WELCOME TO SLOVENIA “Slovenia is, quite accurately put, the garden of Eden.”
T
hink of a beautiful, charming, romantic city in Europe. Quickly, name 3 of them; yes. Paris. Rome. London. Maybe Prague or Vienna. But you'll rarely hear 'Ljubljana'. Others think Slovenia has something to do with Russia. Can't say we blame them. Slovenia is small
indeed, a poorly recognized little green corner of land, squeezed between Italy, Austria, Hungary, Croatia and a tiny splash of the Adriatic Sea. Fly over it, blink once and you may miss it altogether. With a population of barely 2 million people, Slovenia most likely won't make it to the top of your travel destinations, but it really should. Slovenia is, quite accurately put, the garden of Eden. Within a 2-hour stretch of driving to the South, East, West or East, you'll witness the wonders of nature crafted to perfection, any month of the year. Incredible glacial blue lakes and rivers, caves and mountains, idyllic villages nestled among the sleepy, misty green hills, endless stretches of green forests and meadows, vineyards and fields, even some blue sea, medieval towns and castles... We could go on and on. Still mostly untouched by the big wave of tourism, Slovenia is that little piece of land that shouldn't have existed in the heat of the modern, overbuilt and overexploited world. But somehow it does.
Anja Čebron
Martina Miklavčič
Katja Novak
Twinning coordinator
Twinning coordinator
Twinning coordinator
contact: twinning@slomsic-ljubljana.org
ABOUT LJUBLJANA The Capital of Slovenia
S
lovenia’s capital city strikes that perfect, yet elusive balance between size and quality of life. It’s big enough to offer discoveries, yet small enough to walk – or better yet, cycle around at a leisurely pace. And no place in Slovenia waltzes through architectural styles so
adroitly as the capital named ‘beloved’, from its ancient hilltop castle, splendid art nouveau banks with decorative pillars, obelisks and orbs found everywhere. Slovenia’s capital and largest city also happens to be one of Europe’s greenest and most liveable capitals. Indeed, the European sion awarded Ljubljana with the coveted Green Capital of Europe title for 2016.
Commis-
Car traffic is restricted in the centre, leaving the leafy banks of the emerald-green Ljubljanica River, which flows through the city’s heart, free for pedestrians and cyclists. In summer, cafes set up terrace seating along the river; it almost feels like a nightly street party. Slovenia’s master of early-modern, minimalist design, Jože Plečnik, graced Ljubljana with beautiful buildings and accoutrements; attractive cities are often described as ‘jewel boxes’, but here the name really fits. And bringing life to these historical riches, the city’s 50,000 students support an active clubbing and cultural scene, and the museums, hotels and restaurants are among the best in the country.
Ljubljana’s
dragon
symbolises
strength, courage and might. It is depicted on the top of the castle tower, on Ljubljana's coat of arms, while 16 dragon sculptures grace the greatly popular Dragon Bridge, which stands northeast of the Old Town, just beyond Vodnikov trg. There's an ongoing city folk joke about the winged bronze dragons supposedly wagging their tails whenever a virgin crosses the bridge; usually followed up with a smile and the remark that they've never seen it happen.
TRANSPORT Participants have to arrange transportation to and from Ljubljana at their own expense. Transportation within Ljubljana and around Slovenia during the duration of the twinning is provided free of charge.
ARRIVING BY CAR Attention: to drive on motorways in Slovenia you must purchase a vignette (road tax), otherwise you will face heavy fines. A 15-day vignette costs 15 euros and can be easily bought at every gas station. Parking for the duration of the twinning will be provided upon request and will be free of charge.
ARRIVING BY BUS Buses and trains to Slovenia run every day from numerous European cities. Currently the cheapest international bus bus companies in Ljubljana are Flixbus (flixbus.com) and Hellö (helloe.com) with connections to Croatian, Italian, Austrian and German cities.
TRIESTE 1:40h • from 10 € ZAGREB 2:15h • from 9 € GRAZ 2:55h • from 14 € VENICE 3:50h • from 15 € VIENNA 5:45h • from 24 € MILAN 7:45h • from 44 € MUNICH 5:00h • from 44 € FRANKFURT 12:00h • from 37 €
ARRIVING BY PLANE There are daily flights from Slovenia’s main international gateway, Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport, to a number of European cities, including flights operated by two low-cost airlines, EasyJet and Wizz Air, which fly to London, Paris and Brussels.
cca 20€ / 30 min
Ljubljana, Jože Pučnik Airport
4,1€ / 45 min
Ljubljana main bus and railway station
cca 7€ / 35 min
Once at Ljubljana Airport you can take a bus to the main bus station. The ticket will cost you 4,1 euros and you will have to buy it directly from the driver. The bus leaves every hour on the hour, from 5 am untill 8 pm. The bus ride takes approximately 45 minutes. Alternatively, you can also pre-order a pick up (Go Opti - explained below, costs cca 7 euros) or take a taxi. A taxi will cost you cca 20 euros and will need half an hour to reach the city center. Please note that Uber does not operate in Slovenia.
AND HOW TO GET FROM A FOREIGN AIRPORT TO LJUBLJANA? Use the low cost shuttle service Go Opti. It is the cheapest and the least stressful option that most Slovenians use. You simply share your flight information with the company and they provide you with a pick up. Please note that you have to reserve and pay for your transport via their site (usually the more you buy in advance the less you have to pay).
TRIESTE (TRS) 1:30h • from 10 € ZAGREB (ZAG) 1:45h • from 9 € GRAZ (GRZ) 1:50h • from 23 € VENICE (TSF)2:30h • from 14 € VENICE (VCE) 2:30h • from 15 € VIENNA (VIE) 3:50h • from 24 € BOLOGNA (BLQ) 3:50h • from 30 € MILAN (BGY) 4:20h • from 30 € MILAN (LIN) 4:30h • from 44 € MUNICH (MUC) 4:50h • from 44 € MILAN (MXP) 5:V10h • from 37 €
ACCOMMODATION Your twin will provide you with a bed in Ljubljana during the whole duration of the twinning. In case he or she won't be able to accomodate you, you will be given a private apartment in the Medical faculty's dorm in the center of Ljubljana.
TWINNING PROGRAM SloMSIC Ljubljana's Twinning team always strives to adapt the program to the wishes of the participants. Please check out the agendas of our two most recent twinnings and the list of activities we usually offer as part of our program. The ďŹ nal agenda will be prepared according to the foreign twin's interests and the the time available - unfortunately not everything can be squezzed into one visit. Please also keep in mind that some activities are season and weather dependent.
Scientific program: • Simulation center visit Learn how to intubate, practice your laparoscopic surgery skills, test your knowledge in an emergency situation. • Suturing course Beginner or advanced, with english certificates provided at the end. • Tour of the Medical Faculty and University Medical Center Ljubljana • SloMSIC Ljubljana offers trainings and workshops in a broad range of topics - from mental health, first aid, cardiovascular and reproductive health workshps to trainings directed at improving soft skills such as problem solving, mindfulness, and even ones more specific to the medical profession, such as medical professionalism and communication of unpleasant news.
Turistic program: • afternoon visit of the scenic lake Bled including a boat ride to the center island and tasting of the traditional cream dessert “Kremšnita” • day trip to Piran, a charming Venetian-style seaside city, with visits to viewpoints from which you can admire the Slovenian, Italian and Croatian coast • walking tour of the paved streets and Ljubljana’s old town • descent into the world-renowned Postojna Cave • exploring Predjama Castle, the mystical cave castle situated in the middle of a towering cliff, thought by many to be one of the most magical castles in Europe • discovering the unique natural beauties of the Karst region, including a visit to Štanjel Village, a picturesque village that is among the oldest in the region
Social program: • Traditional Slovenian dinner • True Balkan-style picnic • Wine cellar visit (with tasting) • Pub Crawl and clubbing in Ljubljana • Board game night • Wine & prosciuto night Check out the photos of our most recent twinning: http://tinyurl.com/hgvcxjg.
Slovenian Twinning Project dream team