigger and better known rivals. This is where we can offer businesses some assistance with our extend knowledge on the United Kingdom market. This belief led us to organize the first ever one-day British Business Day event, with the focus on “How to apply for London 2012 Olympic tenders.”

The event is being organized in cooperation with Slovenia Times, the UK governments investment department UKTI (Slovenia) and the British Embassy Ljubljana, and will feature some very interesting speakers. Getting involved gives Slovenian companies unique access to the many opportunities in the London 2012 supply chain, enables businesses to identify potential

partners for the formation of consortia and onward supply chains, provides buyers with access to a wider, more diverse supplier base, and the tools to shortlist suppliers to meet their specific needs and assists businesses by giving them access to focused business support to make them ‘business ready’ for opportunities up to and beyond the London 2012 Games. May 2009

REAL ESTATE SPECIAL

The state of the real-estate market

Crunch Time Coming Up Taking a look around the real estate markets in Europe is not really comforting, especially for developers that have poured billions of euros into commercial and residential projects. As prices fall and buyers are nowhere to be found, debts incurred in the time of the housing boom now look increasingly unsustainable, pushing some firms into insolvency. In Slovenia, however, prices have been holding up relatively well, although that might be just the calm before the storm. By Marko VukoviÄ&#x2021; The Slovenia Times

REAL ESTATE SPECIAL 15 Sobering up Andrej Horvat, a sales manager in one of the many Slovenian firms supplying parts to the German car industry, may be forgiven for thinking that he has already been caught in the storm’s eye. “Two years ago, it seemed that nothing could go wrong and I took out a mortgage to buy a flat, thinking that all that hassle with landlords and rising rents was finally over,” he says. He was not alone. The volume of mortgages outstanding rose steeply in the past few years when money was cheap and banks fell over each to lure potential clients with increasingly attractive terms. This debt-fuelled demand inflated housing prices in the country (see chart), further entrenching the prevailing view that there is money to be earned in the real estate development business. Those days are over, however. Banks have become stingier with loans; not only because of the drying up of the international financial markets on which they had become increasingly dependent for funds to finance lending, but also because of the uncertainty about the economy. “I don’t know whether I’ll still have a job one year from now,” says Horvat whose company has seen its orders dwindling as car sales around the world plummet. As Slovenia’s export-dependent economy lives through what will surely be the worst year on the record, banks as well as households will not be losing much thought over whether to provide or take out new loans to buy houses and dwellings. Consequently, the real estate market is not as hot as it used to be; prices more or less stagnated in the previous year, with house price growth far below levels registered in 2006 and 2007 (see chart).

Wishful thinking? Although the prices are holding up relatively well compared to Ireland, Spain and the Baltic countries, where real estate bubbles have already burst, not everybody is convinced that Slovenian homeowners will avoid the turmoil. The housing booms had similar roots all around Europe: low real interest rates encouraged households and developers to take on increasing amounts of debt, while domestic banks tapped interna-

tional financial markets to supply the funds needed to build and buy houses and apartment blocks. As banks cut back lending, depressing demand, and developers sit on inventories of unsold apartments, boosting supply, these two processes should push house prices down. However, this has not happened yet, leading some commentators to assume that the country will avoid the worst of the European real estate bust. This might be wishful thinking. The number building permits and real estate transactions, two important leading indicators for the market, have been steadily declining (see chart). While developers are scaling back or cancelling their projects, those offering apartments are obviously not selling at prices buyers want to pay; hence the lowest number of transactions in years. This impasse will not last long; real estate agents say that everybody is waiting for the prices to fall, but that it will take some time for sellers and developers to accept the reality of lower prices.

Holiday is over The times when home owners could rest assured that the value of their assets will continue to grow unabated are definitely over. Hunting for holiday homes on the Slovenian coast, the Karst or in the mountain-ringed Carniola region no longer seems to be the favourite pastime of wealthier Slovenes and foreigners. As the housing boom slowly peters out, the coastal region in particular is bound to take a hit. If housing prices in the municipality of Piran, one of the most popular spots on the coast, rose by a whopping 19 percent in the first half of 2008, the third quarter already saw them fall by eight percent, albeit from a level not far below that of the capital. The region had seen the biggest increases in housing prices in the past couple of years.

but one cannot expect that managers will be making moving to new premises a priority in the current economic situation. The same goes for the shopping malls that have been sprouting on the outskirts of towns all across the country. As unemployment rises and consumption falls, retailers are understandably reluctant to set up shop in yet another shopping centre. The case of Emonika, a major project in Ljubljana’s city centre, illustrates the dilemmas that developers are increasingly likely to face as the economy sours very well. Unable to obtain financing for the whole project, TriGranit, a Hungarian development company, has decided to go ahead only with the business tower as it expects the demand for offices will not crash. “There is definitely a first-mover advantage when it comes to highquality offices in Ljubljana,” Csaba Toth, the director of the project, remarked recently. Emonika’s shopping centre will have to wait for better times, however.

Not very exuberant Rising inventories of unsold homes and the unwillingness of banks to roll-over their debts are squeezing companies in the construction sector, which only months ago was one of the main engines of Slovenian economic growth. In the beginning of 2004, construction’s share of GDP stood at 5.5 percent, but it rose to 8.5 percent in the third quarter of 2008. This may not seem excessive, especially if compared to countries that were once held up as examples Slovenia should follow. In Ireland, for example, the share of residential construction alone in the nation’s GDP stood at 15 percent in 2007. The fact that Ireland has one of the most severe housing busts in the European Union on its hands has not been lost on policy makers around the world. Sometimes having the skylines of your cities dotted with cranes can be a curse rather than a sign of a healthy economy.

Still not the time to buy house price index, 2005=100 160

142 124 Rest 106

Total Ljubljana

88 70

Jan 2003

Mar 2008

Source: SURS

Downward pressure number of building permits, real-estate transactions 2000

1500

Offices galore If a couple of months ago developers could still encourage themselves by saying that the commercial real estate market will not be hit to the same extent as the residential one, this optimism is slowly fading away. It is true that office stock in bigger Slovenian cities such as Ljubljana, Maribor and Celje is old and of low quality,

1000

500

Q1 2007

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Source: SURS, GURS

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16 REAL ESTATE SPECIAL

Musica Ljubljana, House of Arts

Making Culture Work Taking a look at the real estate projects that are under construction or planned in Ljubljana, one cannot help but think that the capital’s skyline and city centre will soon be dotted with office towers and shopping malls, perpetuating what is often seen as a culture of cheap consumerism. That is why Kolizej, a new development that will house an international cultural centre under the direction of a dedicated foundation, is such a welcome change on the city’s real estate scene. of artistic and intellectual development, but also a generator of growth, a business in its own way. “The symbiosis of the corporate world with the world of culture is a fact that has been recognized by cities all around Europe,” asserts Ms Jelenc, citing Verona and Salzburg, which bring in millions of euros with their festivals.

By Marko Vuković ra njsk a i nve st ic ijsk a družba (Carniolian Investment Company, KID) as a principal investor in the Kolizej is, of course, well aware that money can be made by selling or leasing offices and luring retailers to set up shop in a mall. However, what sets Kolizej apart from other real estate developments in Ljubljana is a clear and ambitious commitment to furthering Ljubljana’s cultural identity and appeal. While other real estate developments focus almost exclusively on commercial and residential real estate, KID has decided not only to include a state-of-the art venue for operas and concerts in its project, but also to take an active part in the shaping and managing the cultural program itself.

New ways In what is certainly a departure from the usual ways of doing things in Slovenia, KID will invite the municipality of Ljubljana and the government to join the company in establishing a foundation, Musica Ljubljana, that will manage the concert hall, called the House of Arts (Hiša lepih umetnosti). “The project is not your everyday real estate development, but is important for the cultural life of the city and the country as a whole,

Urban clashes

Kolizej: Remaking the Ljubljana city centre in high style

making a public-private partnership the best way to manage it,” says Tina Jelenc, an architect and urbanism expert who manages the project at KID. The House of Arts itself will not make up for more than a fifth of Kolizej in terms of area. However, Ms Jelenc explains, size is not all that matters; the foundation principle has already proven successful in Bayreuth, Germany and Lucerne, Switzerland, two cities that are wellknown for their extensive cultural scenes.

Cultured

REAL ESTATE SPECIAL

Tina Jelenc The Slovenia Times

Whether the House of Arts will succeed in putting Ljubljana on the cultural map of Europe remains to be seen, but as a venue fulfilling the highest technical standards it will certainly make the city more appealing to i nter nat ional event managers. “The cultural scene in Ljubljana is too local in nature,” says Ms Jelenc, adding that it would be wrong to

characterize it as too elite. Indeed, the city boasts venues that cater to different audiences, from ballet-lovers to punters looking for a quick drink at one of the alternative or electronic music clubs. The problem is, she emphasizes, that there is a dearth of top performers visiting Ljubljana. “Culture has become accessible to the masses; therefore, we can talk about mass culture; culture is a commodity, an integral part of the everyday lives of people,” explains Ms Jelenc. The Musica Ljubljana foundation will be ultimately responsible for cultural content that the House of Arts will offer to the public wants to tap these trends. In this way, she thinks, culture can become not only the engine

Before Jože Anderlič, the general manager of KID, got all the necessary permits to start building the new Kolizej, he had had to persuade the guardians of Slovenian cultural heritage that the old Kolizej, an Austro-Hungarian officers’ club from 19th century, would indeed have to make place for something more sophisticated and more in line with contemporary architectural trends. This episode is symptomatic of the debates that rage between traditionalists and modernists when it comes to the question of the image that Ljubljana wants to project. Should the plans of Jože Plečnik, a revered architect who almost single-handedly gave the city a bit of cosmopolitan flair in 1930s, be observed at all costs or should the city move on? Ms Jelenc says that you can find a lot of generic architecture in Ljubljana. Still, there are also projects that conform to the highest architectural standards. “Even Plečnik had to tear down a building or two to make way for his creations,” she says, confident that Ljubljana’s House of Arts will prove to be the brand of the city, infusing it with cultural identity along the lines of London’s Tate Modern or New York’s MoMA.

Kolizej – Musica Ljubljana, House of Arts Investor: Kranjska investicijska družba d.o.o. (Carniolian investment company Ltd.) Architects: Neutelings Riedijk Architekten, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Seats: 1,620 for concerts, 1370-1470 for operas Facilities: Direct access from a luxury hotel and an underground garage Opening: 2015

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18 REAL ESTATE SPECIAL

Sports infrastructure

Ready, Steady, Stadium Bežigrad Stadium, the creation of the renowned Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik, has an interesting history – at least for the first 60 years of its existence. Anyone who has ever walked up Ljubljana’s Dunajska Street must have noticed the old stadium, slowly crumbling under the burden of time. It is no longer the elite venue for sports events it used to be; only an occasional concert takes place there from time to time. By Marc Botte

t seems, however, that the stadium will soon be restored to its former glory. The model of the winning solution for its renovation has been revealed; the makeover will start in 2010. The German architectural firm GMP has been chosen from among several other projects competing for the stadium’s renovation since last summer. The major challenge was to preserve Plečnik’s original design, in line with its status as a cultural monument, and to integrate contemporary features. The GMP’s ambitious proposal seems to meet all the expectations: apart from renovating the old arena, a transparent lightweight roof is planned, along with a sport clinic, a hotel, shops, offices and residential buildings. A VIP area and an underground parking will also be built.

Revealed on the 7th of April at the event attended by Prime Minister Borut Pahor, Minister of the Interior Katarina Kresal and other public figures, the winning project received the support of the Slovenian Olympic Committee President Janez Kocijančič and Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Jankovič, who both emphasized the importance of such a stadium for Ljubljana and Slovenian sports. The whole building process will be observed carefully by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, which already gave its clearance for the project. The institute also expressed its desire to be part of the process of acquiring the building permit, to ensure that elements of Plečnik’s work are preserved appropriately. “By

Prime Minister Borut Pahor, Ljubljana mayor Zoran Jankovič and investor Joc Pečečnik

choosing a solution that meets all the criteria, we have ended the ongoing deterioration of this monument,” stated deputy mayor Janez Koželj, architect and the Head of the International Jury. Behind this EUR 200m project there is a public-private partner-

ship; Joc Pečečnik, the gaming magnate, football club owner and majority owner of the stadium, the Municipality of Ljubljana and the Slovenian Olympic Committee (OKS) have formed a consortium. The building permit should be issued within 12 months.

Construction

The Big Boys Save the Day When it comes to economic growth, few branches have as much impact on the economy as the construction sector. It has demonstrated time and again its ability to transform the fortunes of entire nations who found themselves in the midst of economic turmoil, usually on the back of large-scale infrastructure spending. For this reason alone, construction companies warrant a closer look. By Roman Oberč

I REAL ESTATE SPECIAL

n Slovenia, SCT, the country’s biggest construction company, cannot be overlooked. Slovenia’s substantial investments in infrastructure, which began in the 1980s with the start of the national motorway construction program worth over EUR 6 bn, have greatly benefited the entire construction sector, and especially SCT. It is the largest contractor in Slovenia’s road building program. From its establishment in 1982, the chairman of SCT’s board has been Ivan Zidar, a master lobbyist and the man who outlasted and outmaneuvered most of his rivals and political opponents.

A substantial legacy SCT’s reputation is well-earned as the company achieved a 30-percent share in some segments of the The Slovenia Times

construction market; the firm is the leader in virtually every field of the construction business, especially in road building. The numbers speak for themselves: more than 4,500 kilometers of Slovenian roads built, 55 kilometers of tunnels bored, engineering feats including the biggest tunnel and viaduct in the country successfully completed, not to mention projects of symbolic importance such as the Slovenian parliament building or Ljubljana’s Jože Pučnik airport.

The upcoming star Vegrad is another prominent construction company, which specializes in high-rises. Unlike SCT, Vegrad is more susceptible to the effects of the financial crisis. It has more debt, more in-house projects

that are hard to sell these days and half of its yearly income committed to various suppliers. In 2007, the share of public sector procurement in Vegrad’s order book was 14.9 percent, with 8.5 percent going to various road construction projects. Construction for the private sector will therefore continue to be the main pillar of Vegrad’s business, where they will be able to combine competitive advantages with innovations and high-quality services, according to the company’s boss, Hilda Tovšak. This strategy proved fruitful in the past years as their income has grown 112 percent since 2004.

Clean shovel In 2008, the heads of SCT, Vegrad, and Primorje, by far the

three biggest construction companies in the country, Zidar, Tovšak and Dušan Črnigoj, respectively, were arrested in a police action that became known as Operation Clean Shovel. The operation was supposed to uncover irregularities in an open tender for the construction of the new Ljubljana airport tower. The above-mentioned companies were suspected of fixing prices. Each of them allegedly submitted an offer with a very high price; their offers did not differ from one another by more than few thousand euros. They were planning to divide the awarded contract between them. The apprehended construction tsars, however, were released soon after the arrest and no charges were brought against them.

20 REAL ESTATE SPECIAL

Emonika and Šmartinska Partnership

Staying on Track In recent years, two massive projects have emerged at the forefront of Ljubljana’s development plans. The new central train station and the urban regeneration of the vast degraded site in north-eastern Ljubljana are the two pillars of the city’s vision to become a modern European capital. By Roman Oberč

he earliest plans for a passenger terminal that unifying Ljubljana’s logistical infrastructure into a coherent whole and at the same time functioning as a bridge between two parts of Ljubljana (divided by railway tracks since 1848) date back the 1930s. After Slovenia declared independence in 1991, the need for creating a modern transport centre could no longer be ignored. Nevertheless, it was not until 2005 that the international architectural competition for a new transport centre was concluded. The company chosen for the building of a passenger terminal was the Hungarian-Canadian development company TriGranit. In 2007, TriGranit signed a contract with the municipality of Ljubljana for cooperation in the project. In the same year, Slovenske zeležnice, the Slovenian railway, came on board and the joint venture Emonika was established under the management of Csaba Toth. TriGranit will not only build Emonika, but will also manage it after it is completed. Though delayed, work will start in the second half of 2008.

City within the city

REAL ESTATE SPECIAL

The project is a mammoth undertaking with a surface area of 213,885 square metres in the very heart of the city. It will be built at the intersection of some of Ljubljana’s busiest roads and on top of a major railway intersection. The new complex will host large shopping areas, an up-scale business hotel, a residential tower with approximately 90 better-quality apartments, more than 3,000 parking spaces, and a new railway station with a large spacious passenger hall and a new bus station. However, the building that will stand out the most will be a new business tower, on the south western corner of the complex at the edge of the largest intersection in the city. With a height of a hundred meters, it will be the tallest building in the country. The initial price tag for the complex was EUR 250 m. This figure was overly optimistic, as various delays, The Slovenia Times

Ljubljana’s skyscape with Emonika: The business tower (to the right) will be built first

mostly caused by the insistence of city authorities that the train station be designed for the possible movement of existing rail tracks underground, proved costly and pushed the figure to EUR 350 m. The construction is due to begin in the first half of this year, depending on how fast the various permits will be granted.

Emonika splits At the end of the previous year, TriGranit announced that, due to the fallout from the financial crisis and a stagnant real-estate market, Emonika would be built in two phases. First to be completed, in 2010, will be the business tower, while the shopping centre and other buildings should follow a year later. The EUR 55 m investment in the office tower is relatively simple to accomplish, as the construction does not involve complex deliberations and decisions involved in the construction of the new railway station. Despite delays, it is clear that Emonika will be built eventually. It is itself part of the bigger plan to rebuild all the decaying areas around Ljubljana’s transport hub. The long-awaited joining of the

city center into an integral whole will no longer be a dream.

Šmartinska rising A project that will dwarf even Emonika is in the planning stage, and it is taking the process of urban redevelopment to a higher level. The facts and figures speak for themselves; the site covers an area of 228 hectares (5 percent of the urbanised land in the city) in the north-eastern part of Ljubljana. Since the breakup of Yugoslavia and the move of industrial facilities outside the city limits, the Šmartinska area lost its prominent position as key strategic transport hub connecting northern Europe with the western Balkans; Ljubljana lies at the junction of the 5th and 10th pan-European transport corridors. As a consequence, this part of town started to decay rapidly, becoming an appealing target for redevelopment on a large scale.

Let the works begin! The focal point of the winning proposal for the redevelopment of the area is a large central park as the main element. Stemming from the park would be a series of

nodes: a cultural hub in the west, offices around the park, and a shopping and leisure area to the east. All nodes would be connected by a green boulevard functioning as the backbone of the whole area running area parallel to the main thoroughfare Šmartinska Street. Miran Gajšek, the head of Ljubljana’s spatial planning department, says that the project did not originate from the initiatives of real-estate developers but from the realization of the city and land owners that something had to be done with this area. “What we want is mixed use, a few central activities, but in a relation to the city centre. This area cannot compete with the city centre, it must compliment it,” Gajšek explains. The Šmartinska project was presented at MIPIM, the world’s largest real-estate fair, which took place in Cannes in March. The presentation focused on the strong environmental protection goals integrated into the project, including waste management, use of photovoltaic cells and use of heat pumps to draw heat from the ground. The city authorities say it will take 15-20 years for all phases of the project to be realised.

You will not only start your business day with the best view in town but also above the usual morning mist while you will enjoy even the earliest business meetings. RESERVE YOUR OFFICE NOW AND BENEFIT FROM OUR INTRODUCTORY PROMOTIONAL PACKAGES! For all information regarding special offer please contact: Matyas Gereben, Office Leasing Manager Mobile: 040 666 443 E-mail: matyas.gereben@emonika.si

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OFFICES WITH THE VIEW

Castello di Geme New laws, instructions and other documents for modern land development in cities and other settlements, state that renovation takes priority over new construction. Experts have proven that a sensible and professionally implemented renovation is cheaper and produces less environmental pollution. Such renovated buildings can be energy-efficient and healthy to live in seeing that they contain architectural knowledge that spans several generations.

ooking at the appearance of Slovenian towns and other settlements, it needs to be said that this developmental orientation is not being implemented. One of the many reasons is, perhaps, the deeply rooted criterion that a new house is a symbol of personal success and the true quality of living. Despite this however, there are extremely interesting and professionally sound renovations of old buildings to be found all across Slovenia. Among them is the unusual apartment house named Kaštel (lat. castellum – a castle, fort) in Glem. Backed against the sea in Slovenian Istria, Kaštel heralds the eponymous hamlet developed on the prominence of a Karst plateau.

The Military Outpost’s Newfound Application

Slovenian Istria, the epitome of prosperity. Its wavy hills are divided by terraces of silver-green olive trees, orange trees, almond trees and vines. Settled many years before the birth of Christ, it underwent various periods of growth and decline under the Celts, the Illyrians, and the Roman Empire, as well as under German counts, Austrian

archdukes, and Italian rulers. Many settlements have disappeared in the course of time and many new ones were established using the same materials and old building practices. During all these periods, their design was notably influenced by natural conditions, the principal farming and economic activity of the area, and the role of defence, which was almost always a major one. The latter is the main reason why the landscape is complemented by military outposts in various conditions, along with their tall defence towers. The locals call them kašteli. Built during the time of Turkish incursions, they played a vital role when the area was used as a border between Austria and the Venetian Republic. The constant disagreements between the Venetians and the Habsburgs required that the borders be watched vigilantly. The early 20th century saw the end of vibrant life in kašteli, leaving the abandoned forts to rapidly fall into ruin under the influence of demanding weather conditions. Several years ago, the disintegrating but still expansive stone walls of kaštel in Glem, which has been proclaimed an urban monument on account of its importance, and which offers magnificent views of the sea and the Alps, have challenged the architect Viljem Šantavec and

won him over. He bought the unusual estate and some year and a half of renovating later, the stony hold was transformed into an attractive and high-quality home consisting of a tall defence tower and a low, recognisably Istrian house. With its new appearance, combining centuries, it is an enrichment of Glem in terms of urbaneness and a complement to the vista of the Istrian landscape.

Integrated Renovation of the Tower

The renovation was carried out with the consent of the Institute for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage of Slovenia. The shape of the demolished defence tower – a 8.5 x 10.5 m rectangle, covered with ridged roofing tiles across its height profile and its shallow four-sided roof – was reconstructed according to the remaining ruins and preserved written documents, old drawings and records. The construction that restored the building to its original appearance was performed by building upon the stone walls. Restoration of the 160-centimetre thick walls was especially demanding. In

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Text and photographs by dr. Živa Deu certain parts, the walls had to be reassembled and connected according to the static load expert’s instructions to form a solid, earthquake-safe construction featuring new ceiling tiles and wall covering within reinforced concrete. Despite everything, the architect decided on this intentionally because of the building’s historic appearance – it was built in the 15th century – beauty and the importance of the source material’s past, which reveals an exceptional building technique and the masterful knowledge of stonecutters. Like ceiling tiles and internal reinforcement elements, parts of missing external and internal walls were made from new materials. The practice of combining old and new materials in reconstructing partially demolished buildings is a common one. However, suitable quality of workmanship that intertwines the old and new building materials is achieved only when these are compatible, i.e. they have to be technically, practically and artistically harmonious. A distinguishing characteristic of the renovated tower with four peripheral walls and five storeys (basement, ground floor and three storeys of 57 m2 each) is its perfect combination of the inherited, the existing and the new – the added. Particularly interesting is its artistic design with a pronounced separating line. The texture of

the restored walls, their visible patina and excellent stonemasonry from the Gothic and Renaissance period, and the smooth texture of the plastered yellow-brown new additions to the building’s outer layer join to create the renovated building’s recognisably different and attractive facade surfaces. The transition of time has been is expressed in favour of the original artistic language that has, in its own way, preserved the tower’s recognisable architectural typology. Besides the differences in texture, the building’s history is also evident from the facade openings in its outer layer. All window openings are implemented in the new parts of the outer layer, while the restored portions of the stonewalls have almost none as only the original embrasures containenehave been preserved.

A Home for the Soul

External appearance is thoroughly developed, just as the internal room arrangement, which expresses a universally harmonious simplicity. The connecting staircase, open across four storeys, which has preserved its semantic role in the tower, spans a series of living areas: from the entrance gallery, bedrooms and the workroom to

the central living room at the top. The staircase boasts exceptional natural lighting with rays of light travelling through the various embrasures and open spaces on certain storeys. Particularly attractive is the central living area on the fourth, uppermost storey – a real window to the world that simultaneously opens your view toward the outside and draws views inside. What next catches your attention is the disappearing soil, the way it dives into the sea, and the suspended wooden structure on the ceiling that artistically completes the inside. The massive diagonal constructions are integrated into the cornice and lean against the wooden structure in the room’s centre. The interesting construction with visible roof tiles is, of course, well insulated. In addition to the already described tower and renovated guest living area next to it, there are also many other creative and interesting solutions that demonstrate the architect’s knowledge, stance on architectural heritage and educated, sharp grasp of the world of art. In this, he is supported by his wife through numerous pieces of furniture made from the old and the new, paintings and small items that, together, form a home in this technically and qualitatively renovated tower. Not just a home – a home with a soul.

24 REAL ESTATE SPECIAL

Highway construction

Here Comes the Pain Even before the previous government introduced highway vignettes in July 2008, the experts had been warning that DARS, Slovenia’s highway operator, might face troubles servicing the debt it incurred over more than a decade of building the country’s highway system. That the introduction of relatively cheap vignettes was an expensive pre-election gift to the electorate has always been painfully obvious. Now public finances will have to take the pain. By Marko Vuković

The crisis has slashed the highway budget, hurting construction companies

REAL ESTATE SPECIAL

hen the Janša government laid out its plan to switch from the system where drivers paid their toll at toll booths to vignette-based tolling, critics warned that this was likely to result in lower revenues for the government-owned highway operator. However, with the vignettes very attractively priced, not to mention the alluring prospect of not having to wait in queues in the holiday season, nobody paid much heed to these warnings. Even though the then opposition made some nervous noises about the financial sustainability of the scheme, no opposition MP in his right mind dared to oppose the vignettes outright and thereby jeopardize his or her chances at the general election. Now that quite a few of them have taken ministerial posts, the vignettes are back to haunt them.

Responding to criticism from the EU, the Slovenian government unveiled a plan in March to change the motorway tolling system by introducing weekly toll stickers and European pressures changing the price of On the face of it, the introduction vignettes looked shrewd inannual stickers. To keep of deed. Curry favour with the voters the scheme viable, the by offering them yearly vignettes government will abolish for EUR 55 and squeeze tourists half-yearly vignettes and from all around Europe crossing Slovenia on their way to the increase the price of the Croatian coast by forcing them to annual vignette to EUR 95. buy half-yearly vignettes for EUR The Slovenia Times

27.50. In this way, Slovenian drivers that tend to use the highways throughout the year get a plump subsidy from their European peers who drive the country’s highways only once in a while. The European Commission, however, will have none of it. Years ago, Austria tried to pull off a similar trick, but it was forced to introduce shorter-term and much cheaper vignettes. The Commission claims that vignettes are discriminatory and thus illegal under the EU law as they obviously favour Slovenes over other Europeans. Responding to criticism from the EU, the Slovenian government unveiled a plan in March to change the motorway tolling system by introducing weekly toll stickers and changing the price of annual stickers. To keep the scheme viable, the government will abolish half-yearly vignettes and increase the price of the annual vignette to EUR 95. The price of the weekly vignette has been set at EUR 15. They will be introduced as of 1 July.

Debt squeeze Mr Vlačič simply had no choice. Either he introduced the vignettes that the Commission was satisfied with or Brussels bureaucrats would not release EUR 140 m in cohesion funds destined for Slovenian highway development programme. That was an important bargaining chip for the Commission. DARS, which builds and operates the highways in the country, is heavily indebted; at the end of the previous year it owed its creditors EUR 4.2 bn. European funds will come in very handy at a time when the government budget is strained by falling tax revenues and increasing expenditure on measures to fight the recession. The introduction of vignettes has already costed the highway operator dearly; experts say that DARS might itself find EUR 60 m short, now that weekly vignettes costing EUR 15 are to be introduced. The government will have to contribute extra funds in order to help the highway operator service its debt. Strictly speaking, the loans DARS

takes out and the bonds it issues to finance the construction and maintenance of highways do not add to Slovenia’s public debt. However, the government acts as the guarantor of the company’s debt. Thus, DARS can access credit more cheaply, but it is the taxpayer that is left holding the bag if the company ever becomes insolvent. At the moment, the government guarantees EUR 2.4 bn of the highway debt; if it was forced to put this debt on its books, Slovenia’s public debt would shoot up by 30 percent.

Downsizing ambition It seems that the government has already resigned itself to the fact that there is simply not enough money to keep building the highways at the pace of previous years. In 2009, it is presumed that no new highway sections will be opened. That does not bode well for construction companies that counted on continued government spending on highways to make up for the battering they are taking on the residential and commercial property markets. Sooner or later all debts come due and creditors do not care much about which party was in charge when the government was doing the spending. When Slovenia gained independence in 1991, its highway network was patchy and underdeveloped. It took the average driver more than five hours to reach the coast from Maribor, near the Austrian border. With major industries hit by the loss of the ex-Yugoslav market, the country was in a desperate need of a Keynesian boost to its economy. The construction of a modern highway network was an opportunity for Slovenia to spend its way out of a looming recession. Today the journey from the rolling vineyards of Štajerska to the shores of Adriatic takes less than three hours. But at what cost to the taxpayer?

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26 REAL ESTATE SPECIAL

Interview: Janez Koželj

“Identity Is Not Given Once and for All” New architectural projects, all united in the strategy Vision 2025, aspire to place Ljubljana on the map as a modern European metropolis. We talked to Ljubljana’s chief city architect and deputy mayor Professor Janez Koželj about these ambitions and the future image of Slovenia’s capital. By Polona Cimerman core and restore those activities that spread favourable effects to the periphery. The city is an organism that constantly changes – it rises and falls, dies away and comes back to life. This is a very dynamic process and, in terms of the regeneration, we need to act accordingly. You have mentioned the importance of the conservation of the monuments. Why don’t you restore Kolizej? Only truly monumental buiildings are worthy of such treatment. Although Kolizej is not a remarkable architectural monument, three decades ago reconstruction would still have been a serious option. But over the years, the residents and the city left it to its own destiny of decay and now we cannot do it. What we can do is reconstruct its original function, which is one of the conservation options. The new multi-purpose opera house will serve the public and it will be bursting with life 24 hours a day.

REAL ESTATE SPECIAL

What will Partnership Šmartin-ska mean for the city? It will enrich Ljubljana with a new quality public space that will be centred on a park. A new central avenue is also planned for the re-development of that district. The city, even though it does not possess any land there, actively guides and plans the harmonious development of the area, which is a new concept in city management.

Everything changes and the identity always shapes itself anew. Over-protection kills it. The city needs to constantly restore itself, just as life does. The Slovenia Times

What is the aim of the city renewal? It is one of the most important developmental directions of contemporary cities and it involves numerous tactics that complement each other. It strives to attract people to live in the city centre and gentrify it, to reactivate the disused, mostly industrial, areas, and to conserve the monuments. It means social renovation and renovation of activities; we try to bring life to the city

What is new with Emonika? This month, the draft of the spatial act will pass at the city council. It will grant the construction of the garages, the railway and bus stations and also railway deepening. The city tries to be proactive despite the crisis and the slowdown of large projects. Does Ljubljana need two stadiums? I ca n’t see why it doesn’t. Plečnik’s stadium cries for renovation and it is most urgent, other-

wise it will be ruined completely. Furthermore, the planning of the stadium in Stožice goes back to 1985 but the gravel pit remained empty until today despite the fact that building a stadium is not a very demanding project in any respect. All these years the city couldn’t decide what to do and now we’ve started to take double action: we’ll save Plečnik’s monument and realize the old plans of bringing life to the area in Stožice. I see stadiums as part of the public infrastructure, which are multifunctional and which unite the public. They add to the building of a certain collective life we share as citizens. When is the deadline? Next year for Stožice and a year after that for Bežigrad. Why is it necessary to renovate the city market? Because it is actively decaying. Nowadays, it lives merely as some sort of collective memory. Only on Saturdays is it in full swing, while it dies away during the rest of the week. It requires a technical base with cold stores and suitable toilets, but most of all it needs to be accessible by car. It has to be given the same conditions as the market in BTC, otherwise it won’t be competitive. We’ve made a detailed plan of temporarily moving the market to Pogačarjev trg, its original place. So the business wouldn’t stop; we wouldn’t kill the market. We’ve studied solutions from other comparable European cities and since they worked there, we’re sure they will have the same effect also in Ljubljana. Ljubljana is presented as an ideal city. Why does it need big projects? The identity of the city is not something that is given once and for all. Everything changes and the identity always shapes itself anew. Over-protection kills it. The city needs to constantly restore itself, just as life does.

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28 REAL ESTATE SPECIAL

Interview: Janez Suhadolc

“Beautiful Buildings Are No Longer Designed” The planned architectural projects in Ljubljana have been stirring up strong public debate. While some welcome them as a path to progress, others regard them flawed. Such is the opinion of Janez Suhadolc, a professor at the Faculty of Architecture who is known for his open criticism of the current projects in the capital and as someone who puts beauty and respect for tradition before prevailing trends. By Polona Cimerman tiful. Functionality is the norm and this vulgarity is unbearable. Does this mean that high-rises are a priori ugly? Not necessarily. Nebotičnik, the first tall building in Ljubljana, is magnificent. Yet none of the later skyscrapers can compare to it in terms of architectural value. Our profession finds itself in a weird situation where it produces new buildings that are inferior to older ones. All the planned high-rises are tasteless. Do you approve of the winning project for renovation of Plečnik’s stadium? The choice of winners is just and sensible. The project is decent, even good – with the exception of the attached high-rise. But the stadium itself is really fine, although it is absurd to discuss the subject from a perspective of vision and rationality. The whole program for it is enormous. Are a hospital, hotel, shopping centre, food court and all other things that are planned realistic? I strongly believe these ideas are never going to be carried out.

REAL ESTATE SPECIAL

Our profession finds itself in a weird situation where it produces new buildings that are inferior to older ones. All the planned high-rises are tasteless.

What is the fundamental mistake of the proposed Vision of Ljubljana 2025? The trouble starts with the very expression vision. These projects do not deserve to be addressed as some sort of a vision because they create chaos in the name of modernism, whose main principle is boredom, together with convenience, provocation and aggression. Today’s architects do not see beyond functionality; the quality of beauty does not fit in the current state of mind. But mere functionality does not make a building an architectural achievement. So, the core of the problem lies in the prevalence of functionality over aesthetics? No, it is worse than that. If the building is functional, it will be automatically proclaimed as beau-

What about the stadium in Stožice? That makes the topic even more ridiculous. Even if all the preposterous plans really came to life at Bežigrad, the question is clear: does Ljubljana need two similar stadiums? Such projects are not characteristic of a serious vision. Will Emonika solve some traffic issues? We do not even need it, for the existent railway and bus stations are prefect. The number of passengers is so low that Ljubljana does not require a bigger one. The fact is the new passenger centre will not encourage the people to use the public transport more. We should rather change the mentality, not build huge buildings. Besides, that the project is dead already, everybody knows that ex-

cept the mayor. The building costs were colossal even before the crisis, let alone now. Why is destruction of Kolizej a negative thing? Kolizej surely is old and nearly ruined, yet in architectural sense it is still much better than the planned new object. If the new building surpassed it, I would not mind them demolishing it but sadly, it does not. What would the garages under the central market mean for the city? The central market is number one attraction of Ljubljana and is part of the distinctive identity of the city which is based on the beautiful historic centre. It is true that the latter is losing its primary function due to shopping centres in the suburbs and that it is slowly dying. However, the garages will in no way revive it. Instead, the ever-so-long building process will speed up its death. May it go in beauty, let us not slay it with our interference. What is good about the suggested projects? (long pause) At the moment, I cannot think of a single thing, honestly. I would exaggerate if I claimed that there is absolutely nothing praiseworthy, yet I would have to do some serious research to find something. Regrettably, beautiful buildings are nowadays no longer designed.

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30 REAL ESTATE SPECIAL

Interview: Jacqueline Stuart

The Time to Buy is Now! Jacqueline Stuart is a real estate expert who has worked in the industry for 18 years. She is a director of Slovenia Invest, a company founded in 2006 that has offices in Ljubljana and London. We talked to her about the current and future situation in the Slovenian real estate market. By Polona Cimerman

e have seen many new real estate developments coming into the market in the last few years. Do you think there will be enough demand on residential and commercial real estate markets to prevent the crash of the prices? It’s very difficult to say whether there’s going to be a price crash or not because times have changed significantly. People now buy properties speculatively in order to take advantage of their capital increase over a number of years. The golden rule for real estate is if demand outstrips supply, prices will go up. If supply outstrips demand, prices will go down. It is possible that the prices of residential property in Ljubljana will drop, but we can’t predict how sentiment will change. At the moment it is low and people don’t want to buy properties as an in-

vestment. I don’t know how soon that will change. When should the prospective buyers, looking for bargains, move into the market? For residential properties you should go to a new build development and negotiate very hard. Agents are going to have really hard times selling their stock and that’s where the bargains are to be had. They need to sell it and they’ll go below the asking price. As for bargains in commercial real estate, at the moment there are really good opportunities in hotels, especially small family-run ones. Since hotels are valued according to their profitability and not according to the square metre, there are many of them that can be bought for less than the cost of actually building them is.

Compared to other regional markets, how well is the Slovenian real estate market developed? In comparison to Slovenia’s neighbouring countries, the office sector is relatively undeveloped. There are few good class A office buildings, but there’s still demand for them so developmental potential is present. Such is the case for retail category too. It has great potential but complexes must be purpose-built. Slovenian residential sector is in exactly the same situation as its neighbours. There’s no country that has escaped from real estate bubble. In sphere of logistics, opportunities for developers are excellent and there is high demand for additional logistic in Slovenia. In the future, which of the real estate markets should fare better, the residential or the commercial one?

Investment in the commercial one would make more sense because of the yield. There isn’t an excess of commercial property in Slovenia but there is an excess of residential property at the moment. For the reasons of demand, yields and potential capital growth we‘d definitely recommend investing in commercial rather than residential properties.

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY – FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE SPECIAL

Barefoot luxury 50 bed hotel – Bovec, 2.8mEUR Slovenia’s ultimate hideaway, a village resort in the Triglav Park with its own stable of Lippizzaners. Potential to extend to over 350 beds.

Sweet Dreams Apart hotel - Moravske Toplice, 1mEUR 718 m2 property consisting of 7 designer apartments, 2 bedrooms and a café bar. Excellent location near the Spa.

Development land for 8 apartments – Podčetrtek, 98,000 EUR In an idyllic location near Olimia Spa, this land has building permission for 8 apartments with private pool and rooftop parking.

Castle hotel development– Polzela, 1mEUR A spectacular castle from the 15th century with 12,800m2 of land and planning permission to convert into a boutique hotel.

Neuhaus Castle hotel development – Tržič, 1mEUR Breathtaking castle from the 14th century with 4,532 m2 of land and planning permission to convert into a boutique hotel.

Warehouse with development potential – Koper, 2.85mEUR The warehouse extends to just over 2,000 m2 on a site of 8,860m2. There is potential to double the warehouse capacity.

We are the only international commercial real estate company in Slovenia. We provide a full range of services including sales, acquisitions, appraisals, leasing, tenant rep and consultancy. The Slovenia Times

REAL ESTATE SPECIAL 31

Innovation in construction

Where Engineering Meets Art If your company has always wanted to make a statement by designing its headquarters or production facilities in a way to impress even the casual observer and save costs at the same time, then look no further. Selfsupporting, insulated and fireproofed façades as a state-of-the-art aesthetic experience – that is what Trimo, a developer of metal structures solutions strives to achieve with its Qbiss façades. already integrated into the facade itself. Additionally, no moisture can build up during assembly as the thermal insulation is protected with steel sheets. These engineering solutions allow for the energy savings not available with other facades.

Save costs... Their key feature is certainly their self-supporting nature. The facade is able to carry itself; there is no need for any additional substructure with the system; it requires fixing only at the edges. This brings many advantages because, unlike other facade systems, Qbiss does not require any additional support (concrete wall, brick, wood or secondary substructure), which means cost as well as time savings. With fire protection always an issue, not just from a health and safety perspective but equally with regards to insurance and liability, it is reassuring to know that Qbiss facades have integrated fire protection. Its fire resistance is of the highest standard and confirmed by world-wide certification obtained in all the

Architectural bliss

countries in which it will be marketed.

… and energy Of course, any modern building envelope system has to be so much more than just cost-effective and aesthetically pleasing. The true cost of a building is not just

due to its construction, but also to the costs of energy the building consumes during its lifetime. Here, energy efficiency is of prime importance. Qbiss facades conform to the highest standards of energy efficiency. They have no thermal bridges because the insulation is

According to Tatjana Fink, the CEO of Trimo, modern architecture is a harmonious relationship between new and innovative building products that allow almost infinite possibilities and the creative talents of architects and designers who are bold enough to embrace these products. “It is very important that architects recognise the potential that construction innovations have and dare to take advantage of them,” she says.

TER REGIS E FOR ONLIN CED REDU YOUR T TICKE PRICE

32 REAL ESTATE SPECIAL

Central and Eastern Europe

From Boom to Bust O

n a global scale, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is certainly one of the areas most affected by the global credit crisis. The Baltic States are already in recession and Hungary is expected to follow suit.

Thank you, EMU! Many real estate developers from CEE took out loans in foreign currencies such as euros, Swiss francs and Swedish kroner due to favourable interest rates and thus exposed themselves to exchange rate risk. If their domestic currencies fell, their debt burden denominated in foreign currencies would become heavier. While most emerging countries have diversified their export exposure in recent years, CEE countries have not. On the contrary, they actually increased their exports to the euro area which made them very vulnerable to a potential recession in the EU. What seemed a minor risk a couple of years ago, now reveals itself to be a painful mistake. The major swings in exchange rates in recent months have sent the real burden of loans and interest soaring upwards. As a result of this, households, firms, banks and even governments are now having a hard time servicing their

REAL ESTATE SPECIAL The Slovenia Times

Central and Eastern Europe are waking up to a painful hangover after years of credit-fuelled growth, financed largely by Western banks and an economy boosted by real estate investments. Forecasts have been revised downwards, while currencies are teetering as capital inflows dry up. Capital for real estate will continue to be in short supply throughout 2009 in both equity and debt markets; there is real uncertainty as to when this trend will reverse. By Carlos Marques Silva

foreign currency-denominated loans. The riskiness of these loans is now coming to light as the global economic recession in both East and West Europe is forcing Western banks to pull back, refusing to renew loans, leaving many real estate developers on the verge of bankruptcy.

Good markets? The foundations of the crisis were laid years earlier due to an overheated property market, excessive borrowing, and complacent regulators. While ordinary people can be partly blamed for their naivetĂŠ, the governments of those countries bear an even wider responsibility for failing to pierce the bubble when they had the opportunity. At the height of the boom, when those economies were growing by an unsustainable 7 to 11 percent a year, some of those countries were running high budget deficits. In Hungary, Swiss and Austrian banks heavily promoted home mortgage loans denominated in Swiss francs and euros. Interest rates offered by such financial institutions were significantly lower than the ones offered on the local market resulting in nearly 60% of all mortgages in the country be-

ing issued in foreign currencies. The only risk at the time was the devaluation of the Hungarian forint. That is exactly what has happened over the past 12 months as Western banks have dramatically reduced their speculative investments in CEE countries to repatriate capital, where the mother banks have had serious problems caused by the US financial crisis. Real estate developers and private investors saw the liberalization of the financial sector and the opening of the economy to foreign investment and capital flows from abroad as a great opportunity. Foreign banks muscled their way into the new markets in the East and were able to offer better terms than their domestic competitors. The accession to the European Union by some of the countries and the promise of the accession to the euro area in the near future gave investors and banks a false sense of security. Now, local currencies have lost value and many borrowers including real estate developers and private investors can no longer afford to make their loan payments or request new ones to start further projects.

Is Slovenia safe? Slovenia, as with other euro area members, can enjoy the full pro-

tection of Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s currency union. The country, however, due to close links with foreign banks that have investments in the East, has not been left untouched by this global credit crisis. Several households and companies have taken out mortgages with Austrian banks. As the latter are struggling to repatriate the badly needed cash, they are refusing to renew or renegotiate loans. Austrian banks alone have lent EUR 230 bn to Eastern Europe, which is equivalent to 70 percent of the Austriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GDP. In January, a family from northeastern Slovenia lost their property after being unable to continue servicing its mortgage taken out with Raiffeisenbank. According to some estimates, there are more than 100 individuals who signed loan contracts with Austrian banks through intermediaries. The problem is these loans are resetting to higher interest rates, squeezing households further. With Western Banks reluctant to give credit and with ratings downgrades becoming endemic, the European real estate sector, once the engine of economic growth of several countries, has become a drag on the economy. This year will more than likely reveal itself to be a very hard one for business.

REAL ESTATE SPECIAL 33

Leadership in the time of crisis

Leaders discuss challenges and opportunities for Europe On 4-5 June, leaders from business, politics, academia, media, NGO’s and other institutions from more than 15 European countries are expected in Bled, where they will gather at the conference of European Leadership Centre, with the aim of enhancing European leadership and to contribute to its effectiveness and success in the times of crisis. The European Leadership Centre (ELC), established at the IEDC-Bled School of Management in 2002, is a centre of excellence to spearhead directions and actions for leaders wishing to enhance Europe’s capability of playing a critical and competitive role in the world economy and world affairs. It is a forum for dialogue between business, policy makers, unions, and the media on issues related to European leadership. The ELC network includes more than 250 business, government, NGO and media leaders from 22 countries (Albania, Austria, Belgium, BiH, Croatia, Check Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, UK and the USA).

The title of the 7th ELC conference, held at the IEDC in Bled, reflects the current need to recover from the global financial crisis: Leading in Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities for Europe. It will be led by Dr. Erhard Busek, Chairman of the Insti-

tute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, and feature respected speakers such as Prof. Jean-Pierre Lehmann, professor at IMD Lausanne and founding director of Evian Group, Prof. Vladimir Gligorov from Vienna Institute for International Eco-

nomic Studies, and Mr. John Kornblum, former US Ambassador to Germany, while business leaders from financial services and industry will share what they are doing to cope with the crisis, and above all how to turn the crisis into an opportunity. The conference will be concluded by a plenary session aimed at formulating further recommendations for recovery and beyond. The ELC conference 2009 is organized by IEDC-Bled School of Management in cooperation with Centre for Leadership Studies at the University of Exeter and Leadership Trust Foundation from United Kingdom, as well as Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe from Austria. Detailed conference program and application information is available at www.iedc.si/elc.

34 PEOPLE

Arne Hodalič, photojournalist

Ever Heard of the Kogis? Arne Hodalič is the most recognized Slovenian international photojournalist. He has published his work in numerous newspapers and magazines, has taken part in many exhibitions and, in his desire for a good story and interesting shots, has wandered into some of the most remote and inhospitable parts of the world. By Marjan Žiberna, photos: personal archive of Arne Hodalič

f you happen to call Hodalič on his mobile phone, he will probably not answer, but you’ll receive a short text message later asking and explaining: “Anything urgent? I’m in Pakistan ..., Kamchatka ..., Burkina Faso ..., Colombia ...” When we talked in the middle of March, he had just arrived from Congo, where he photographed the clearing of mines from the extensive mine fields in this war-devastated country. A trip to Sri Lanka was ahead of him, where he planned to visit the shanty towns of the capital Colombo. His life is an endless journey in search for the stories, documenting life in all its forms.

“I think that a man has some genetic predisposition for geographic exploring, otherwise Columbus wouldn’t have sailed Charter Sailing Arne Hodalič graduated from the across the sea which Biotechnical Faculty in Ljubljana supposedly ends in in 1980 as a biology professor, but waterfall …” he never really became one. After The Slovenia Times

his studies, he and Meta Krese, today a well-known journalist, then also his wife, went on “their last holiday” ( i.e. before regular, full time jobs) on their eight-meter sailing boat, which they built by themselves, for three months of Greece. He came back certain that he’d never get a regular job. By then, photography had been part of his life for some time but it took some more years before it became his total preoccupation. After returning from Greece, the couple got a loan and bought a bigger sailing boat; in the following years, Hodalič made living mostly by organizing sailing charters. “There was a time when I was a manager, mechanic, toilet cleaner and everything else in one person,” he remembers, “and last but not least a lightning rod for the anger of all the unsatisfied clients.” In 1988, Hodalič and Bojan Brecelj, also a well-regarded photographer, took photographs of sailing boats for Elan, a wellknown Slovenian company; that marked the end of the sailing era for Hodalič. They both spent the money on a journey to India, a destination Hodalič always felt attracted to. One of the things they did was to hire a boat and sail the Ganges for a month and a half. They came back home with a draft for a book about an unusual Englishman who had lived in India for a long time, became a sadu and even blessed the houses of the local people. They took a draft to the Frankfurt book fair. “We were too uncompromising about the book’s design,” explains Hodalič on why, despite the interest of some publishers, the book was never published. However, the shots taken on Ganges delighted the editor and owner of the Swiss magazine Animan. So it was his suggestion and money that took these two photographers to Sudan next year, where they photographed the river Nile. This is how Hodalič’s career as a professional photographer, which he describes both as cruel and fantastic, began. In 1990, he and Brecelj had another adventure when they went

to the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea to photograph gold miners. Hodalič moved to Lausanne, Switzerland that same year and started working in Paris, where he also worked as a visiting lecturer on photojournalism at the Parsons School of Design. He also specialized on underwater photography and filming. The water has always been his element. He developed his love of water as a child when he, together with his brother Jorg, spent summers on the wild Kornati Islands in Croatia. Their father, a prominent medical doctor from Ljubljana, built a small house and also his own sailing boat. Hodalič, also a member of a special unit of technical divers for the Ministry of Defense, expanded his interest to the underworld of caves, becoming a caver and cave diver. As an underwater photographer, he worked with the watch company Sector No Limits and among others took pictures of Oliver Isler, the world record holder in cave diving, and Deborah Andello, the world record holder in free diving.

Diving with seacucumber pickers Hodalič got his first big commission in 1993, on the thirtieth anniversary of J.F. Kennedy’s assassination, when he and a journalist from the Paris agency GLMR went to Dallas to do an interview with Marina Oswald, the wife of Kennedy’s assassin, her first interview after long decades of silence. The next year, he went to Bosnia and Herzegovina and worked as a war reporter for Slovenian and foreign media from Sarajevo and Mostar. Over the following years, he worked with different agencies: Saola Press and Explorer both from Paris, Naval from Zurich, Microsoft’s Corbis, and others. He also organized several photographic exhibitions, mostly for professional photographers and students, worked as a co-author in many documentary books and films, among other activities. His stories are many: he dived together with the local sea-cucumber pickers on Sakhalin Island and

PEOPLE 35 let him near them. After that he returned just by himself and they let him stay and live with them in the mountains for a whole year.” “The Kogis still live like people lived thousand years ago. Not civilization as we understand it; they are all dressed exactly the same, they weave their own cloth. True Incas when you look at them. They live in a kind of paradise; water, meadows, horses ...” In 2000, the French filmed a documentary entitled ‘In the Land of Kogis’, in which Hodalič, as with many other documentaries, played an important role.

Overview …

Soldier of Colombian guerilla movement FARC

on Madagascar, where they are picked for export to China where they use them as aphrodisiac. In the mountains of Pakistan, he photographed the alpinist Tomaž Humar as he tried to climb the 8,000-meter high Nanga Parbat. In Russia, he visited the camps where teenagers are trained by the army as future special unit members. In Gaza, he photographed young people who are trying to grow up under Israeli occupation. He took pictures of Afghanistan prisons, where children are locked together with death row convicts sentence. He was just about to meet with Osama Bin Laden, but the meeting they’d arranged was thwarted by WTC attacks in September 2001. In Colombia, he managed to visit the Kogis, a mysterious Indian tribe. As you can see, the list of places and topics he photographed and sometimes wrote about is very extensive.

The big story The Kogi tribe, inhabiting high areas of Colombian Sierra Nevada, the most northern part of the Andes, is probably his greatest photojournalistic success. After a decade of unsuccessful attempts by National Geographic to reach them, Hodalič presented the tribe to the world in 1998. The story of meeting Kogis is adventurous, although Hodalič doesn’t consider himself an adventurer and feels no need to get into trouble. “Prior to meeting Kogis,” he says, “I traveled to New Guinea, which has the reputation as ‘the last unknown,’ a few times. I crossed it repeatedly; with canoe, helicopter; I lived with the native people there, but they all knew what camera was. The Kogis didn’t – the only people in the world, who did not know. There are only few Kogi people, they live high up in the mountains and they don’t want contacts with strangers. Their lives are run by their shamans; spiritually and socially. “It is difficult to reach them also because it is a very dangerous part

of the world – there is a local mafia, there is the guerilla movement FARC, where I was captured but was probably the only person released after just a day; I know a couple of people, who were captured there for six, seven months. There is also a narco-militia, because this is the best area for growing coca and marijuana. “The Kogis live above the coca plantations. The government army in the lowlands controls the area and it’s hard to pass their check points, then there is the narco-mafia; at the tree-line there is FARC and only then there are Kogis. “I reached them by mere chance; I met a Frenchman who organized the whole trip; I was just his fellow traveler. My guide was there before; the Kogis saved his life when he had a pulmonary edema. They ordinarily don’t do that; if anything like that happens to a stranger, they usually let him die. But they saved him and he bought and gave them some land to thank them. The biggest problem of this tribe was they officially didn’t exist until 1991 and prior to that they could not buy land. But by 1991 all of their land was already either sold or simply stolen. So in 1991, they got the right to buy back their own land but of course they didn’t have the money. This Frenchmen organized a foundation in Europe and gathered USD 60,000, so we went to Bogota to pay that money, each of us carrying USD 30,000 around the waist! In Bogota you can get killed for a dollar ... In some hovel we exchanged dollars for the local currency and received two crates of the local money and bought some hundred hectares of land for the Kogis.” “They asked us what we wanted in return and we said we wanted to go up to the hills to the sacred lakes. And they let us climb a 5,500 m high pass. It is interesting that my Frenchman returned the following year bringing even more money for the land (and even brought a TV set), but they didn’t

In two decades of professional photojournalism, he has made 20 comprehensive reports and many minor ones from all over the world. With consistent hard work and his imagination, he has managed to make his name into a well respected and well-known. He has always had a great sense for picking the most interesting, exclusive, exotic and sometimes also dangerous topics, which he always presented perfectly. His reports have been published in National Geographic, Figaro Magazine, Geo, Paris Match, Marie Claire, Stern, Life, Die Zeit, Espresso, Nature and others. His reportage about the rich underwater archeology of the Ljubljanica River, which took him many years to prepare, was bought by National Geographic. In January 2007, it was published under the title ‘River’s Gifts’ in the ‘original,’ American edition, which is a dream for many top-level photographers around the world. When we met last time, Hodalič, who is also the editor of photography for the Slovenian edition of National Geographic, was as nice as ever, although he was in a hurry. “I’m packing my underwater photo equipment,” he said. “In an hour I’m off to Bosnia, where they have some special trout that is spawning right now ...”

“There were some travel situations when it wasn’t easy; for example the pirate attack on the sail boat in Asia, or the robber’s ambush in Cameroon, where the driver of the car we tried to overtake just some minutes before was beheaded in front of our eyes … My theory is that transport is the most dangerous part of traveling.”

Kogis, a mysterious Indian tribe May 2009

36 SOCIETY

LIFE STYLE

The Persistence of Kras There are few countries in the world and landscapes in Europe that could compare with Sloveniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stunning Kras region. Fertile plains where vines and famous olive trees are cultivated, diverse Mediterranean vegetation resisting merciless bora winds, rocks carved by freshwater streams, unique cave life a few hundred metres underground, and numerous opportunities to treat yourself â&#x20AC;&#x201C; these are only a few of the most distinctive characteristics of Kras. Visit us and discover more! The Slovenia Times

LIFE STYLE 37

Štanjel

The Charming City of Stone Because of its rich historical past, friendly people, fascinating surroundings and gourmet food and wine, Štanjel, and the surrounding region of Kras, is definitely worth exploring. ‘The city is made out of stone, but it has a big heart’, as the natives like to say about Štanjel.

tanjel, situated in the heart of Kras, has a rich and interesting historical background. The Romans turned the top of the hill it is situated on into an ancient fort, in the Middle Ages the village expanded beyond the hill, and the settlement was later enclosed by defensive walls to protect it from Turkish invasion. However, the dominant features of the village are the Castle and the Church of Saint Daniel, which make Stanjel truly remarkable. While walking through the narrow streets, the houses built of stone tell the story of stonemasons, who created the unique architecture of Kras. There are many more interesting sights to see in Stanjel, including the art gallery in the exhibition tower next to the gateway to Kobdilj, and Ferrari’s Garden (middle picture), a masterpiece of the architect Max Fabiani, which makes for a very interesting passage from the stone village to the green surroundings.

You can continue your walk from Ferrari’s Garden to Kobdilj along a path named after Max Fabiani, discovering the beauty of the setting. Ferrari was a famous Italian doctor who had a practice in his own tower. Legend has it that the ghosts of some poor people, who died in pain, still wander around the tower. Nevertheless, it is only a legend! The only remaining inhabitants of the towers are some birds who make their nests in hidden nooks and crannies.

A touch of art Stanjel has also a lot to offer to people interested in the arts. You can experience Kras from a different perspective in the renovated part of the castle. The castle’s halls, where you can meet brides and their bridegrooms on Saturdays, host a collection by the recognised painter and graphic artist, Lojze Spacal. There are also other interesting galleries where

you can look at the remains of the fascinating history of Štanjel and discover more about the people who contributed to it. It is also worth visiting the late-Gothic St Daniel’s church, which was built in the second half of the 15th century. Later, in the 17th century, a particularly outstanding church tower was added. In the interior there is a very interesting marble slab on the high altar depicting an image of the castle

at the end of the 17th century. During the summer season (from May through to September) many cultural events take place in the region. You can attend numerous interesting drama productions, concerts of classical and modern ensembles as well as many other performances. Sport associations organise some marathons around the area of Štanjel, which have already become cultural events, where locals prepare food and drink for the competitors and encourage them around the course. If you are interested in entering the marathon of wedded life, there are few more romantic spots than St Daniel’s church. In short, there are many interesting and unusual things to do in Štanjel – the pearl of Kras.

May 2009

38 LIFE STYLE ing Reka River, which springs from below the Snežnik Mountain (1,796 m). The river flows some fifty-five kilometres on the surface and gathers the waters on the impermeable flysch rocks. When it reaches the limestone surface, typical for the Karst, it deepens its riverbed through erosion and by dissolving limestone. The river remains on the surface for the first part of its course on the limestone, but after a four kilometrelong gorge it ends at a magnificent wall; the water disappears underground, where it continues its way through the caves. In the distant past, probably a few hundred thousand years ago, the ceiling of the cave collapsed some 200 metres from the sink of the river, creating two huge ‘holes’ separated by natural bridge, a remnant of the original cave ceiling: Mala dolina (120 m deep) and Velika dolina (165 m deep). At the bottom of the latter, the Reka River finally disappears underground. The water appears on the surface again after flowing underground for 34 km, at the springs of the Timava River in Italy, not far from Trieste and the Adriatic coast. The Škocjan Caves is a system of caves which includes – beside Mala and Velika dolina – Tominčeva jama Cave, Šumeča jama Cave, the ‘halls’ Velika dvorana and Martelova dvorana, and Henkejev kanal Channel.

The Škocjan Caves

People and the Caves

Digging Deeper There are some parts of the world where the nature has been extremely generous. The Škocjan Caves are such a place – here the nature has created beauty both above and below the surface. In 1986, the Škocjan Caves were entered onto the UNESCO World Heritage List due to their unique beauty, versatility and exceptional size. By Marjan Žiberna Photos: Archive of The Škocjan Caves Regional Park

everal years ago, I was roaming around the Great Britain. Following the suggestion of local people I decided to visit – after all the breathtaking castles – an underground cave, which was advertised as uniquely beautiful. I was curious what they had to show to visitors, so I joined a group of tourists, following their guide who was talking enthusiastically about the boring, muddy and wet underground hole. My first impression was that it was petty theft to charge admisThe Slovenia Times

sion for something like that; there were no stalactites, stalagmites or other formations typical for the karst caves. For me, coming from Kras, where you can find such a cave on every corner, it was completely disappointing; I’m sure just as much as it is for the average British tourist to make a tour of Slovenian castles. Later, I discovered that you should not take having such geological treasures next to your home for granted. The following years I took several friends, coming to

Slovenia from abroad, to see our underground caves. They were impressed without exception; most of them simply said “breathtaking” or something similar. The Škocjan Caves, a bit more remote and with fewer tourists than Postojna Cave, were the most impressive for most of them.

Basics … The Škocjan Caves, a system of underground caves and channels, are the creation of the sink-

In the Tominčeva jama Cave, a dozen ancient skeletons of people were found. Here the animal bones, ceramics and other funerary goods were discovered, which indicate – with some other findings – that the first people probably settled the caves about 5,000 years ago. The first written sources mentioning the caves date back as early as the 2nd century B.C. Poseidonius of Apamea (135 BC-50 BC) wrote: “The Timava River flows from the mountains, falls into an abyss (i.e. the Škocjan Caves) and then, after flowing about 130 stadia underground, springs beside the sea.” The Škocjan Caves area is also marked on the oldest published maps of this part of the world; for example the Lazius-Ortelius map from 1561 and Mercator’s Novus Atlas from 1637. Later, in 1689, the Slovenian nobleman, scholar, and polymath Janez Vajkard Valvasor was also impressed by the phenomenon. He described the sink of the Reka River and its underground flow in his great work ‘The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola,’ published in 1689 in the German language. The paintings of French painter Louis-François

LIFE STYLE 39 Cassas (1782) testify that in the 18th century people visited the bottom of Velika dolina and that the caves were considered as one of the most important natural features in the Trieste hinterland.

Explorations The Škocjan Caves were explored throughout the 19th century, mostly as a result of attempt to supply Trieste with drinking water; thus, the explorers tried to follow the underground course of the Reka River. In 1840, Ivan Svetina, an expert on wells from Trieste, reached the third waterfall, about 150 metres from the sink in Velika dolina. Adolf Schmidl led the explorations in 1851 and 1852 with a group of miners from Idrija. They penetrated up to 500 meters further, to the fourth, according to some statements maybe even the sixth underground waterfall. Their exploration was finished when a sudden rise of the river swept away their boats and equipment. In 1884 a Caving Section of the Littoral Section of the GermanAustrian Mountaineering Society was founded; it was an important turning point in the exploration of the caves. Under the leadership of Anton Hanke, Jožef Marinitsch and Friedrich Müller and with the help of local people Jože Antončič, Jurij Cerkvenik-Gomboč, Franc Žnideršič, Janez Delez and others, systematic exploration began. In the first year, they conquered the sixth waterfall, “the key problem of explorations.” In 1890, explorers reached Mrtvo jezero (Dead Lake), which lies about 1,700 meters from the last sink. In 1904, when some brave locals climbed the sixtymetre wall of Müllerjeva dvorana

(Müller Hall), Tiha jama (Silent Cave) was discovered. The next important speleological exploration took place in 1991, almost 100 years after the discovery of the Dead Lake. In September that year, Janko Brajnik and Samo Morel, Slovenian speleologists and divers managed to swim through the siphon Ledeni dihalnik in Marchesettijevo jezero (Marchesetti Lake). Below the siphon, they discovered over 200 metres of new cave passages. A new chapter, which is still in progress, has been opened. The great work done by local people, especially from the nearby villages of Škocjan and Matavun, who participated in the difficult and even dangerous construction of the trails in the cave, must be acknowledged. They manually chiselled nearly 12 kilometres of trails in the caves, fitted them

with wedges and protective wire or fences and built wooden galleries and bridges.

Cave tourism At the beginning of 19th century, cave tourism also started developing, although it’s difficult to establish precisely when. According to some sources, in 1819, the county’s councillor Matej Tominc (the Tominčeva jama Cave is named

after him) ordered that the steps to the bottom of Velika dolina be made. January 1st 1819, when a visitors’ book was introduced, is the date considered the undisputed beginning of modern tourism in the Škocjan Caves. The number of visits increased after the path leading to the bottom of Velika dolina was introduced in 1823. In the 1884, when the Littoral Section of the German-

The Škocjan Caves are the only monument in Slovenia on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Beside the Škocjan Caves, there are only three caves included on this list as an underground natural monument: the Mammoth Caves and Carlsbad Caves in the USA, and the caves on the Slovak-Hungarian border (Aggtelek and Slovak Karst).

May 2009

40 LIFE STYLE Škocjan Caves Park Information Centre Matavun 12 6215 Divača Phone: 00 386 (0)5 708 21 10 www.park-skocjanske-jame.si psj.info@psj.gov.si Austrian Mountaineering Society found the above-mentioned Caving Section, another major step for the tourism was made. The Society acquired the lease to the Škocjan Caves and organised guided tours. In the 20th century, tourism significantly developed but never overly so. In 1996, a decade after Škocjan Caves were entered onto the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Škocjan Caves Regional Park was established. A public agency with 15 employees, it draws up protection and development programmes, observes the state of the natural heritage, and works for its recognition.

Visiting the Caves The Škocjan Caves are in the Kras region, about 80 kilometres from Ljubljana and 30 kilometres from Trieste. If you are arriving on motorway from Ljubljana, follow the signs for Koper and take the Divača exit. The road to Škocjan Caves is well marked with signs.

The Slovenia Times

If you are coming by train, get off at the Divača railway station. There is a map at the station showing the three-kilometre long footpath to the Škocjan Caves. It is possible to visit the caves every day of the year. The guided tour, which is approximately three kilometres long, lasts around 90 minutes. Sport footwear and a warm sweater are recommended; the cave temperature is around 12 °C. The tour begins at the Information Centre in the village of Matavun. It’s also worth visiting the museum collections in the village of Škocjan, situated above the caves, about a ten-minute walk from the information centre. In the Jurjev barn, there is an exhibition devoted to the history of exploring the Škocjan Caves (including two cross-section models of the underground canyon of the Caves). The ethnology exhibition in the Jakopin barn, and museum collections in the Delez Homestead, including a geological, biological and archaeological collection are also to be seen. Once you’re there, you might want to explore some more and visit some interesting points in the region to discover the local architecture, cuisine and beautiful landscape. For complete information, ask at the park information centre and/or visit its website.

Kras, karst … Kras is a Slovenian name for a limestone region northeast of Trieste Bay, partly situated in Slovenia, partly in Italy. The word kras (karst in German and English, carso in Italian) is derived from the preIndo-European word ‘karra‘ meaning stony. In the Middle Ages, the region was known as a rocky, treeless land. In the 19th century, the name of the region was adopted as the generic name for all limestone landscapes and hydro-geological systems. In the middle of that century, the first attempts of the reforestation with black pine (Pinus nigra) were made. Today, woodlands cover approximately half of the region.

Karst is a typical landscape that developed on limestone. The most important agent of the process called karstification is the solubility of the carbonate rocks, which is common for Kras. Limestone, which is mostly composed of calcite, is dissolved by rain water and drains underground through fissures. As a result the underground caves developed over millions of years; their stalagmites and stalactites are a consequence of limestone deposits, dissolved in the water.

Ornamental Gardens – the wealth around your home Sometimes it seems that some of the most beautiful gardens are not the result of careful planning. Rather, the surprising, rich carpets of colour, the simple combinations and compositions of form appear to have simply grown naturally. But appearances can be deceiving; the seemingly random cascade of a freely growing miniature rose (Rosa Swany) or luxuriantly spreading lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is frequently the result of a gardener’s skill.

hatever state a garden is in, be it lively disarray or geometrical elegance, it is usually the outcome of careful planning. Planning is crucial for the creation of a beautiful garden displaying style, balance, and harmony with the environment. Most importantly, a garden should provide relaxation; it should please the senses and lift the spirit. A garden never remains the same for very long; constant changes and surprises are among the basic elements of gardening. A plant can be wildly extravagant in one season and completely nondescript in the next.

A full and rich look can be easily created by planting quickly growing perennials and filling the gaps between them with colourful annuals. This sort of planting, however, is more demanding to maintain in the long term. A more diverse layout will include trees, shrubs and hedges, but will take much longer to grow in. The garden will be more pleasing if plants have enough room to grow; each plant needs the right surroundings and neighbours. Like all living beings, plants have special characteristics. Some plants are solitary; they grow in interesting shapes or have beautiful blossoms, leaves, fruits or stalks, so they need enough open space to be ad-

mired properly. Good examples of solitary plants are the Japanese flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata Kanzan) in full bloom, the Japanese snowball (Viburnum plicatum) in autumn colours, or the Japanese maple (Acer palmatum Atropurpureum), shining red in autumn. Other plants need company to bring out their full beauty. The perennial phlox (Phlox paniculata) works well with the common yarrow (Achillea millefolium), and lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis) can be combined with sage (Salvia officinalis). Different plants also need different growing conditions. Some plants are strong and aggressive, others are sensitive and delicate. If they are planted side by side, the aggressive plants will quickly oust their more delicate neighbours, unless regularly restrained by the gardener. Plants should also be chosen and combined based on their flowering times to ensure your flower beds are always in bloom. Another important factor is the colour of the blooms. Many plants have visually attractive stalks, bark, fruit or seed heads, which can provide interesting textures. Shrubs, trees and hedges are indispensable for creating a basic layout that you can fill out with various bulb plants and perennials to pro-

vide changing colours and textures throughout the seasons. Bulb plants will bring a lot of colour to the garden early in the year: snowdrops (Galanthus) will bloom white in late winter, while tulips (Tulpa) are available in many different colours and will stay in bloom almost until summer. They can be interspersed with ground cover plants such as forget-me-nots (Myosotis) to bring colour to the garden once the bulb plants stop blooming. Perennials create rich patches of colour in the summer. They bloom year after year, while annuals and biennials such as poppies (Papaver) and sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) fill the gaps between them and enrich the diversity in your garden. The leaves of some bulb plants, such as foxtail lilies (Eremurus) or ornamental onions (Allium), will wither before the plants start blooming. You can plant them behind late-flowering perennials to hide the dead leaves. In the autumn, you can look forward to many autumn-f lowering bulb plants, fruit-bearing shrubs and dwarf conifers. Many trees and shrubs have beautiful foliage in this time of year – try sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) or burning bush (Euonymus alatus).

In the winter, the garden gets its colour from evergreens, as well as fruitbearing trees and shrubs such as crabapples (Malus genus), Bodinier’s beautyberry (Callicarpa bodinieri) with its tiny purple berries, or various species of cotoneaster (Cotoneaster genus) and holly (Ilex meserveae Blue Princess). The fruit will also serve as food for the birds visiting your garden. Red-barked dogwood (Cornus alba Sibirica) and yellowtwig dogwood (Cornus stolonifera Flaviramea) have beautiful, brightly coloured bark. Frozen blossoms of perennials, such as spurge (Euphorbia), and tufts of grass next to evergreens, will bring diversity to your garden. Tidy homes and gardens are of immense value for the inhabitants while also representing a unique tourist attraction. The development of garden culture is, therefore, more than a mere luxury addition to culture, fulfilling our need to stay in touch with nature. We should strive to make our surroundings as beautiful as possible. Many people’s sights are set very low, but there are some who work hard to create beautiful landscapes. As the famous gardener and plant breeder Dr. Karl Foerster said, “If you are quickly satisfied with your garden, you do not deserve it.”

Vanja Močnik Rozman s.p., uni.dipl.inž.agr. Bukovica pri Vodicah 52, 1217 Vodice 031 681 185, info@vrtnarstvo.com www.vrtnarstvo.com

Every garden needs a lot of care and attention if it is to be kept in good condition. A garden that is easy to maintain should have paved surfaces, which will make it easier to maintain the lawn and borders of closely planted, undemanding shrubs, small trees and ground cover plants. Choose a style that doesn’t require constant mowing, cutting, tying, weeding and tidying for an attractive appearance. For a garden that is more demanding to maintain, the choice of plants is much wider and includes fruit, vegetables, potted plants and climbing plants with support, all requiring regular work and maintenance throughout the year.

42 LIFE STYLE

Karst wine routes

A Feast for the Senses Karst and Brda are amazingly beautiful and much-loved wine-producing regions. One of the best ways to explore their numerous natural and gastronomic treasures is to follow one of the wine trails. By Tanja Goršič

he Karst region of Slovenia is a treasure trove of natural, historical, and gastronomic delights. Apart from the subterranean wonders, there is much more to allure the visitors – the superb food and wines produced here are the pride of the nation – and much to enjoy. This charming limestone plateau was the first karst area to be researched and described, so all other karst regions around the world are named after it. It extends between Nova Gorica, the Gulf of Trieste and Vipava Valley, stretching south, toward the Slovenian-Croatian border.

The phenomenal phenomena The area is brimming with natural wonders and idiosyncrasies. Subterranean secrets await those curious enough to take a look, at virtually every step. It is here that Nature shows off her unending imagination, sculpting marvellous limestone forms that took millennia to create. These range from enormous underground canals, tunnels, caves and halls, to minute details adorning these spaces, formed by dripping calcium carbonate dissolved in the water, creating stalagmites, stalactites, curtains, grooves, channels, niches, as well as disappearing lakes and rivers that reappear in other places. The relatively small area boasts numerous natural wonders, such as the Postojna Cave, one of the largest cave sys-

An Idyllic Historic Gem Brda offers much more than exquisite wine. In the very heart of the region lies the picturesque medieval village of Šmartno, one of the most beautiful in the region. The village was fortified in the 15th century against the Turks. It has characteristic narrow medieval streets and seven defence towers. Visitors can enter the Gothic house, a typical Brda house, and catch a glimpse of how people lived here in ancient times The Slovenia Times

Medana: Days of Wine and Poetry

tems in the world, and the Škocjan Caves, listed as UNESCO heritage site since 1986.

Merrymaking Geology aside, the area has many other charms. Pristine oak and pine woods, broad windswept meadows, old stone villages, and red tiled roofs form a genuinely romantic setting where one can also indulge in the most superb cuisine available in the entire country. The fertile deep-red clay soil, the terra rossa, is what gives the best known local wine Teran, its intense, trademark peppery taste that combines perfectly with the local, air-dried ham “pršut.” The food is appreciated even by the neighbours, Italians, who are known for their love of eating well. The saying goes that the more cars with Italian plates that are parked in front of a village restaurant, the better their food is. To the northwest, Karst spills over to the wine-growing hills of Goriška Brda. It is a land of rolling hills, charming stone churches

The Solkan Bridge The Solkan Bridge is another cultural heritage gem; it is 220 meters long, with an arch spanning 85 meters. It was completed in 1905 and is the longest stone arch bridge spanning a river in the world, and also has the longest stone arch among all railway bridges in the world.

and villages, terraced vineyards and numerous cherry, peach and fig orchards. With its mild Mediterranean climate and rich flysch soil, this is one of the first places where cherries ripen in spring. In summer and autumn, peaches, apricots, figs, olives and chestnuts are harvested. This rich land also has a long and respected wine history and is home to some of Slovenia’s finest wines. Among the wines of Brda, white Rebula and Chardonay, as well as red Merlot and Teran, are highly esteemed. Vines have been grown in these places since times immemorial. They were brought in the area by the Romans and, due to the favourable position, climate and soil, viticulture evolved to perfection. Today, as many as 1,800 hectares of land are vineyards. The Primorska wine-growing region is one of the three main areas of wine production. Here wine growers concentrate mostly on the red wines, most notably Teran, which is made from Slovenian Refošk grapes grown on the red clay soil of the Karst region. Wine-growing in Brda has experienced a true renaissance since after WW2, especially with the establishment of the biggest cooperative wine cellar in Slovenia in the village of Dobrovo, where wines of controlled origin exclusively are produced. Modern trends, however, increasingly favour the various independent cellarmen who produce and sell their premium quality wines. Some of the best known and esteemed private producers

Every year, Medana hosts a unique festival, Days of Poetry and Wine, held at the end of August. The success of the festival proves that fine wines and fine arts blend well. The festival attracts a devoted international attendance of poets who, in the evenings, read their poetry in their native languages, under the thick mulberry tree. The festival is also a platform for concerts, exhibitions, performances, film projections and other events. are Kristančič, Ščurek, Belica, and Simčič. Wines from Brda often win awards and are known worldwide for their superior quality.

The Brda wine trail Brda is packed with natural, historical and gourmet treasures. An innovative way of discovering the area is to follow its wine trail, either by car on by bicycle, and, on the way, stop in the cellars for wine-tasting. The Brda wine route starts in the village of Plave and continues to Vrhovlje near Kojsko, where a splendid view of the entire region opens up to rolling hills, dotted with villages and churches, orderly terraced vineyards and fertile orchards of cherries, peaches, apricots and figs. Descending to the village of Gonjače, the route then leads to Šmartno, one of the most beautiful villages in the region. The route then continues to Zali Breg, and then Dobrovo Castle, a superbly preserved 17th century building, with an enoteca and restaurant featuring wines by local producers. Next stop on the route is the small artistic village of Medana where a visit to the famous Belica Tourist Farm should not be missed. Then on to Vipolže which boasts a notable castle and cypress park; it proceeds to Dolnje Cerovo, then follows the contours of the Italian border through the villages of Hum and Podsabotin and finally, it crosses the Solkan Bridge to reach the village of Solkan, where it concludes.

LIFE STYLE 43

Teran

The Salt of the Earth The famous refosk grapes are made into an acidic, flavoursome red wine, one that goes under the name Teran when produced on the terra rossa of the Karst region. By Dan Ryan

he two Slovenian wine specialities recognised by the EU are teran, an iron-rich, robust, acidic red made in the Karst, and cviček, a very light, sharp, pink-coloured wine made in Dolenjska from a blend of several red and white varieties. The real stuff is labelled Teran PTP. The red soil, known as terrarosa, gives the dark red wine with a violet shade a special taste and makes it rich with lactic acid and minerals. No wonder that many people still praise it as a perfect natural medicament. Livia, wife of the Emperor Augustus, mother of the Emperor Tiberius, lived to the crusty old age of 82, despite the efforts of still other relatives to give her a taste of her own medicine. She herself attributed her longevity to a daily glass of puccinum, a legendarily earthy blood-red wine from the land of caves, known to us now as the Karst. And it is said that this wine lives on today as teran, purple-red like blood and

earthy to boot.Another karstic product that goes along with Teran is prsut, the smoked ham, traditionally dried by burja, the typically dry and strong northeasterly wind.

Teranov liker It was the advent of easily available sugar that led to the creation of a new class of drink: the liqueur. These succulent beverages generally combine spirits, sugar and flavourings, usually fruit, herbs and spices. The key is balancing the strength of the alcohol, the sweetness of the sugar, and the acidity from the fruit (or bitterness from the herbs). Ah yes, acidity. Necessity being the mother of invention, and poverty the godmother, some bright spark with a glut of teran and little fruit decided to exploit the wine’s lactic acid character and make a liqueur out of it, cutting the amount of expensive spirits required and turning potential waste into genius. Well, maybe it

didn’t happen quite like that, but nevertheless the practice has become well-established. Nowadays each teran producer seems to have his or her version of teranov liker, as the resulting beverage is known. The basic recipe calls for teran (we knew that), a quantity of sugar that ranges from modest to mind-boggling, rum or perhaps a fruit schnapps of some sort, and a cheeky bit of spice such as cinnamon or vanilla. It’s vital that

the flavour of the teran comes through, those raspberry yoghurt tones that make the wine so attractive, so I rather frown on the habit of adding fruit such as blueberries or citrus during maturation. Some serve it as an aperitif. Some serve it as a digestif, and there are few more engaging sights that the host or hostess breaking out the homemade liqueur at the end of a splash-out in one of the Karst’s fine gostilnas.

A SUPERIOR EXPERIENCE Another successful day is behind me. I relish this wonderful company. Select music. A pleasant atmosphere. I look at you and marvel! I am enjoying every moment! With you, words flow easily … Dveri Pax. The door to the world of premium wines.

Warning from the health minister: excessive drinking of alcohol may harm your health.

Dveri-Pax, d.o.o., Polički vrh 1, 2221 Jarenina T: 02/ 644 00 82, F: 02/ 644 00 83 office@dveri-pax.com, www.dveri-pax.com

May 2009

44 LIFE STYLE

Pršut

The Swine Divine Pršut, dry-cured, sometimes smoked ham is a delicacy well worth trying. By Marjan Žiberna

he word pršut is derived from the Italian word for ham, proscuttio. The Italian

origins of the Slovene word pršut aren’t surprising - the Slovenian regions where pršut is traditional-

Osmica It is often said that the reason that the natives of Kras are persistent, firm, and very hospitable is a result of a difficult past. People who visit Stanjel are always welcome to sit and dance in a typical farmyard and to taste the specialities of the region. As far back as the 18th century, an imperial decree of Joseph II Habsburg permitted the Kras farmers to sell their own home products for eight days in the year. Nowadays, they sell their home products at so-called osmica (deriving from the Slovene number osem- eight), which is one of the facets of daily life in the Kras region. Here you can taste regional wines – mostly strong red wine, called teran, authentic smoked hams, prsut, and home-made cheeses, which will convince you that granny’s home-style cooking is still the best choice. When a visitor comes, he is always offered a piece of freshly baked bread with a little bit of salt. It is a special welcoming gesture that is rude to reject. When the season comes, olive trees bear their fruits, and at almost every farm you can buy delicious home-made olive oil. “It is good for use outside and inside,” farmers say. They also say their wines have special healing effects (when consumed in moderation, of course!). Wine in Kras is not taken for granted. It is made with a lot of love and attention. Since the people of Kras have always had to cope with a shortage of drinking water, there were times when the only thing to drink was the wine that they kept in their cellars. There are still some very old, underground, stone wine cellars left where you can buy a bottle of very fine wine.

The Slovenia Times

ly produced border to Italy. Kraški pršut differs from somewhat similar meats from Italy and Croatia; many gourmets love its specific taste. This particularity lies in the process of making pršut, which used to always begin in the late autumn or in the early winter with slaughter of a pig. Before refrigerators were available, the cool temperatures of this season prevented the meat from spoiling. The butchers salted fresh ham and left it for about two to three months. During this period, the ham was usually pressed to drain any blood left in the meat. Then it was washed to remove salt, and hung in a shady, airy place. Winter is the season of the burja, a cold, north-eastern wind that traditionally contributed to the

right microclimate for the drying and ripening of pršut. In some places, it was also smoked by burning different types of wood, which gave the pršut a special flavour. Then it was left to dry, which takes from nine to eighteen months, depending on the size of the ham. Today the process of drying ham no longer depends on the weather; the exceptions being some farmers who still breed pigs and dry ham, mostly for their own use. In the village of Šepulje, near the town of Sežana, there are around 200, 000 hams drying at once. The ham-drying plant artificially creates the microclimate, especially the proper winter cold, which is needed for the initial drying and desalination of the hams. After almost three months in the special fridges, the hams are taken to the drying rooms where they dry slowly in the fresh air and in the burja. The drying rooms have tall windows that can be opened when the burja starts blowing. This way in 12 to 16 months - and with the addition of some salt - a fresh 10 kilo ham turns into delicious sixkilo kraški pršut. Needless to say, kraški pršut is best served with olives, home-made cheese, and teran wine.

Burja The burja is the unique wind of the Slovene and Croatian coastal region, which was once strongly connected with the production of pršut. It blows most frequently during the winter, but only from time to time during the rest of the year. The first reports of the burja come from the Roman era. It is said that it played an important role in the outcome of the battle between the Christian Roman emperor Theodosius, who reigned from Constantinople, and his pagan usurper Eugenius. The battle took place in the year 394 AD in the area, where the town of Ajdovščina in the valley of Vipavska dolina is situated today. According to the historians, Theodosius was close to being defeated after the first day but on the second day a mighty wind started blowing from the mountains, powerfully pushing Theodosius’ soldiers towards the enemy. Eugenius’ army, however, was disabled for the fight, with the wind tearing soldiers’ shields from their hands, turning their spears back and blinding them with dust and the sand.

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Gastronomy Cuisine in Slovenia is based on the cultural meeting and mixing of the Alpine, Mediterranean and Pannonian regions. Centuries of social and historic development at this junction have created specific types of culture and lifestyles, not in the sense of assimilation, but in the creation of unique and original varieties. Slovenian cuisine is based on cereals, dairy products, meat (pork in particular), sea and freshwater fish, vegetables, legumes and tubers, olives and wine. Contributions to the Slovenian culinary heritage have come from the towns and the countryside, as well as the nobility and monastic orders. Numerous innovations were introduced during the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and, during the French occupation in the late 18th century. Slovenian gastronomy, with its own range of unique and original features, has been part of Central European cuisine for centuries. Between 1918 and 1945, there were culinary innovations with the introduction of some new foods from the Balkan region. In the 1960s, Italian pizza culture began to spread. The 1980s were marked by a process of discovering Slovenia’s own culinar y and gastronomic heritage, reflected in the increased publication of cookbooks and their use in homes and

restaurants. This has also led to the protection of geographical heri tage and the traditional value of some gastronomic specialties. These include prekmurska gibanica (a sumptuous layered cake similar to strudel, with poppy seeds, cottage cheese, walnuts and apples), savinjski želodec (filled and smoked pork stomach from the Savinjska region), idrijski žlikrofi (a form of ravioli stuffed with potato, cracklings, and chives, from the Idrija region), kranjska medica (mead from the town of Kranj), potica (a traditional rolled cake with walnut, raisin and cottage cheese filling or, in other varieties, with tarragon or pop-

www.slovenia.info Book ONLINE Or call: +386 4 280 30 30

py seed filling), kranjska klobasa (cooked sausage from the town of Kranj), belokranjska pogača (traditional flat cake which is baked on spec ial oc c a sions with a variety of fillings), povitica (a thin savoury bread made of filo dough), kočevski med (honey from the pristine Kočevje region), prleška tünka (cured meat stored in minced cracklings and lard to preserve the meat’s juiciness). The establishment of food enthusiast societies (e.g. the Society for the Recognition of the Sautéed Potato as an Independent Dish) and to various food competitions (such as the contest for the title of best kranjska klobasa, the salami competition etc.) is also a reflection of this trend. Present-day Slovenia is discovering its gastronomic heritage and gaining recognition in Europe through the adoption of foreign innovations.

This is especially evident from the diverse regional menus offered by various inns and restaurants, which are Slovenia’s most identifiable gastronomic landmark and are typically based on family traditions. A quality gastronomic route through Slovenia can be drawn from the Slovenian Mediterranean (Istria, Kras, Brkini, the Vipavska Valley, Brda, Goriško, the Soča Valley) to northeastern Slovenia (Slovenske Gorice, Prlekija, Prekmurje, Haloze, Kozjansko, Štajerska). In the middle of this route lies central Slovenia with Ljubljana and its surrounding region, where food of the highest quality is offered in numerous inns and restaurants. H o w eve r, y o u are sure to enjoy the best (and also the healthiest) meal in the Slovenian Mediterranean. Dishes from the Kras region, with their delightful vegetable combinations, meat sauces, pasta and the local kraški pršut (prosciutto), complemented by a selection of fine wines including teran, are a great way of experiencing the picturesque landscape and meeting local people.

European Destination of Excellence Solčavsko with its tourism product “Solčavsko – Three Valleys in Unison” is the winner of this year’s EDEN selection. The title of European Destination of Excellence will be awarded to the Slovenian winner in June in Solčava. The destination will be introduced on a European level at the 8th European Tourism Forum in Brussels, where it will also receive its title from European Commission representatives. For the second year in a row, the Slovenian Tourism Organisation published the call for participation in the national EDEN 2009 selection, this time for newly formed destinations aimed at supporting the sustainable development of tourism and that have successfully developed tourism products based on protected areas. Nine destinations applied and were examined by an expert committee. Three finalists were

selected: Tolmin and Kobarid (Land of Living Water), Kozje, Bistrica ob Sotli and Krško (Kozjanski Park), and Solčava (Solčavsko). During the process of final selection, the committee visited all three destinations, each of which meets European sustainable development standards and demonstrates that economic and social, as well as natural and cultural aspects are all integral parts of the development of a destination. The expert committee unanimously declared Solčavsko and its product “Three Valleys in Unison” the winner of the 2009 EDEN project. The winning destination product is devised as a three-day programme combining adventure activities with nature watching, admiring natural treasures and discovering the cultural heritage of the area. Guided tours cover the protected

areas of Robanov kot, Logarska dolina and Matkov kot. The winning destination showed the biggest sustainable potential of all three candidates in the fields of including natural and cultural heritage in tourism products and management, and in the fields of partnership and cooperation at the destination level. The destination cooperates with the local population when devising tourist offers; it also strives to protect the environment and contribute to the development of tourism based on sustainable criteria. The concept of tourism development in Solčavsko is therefore consistent with the concepts of sustainable tourism and ecotourism. The development motto is “Tourism development that is nature- and visitor-friendly and beneficial to locals.”

46 DINE WITH STYLE

Calypso Restaurant

Gourmet Cruise with Culinary Olympic Team

The Calypso restaurant, named after the sea nymph, Calypso, is the highlight of Hit’s catering establishments and one of the three restaurants in Nova Gorica’s Perla, the largest Hit-owned casino and entertainment centre open 24/7. Calypso undoubtedly offers the finest selection of culinary delights to the most discerning guests.

Calypso Restaurant, Perla Casino & Hotel Kidričeva 7, 5000 Nova Gorica phone +386 336 31 35 restavracija.perla@hit.si, www.hit.si The restaurant is open from 19:00 to 24:00 Monday through Thursday, from 12:00 to 15:00 on Sundays and holidays, and from 19:00 to 1:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and days preceding Italian holidays. The restaurant entrance is separate from the casino. Valet parking is provided free of charge. Food type: Mediterranean with elements of local cuisine Specialities: raw seafood, rose-flavoured dishes Ambience: elegant, pianist Price range: 50 – 70 EUR per person Reservation: a must

t is an elegant, intimate restaurant with French-style service where guests can enjoy themselves in relaxing surroundings and savour the refined flavours of Mediterranean and local cuisine, ranging from simply prepared raw fish and other fruits of the sea to more elaborate seafood and meat dishes and astounding desserts. Rose-flavoured dishes are a specialty of the restaurant; they are mainly prepared during the annual Festival of Roses, celebrated in May in Nova Gorica, the city of roses.

Calypso is preparing for the festival once again. Rose-flavoured dishes will be available throughout the entire month of May. This year, the Hit cooking team decided to publish the recipes in Z okusom vrtnic (Flavoured by Roses), a book that even smells of roses. Amuse-bouche, cold and hot appetisers, fish and meat main courses and desserts, all flavoured with roses, are sure to impress you, while the sublime combinations and well-planned sequences of flavours will convince you that roses have a place in haute cuisine. Naturally, meals are accompanied by quality Slovenian and foreign wines and other select beverages. Many guests, including experienced gourmets, have commented on the unsurpassed quality of meals and are happy to follow recommendations from the restaurant staff. The efforts of the experienced team of chefs, waiters and sommeliers are concentrated on providing their guests with an exceptional feast for the senses. Gourmets and other connoisseurs of varied flavours and unusual combinations will savour their experience at Calypso. Popular Mediterranean dishes

Cooking with Calypso: Lamb Fillet in Porcini Crust

The Slovenia Times

Serves 10

Ingredients

Method

300g lamb fillet 100g porcini 1 egg 10g breadcrumbs 10g roughly chopped fresh rose petals 10g grated Parmesan cheese 5g fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage) Salt, pepper 20ml sunflower oil for frying 200g white asparagus 200ml rosé wine 50ml rose liqueur Salt, pepper 20g butter 5 dried pink rose petals

Trim the lamb fillet, season it with salt and pepper and fry it briefly in hot sunflower oil. Leave to cool slightly and prepare the porcini paste. Roast the porcini in a Teflon pan with no grease. Leave the porcini to cool; then mix it together with egg white, breadcrumbs, roughly chopped fresh rose petals, grated Parmesan cheese and roughly chopped fresh herbs. The paste should be thick and compact. Cover the lamb fillet with the paste, wrap it in aluminium foil in a round shape and bake in the oven at 58°C for about 1 hour. The meat should be juicy and evenly baked with a pink inside. Gently peel the white asparagus and cut off the wooden ends. Cook the asparagus in a mix of rosé wine and rose liqueur making sure they remain firm. Lightly sauté the cooked asparagus in butter mixed with a bit of the wine in which the asparagus was cooked. Season with salt and pepper and cover with finely chopped dried rose petals. Serve with the lamb.

Top choice

DINE WITH STYLE 47

Restavracija Calypso & Hotel

Kidričeva 7, Nova Gorica Tel : + 386 5 336 31 35 e-mail: restavracije.perla@hit.si Sun – Thu: from noon – 3pm, 7pm -midnight Fri – Sat (also on Italian holidays): from 7pm-1am

In Issue 116

Restavracija Smrekarjev Hram A la carte restaurant in the city centre of Ljubljana Nazorjeva 2, 1000 Ljubljana Tel: + 386 1 308 19 07 E-mail: smrekarjev.hram@gh-union.si Every day from noon to 11 pm

Pri Vitezu Breg 20, Ljubljana Tel : +386 1 426-60-58 E-mail : privitezu@siol.net Mon-Sat noon-11pm (closed on holidays)

Restavracija Grad Otočec

are supplemented with local delicacies and presented in a varied collection of cold and hot appetisers, fresh homemade pasta, main courses and flambé dishes, dishes prepared at your table, exquisite desserts, cheeses, marmalades and much more. In addition to the top quality menu and wine list, Calypso also offers a selection of high-end cigars. Calypso’s waiters and sommeliers are happy to advise guests

regarding their orders. Chef de cuisine Borut Jakič is the winner of numerous international awards and prizes and is a member of the Slovenian culinary Olympic team. Desserts come from Perla’s famous patisserie, managed by Alenka Kodele, another member of the Slovenian culinary Olympic team, winner of a number of international awards and prizes, and author of a brand new book entitled Torte (Cakes).

Featured wine

Miro Vino Sauvignong Blanc A typical Sauvignon blanc with a herbal, nearly spicy flavour, with a touch of classic elderberry and hay scent. Gently fruity - typically to the sort. Temperamental and polished.

Grajska cesta 2, Otočec Tel.: + 386 7 38 48 900 E-mail : booking.grad-otocec@terme-krka.si www.terme-krka.si Every day until 11pm

Bled Castle Special experiences for special occasions. Cesta svobiode 11, Bled Tel : +386 4 579 44 24 Every day from 8am - 8 pm (November-April till 6pm) E-mail: blejski.grad@zkbled.si, events@vgs-bled.si www.hotelastoria-bled.com, www.zavod-za-kulturo-bled.si

Restavracija Vila Bled Delights of the French, Mediterranean and Slovenian cuisines. Cesta svobode 26, Bled Tel: +386 4 575 37 10 E-mail: info@vila-bled.si, www.vila-bled.si Mon – Fri: 6pm-10pm Sat, Sun, Holidays: noon – 10pm

Dvorec Zemono Tradition with innovation and creativity. Miro Vino Jastrebci 36, SLO - 2276 Kog Tel./Fax.: +386 (0)2 719 76 30 Mobile: +386 (0)41 474 935 E-mail: miro.munda@email.si

Gostilna pri Lojzetu Dvorec Zemono, 5271 Vipava tel : +386 5 368 70 07 e-mail : zemono@zemono.si

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May 2009

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48 Life style

Oils

The Secret of Olives Olive trees are a trademark of the entire Primorska region, and olives and olive oil are well known as essential ingredients for Kras cuisine. Oils pressed from various fruits are much more than just cooking ingredients, they are also invaluable in cosmetics, making our skin look youthful and fresh. By Dragica M. Sternad, MA

ater and oil normally reject each other like temperamental lovers, but given the right energetic conditions, they can also become one. Chemistry is just as important in the production of cosmetics as it is in love. Depending on the ingredients, a mixture of water and oil can become a light lotion, a gentle emulsion or a rich cream, all very important skin care products. Skin needs oils and moisture for protection. The quantities required depend on the time of year, type of skin and age. If you wish to avoid factory-made skin creams or lotions, you can try using oils. After a skin peel or a brush massage – both everyday skin care practices in Sweden and Japan – your skin is particularly ready to be spoiled with the invaluable ingredients of oils and oil mixtures.

Choose your oil carefully Cold-pressed oils are the most suitable for skin care. They can be used as a carrier for mixtures with essential oils, also known as ethereal or volatile oils. Essential oils are much too strong to be applied directly to the skin. The average mixture contains five drops of essential oil in ten millilitres of carrier oil. Carrier oils them-

Grape seed oil face mask Italians say that Chianti enhances beauty from the inside, while grape seed oil works on the outside. This subtle oil works extremely well as a moisturiser, refreshing and firming the skin. Your skin will be smooth and firm with a beautiful glow. You can make this mask yourself; use it at least once a week and you will be amazed at the beneficial influence it has on your skin. Ingredients: 1 spoon of grape seed oil, 2 spoons of yoghurt. Preparation: Mix the oil with the yoghurt and apply to face and neck. Leave on for 15 minutes; then rinse with lukewarm water. The Slovenia Times

selves can also be used in skin care. Vegetable oils have a shelf life of approximately six months. They should be stored in a dark space, preferably in dark glass bottles. These oils are available in supermarkets, food departments in larger department stores, and health food stores. Avocado oil is particularly rich in vitamins. It is used on the face and décolleté areas and is especially suitable for dry skin. Jojoba oil is a natural liquid wax, produced in the seeds of the jojoba shrub. It doesn’t leave sticky residue on the skin and is particularly suitable for hair care. Coconut oil has the scent of exotic lands. This thick, saturated oil can be mixed with salt and used as a skin peel. It can also be used as a nutritional hair mask. Macadamia oil is particularly suitable for body skin care because it contains acids very similar to the fatty acids in human skin. This oil

Sesame oil massage for a good night’s sleep A massage of the abdomen is relaxing and helps to alleviate stress. Lightly heat the sesame oil and massage it into your abdomen using 36 clockwise circular motions. Foot massage: In the evening, massage your feet with sesame oil, put on wool socks and enjoy a good night’s sleep.

makes for an excellent moisturiser and is mainly suited for mature, dry skin. Almond oil has a light, quickly evaporating scent and is rich in vitamins and proteins. It softens the skin and provides nutrition, which makes it especially suitable for sensitive skin and dry hands. Almond oil absorbs quickly and is perfect for use in massage. Olive oil is rich in vitamins and proteins. Due to its strong smell, it is usually mixed with other oils. It gives off pleasant warmth, making it suitable for massages, cold days, or for sore muscles. Sesame oil has a pleasant smell and is universally useful. It soothes, smoothes, and firms the skin. It is suitable for normal and oily skin. Grape seed oil is relatively light and thin. It absorbs quickly and leaves a satin glow on the skin. Wheat germ oil is rich in vitamin

E and is suitable for mature skin. It can also be mixed with other oils to enhance their shelf life. If you mix carrier oil with a few drops of essential oil, you will notice the scent first, and then feel the beneficial effect on your skin.

LIFE STYLE 49

A Centre of Life’s Energy

With their professional approach, a group of experts will charm you and give you the feeling that visiting the centre was the right decision.

SENSE-230x158+5-slotimes.pdf

The modern way of life is dictated by responsibility, organisation and planning, busy schedules, numerous discussions, travelrelated stress, and last but not 4/22/09 3:18 PM least, care for those closest to us.

Aspara Wellness Centre, Šentjur invites you to visit the modern fitness centre, beauty salon, sauna, tanning salon, or have a premium massage - all under the Sun’s patronage and in the embrace of positive energy. Every organism needs a different approach to achieve complete inner peace. The Aspara Wellness Centre offers a rich selection of relaxation techniques and massages – wonderful companions

on your way to rejuvenating your body and spirit. For more information, visit: www.wellness-aspara.com.

More Effective than Physiotherapy

Photo: LifeClass

50 LIFE STYLE

in beauty and cosmetic treatments - with diets, to fight cellulite, and to alleviate stress and symptoms caused by stress.”

We spoke to physiatrist, acupuncturist and balneologist Dr. Lepa Veljanovič about the effectiveness of various treatments available at the Thalasso Centre, part of the Terme & Wellness LifeClass in Portorož. individual’s requirements, depending on the illness or complaint, skin problems, age, etc. but there are no significant differences based on gender in thalassotherapy. Women decide to use our therapy more often than men, but Photo: LifeClass

Which natural marine ingredients are used in body care and preventive treatments? “In thalassotherapy, we use salt pan mud (fango), Aqua Madre brine, salt, algae and the beneficial sea climate.”

Dr. Lepa Veljanovič, Terme & Wellness LifeClass Portorož

Do you use different methods (e.g. baths, massages) for different skin types, ages, etc.? “We adapt all therapies to each

that is probably in consequence of the fact that men find it harder to admit they have health problems. Age is also very significant, since

health problems tend to intensify and become harder to treat successfully as we grow older.” Which of your methods are traditional and which have been modernised? “We use many therapies, all based on traditional treatments and adapted to contemporary trends. At the Terme & Wellness LifeClass in Portorož, we are continuing and building on a 900-year-old tradition of using local therapeutic natural factors for health treatments. According to 13th century texts, thalassotherapy was first introduced for health purposes, mainly to treat movement system problems such as pain in the muscles, joints and surrounding structures. Later, it was also used in post-injury and post-surgery care, and to treat rheumatism, neurological, skin, gynaecological and respiratory organ problems. Eventually, thalassotherapy also became a means of improving general immunity. Nowadays, it is frequently used

Do you treat each person individually? How do you diagnose the problem and choose the right treatment? “Yes, each person is treated individually based on their health problems. It also depends on the problem whether they will be treated by a therapist alone or by a doctor as well. A therapist determines the duration of mud treatments, the water temperature, the level of brine etc, while a doctor performs an examination and prescribes the right course of treatment to ease or eradicate the problem.” Which treatments do you recommend for the current time of spring fatigue and in preparation for summer? “The best treatments for this time of year are algae and mud masks to fight cellulite. Since we work more and exercise less during winter, back pain and skin problems are common ailments in spring. A few years ago, we carried out research to determine the efficiency of thalassotherapy in comparison with other physiotherapeutic treatments. The results showed that mud masks work faster than physiotherapy at alleviating pain and their effects also last longer.”

LIFE STYLE 51

Fashion

Dress for Success The opening of the Midas Multi-designer store on the Ajdovščina platform in Ljubljana was like a breath of fresh air, bringing many new ideas and, most importantly, new brands never before available in Slovenia. By Lorella Flego

his prestigious store fulfils all your fashion dreams by stocking the biggest names in fashion and constantly acquiring new collections and indispensable accessories. Midas also offers Armani’s Made to Measure line: refined suits made to your measure at Armani, a service only available in the top fashion capitals of the world. Every modern man is well aware of the importance of fabrics and cuts: a made to measure suit is undoubtedly a lasting investment and a smart buy. A number of new brand names to bring joy to every fashion lover’s heart were added to the Midas store recently. While available at reasonable prices, these are important and quality names, bringing to Slovenia the spirit of fashion capitals with an urban feel unique to New York. Among the new brands is Marc Jacobs for Men, an ironic collection toying with small but important details, such as colourful trousers, tight jackets, caps and layers. This is a multipurpose collection offering many interesting clothing combinations. Lively colours such as red, white and light grey predict a hot season with a lot of freedom. The French brand Lanvin has always been synonymous with prestige. A new addition to their summer collection is a shade of electric blue for younger and bolder customers, while more traditional items for all ages still remain readily available. Jeans are

as indispensable as ever, as are shades of sand, inspired by the colours of the desert. The Lanvin designer, Alber Elbaz, is a unique genius, famous for his creativity and unconventional ideas. Products of his imagination are also now available at Midas. Another men’s collection not to be missed comes from Givenchy. Shorts and vests, new colours and even lace are included in their playful summer collection. This image of a romantic dandy was created by designer Riccardo Tisci. His black leather pieces triumphed at fashion shows in Paris; they are specially processed to be

extremely light, making them appropriate for summer wear. Thanks to the Midas Multidesigner store, items from the world’s most important catwalks are finally available in Slovenia. The Midas shopping assistants will happily offer fashion advice and help with your choice. As in the world’s top fashion stores, new and fresh collections are constantly available at Midas, since the imagination of fashion designers is limitless and their lines always showcase something new. In the Fall/Winter season, Dolce & Gabbana will join the ranks of brand names available at Midas.

Siam Thai Thai Massage Salon Open every day from 10:00 to 22:00

Traditional Thai Massage Reflexology Aromatherapy Warm Herbal Anti-cellulite Massage

Siam Thai Dunajska cesta 190, 1000 Ljubljana T: +386 (0)59 075 100 GSM: +386 (0)41 319 888 www.tajskemasaze.si info@tajskemasaze.si May 2009

52 SPORTS off his bicycle after cycling for five hours with an Italian colleague (a daily training routine), warned us that we had to close the door of the rooms quickly. “I would like to spend a night at an altitude of 3,000 meters,” he said smiling, “and it takes some times to move up there …” He was talking about altitude simulation. Vila Triglav is no ordinary hut; the sound coming from its cellar was the sound of the engine that reduces the air in the rooms. The excellent, newlyequipped room can ‘move‘ you from an altitude of 1,300 meters, where Vila Triglav is situated, to three, four or even five thousand meters; that is to say, the amount of the oxygen in the room can be as low as at those altitudes. Those rooms act as hypobaric chambers. In this way, cyclists, long-distance runners, cross-country skiers, and other endurance athletes can significantly improve their abilities. The effect of sleeping in such rooms after the training is almost the same as the effect of using the infamous performance-enhancing drug EPO; however, EPO is health hazard and is strictly prohibited by anti-doping rules, while hypobaric chambers aren’t.

Tadej Valjavec, Cyclist

Train Low, Sleep High … Since ancient times, athletes have been searching for ways to improve their abilities. Legend has it that an ancient Greek athlete lifted a calf above his head every day; as the calf became heavier and heavier, he became stronger and stronger. Nowadays athletes use more sophisticated methods ... By Marjan Žiberna, photos: Mark Botte, Rožle Bregar

he afternoon we spent with Tadej Valjavec in the middle of April convinced us that one of those sophisticated methods for endurance athletes has recently been made available on

the Pokljuka plateau. Valjavec, a professional road race cyclist had just finished the complete renovation of a 70-year old hut, named Vila Triglav, surrounded by idyllic green pine forest; with a view

of the highest Slovenian mountains. The photograph says a lot, but not enough. You have to be there to hear the muffled but permanent sound coming from the cellar. Tadej, who’d just stepped

Who is Tadej Valjavec? Tadej Valjavec is a 32-year old professional Slovenian road bicycle racer who has been racing for French team Ag2r-la Mondiale since last year. Valjavec, born in the village of Zgornja Besnica near Kranj in the heartland of the Gorenjska region, started his sport career in the Sava Kranj Cycling Club. After success in junior categories, his professional career began with the Italian team Fassa Bartolo in 2000. In the 2004 and 2005 seasons, he competed for the Swiss team Phonak and the two following years for Lampre-Fondital of Italy. He competed three times in the Tour de France, placed The Slovenia Times

10th overall in 2008, and four times at Giro d’Italia, where he was placed 9th in 2004. He is well known as a good ‘climber,’ an ability he has shown especially on the mountain stages at the Giro d’Italia. He will compete in both of the biggest races, Giro and Tour this year with serious plans of improving his best results on the Tour. It’s worth noting that Tadej Valjavec, a member of Slovenian Olympic team twice (Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004), never had problems with doping abuse. He has been using a hypobaric chamber since 2002. www.tadejvaljavec.com

Looking back The concept of the hypobaric chamber is based on decades of research for altitude training. In 1960s, before the summer Olympic Games in Mexico City in 1968, held at the altitude of about 2,300 meters, several research projects related to the functioning of the human body in low oxygen circumstances were carried out. The excellent results achieved in Mexico City in some sport disciplines weren’t surprising; in particular, short course runners (up to 400 meters) were extremely fast as a consequence of low air resistance. In contrast, the endurance disciplines were slower than at the normal altitudes. They were completely dominated by East African runners whose homelands were plains at altitudes of 1,500 meters and higher. Adapted to lack of

SPORTS 53 oxygen, they were far better then their rivals from the other parts of the world. Later, altitude training (traditionally referred to as altitude camp) also became common for the endurance athletes training to compete at the normal altitudes. Altitude training tries to stimulate the production of the body hormone erythropoietin (EPO), which is predominantly responsible for red blood cell production in the body. The higher rate of the red blood cells, which transport oxygen from lungs to the muscle cells, can improve an athlete’s endurance and therefore his or her results.

The dark side of the story In the 1970s, blood doping was invented; after a few weeks of altitude training, some athletes removed some of their blood, which was rich in red blood cells. These cells were concentrated, frozen and later, prior the competition, transfused into the blood circulation, significantly enhancing endurance abilities. In the 1980s, advances in medicine led to a new form of blood doping, which is actually based on findings about the effect of (non-prohibited) high altitude training; the artificial recombinant EPO (which was approved in US and Europe for the treatment of anaemia, resulting from kidney diseases or chemotherapy) became widely used, especially

by cyclists. Because of the lack of knowledge of how the blood doping with EPO works, there were several deaths.

The modern era … EPO doping, which evolved significantly over two decades, is still present, but the non-prohibited techniques of enhancing the endurance have also developed. The Scandinavian scientists who started the classical blood doping in the 1970s (re-infusion of the stored red blood cells), led the field of using safe red blood cells stimulation techniques in 1990s. They discovered that the bodies of the athletes who train at normal altitudes but spend their nights at moderate altitudes, produce greater amount of EPO. The increased EPO results in improved endurance. However, this principle – “train low-sleep high” – wasn’t easy to follow because of geographical and other limitations. So they developed hypobaric tents, chambers and houses – simulating various altitudes, sometimes also called ‘Scandinavian houses.’ Vila Triglav on the Pokljuka plateau, in an absolutely beautiful natural environment, is one such a house that can be used by athletes without fear for their health or violating strict anti-doping rules. So Tadej Valjavec and his Italian friend were ‘moving up’ to the altitude of 3,000 meters every night for two weeks in April, when they were preparing together for the summer season.

Pokljuka: what, where … Pokljuka is high karst plateau in the Julian Alps about 20 kilometres long and 20 kilometres wide. The plateau, mostly covered with spruce forests, stretches above the well-known Lake Bled, at an altitude of between 1,000 and 1,400 meters. It’s known especially for its winter recreational options; when the lowlands are without snow in winter or early spring, you can be sure that the crosscountry tracks at Pokljuka plateau are ready for cross-country skiing through the idyllic forests. In the summer, when the temperatures in the lowlands are high and the atmosphere stifling, it offers excellent possibilities for hiking and biking in the refreshing mountain environment, meeting cows on their summer pastures, passing dairy farms … Descending from the Pokljuka plateau, you can visit Lake Bled with its island and a church on it, or the less touristy Bohinjsko Jezero Lake, which offers different water sport possibilities.

Vila Triglav Vila Triglav is a resort designated for active leisure activities, especially for experiencing sport in nature. It is suitable as much for recreational athletes as for top-level professional endurance athletes, who can take advantage of the altitude simulation house as well as the excellent training conditions in the area. The resort is also perfect choice for those who crave rest, relaxation and retreat to the soothing, unspoiled nature. The resort is situated 16 kilometres from Bled, at Goreljek, on the Pokljuka plateau. www.vilatriglav.com

The Pokljuka plateau lies within Triglav National Park, the first and only Slovenian national natural park, established in 1924. This unique environment entrances visitors, so it is not too difficult to respect the rules like not littering, not parking cars outside the official parking spaces, not disturbing wild animals, not leaving marked hiking and biking trails, not camping outside the camps, not lighting picnic fires. To enjoy this beauty fully, one must also take a responsible part in preserving the natural environment.

Warnings Pokljuka is a nice starting point for shorter or longer trips to the higher mountains; it’s one of the starting points if you want to climb Mount Triglav (2,864 m), the highest Slovenian peak. If you decide to hike in higher mountains, you should not underestimate conditions. Their snowy slopes can be a serious hazard even in the late spring. You also should take into account that the weather in the mountains can change drastically in few minutes – from a nice, sunny day into a storm with freezing wind. You have to wear warm clothes and adequate footwear. Avoid drinking alcohol; it can influence your balance and judgment. You also have to check the weather forecast before and bring a map of the area with you. You should let know your friends and mountain hut staff where you plan to go. Don’t forget to take some food and drink with you; walking and sweating in the mountains can quickly exhaust you and cause dehydration. Don’t forget to protect yourself from the sun, which is especially harmful in the high mountains. May 2009

54 SPORTS

Interview: Miran Pavlin

From the Ashes to the Guinness Book of Records Olimpija, a football club with a great tradition, is on the rise again after a near collapse. Player Miran Pavlin speaks about his turbulent four years at the helm of this iconic club. By Simon Demšar

n the former Yugoslavia, Olimpija was never at the top of the league but it was always “somewhere around.” If nothing else, it regularly provided Sunday afternoon entertainment at the now defunct Bežigrad Stadium in Ljubljana. The match against Crvena zvezda in 1989, in front of 22,000 ecstatic fans, was probably its swansong. After Slovenian independence, Olimpija stood head and shoulders above everybody else and more or less easily won four national championships. But gradually things took a downward trend and in 2005 the club collapsed. Thanks to a few enthusiasts, a new story began to unfold. Primož Gliha and Aleš Remih began putting the pieces together. After a humble start, something extraordinary happened. Members of the “golden generation” – as the national football team that qualified for the European and World Championships in 2000 and 2002 is usually referred to

– began joining Olimpija instead of retiring; some they even came out of retirement. Robert Volk, for example, re-launched his career after four years, lost 15 kilograms and is now, at the age of 43, “the best goalkeeper in Slovenian leagues,” according to Miran Pavlin, now the sporting director, a player and a key figure of the “new Olimpija.” Besides Pavlin, the golden generation pack includes Mladen Rudonja, Amir Karič, Aleš Čeh, Muamer Vugdalić and Sebastijan Cimerotič while Željko Milinovič has left for Interblock as the coach. In 2005, the new Olimpija started its new life in the fifth division. Four years later, they are in the second division, doorstep the threshold of the first division (currently at an 11-point lead). How did the story begin? Was it ever meant to be just for fun? First of all, Olimpija shouldn’t have collapsed in the first place;

it is just a great shame that some people let it happen. It was not just about the A-team; there were also 400 children who were suddenly left with nowhere to play. Now these people probably cannot believe their eyes when they see Olimpija coming back big time. Otherwise, it was always meant seriously, although nobody believed in us. We simply cannot not work seriously. Whatever we do, we do it 100%. Whenever we play, we want to win. This is in our blood. Four years ago, we decided to bring the club back to the first division as a “thank you” for everything that it had given us. After all, we established ourselves at Olimpija, which was a springboard for our international careers. What is happening here is history in the making, but people will realize it only in a few years time. No-one will never do it again and no-one ever has. In fact, we are in talks with the Guinness Book of Records to include us in their

next edition as the first club ever to have advanced from the lowest ranking to the highest ranking league in its country. A club in Italy once reached the second division but then collapsed. Can you talk us through the four years in the lower ranking leagues? There was always someone on our heels. In the fifth division, it was Ljubljana, who were demoted together with Olimpija. The situation was the same the following year with Rudar Trbovlje. In both cases, they were threats until the last few rounds because all other teams were so inferior that our direct matches decided the outcome. Last year, Šenčur posed some problems to us. This year is actually the easiest one. Why is Olimpija so special? Contrary to Interblock (another club from Ljubljana), which is a private initiative or Domžale, which is a local story, Olimpija

Ice Hockey

The Lynx Have Awoken Photo: BOBO

The Slovenian national hockey team unfortunately did not succeed in returning to the elite division, but the rejuvenated selection of players managed to come in a close second in the Division I hockey world championship, which anything but a failure. By Andrej Pirnat

he Slovenian team travelled to Lithuania with a young and truncated team that included eight rookies, but they still showed a great measure of confidence and belief in success before their departure. The slightly weaker team was missing three key players. First and foremost, they were without the best Slovenian hockey player, Anže Kopitar, who still had obligations to his NHL team, the Los Angeles Kings. Also missing were Slovenia’s first goalkeeper Robert Kristan and the The Slovenia Times

number one defender at the moment, Aleš Kranjc. Nonetheless, the team that travelled to Lithuania breathed as one and spirits was as high as ever. Players even speculated about the possible bonuses they would receive in case they succeeded in their mission.

Future Looks promising Second place may not have been enough to take this team into the elite division, but it is definitely

Has the absence of Anže Kopitar affected the performance of the national team?

SPORTS 55 external pressure. On the other hand, it is also an honour. Many business people in Slovenia still don’t understand that being part of a football club is not a matter of simple “give and take.” Football is “added value” to society. It is like an expensive car; when you buy it you know that you are only going to lose money. So being part of a club like Olimpija costs money but what you get in return is the company of people in power and you can do business this way. It is an established practice in the West but we are still learning it. How is Olimpija structured and what is your role? First of all, I am a player. Technically, I am also the sporting director and together with Mladen Rudonja, we are a sort of spiritual leaders. With our business and political links, we can bring money to the club. Advancing through the rankings, things have become expensive, although most players play for peanuts and the older ones even for free.

is an icon. Everybody knows it and everybody has their opinion. Despite playing in the second division, we are the second mostwatched club in Slovenia after Maribor, and wherever we play,

attendance is high. It’s a sign of Olimpija’s charisma but also the fact that people still love watching the “golden generation.” Being part of Olimpija is difficult because there is much more

a good starting-point for further development. Most of all, what is needed now is continuity and upgrade, since this team is so young that it can play and develop together for quite a few years. Also, some players who missed out on this tournament will sooner or later rejoin their teammates. What management must do now is form some sort of nucleus of the team, with some of the younger players getting more time on the ice to further develop their game and gain much needed experience. Some of them already proved that they are able to play at the highest level despite their young age, which should only encourage management to give them more chances. Also, it might be a good idea to have the same head coach for a longer period of time, so that the players do not have to get used to a new system before every competition. American strategist John Harrington, who led the team in Lithuania, did a great job in motivating the players, as well as

in forming a good game plan; it would be great if he would stay with the team. He was also very pleased with the performance and result of his players: “On my very first assignment, we came very close. My assistant coach Danny Gelinas is a great coach. Now I understand my players better and they understand me better as well. All this helped us to a better performance in Vilnius. We had our chances, we fought and that is why I am a bit disappointed that we did not progress, but at same time I am also very proud of my guys. I really enjoyed in this tournament, as I witnessed players develop. I would like to continue this work, and I would be very pleased if they give me a chance for further cooperation.”

If only the goal had been wider This Slovenian team showed that it belongs in the top of this com-

You obviously are already planning your life in the first division... We have a very healthy financial foundation. Besides Bayern Munich, we will probably be the only first division European club without debts. Last year, we made a three-year plan with our sponsors in order to be ready for the first division. We cannot afford to be struggling there; instead, we must fight for the top. During all this time, we had been structuring the team for the first division. We were not so dumb as to think

petition. The players won four games and lost only once; unfortunately, this came in the most important game. Slovenia won three games against skilled opponents: Australia, Lithuania and Croatia. It also won a hard fought game against a strong Japanese team, but in the end failed against the favourites Kazakhstan with the final result of 2:1. Slovenia had a chance to tie in the closing minutes of the game, but bad luck prevented that, as the puck hit only the frame of the goal. In the end, the Slovenian team received silver medals and a consolation prize, as goalie Andrej Hočevar was recognised for his performance and received the award for the best goalie in the competition. None t hele ss, tea m capt a i n Tomaž Razingar commended his teammates for their performance in the tournament: “I would like to commend all the guys for their fearlessness and bravery. We had eight newcomers, but this is not

that life in the first division was possible without young players. However, it does not mean that the older players will step back completely, because younger players need and expect to have leaders around themselves. We will probably continue for a year or two. We would like to get four or five new players; we are allowed two more foreign players, but it all depends on the financial situation. And the long-term future? It depends on the local environment in Ljubljana. There is enough money around, but it is a question of mentality whether this money is available for football. There is also the stadium issue. Without a modern facility, you cannot do anything. We have in principle agreed with Zoran Janković (the mayor of Ljubljana) to play at the proposed new stadium in Stožice. Until then, we will play at our current location. With its capacity of 3,000, we cannot plan any major event on the occasion of our promotion to the first division. You have been active in the humanitarian area too... We have done that throughout our professional careers. Also, as national team members, we were collecting money for all sorts of charities, hospitals etc. and we worked closely with UNICEF. I find it extremely important but young players are not particularly aware of that, which is a shame as it gives you a wholly different status in the society. You are rewarded sooner or later; not directly but in some other way.

an excuse for not getting back into the elite group. Kazakhstan has a strong team, they were just better, but we were in the game until the very last minute. Young players who got a chance to play made good use of it, our team showed its true face, as we had to compensate for a lot of talent and experience. From this standpoint, we can be satisfied, but if Slovenia wants to be successful, it needs to have all the necessary players.”

Waiting continues Slovenia will now have to wait at least another two years to get another chance to get back into the A group, when there will be another tournament in Slovakia in 2011. But before that, they will have to finish even a step higher than this year in next year’s second league competition. If the names such as Kopitar, Kristan and Kranjc – missing this year – return, it should be a piece of cake. May 2009

56 CULTURE

Dance

Out of Africa Maša Kagao Knez, a Slovenian dancer, choreographer and actress of African descent, is making her dream come true by founding her own African dance school in Slovenia; it is the first institution of its kind and emphasizes multicultural participation. By Petra Milič to connect with people, to learn about life and to get in touch with her roots. She has never seen her father, but has met many of her relatives in Burkina Faso.

The passion for dance

orn in Ljubljana, she is the daughter of Jasna Knez, a well-known contemporary dancer and choreographer, and Jean Kotie Diasso, a Foreign Ministry Consultant in West Africa’s Burkina Faso. Filled with energy, enthusiasm and optimism about what she wants to do in her future, she is African from tip to toe. “People have prejudices about Africa; they tend to see negative things more than positive ones. Their knowledge is too superficial and I want to change that. Most of the people who have seen my performances were in the end fully convinced of the beauty of African dance and culture.”

Understanding Africa Asked about her childhood, her teenage years, and her struggle to make it on her own as a dancer; she had no problem telling me everything from the derogatory names she was called, like “monkey,” to the nice comments about her looks from passersby on the street. As a child, she was one of the few racially different people in Slovenia. Her father was a law student at the University of Ljubljana but he had returned to Burkina before she was born. It was not an easy time for her, being the only black child in elementary school, and Maša says she had always The Slovenia Times

seen herself as different from all other children. On top of that, she was a tall girl who always hovered above her peers. However teachers, classmates, and friends at school never had even the smallest problem of accepting her or treating her normally like all the rest of the kids. Despite their acceptance, she was pretty unhappy with her looks as a girl and in her teenage years, she had wished for a long time to be white. Sometimes it is still uncomfortable, but nowadays such feelings are very rare. Some of her African-Slovenian friends, who had lived outside Ljubljana in smaller towns, have had more unpleasant experiences with the way they were accepted and seen in society. “People used to stare a lot, nowadays they dare more to ask questions which may be of a private nature, questions you usually don’t ask other people: about family, about men, or even why I am here.” Her mother told her very early about Africa and her father. “Now,” she explains, “it is much easier to understand why he left, and I understand his background and his lifestyle.” It would be actually much stranger to her if he hadn’t gone back, she says in retrospect. She visited Africa three times; first in 1999, not for dance reasons, but to see the real Africa, to attempt

Jasna Knez, her mother, also known as the “Slovenian Isadora Duncan,” was one of the first modern dancers in Slovenia. Maša was introduced to dance at a very early age and it has been present in her ever since. When she was four years old, she started going to modern dance classes under the leadership of Jana Kovač. At the same time, she was often a part of Jasna’s performances; naturally, theatre quickly became her home. It was not her mother’s specific wish or plan for Maša to pursue dance, but mostly because Jasna comprehended movement to be a very important format of human expression. From then on, it was all about dance. She studied classical dance, jazz ballet and other dance forms, ended up at Intakt, a studio for contemporary dance, where she studied under Nataša Tovirac and other practitioners of modern dance. In the meantime, her mother signed her up for every possible African dance workshop, thinking it would become an important part of her as a dancer and a person.

Paris In 2004, she went to Paris to visit a friend and visited the Georges Momboye Academy for African Dance. The minute she walked in, she knew that this was what she wanted; it was an expensive school, but Maša signed up for the audition, passed and that was when her life changed. Shuttling between Paris and Ljubljana for two years was tiring, but she can’t hide the enthusiasm she has about this period of her life. The school was exhausting. It was during this duration that she realized that her knowledge about African dance was minimal and what Georges Momboye was able to provide was a genuine African instinct of rhythm, flow of the body and inner spirit. It was a constant hustle: eight-hour practices, find-

ing an affordable place to live in Paris, teaching dance all over Slovenia to earn money for education and working on her own performances. She remembers those two years being the most stressful time of her life but at the same time, the most enjoyable. Nobody gave her strange looks; nobody stared, or made comments about her appearance; for the first time she didn’t stand out and she could dance.

Baobab Maša was building something never seen or experienced before in Slovenia. Her wish was to acquire the knowledge and to educate people about Africa; she wanted people to know that Africa was far beyond stereotypes and caricatures. This desire made her go back home and continue working on what she had learned and developed. Her effort paid off; in recent years, she cooperated with some of the best dancers in Europe, performed all over Slovenian theatres, including National Drama Theatre. In her latest performance, currently showing, she portrays Nero’s mistress, Acte, a former slave. Most importantly, she established Baobab (a tree native to mainland Africa), an African Culture Centre, that includes an African Dance School, where she has courses of African Traditional Dance, Contemporary African Dance, Afro Urban Style, Modern Jazz and African Drums – Dun Dun and Djembe. She has invited dancers from Slovenia and Paris to join her in this effort to give people the real and honest feeling of Africa, its spirit and people. Dance is absolutely one of the most important things in Africa. “Movement is everything,” she says. “People dance everywhere, wh i le cook i ng, wa lk i ng t he streets, playing, just doing everyday work.” The contemporary world is not so tense there and people are much more connected to nature than here in the West. “Here in Baobab, we want to wake up the natural instincts in humans and take it to another level. It’s not only good for the body; it’s great for the mind as well.”

EVENTS 57

Slovenia Times Recommends

Music from all Continents The Druga Godba Festival is once again bringing many different kinds of world musicians to Slovenia. The festival is unique in Europe, with its wide variety of musical styles and genres to suit everyone’s taste - from new jazz, ethno-electronica, contemporary folk and rock to obscure musical sounds from the unknown world to popular world music. by Kaja Cencelj

r uga Godba, literally meaning “other music,” is an international alternative music festival with a 25-year history that takes place every spring, predominantly in Križanke, Ljubljana’s picturesque open-air theatre. Being very popular among both young and old in the last decade, it had to find additional venues in Ljubljana and Maribor.

It all started back in the 80s… The festival was established in 1984 as an alternative to other festivals of that time. According to Srečko Meh, current program director of the festival, the main reason for establishing it was the possibility of hearing musicians from different kind of music fields.

Abd al-Malik

“It was a time of a general lack of good, fresh music and it seemed as if this festival was something inevitable.” In the 1980s, festivals did not want to present the more radical or different kinds of music. But when Radio Student started to play African and other exotic and original music, it soon attracted a lot of listeners, who longed for live acts. Although in the beginning, the festival primarily consisted of alternative rock and experimental music, at the same time it also started to rediscover Slovene folk music. Not only that, the festival was a pioneer in the region in presenting representatives of African, Arab, Latino and ethnopop music, even before the actual European boom of so-called “world music.”

Meet other cultures The festival started to grow and become very important in the 90’s, when the programme started to focus more on ethno music, with other genres remaining present, but not to such a wide extent. Today, there are many criteria for the artists to be selected. “The main factor is the capability of artist to stir up the curiosity of all of us on the selection board of Druga Godba. It could be the contact in a live performance, a new, fresh and interesting record or a good review in a foreign professional music magazine,” explains Meh. It is not only about the musical aspect of the performers at the festival, but also the cultural aspect. By listening to the music, people can at least imagine what the artist’s country is like and get a feeling of its culture. That’s why

they look for artists who are the best in their genre, or their areas or origin.

From samba to rai

So far the festival has presented various artists from numerous countries, among them Africando All Stars (Senegal/Cuba), Cesaria Evora (Cape Verde), Los de Abajo (Mexico), Madredeus (Portugal), Youssou N’Dour (Senegal), Gotan Project (Argentina/ France) and others. Meh believes that every concert at the festival is something special: “All the performers are the best, are special; you want to promote each of them in the right and intense limelight.” The 25th festival is no exception. Abd al-Malik is a well-known French rapper and spoken word artist of Congolese origin. Another must-see is Victor Démé from Burkina Faso, who will be presenting his first record at 49 years of age; after a 30-year career, the Mandingo singer has finally released an album; it’s a unique mosaic of folk blues melodies with Latin influences. During the festival, we can dance to flamenco and samba rhythms or raï music by Algerian ethno pop star Khaled. Besides its basic programme, the Druga Godba Festival has always offered various accompanying events, including music workshops, events for children, exhibitions, film screenings and lectures. May 18-June 7, Križanke and other venues, Ljubljana,

A Filetta

Oumou Sangare May 2009

58 EVENTS

The Slovenia Times Recommends

Jazz Cerkno

The Cerkno festival is one of the most celebrated jazz festivals. Beside its smart choice of performers, it is even more charming being set into a small town of western Slovenia. This year’s festival program boasts names that were seminal in forming European and global free jazz. On the first day of the festival, it will present the legendary Schlippenbach Trio with Alexander von Schlippenbach on piano, Evan Parker on saxophone, Paul Lovens on drums, followed by concerts of Powertrio from Portugal, and the Slovenian/international Jure Pukl High Interaction Group. The list of performers continues with French double bass player Joëlle Léandre, Carlos Zingaro (violin) and Sebi Tramontana (trombone), Brötzmann’s free-jazz-core trio Full Blast, and the Slovenian trio Lolita. The festival will conclude with four more bands, none of which has ever played in Slovenia before: Mike Reed’s Loose Assembly (USA), Tiziano Tononi Quartet (Italy), ESS (Sweden) and Push The Triangle (France). There will also

be two workshops: photographing musicians (Žiga Koritnik) and “wild food” (Dario Cortese); during the festival there will also be a photographic exhibition by Marko Čadež

Electro

Gospel

Spring Festival

Don Byron & The New Gospel Quintet

May 1-8, Various venues in Ljubljana The purpose of Slovenia’s only open-air international festival of electronic music and visual arts is to revive the city centre and offer young people quality fun. The events will include workshops, daily open-air concerts and concerts in different clubs. The festival will start on May 1st in Kinodvor with the cimemix show, performed by French group Radiomentale, and finish on May 8th with the main event in the atrium of Slovenian ethnographic museum at New Metelkova. www.festivalpomladi.com

May 14-16, Cerkno, www.jazzcerkno.si

May 5 at 8.30pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 9-12 For more than a decade, Don Byron has been a singular voice in an astounding range of musical contexts. As clarinettist, saxophonist, composer, arranger, and social critic, he redefines every genre of music he plays, be it classical, salsa, hip-hop, funk, rhythm & blues, klezmer, or any jazz style from swing and bop to cutting-edge downtown improvisation. He has been consistently voted best clarinettist by critics and readers alike in leading international music journals since being named Jazz Artist of the Year by Down Beat in 1992.

Blockbuster

Star Trek Slovenian premiere on May 7, EUR 4.40-5.10 The eleventh film based on the well-known science fiction franchise Star Trek is made by prominent action feature director J. J. Abrams, using the main characters of the original Star Trek series, portrayed by a new cast. The movie explores the back stories of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto), before they unite aboard The Slovenia Times

and Robert Zabukovec, members of Photo Club Cerkno, entitled Jazz in Cerkno. The festival’s stage is set under a tent on Cerkno’s Old Square.

the USS Enterprise to combat Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan from the future who threatens the United Federation of Planets. Critics say that this is a big, fast-paced, sleek version of Star Trek that is unlike anything we’ve seen before - a new brand of space film that stretches what we thought possible in the realm of visual effects.

Classical

The Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra May 7 and 8 May at 7.30pm. Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 7.70-25.30. The first part of the concert takes us through the French musical heritage of the 20th century with Debussy’s most popular piano piece, the third movement of the Suite Begamasque - Clair de Lune (Moonlight). The second part, Le Chant des Ténébres by Thierry Escaich, is “...made up of dramatic boiling on the edge of exhaustion and an often brutal confrontation of

opposing sound worlds...” and the third, the Clarinet Concerto by Jean Françaix, is marked by simplicity of language enhanced with a touch of joviality.

Electro

Electronic Day / 1605 Music Therapy May 9 at 2pm, Križanke, Ljubljana, EUR 20-25 One of the biggest clubbing events will start on the May 9th, when you can experience the unique 1605 Music Therapy, which creates a unique emotional reaction that frees the body, inflames emotions, breaks all prejudices and looses the thoughts of the audience. Its therapeutic influence relieves pain, restores the balance of the body, helps with managing stress and makes you feel better. The therapy is performed continually for 15 hours; with each hour the impulses grow stronger, stimulating the power of freedom and passion. This year the therapy will be performed by the following DJs: Dubfire, Umek, Shlomi Aber, Davide Squillace, Luca Bacchetti, Alex Neri, Gel Abril, Tomy DeClerque, Matthew Hoag, Vladimir Acic, F.Sonik, Fedja and Royter.

Circus

Chinese National Circus - Confucius May 12 at 8pm, Križanke, Ljubljana, EUR 31-35 During the last 20 years, more than eight million people across Europe have been thrilled by the Chinese National Circus. Their acrobatic fairy tales have become their trademark and their new production Confucius is very much in the same tradition. The artistes exercise astonishing control over their bodies’ muscles, tendons, bones and joints. In its lightness, what they do is less a question of gymnastics, more one of art. What enables this apparent weightlessness is not the curve of bulging biceps, but an incredible discipline and a singular spiritual energy. In this way, the show Confucius confirms the ancient words of wisdom, “Only the balance of forces leads to harmony.”

GUEST STAR 59 Improvision 2009 May 12 at 8.30pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 7-16,50 (VIP)

You don’t have to go to Moscow to see Eurovision, because for the eighth time Kolektiv Narobov is preparing a parody of the pomposity and kitsch of the Eurovision Song Contest. Improvision is a festival where music and stand-up comedy become one, just to make and have fun.

and exhibition event: the House of the Year Award. The month of May sees the first-ever HIŠE Awards for Innovative Excellence in Private Housing, which will be held on May 14th. The awards ceremony follows the Big Architecture 09 conference, which runs the entire day of May 14, with seven international architect speakers presenting on the theme of “Sustainable Excellence.” The attending public will have the opportunity to view the accompanying exhibition during the entire event, which will conclude with the awards ceremony.

Rock

Big Foot Mama May 14 at 8pm, Križanke, Ljubljana, EUR 23

Indie

The Necks are one of the great cult bands of Australia. Chris Abrahams, Tony Buck, and Lloyd Swanton conjure a chemistry together that defies description in orthodox terms. These three musicians are among the most respected and in-demand in Australia, working in every field from pop to avant-garde. Over 200 albums feature their presence individually or together, but the music of The Necks stands apart from everything else they have done. Not entirely avant-garde, nor minimalist, nor ambient, nor jazz, the music of The Necks is possibly unique in the world today. The darling buds of May!

Creativity

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Magdalena May 21-23, Various venues, Maribor, EUR 10-25 (participation for 1-3 days) Magdalena is a non-profit festival of creativity, organized and managed by young people for young people. It was established in 1999 as a response to expensive and formal advertising festivals, and soon focused on creative manifestations of public communication and took a more critical stand toward irresponsible practices in this field. More than 3,500 visitors and 4,200 entries presented over the last nine years show that the young creative generation needs a place where they can compete, socialize and exchange experience and ideas.

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nations: Best Classical Album, Best Small Chamber Ensemble and Best Classical Latin Album.

Jazz The group, which started their career in 1990, will celebrate their 20th anniversary with special guests Neisha, Perpetuum Jazzile and Ansambel Lojzeta Slaka. One of the biggest Slovenian pop rock bands regularly sells out the biggest venues in the Slovenian capital Ljubljana like Hala Tivoli and Križanke, where they will be performing this time.

Ethno

Tambuco - Percussion ensemble May 18 at 7.30pm. Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 10-18

Architecture

The Rempis Percussion Quartet May 26 at 8.30. Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 9-12 The Rempis Percussion Quartet is a free-improvising whirlwind that draws inspiration from a shared interest in West African and Latin American rhythms, coupled with American funk and free jazz. Using these influences, the band creates spontaneous music, which nevertheless maintains a focus on ensemble motion and compositional structures.

Rock

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Let Lenny Rule! June 8 at 8pm, Tivoli Hall, Ljubljana, EUR 55

Hiše Awards 09 May 14 at 8pm, Gospodarsko razstavišče, Ljubljana This year, Ljubljana-based Zavod Big launches a unique competition The Tambuco ensemble was founded in 1993 by four outstanding percussionists. With fifteen years of international concerts and original recordings, the ensemble has celebrated an acclaimed career, establishing itself among the finest Mexican percussion quartets today. The musicians of Tambuco have used all conceivable and inconceivable means to realize their musical ideas and for their most recent album, Carlos Chavez Complete Chamber Music. They have received three Grammy nomi-

Lenny Kravitz,a popular American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is returning to Ljuljana. A musician whose style incorporates elements of rock, soul, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads will perform his most recent songs from the album “It is Time for Love Revolution” along with the greatest hits of his tewenty years since the first album.

Comedy

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60 CULTURETEEN INVISALIGN

Dr Zoran Trajanovski

Modern Teeth Straightening for Children and Adolescents

Photo Contest

Snowy Fun - The Meltdown

You are probably familiar with the metal orthodontic braces of the past, which take up practically the entire surface of the teeth. While these types of braces are still being used in the treatment process, an alternative option – Invisalign – is increasingly coming into its own. Invisalign is the first form of orthodontic treatment by which only the results are noticeable, while the treatment itself remains practically invisible.

How Invisalign technology works Although Invisalign’s invisible teeth straightening treatment has already been discussed in these columns in the past, it should be stressed that it is different from any other treatment. Our experience over the past three years has shown that it is one of the most advanced teeth straightening treatments available today. If you are not familiar with the process of invisible teeth straightening, this is how it works. The Invisalign treatment essentially consists of the use of silicone braces, known as aligners, which are created from impressions of the patient’s teeth. The orthodontist prepares a 3-D computer simulation of the treatment in order to determine the number of silicone aligners required for best results. The patient is then provided with a set of aligners and wears each aligner for two weeks. The aligners are imprinted with numbers to avoid mistakes and ensure that the patient uses them in the right order. One of the biggest advantages of Invisalign technology is that these braces are completely removable and transparent, making them practically invisible.

The wealth of a perfect smile for your child or adolescent – Invisalign Teen Invisalign Teen is the latest product from Align Technology, the developers and manufacturers of Invisalign. Leading orthodontists worldwide, as well as many parents and adolescents were consulted in the development stages of Invisalign Teen. Thanks to this product, this revolutionary invisible teeth straightening technology is now also available in the field of children’s and adolescents’ dental care. The Slovenia Times

Winter has gone, yet memories remain; some of them stored on the memory cards of our cameras. The Slovenia Times and Lorex Center have challenged their readers to send their most cheerful winter pictures; the best three will be awarded the hottest Sony compact digital camera: the Cyber-shot T77.

any photos were submitted by amateur photographers. This year, the jury didn’t judge professional-

ism in terms of composition and lightning, but instead they considered the fun, cheerful spirit of the picture. Good moods, hu-

The course of treatment is practically identical to Invisalign’s treatment for adults, but it has been adapted slightly in order to accommodate the different lifestyle and dental needs of children and adolescents. One of the special features of Invisalign Teen aligners are the blue wear-indicators. These wear-indicators are blue dots inside the aligners that gradually fade from blue to clear during the prescribed two weeks of 20-22 hours of wear per day. The blue wear-indicators were designed to help the child or teen gauge the appropriate wear time. They essentially serve as timers to help the user determine the right time to change the aligners. The Invisalign Teen aligners are designed to ensure that the growth of new teeth is not impeded in any way. In addition to posing no inconvenience to the user and being virtually invisible, they are also completely removable. This is particularly important for hygienic reasons, which are especially crucial for children and adolescents. The fact that the aligners can be removed at any time enables the user to easily receive other dental procedures during the course of the treatment, should tooth decay or other dental health issues appear.

Photo by Luka Burger

Combining practicality and expertise, the Invisalign Teen aligners will undoubtedly contribute to an improvement in dental hygiene, which is particularly important for a successful beginning or continuation of orthodontic treatment.

The Invisalign treatment consists of a series of invisible, transparent orthodontic braces, known as aligners. These aligners are extremely thin and gradually shift your teeth to the desired position. Each aligner is used in treatment for approximately two weeks, during which it constantly and very carefully shifts your teeth a millimetre at a time into their ideal position, which is previously determined with the help of 3-D computer simulations. None of the braces used in the Invisalign treatment are glued or fixed to the teeth. If you decide to start this therapy, you will be able to remove your aligners before every meal, then clean your teeth after eating and reinsert the aligners.

Celovška cesta 43, Ljubljana, Tel.

LJUBLJANA CARD mour and winter fun were the criteria according to which the jury made their decision, which was far from easy. At the end, the jury, consisting of The Slovenia Times and Lorex representatives, decided to award three pictures, made by Mirnesa Mehmedović, Luka

Photo by Mirnesa Mehmedović

Burger and Renata Adlešič. They will be able to continue to capture cheerful moments with Sony’s new Cyber-shot T77 cameras, a slim touch screen shooter, with Smile Shutter technology, which triggers the camera when the person in front smiles.

In lovely Capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana, culture and entertainment are a way of life. Each year the city hosts around 10.000 events. Throughout the year, Ljubljana and its surrounding areas host a number of well-established international festivals this year we will see an abundance of attractive events taking place in Ljubljana (more: www.visitljubljana.si). Ljubljana, its tourism offer and all kind of events can be explored very easily: The Ljubljana Card offers visitors to Ljubljana numerous privileges, from free or discounted tickets to large number of museums and galleries, free travel on city buses, free admission to fairs, lower prices of sightseeing tours and souvenirs, discounts on accommodation fees in number of hotels, discounts on taxi fares and car rental rates, discounts in the restaurants, night club and bar bills, shopping discounts, and many other privileges. The card, which is valid for 3 days (72 hours) from the time of purchase, is priced at 12,52 EUR. A network of 80 establishments, which offer tourist or tourism-related services and products, grants its privileges. Ljubljana Card is here for you to save time and money. The card comes with a free city guide; it is a package of useful information (working hours, transport and contact information), discount coupons and more, so you can get the best of Ljubljana. It can be purchased from numerous selling places in Ljubljana including the Tourist Information Centres located in the city centre. advertisement

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Vinoteka Movia Skok Sport Nama ArtGlass May 2009

Prof. Danica Purg, leader of IEDC business school speaks to the audience (among them the president of the republic Türk) at an event discussing sustainable development in a crisis period, organized by UN Global Compact Slovenija.

Unions protest in Ljubljana (photo: Marc Botte) Slovenian Women International, a better half of foreign business and diplomatic elite in the country, celebrates its 15 years.

EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

Lion’s Club Ljubljana at a charity event, collecting EUR 3000 for the eight blind mothers and H.C. Andersen kindergarten.

A scene from Igen dance theatre’s Povodni Mož (Water Man), based on France Prešeren’s poem.

SMS president Darko Kranjc (nonparliamentary Youth party) cleaning Ljubljanica riverbed on the occasion of World Earth Day.

Speedway youth championship in Krško. (photo: Peter Prašinečki)

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-OTOR YACHTS k 0OWER SPORT BOATS k 3AILING BOATS EQUIPMENT k .AUTICAL EQUIPMENT k &ASHION k %XPERT SEMINARS AND MEETINGS k "OAT RACES AND YACHTING REGATTAS k "OAT TESTS AND DEMONSTRATION RIDES k /LD TIME VESSEL GATHERINGS AND EXHIBITIONS k %COLOGY AWARENESS EVENTS k -ARITIME !RT %XHIBITION k "OAT OF THE 9EARx ANNUAL SELECTION