pr! a perfect rendezvous
For everybody ready to be surprised.
Visit Citypark the city of dreams come true
More than 53.000 m2 of shopping area, more than 120 stores, different types of cousine, over 1700 parking places, events for entire family.
Opening hours:
Shopping mall, Šmartinska 152 g, 1000 Ljubljana www.citypark.si, info: 00386 1 587 30 50
Monday to Friday Saturday Sunday
09.00 – 21.00 08.00 – 21.00 09.00 – 15.00
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Ljubljana – World Book Capital 2010 Calendar From 23 April 2010 to 23 April 2011, Ljubljana will hold the prestigious title of World Book Capital. In celebration of the title, Ljubljana Tourism has published a special calendar of an unusual upright shape and non-standard size (12 x 48 cm). For each week, there is a photograph of Ljubljana depicting a scene somehow related to books. What is special about the calendar is that it reminds its users of the birthdays of Slovenian and international literary artists who, each in their own way, shaped the history of books. The calendar is bilingual, in Slovenian and English. It is available from all Ljubljana’s Tourist Information Centres at a price of €8.00.
New Promotional Materials about Ljubljana
Ljubljana on Social Networks Connect to Ljubljana Tourism via social networks and follow our activities on the internet. • Keep track of our posts on Twitter. twitter.com/visitljubljana/ • Become our fan on Facebook. www.facebook.com/ visitljubljana/, • Check out our videos on YouTube. www.youtube.com/ TourismLjubljana/
Ljubljana Tourism offers a wide range of free publications about the Tourist Destination of Ljubljana. September and October 2009 saw the release of several new publications aimed at tourism and meeting professionals. and meeting professionals. One of the recent publications is the Ljubljana Accommodation Guide 2010. The guide presents hotels, hostels, pensions, holiday rooms and apartments, and e id gu n e
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Ljubljana Tourism offers a wide range of free publications about the Tourist Destination of Ljubljana. September and October 2009 saw the release of several new publications aimed at tourism
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campsites located in Ljubljana and its surrounding areas. The publication entitled Ljubljana’s Top 70 Tourist Delights brings together a selection of 70 most beautiful experiences that Ljubljana has to offer. It is available in English, German and Italian. New publications created for professionals include A Key to Ljubljana for Meeting Planners, specially tailored for congressand event organisers, and A Key to Ljubljana for Travel Trade Professionals, intended for tour operators, travel agents and journalists. Both publications are comprised of 80 pages and are
available in English. They have been released both in printed and digital form. The publication entitled Ljubljana Invites is a helpful tool for presenting standardised destination bids to attract international conferences and other events. The new leaflet Welcome Back to Ljubljana, created for hotel professionals, is intended as an invitation to business visitors to return to Ljubljana on a private visit. All publications were partially financed by ERDF. They are available from Ljubljana’s Tourist Information Centres and at the website at www.visitljubljana.si.
The My Visit Online Tourist Visit Planner An online tourist visit planner My Visit is available from December 2009 at the website at www.visitljubljana.si. The planner can be used as an online basket for collecting contents of interest and a calendar of activities. Using the planner, to which contents can be added and saved, visitors can make a schedule of activities they
want to undertake in Ljubljana. To use the planner, they must register at the above website and create their profile. The My Visit daily and hourly planner is simple to use. Visitors who have already booked their accommodation can, for instance, use the planner to save the location of the nearest car hire company, restaurants serving lunchtime
meals, the sights they want to see, shopping and recreational opportunities, events, city tours, trips to places across Slovenia and much more. The planner makes it easier
for visitors to find their way around the city and make more of their time. Register at www.visitljubljana.si/myvisit/.
A Perfect Rendezvous, newsletter for travel trade professionals Publisher: Ljubljana Tourism, Krekov trg 10, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. Phone: +386 1 306 45 83, Fax +386 1 306 45 94, e-mail: info@visitljubljana.si, www.visitljubljana.si Editorial board: Petra Stušek, Tatjana Radovič, Barbara Vajda, Meta Stvarnik Production: Mediamix, Maribor; Head of advertising: Zdenka Šarlah, Mediamix. Phone: +386 2 235 05 67, e-mail: zdenka.sarlah@mediamix.si Printed by: Razvedrilo d.o.o., Brnčičeva 31, 1000 Ljubljana Autumn 2009 / Winter 2010
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News from Ljubljana Castle
Photo: M. Kranjec
The Outlook Tower, one of the most frequented tourist spots in Slovenia, affords lovely views of the city and its surroundings in all seasons, but in fine weather, as much as one third of Slovenia can be seen from there. Having been closed for renovation since October 2008, this panoramic spot was reopened in July 2009. The tower can now be accessed again all year round, in the winter from 10 AM to 6 PM. In early summer, the castle’s facilities were improved by opening the Info Centre at Erazem Tower. This pleasantly furnished office provides tourists with information about the castle and on-site activities. www.ljubljanafestival.si/en
Important Anniversaries The UNESCO declared Ljubljana the 2010 World Book Capital. A series of book-related events will take place in Ljubljana, which is so far the 10th city to boast this distinguished title. The aim of its international programme will be to foster the culture of reading in various target groups. A venerable 200 years are celebrated by the Ljubljana Botanic Garden, which has been running since 1810 as the oldest cultural, scientific and training institution with an unbroken tradition. www.visitljubljana.si
Ljubljana Facelift
For some years now it has only been a question of time regarding when Ljubljana would get a makeover and inspire us with fresh wonder. The wonder is here. A stroll from Dragon Bridge to the Slovenian Tourist Information Centre will take you across Kopitarjeva cesta Street, where archaeological finds unearthed during infrastructural repairs have shed entirely new light on prehistoric times in this area. So far, no traces of prehistoric inhabitation have been discovered, but the finds indicate that the area was intensively used. To our right, the recently opened Ciril Metodov trg Square spreads out, finally reclaimed by pedestrians after a long reign of wheels. Cafes and the Sokol restaurant, boasting traditional Slovene food, have laid out their tables and chairs, and pedestrians have occupied the square, which is again breathing a genuine atmosphere. A newlypaved cobblestone road will lead us past splendid facades in the oldest part of Ljubljana, past the Ljubljana cathedral and to the crossing with Stritarjeva ulica Street. Also recently reconstructed, it lures visitors to walk towards the Triple Bridge.
Our way, however, takes us past the noted Robba Fountain of the Three Carniolan Rivers, across Mestni trg Square and the famed Cobblers Bridge to the Breg embankment, where the first river landing used to be. Now, a lovely pathway winds along the Ljubljanica river connecting the city centre with greener river banks. By following the soft bend of the green beauty, we will arrive at the renovated Trnovski pristan embankment. The place is distinct for its design by architect, Jože Plečnik, combined with broad stone steps and weeping willows rising above them, a favourite with people wishing to hang out, read, just lounge on wooden benches or soak in the sun on the stairs as bathers did so many years ago on this former central town beach. Moving on along the Ljubljanica, we come across yet another novelty. At Špica, the point where the natural watercourse of the Ljubljanica forks away from the Grubar
Krakovo Embankment, Photo: M. Fras
Canal, comprehensive townscape arrangement is underway, to be completed in 2010. The first project was building a bridge across the river providing a link to the Botanic Garden, which finally brought into being the longexisting idea of incorporating it into the Ljubljana promenade and making it even easier to access on foot. Efforts are not focused only on the old heart of the city. The railway station and tracks have been a hurdle rather than a junction for decades, dividing the city in two, which is to be corrected by a new investment Emonica, a complex of business premises, housing and other contents. But what is most important is the new coach and train terminal with a greatly improved passenger service for Fashion Avenue on the Renovated Streets of Old Ljubljana, Photo: Zaklop
Ursula and Waterman on Krakovo Embankment, Photo: D. Wedam
the visitors and residents of Ljubljana. Last but not least, we should mention the Stožice Sports Centre which will have a football stadium with 16,000 seats and an area for concerts by world famous stars that are to come to Ljubljana. Tjaša Janovljak
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Culinary Stop-Over
Fun in the City
Makalonca, Photo: D. Wedam
TOP – Eat&Party is a combination of a restaurant serving Asian, Mexican and Mediterranean cuisine and a club hosting jazz, electronic music, funk and disco club nights. At Makalonca, located right next to the Ljubljanica river, visitors can taste excellent coffee and assorted desserts while enjoying music, dance and literary events. The Flex club jazz club, located in the centre of Ljubljana, has reopened its doors. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. The Metelkova mesto alternative culture centre’s Gala Hala club is well known for hosting concerts by local bands, international DJ shows, video screenings and themed evenings.
The Gornji trg square’s Le Coq Blanc bar and restaurant, open for early breakfasts, leisurely lunches and late dinners, serves selected Slovenian, Balkan and French dishes and Slovenian varietal wines. To indulge your taste for the delights of Tuscan cuisine, visit the Angel restaurant and pizzeria at the Mercator Center Ljubljana Šiška shopping centre. www.angel-kaval.si
Welcome to Ljubljana, a City of Dance
People in love with dancing can have a great time in Ljubljana. No matter where they are from, they can always find a dance floor and join their tribe.
Flamenco at Ljubljana Festival, Photo: Ljubljana Festival Archive
Ljubljana has put itself on the dancing map of Europe as one of the social dance capitals attracting renowned dance teachers from around the world. This is particularly due to the city’s numerous international dance festivals, dance schools producing world championship medallists, and increasing numbers of amateur dancers of all generations. There are more and more dance venues where passionate tango, energetic salsa, playful swing and elegant ballroom dances can be danced on a weekly or monthly basis. The Festival Hall has become synonymous with a certain style of social life in Ljubljana and its ballroom is one of the loveliest in Slovenia since its refurbishment. Friday nights at the Festival Hall are reviving social dancing events. “Zaplešimo skupaj” (“Let’s dance together”) events draw everybody who loves dancing, good music, socializing and interesting theme evenings. The Festival Hall keeps up the dance tradition of Mr. Adolf Jenko, the Slovenian dancing master.
The annual Gala Jenko Dance, in 2009 falling on Saturday, 21 November, is sure to make for unforgettable memories of Ljubljana – the city of dance. Tango can be danced at milongas, which often last well into the small hours. Some milongas are held regularly, others occasionally. On Thursdays tango is danced on the excellent 300-square-metre wooden parquet dance floor of the Tango Bar (106, Šmartinska cesta Street), on Fridays at the ballroom of the Dijaški dom Tabor secondary school student hostel (2, Kotnikova ulica Street), every third Saturday of the month at the Kavačaj café (4, Kersnikova ulica Street) and on Sundays at the Kinoteka Caffe Bar (28, Miklošičeva cesta Street). Ljubljana also hosts stand-alone tango events. The charming Art Nouveau café Kavarna Union (1, Miklošičeva cesta Street), which has thrilled dancers from Slovenia, Italy, Austria and Croatia before, Swing in Kazina Dance School, Photo: Kazina
will host a milonga featuring Leandro Furlan and Gaia Pisauro on Sunday 29 November 2009, and another tango event on Sunday 20 December 2009. A milonga carnival is set to be held in February 2010 and a fish milonga on the first or second weekend in March 2010. www.tangoslovenia.com, www.tango.si Salsa can be danced at the glamorous newly opened Exen nightclub (near the Mercator Center Ljubljana Šiška shopping centre) on Thursdays, and at the Tango Bar (106, Šmartinska cesta Street) on Saturdays. www.salsoteca.si Swing evenings are held at the Kavarna Union (1, Miklošičeva cesta Street) on Tuesdays www.sweetswing.si In October 2009, the 3rd International Flamenco Festival was held at the Cankarjev dom cultural and congress centre and the Unionska dvorana
hall. The festival opened with a spectacular gala event featuring Anže Palka’s project Carmina Flamenca and several special guests, including the New Flamenco Orchestra, Ivan Vargas and Ditka Haberl. www.siff.si The 4th Ljubljana SweetSwing Festival, set to be held from 18 to 22 March 2010, will bring together several international swing, lindy hop and balboa stars. www.lssf.si From 15 to 18 April 2010, the 6th Ljubljana International Tango Festival will be held at the halls and salons of Ljubljana’s Grand Hotel Union. Milonga after parties will take place at the Tango Bar. The festival is expected to bring together several hundreds of dancers from 25 countries, both masters of tango and tango nuevo and absolute beginners. www.tangoslovenia.com
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Made in SLOvenija
Special Award to Citypark
Slovenia’s geographical diversity provides endless inspiration for promotional materials, which is what those responsible for creating the product range available from the MadeinSlovenija.net shop are well aware of. The shop, located next to the Ursuline Church (Slovenska cesta 23), offers a wide choice of quality products made of wood, ceramic and other materials as well as honey and sea salt products, traditional spirits, and other local delicacies. The shop has some unusual decorations such as a bear family of the size of a man carved from wood and a large outline drawing of Slovenia on one of the walls. www.madeinslovenija.net
The ICSC Solal international council of shopping centres has since 1977 been awarding the best run and the most effective retail marketing campaigns. One of the 2008 finalists selected from over 300 entrants was Ljubljana’s Citypark shopping centre and its marketing campaign “The Biggest Playground in Town”, which was conceived to increase the centre’s recognition and popularity and emphasise the quality of the product range on offer. www.citypark.si
16th Anniversary of Metelkova Mesto
It has been 16 years since the squatting of the former headquarters of the high command of the Yugoslav People’s Army in Slovenia and the foundation of the Metelkova mesto autonomous cultural centre, named after the street in which the former barracks are located The northern part of the barracks complex was the scene of exciting events already a few years before Slovenia gained independence. It used to house a military prison where the infamous Trial of the Foursome, which included the former Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, was held in 1988. Today, the renovated prison houses the Celica youth hostel, “the hippest hostel in the world” according to the Lonely Planet Bluelist 2006, while the gorgeously graffitied buildings surrounding it provide space for cultural and artistic activities. But the road to what Metelkova mesto is today was long and bumpy. Since the independence of Slovenia, an enormous
amount of bureaucratic struggle with the national and local authorities was necessary for the squatting of the barracks complex to take place 16 years ago and the Metelkova mesto to be preserved as an autonomous cultural centre until the present day. Supported by the Radio Študent alternative radio station, the group of artists and activists who squatted the barracks immediately began to organize cultural activities. The first few months of the Metelkova mesto’s existence saw around two hundred cultural events including art exhibitions, concerts, literary evenings, theatre performances and appearances by renowned
public figures. The events took place in difficult conditions as the complex was disconnected from electricity and water supply soon after being squatted. But the activists’ perseverance and dedication coupled with a growing public support resulted in what people of Ljubljana are thankful for today. Metelkova mesto developed into an autonomous cultural centre whose ownership has been transferred from the Ministry of Defence to the City of Ljubljana, which grants it autonomy in the management of its activities. To mark its recent 16th anniversary, Metelkova mesto prepared a three-day programme of celebrations. A symposium, several round table discussions, a one-man comedy show by the astonishingly funny Slovenian actor Andrej Rozman - Roza, various creative workshops and a traditional table tennis tournament were just a few events that activated A Scene from Metelkova, Photo D. Wedam
Statue of David Metelkova-Style, Photo D. Sipla
the audiences. Metelkova mesto’s artists and craftsmen opened the doors of their studios and displayed their creations. Visitors could trade in used clothes at a secondhand clothes market and enjoy a variety of different DJ performances, including some intended for senior visitors. Metelkova mesto, whose wide and varied programme of activities and tendency towards organizing free events attracts broader and broader audiences every day, beyond any doubt contributes to the intergenerational balance. It has gained widespread recognition abroad and become one of the more popular tourist attractions of Ljubljana. Tjaša Janovljak
Want to know where the locals dine, shop, relax, enjoy music and more? Wish to experience the city “the local way”? If yes, you might be interested in a series of European city blogs entitled Spotted by Locals. To check out updated recommendations posted by Ljubljanians, visit the website at www.spottedbylocals.com/ljubljana.
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Winter Sightseeing Tours
Photo: D. Wedam
Daily at 11 a.m., visitors can take a guided walking tour of the major sights of the old part of Ljubljana including a funicular ride to Ljubljana Castle. Those interested in Ljubljana Town Hall can join the Town Hall tour, which departs on Saturdays at 1 p.m. and includes a number of rooms which have so far not been open for public viewing. Digital tour guides are available to those who prefer to go on a self-guided tour and follow audio and video taped instructions and an enclosed city map.
A Tribute to Bacchus
Boutique Hotels The recently opened Allegro Hotel is housed in a period building in the Old Town’s pedestrian zone, close to many attractive cafés, restaurants and shops. Each room is decorated in a different colour scheme, lending it a distinctive character and cosy atmosphere. www.allegrohotel.si Overlooking the same square, the Lesar hotel Angel is another new boutique hotel. This fully refurbished historic building combines traditional architecture with modern trends. The hotel’s large private garden offers a wonderful city view. www.angelhotel.si
The Ljubljana Wine Route welcomes lovers of fine wine to a Bacchus-themed experience in Ljubljana. Every St. Martin’s Saturday, in 2009 on 7 November, the banks of the Ljubljanica and streets in the Old Town offer a tasting of wines, culinary delights and folklore from all Slovenian winegrowing regions. During St. Martin’s feast, when must turns into wine, Slovenia’s capital bonds with the country’s wine-growing regions and takes on the atmosphere of their vineyards and wine routes, culinary art and culture. The Ljubljana Wine Route enables visitors to mix with select wine producers and caterers offering culinary delights.
Strolling amid the booths, visitors can taste the typical wines of all three Slovenian winegrowing regions – Primorska, Podravje and Posavje – accompanied by the characteristic local country food. Cultural societies, farm wives, folklore- and other groups from all over Slovenia are charged with cultural and artistic programmes and
The 12th Slovenian Wine Festival and 2nd Culinary Festival During the 12-year development of this annual happening, tailored to aficionados of the art of food & wine, novelties have become a regular feature. It is noteworthy that more and more women, as well as young people, are joining workshops and other professional training sessions during the event. In 2009, the Festival takes place from 19-20 November on two sites in the centre of Ljubljana: the Slon Hotel, a long-standing partner and festival venue, is joined this year by the Grand Union Hotel. The Festival also aims to merge wine culture with the arts, and this year Peter Štraus was the artist selected to design the festival’s visual identity. The Wine Festivals caters to all levels of visitors, from novice enthusiasts to those who work with wine professionally. www.radost.si
entertainment. The wine experience is introduced by a formal blessing of must, which turns into wine as the event begins, providing townspeople and visitors insight into the fascinating culture and customs of the Slovenian wine regions. www.ljubljanskavinskapot.si Marina Ferfolja
Ljubljana Wine Route, Photo: D. Wedam
December 2009 in Ljubljana Though it may be cold outside, this month will warm your heart. In the hearts of the people of Ljubljana, both those who have always lived here and more recent residents, December is a merry month. It is a time of surprises and expectations; a season during which we meet with friends in the heart of the Old Town, decorated like a fairyland, warm up with traditional Slavic hot mead and see some of the many festive shows. Children look forward most to the jolly procession of two good men, St. Nicholas bearing gifts in early December, and Father Christmas in late December. The kiddies know they both come in company; Nicholas with devils spooking naughty children and a host of angels rewarding the good ones. Father Christmas arrives in his carriage surrounded by puppets and animals. Until late every night, the season’s fair welcomes customers at Prešernov trg square and on the Cankarjevo and Petkovškovo nabrežje embankments with a select array of items suitable for gifts. You can easily find the fair just by following the aromas of tea and mulled wine, typical in ‘Merry December’, as it is called in Ljubljana. The festivities are topped off with the
outdoor New Year’s Eve celebrations at Prešernov, Mestni and Kongresni trg squares and the traditional fireworks at Ljubljana Castle, ushering in the New Year at midnight. www.visitljubljana.si
Festively Illuminated City, Photo: D. Wedam
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»Avenue and Ljubljana«
Photo: Zaklop
The free Avenue and Ljubljana magazine - it has seen two issues so far - is used by shop, bar and restaurant owners from Mestni, Stari and Gornji trg Squares to promote visits to the loveliest part of Ljubljana - the old town core. Retailers, caterers and artists are bound together by events and activities adding variety to the daily rhythm of the charming old town core. Before the New Year, two outdoor fashion shows will take place in the old part of town, presenting clothes by Slovenian designers and shops in the Old Town. On the day of these fashion shows, the shops will be open until 10 PM.
Ljubljana’s Film Festivals Film lovers will agree that Ljubljana is a city friendly to film art. The city’s best known film festivals include LIFFe, Animateka, Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, and Mountain Film Festival. The 20th edition of the Ljubljana International Film Festival, better known as LIFFe, is set to be held from 11 to 22 November 2009. The festival will for the first time include a large international meeting entitled the Neighbouring Co-Production Meeting (NCM), which will bring together producers and other film professionals from Slovenia and its neighbouring countries – Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. The meeting, set to be held from 15 to 17 November 2009, will be organised in collaboration with Media Desk Slovenia and the European Commission Representation in Slovenia.
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The LIFFe festival is traditionally split into several programme sections including the official competition section Perspectives (films by emerging film directors competing for Mobitel’s
Glavni pokrovitelj
Medijski pokrovitelj
Donator
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Oblikovanje: Maja Gspan, Cankarjev dom
20. ljubljanski mednarodni filmski festival 11.–22. 11. ‘09
f life 7/2/09 4:17 PM
Success of Slovenian Musicians In October 2009, the successful Slovenian band Eva Hren & Sladcore entered the top 20 of the World Music Chart Europe, which features world music artists from around the world. The chart was compiled by 50 world music presenters from 23 European countries working for radio stations which are members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Eva Hren & Sladcore have thus found themselves in the company of such international stars as Fanfare Ciocarlia, Ojos de Brujo and Lhasa. www.wmce.de
Kingfisher Award), AvantPremieres (films purchased for distribution in Slovenia), Kings and Queens (films by award-winning masters of cinema), Worldwide Film Panorama (film favourites from five continents), Extravaganza (films on daring and titillating subjects), Against the Wind (films by directors presenting radical artistic visions), Focus (films providing insights into the most exciting national cinemas, this year by female South American directors), the competition section The World in Brief (short films by young filmmakers) and Retrospectives (a wide selection of films by a selected contemporary filmmaker, this year the Austrian director Michael Haneke).
particularly East Germany, Romania, Russia and China. Festival screenings will take place at the Cankarjev dom cultural and congress centre, the Kinoklub Vič and Kinodvor cinemas, and the Slovenian Cinematheque. www.liffe.si
festival, known as Europe’s oldest film festival of the kind, features films by gay and lesbian film-makers and other films dealing with homosexuality. Screenings will also take place in the towns of Koper and Celje. www.skuc.org
From 7 to 13 December 2009, the 6th Animateka international animated film festival will be held at Ljubljana’s Kinodvor cinema. One of the programme sections will be dedicated to computer-generated animated films created for the internet and mobile phones. The festival will include an exhibition of original drawings by the Finnish artist Matti Hagelberg. animaweb.animateka.si
At the end of March 2010, the 4th International Mountain Film Festival will be held in Ljubljana and Domžale. The films screened at the festival will undoubtedly attract great interest from the audience and the festival’s international jury, which will consist of the world’s most eminent experts in and makers of mountain films. www.imffd.com
A themed series of screenings will be dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and social changes in socialist countries,
From 28 November to 5 December 2009, Ljubljana will host the 25th Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, organised by the Društvo ŠKUC society. The
Meta Stvarnik
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2009 Month of Design
ZZ Top and Ramazzotti In October, Ljubljana’s Tivoli Hall saw a performance by ZZ Top, the American rock trio that has proven, for four decades, that rock ‘n’ roll is forever. On 19 November 2009, the pop star Eros Ramazzotti will have a concert at the same venue. The spectacle will take place as a part of his tour across Europe and the Americas.
Photo: D. Wedam
Between 15 October and 14 November, Ljubljana lives for design. The Bazaar exhibition showcases 30 Slovenian designers and companies in the field of industrial design. The cycle of fashion shows, Fashion 4, presents the pick of new talents and daring approaches. Eat Drink Design at the Ljubljana Castle is an event that approaches culinary art from the angle of taste design. Finally, the Design in the City cycle is a series of more than 30 events at various venues. www.mesecoblikovanja.com
The Renovated Museum of Modern Art Features 100 Years of Zoran Mušič The Museum of Modern Art was founded in 1948 as the national museum of modern and contemporary art. Building designs were made in 1939 by the Slovenian architect Edvard Ravnikar, who devised a formally neutral building, a “white box”, with hierarchically equal exhibition rooms, and a central hall with access to other exhibition grounds allowing separate set-up of several displays and collections. The museum’s architecture reveals influences from Ravnikar’s teacher, Jože Plečnik, and the legendary Le Corbusier, for whom
Ravnikar worked for some time.
The Museum of Modern Art in two buildings
After almost sixty years of operation, the Museum’s building was getting too tight and inadequate by modern international museum standards, so the experts resolved to renovate and expand into two more locations. The Museum of Contemporary Art and the management and administration will find their home at the Metelkova unit, where renovation is to begin by the end of 2009. The renovated premises of the Museum of Modern Art will instead house the modern art collection, featuring the permanent national collection of 20th century modernism and its offshoots in the 21st century.
Zoran Mušič at the Museum of Modern Art
Interior of de Pisis’ Studio in Venice, 1944, gouache on paper Z. Mušič
The comprehensive exhibition of work by Zoran Mušič (Bukovica pri Gorici, 1909 – Venice, 2005) at the Museum of Modern Art includes paintings and drawings from Slovenian public and private collections. It presents pieces from all vital periods and cycles that marked Mušič’s creative
Museum of Modern Art, Photo: D. Wedam
span. A novelty among the 130 works displayed are the so far largely unknown early depictions of Maribor and Ljubljana, squares, streets and train stations, and the earliest gouaches from Dalmatia featuring islanders, marketplaces, donkeys and (later to become most popular) horses. Mušič had already left a mark on the Slovenian cultural identity before World War II as a distinct representative of colour realism. Even in his generation, Mušič stood out with his poetical persuasiveness and colourist finesse. Soon after the liberation, which he saw as a Dachau camp survivor, he moved to Venice. After 1952, when he became a member of the noted Parisian school and started working with the eminent Galerie de France,
his great creative energy, which flowed until an advanced age, was divided between the city of lagoons and the French capital. After approaching abstraction around 1960 with his cycles Dalmatian lands and Byzantine suites, he returned to figurative art with the poignant cycle We are not the last, which earned him world renown. In the eighties, Mušič complemented his picturesque Venetian motifs with mystical church interiors. This meditative sacral atmosphere is only a step removed from the final scene, the artist’s studio and his last self-portraits. Exhibition of pieces from Slovenian collections, 27 October 2009 – 14 February 2010 www.mg-lj.si Meta Stvarnik
Renovation and Extension of the Opera The central Slovenian repertory music & theatre institution, Ljubljana’s Slovenian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, has, since 1892, occupied the building designed in Neorenaissance style by Czech architects Jan V. Hrasky and
Anton Hruby, which first served as the Provincial Theatre. The magnificent building, with its distinctive exterior and richly ornamented facade with Ionic pillars above the entrance, has long been insufficient for its rich opera, ballet and concert
programme; in a single season, Ljubljana Opera and Ballet puts on about 150 reprises. After 114 years, the building will be renovated and will receive an extension at the Piccoli Villa. The project of the opera extension is authored by Jurij
Kobe and Marjan Zupanc and their team. The Opera, currently hosted at several locations in Ljubljana, is to return to its renovated premises in 2010. www.opera.si/operaen
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LJ Castle News 2
The Largest Congresses The largest congress in 2009 in Ljubljana (and Slovenia) – the 35th Annual meeting of ISPAD, took place from 2 to 5 September at the Cankarjev dom Cultural and Congress Centre, attracting 1,300 delegates from 65 countries. This congress is regarded as one of the biggest scientific events in the world in the field of adolescent diabetes. The largest congress scheduled in 2010 will instead take place from 5 to 9 May at the GR - Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre. The 7th International Congress on Autoimmunity is expected to attract up to 1,500 delegates to the Slovenian capital. www.cd-cc.si; www.ljubljanafair.com
Photo: Ljubljana Festival Archive
»Small is beautiful« is suitable to describe two new function rooms, Friedrick 1 and 2, set between the castle’s most representative event spaces — the Palatium and the Estates halls. Recently refurbished, they have a capacity of 30 and 35 seats theatre-style. Both rooms reflect a tinge of their medieval origin, while the staircase has been fully preserved. www.ljubljanafestival.si
Hot Hotel News
Revamped meeting facilities and Sweet Dreams at the Slon Hotel
The 4-star Best Western Premier Hotel Slon proudly displays since this summer stylish and enlarged conference facilities. This is the latest result of an investment cycle, which started in 2008, worth € 1 million in the current year. The multifunctional conference area comprises five flexible units with a maximum plenary capacity for
200 delegates, theatre-style. The Sweet Dreams bed concept is another novelty. All the guest rooms now feature new mattresses, duvets and pillows. The bed linens are made of a luxurious 400-thread-count silky cotton in the Deluxe rooms and suites, or 250-thread-count crispy cotton in the Comfort and
Economy rooms. Guests can also choose from an extensive pillow menu, complemented by a pillow mist in the higher-end room range. A new Business Centre has also been recently opened, offering clients fully-equipped offices with working areas, Internet access, telephone, fax, copy machine and scanner. Both hotel guests and external visitors can use secretarial services and the services of a virtual reception desk, temporary or permanent offices and full company support in the form of office accessories, translation and interpretation services, and the services of a personal assistant. www.hotelslon.com Restyled Conference Rooms at the Slon Hotel, Photo: Ž. Koritnik
A small makeover for the Austria Trend Hotel Ljubljana
Five years after its opening, the Hotel has received a mini facelift to freshen up its already modern looks. An emphasis was given to the conference centre, which welcomes up to 400 guests in plenary seating. A new parquet has been laid and the walls freshly painted; the ceiling has been completely changed and the technical equipment has been modernised and upgraded. All the guest rooms have been painted anew and the restaurant has been partly restyled, allowing daylight in the entire space. Business lunches featuring seasonal specialities, cocktail evenings, the Sense Spa and the Casino delight both hotel guests and visitors alike. www.austria-trend.at/ hotel-ljubljana/
Restyled & chic outfit for the Grand Hotel Union The word “outfit” has a double meaning when referring to novelties at the largest convention hotel in Ljubljana, known for its elegant and historic Grand Union Hall. Both guest rooms and the staff proudly wear a new, chic outfit.
The first stage of an investment worth € 4 million, initially focusing on the refurbishment of guest rooms at the Grand Hotel Union Business, has been concluded. Seventy stylish and comfortable rooms with amenities tailored
to the needs of business travellers have welcome their first guests. The second stage, comprising the remaining sixty three rooms and the public areas, will proceed in early 2010, followed by a soft refurbishment of the guest rooms in the historic Grand Hotel Union Executive. Concurrently, the launch of new, “signature” uniforms for the Hotel’s staff is announced in autumn 2009. And what an artist has been commissioned! A resident of Ljubljana, born in Zagreb, a genius who is attracted to complex challenges, a creative who, apart from theatre, also designs The Chic Union Ladies, Photo: GH Union Archive
costumes for circus.. (but what a circus - Cirque du Soleil!). These are just a few words to describe Alan Hranitelj, who has created new uniforms for the Grand Hotel Union. The idea for the “new look” was born during the ceremony that marked 100 years of the hotel, when the employees were dressed in historic, early 20th century uniforms. The hotel management then took the decision to completely restyle the staff uniforms and assigned this exciting project to Alan Hranitelj. The uniforms are inspired from the Art Nouveau style and can be described as simple, yet very chic clothes with marked details and materials of a top quality. www.gh-union.si
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The Conventa 2010 Show is Fast Approaching
Photo: T. Bernik
Conventa, the 2nd Meetings and Incentive Travel Show for South East Europe, will be held on 22 and 23 January 2010 at the GR - Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre. Preparations for the show are in full swing and, by mid October 2009, nearly 50 exhibitors have already confirmed their participation. A strong interest
is also expressed by potential European and international meeting planners wishing to learn more about the still rather “exotic” South East Europe region, which encompasses ten very diverse countries. Conventa 2009 attracted 82 suppliers of meetings and incentive travel services from Slovenia and six other countries
(Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Romania) and over 150 hosted buyers from Slovenia and abroad (18 countries). The organiser of this trade event is the Slovenian Convention Bureau and Ljubljana Tourism is proud to support it as one of the main partners. www.conventa.info
Forty five years old, but still looking so good - the Lev Hotel The 5-star Lev Hotel is turning 45 this year: no reason could have been better to give the property a partial facelift and throw a birthday party in early November 2009. The largest conference room − Karantanija Hall, providing flexible setups and a maximum seating for 380 delegates theatre-style, has been fully refurbished. It shines in fresh, trendy fabrics and colours aligned with modern interior design. At the same time, the new “Pri Levu” à la carte restaurant has started delighting fine food fans with
its own cuisine and occasional “guest appearances” of renowned restaurant chefs from abroad. Its opening was marked by a gourmet culinary event run by the legendary Gundel Restaurant from Budapest. Last, but not least: two floors feature extensively refurbished superior rooms (34 in total) and 4 executive suites. The selected furnishings and fabrics lend the guest rooms a trendy and elegant look. The investment value of the refurbishment performed so far amounts to € 1.5 million. www.hotel-lev.si
Karantanija Hall at the Lev Hotel, Photo: Hotel Lev Archive
Conference packages, business breakfast & jazz at the Mons Hotel
The 4-star Mons Hotel, distinguished by its modern design and multifunctional congress centre, has created several attractive proposals. Two conference package offers, tailored for events with 15 to 40 delegates, comprise an overnight
with breakfast, the rental of a meeting room with the essential technical equipment and LCD projector, water, a coffee break and a lunch. Prices start from € 129 per person. Another interesting offer is the Business breakfast. As the Mons Hotel is located by the
ring road and offers a spacious and free parking space, it is a convenient spot for setting up a meeting with a business partner. The breakfast rate, which is €12, includes a rich buffet and the free use of wireless Internet. The Mons Hotel is also well
known to jazz fans attending its season ticket programme concerts. The 2009/2010 season features a set of six Saturday evenings in the company of the RTV Slovenia Big Band and excellent soloists performing as guests. www.hotel-mons.si
An Exciting New Venue
The recent opening of the Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture has injected a new wave of energy into the city’s cultural landscape. Kino Šiška, once a popular cinema that lost its function with the arrival of multiplex halls, has been completely refurbished and transformed into a centre for contemporary and urban
creativity. This unique venue is primarily dedicated to music, theatre, dance and experimental productions, while also being suitable for meetings, conferences and other related events.
Featuring 2,468 square metres of architectural and technological innovations, Kino Šiška ranks among largest and technically most advanced venues of its kind in Europe. The large Katedrala Hall can welcome up to 800 visitors standing or 450 seating in various set-ups adjusted to individual events, including conferences and corporate events. The small Komuna Hall features up to 150 seats for more intimate, mainly experimental events, discussions or press conferences. The nearby Laibach at the Kino Šiška, Photo: Kino Šiška Archive
M Hotel can offer additional breakout rooms, if so required. The two halls are complemented by the Kamera exhibition space and by the Kralj Cafe, which reflects a modernist decor. Since mid-September, when Kino Šiška stepped into the local cultural and event scene, a host of resounding concerts, as well as fashion shows, presentations, round tables and other events have been staged there. Based on their flexible market approach, it possible to hire / privatise individual function rooms as well as the entire venue, including the café. www.kinosiska.si
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Destination of Excellence
The Ski Resort and Igloo Village in Krvavec
Romantic Igloo Photo: Koren Sports Archive
Krvavec is a popular ski resort close to Ljubljana and its international airport. The groomed ski slopes, stretching on 107 hectares, comprise 33 km of trails for alpine skiing and 3 km for cross-country. Six onsite guesthouses welcome guests. www.rtc-krvavec.si/en/ The Igloo Village, a hit of the last two winters, offers an igloo hotel, restaurant, bar and a romantic igloo with ice sculptures amid in the wilderness of snow-covered and unspoiled nature. Its season will last until the end of March, 2010. There is a free ski bus from Ljubljana to Krvavec every weekend. www.eskimska-vas.si/en/
The 2009 European Destination of Excellence is the Solčava District, 70 km from Ljubljana. “Solčavsko – Three Valleys in Harmony” is designed as a three-day programme combining a number of adventure-packed activities with observing nature, admiring natural assets and getting to know the cultural heritage of the protected areas of Robanov Kot, Logarska dolina valley and Matkov Kot. www.logarska-dolina.si
Kranj, a Town Remembering France Prešeren
On the overhang above the confluence of the Sava and Kokra Rivers, not even a half hour drive from Ljubljana towards the Gorenjska Region, the town of Kranj can be found. Kranj, located only 37 km from Ljubljana, is a pleasant old town with a rich culture, natural and technical heritage. Visitors can explore old archaeological sites and medieval remains, the architectural heritage of Jože Plečnik and memorials dedicated to the most famed Slovenian poet, Dr. France Prešeren, whose name is indelibly imprinted in the life of Kranj and of our country. His verses have become the national anthem; he gave the Slovenian language some of its most beautiful poems and Kranj boasts the Prešeren Memorial Museum, the Prešeren Theatre, Prešeren’s Grove and a street honouring his name. Today, the old cemetery and the poet’s grave is a memorial park.
The tunnels under Kranj’s old quarter represent an important technical heritage and a tourist attraction. The 1,300 metre long old city bunker is an important monument from the World War II. Visitors can explore the archaeological eras in the Gorenjska Region and see the numerous valuable finds now kept at the Museum of Gorenjska as a part of the Iron Thread, a permanent exhibition in Kranj’s Town Hall. www.gorenjski-muzej.videofon.si Nature lovers can take a walk along the canyon of the Kokra River in the old town quarter. The town’s surroundings offer numerous possibilities of recreation and interesting sights. Among them is the Brdo Estate, used today for protocol purposes, with its castle and park. Originally a renaissance fortified castle, in its numerous decades of existence it changed several owners and experienced several alterations. After the World war II, Marshal Tito chose it for his residence and the castle gained a rich collection of furniture, carpets and art. Tito’s living quarters, with a reference workroom and a library with numerous Plečnik’s Staircase in Kranj Photo: Tourist Board Kranj Archives
Kranj Panorama, Photo K. Kunaver
incunabula, are also preserved. The natural and culture heritage of the estate has been upgraded with a new conference centre, a hotel with conference facilities, a wellness centre, a restaurant, a press centre, an equestrian centre, a driving range, cabins in the woods and hayracks (kozolec) on meadows. The castle is surrounded by over 500 hectares of park surfaces with ponds, orchards, gardens, woods and numerous walkways. The natural environment of Brdo pri Kranju, with its backdrop mountain scenery, hosts the highest protocol meetings, the most demanding congresses and conferences, special official and private ceremonies and provides an abundance of other experiences.
Tunnels under the Kranj Old Town Core, Photo: B. Okorn
The Strmol Castle, today also a protocol estate, lies on a steep hilly slopes close to the town of Cerklje. A graphic representation by the polymath J.V. Valvasor, dating from 1675, shows Strmol as a four-storied palatium with four corner defence towers, surrounded by defence walls and with supporting residential facilities. The castle’s grounds stretch over the forest on one side, while to the other, a magnificent park with some rare species of trees and a pond unfolds. in the south. Strmol is one of the few castles in Slovenia whose original and predominantly Baroque and Rococo furniture has been preserved. www.brdo.si/en/ Meta Stvarnik
The Water Tower Photo: Tourist Board Kranj Archives
14th Ljubljana Marathon draws record number of runners
This is how newspaper headlines have described one of the capital’s key sports events for years in a row. Every year, the turnout exceeds expectations and tops the year before. Ljubljana Streets Flooded by Runners, Photo: D. Wedam
Slovenians are keen sportsmen, and in the evening, while some are taking a romantic stroll through the green nooks of town, others may be seen jogging its many trails. Yes, there is no doubt that Slovenians are keen sportsmen. A surplus of energy, competitive spirit, relaxation or company - these could be possible answers to the question “Why join a marathon?” But
most of the time there is no questioning, just training. The runners at this large-scale sports event are not just citizens of Ljubljana; they have, since long ago, been joined by guests from all over the world. The Ljubljana Marathon, organised by The City of Ljubljana, welcomes all generations. If you feel daunted by 42 km, you can settle for a half marathon with a 21 km track,
while special short tracks are suited to enthusiasts and school children. Toddlers have not been overlooked either; they can tackle 200 metres, which may be short, but is of great significance. Their run is recreational rather than competitive and is largely about instilling the spirit of “healthy mind and body” and nurturing young runners. Most of them cross the finish line along with their parents. Special attention and homage is also given to the oldest runners who complete the short or full-length marathon. The oldest three in individual categories, some even aged over 80, received prizes. The marathon course is of just the right difficulty. It is mostly flat and runs along the
town streets and roads. This year, the start was in the city centre, right in front of the shrine of democracy: the parliament building. The track led the way through the Vič town district and the green retreat of Tivoli Park, Rožnik and Šišenski hrib and into the urban districts of Šiška and Bežigrad. The competitors, testing the limits of physical strength and endurance, were cheered on by supporters who gathered, as they do every year, in large numbers all along the course. We need not hesitate to say that the 14th Ljubljana Marathon truly surpassed expectations and we are eagerly looking forward to next year, when we’ll face the 15th annual Ljubljana Marathon. Who knows, it may well exceed expectations and reach a record number of participants. Tjaša Janovljak
SLOKA – SLOvenian KAyak and Canoe The World Championship in Canoe Slalom is set to take place in Ljubljana next year. The Ljubljanica River, leisurely weaving its way through the centre of Ljubljana, is known by virtually everyone. It has been sung by poets, a source of inspiration for artists and a popular spot for walks. But the calm waters of the Ljubljanica, soon after it leaves its artificial bed in the town, flows into the Sava, the longest Slovenian
river, which is far from calm. In the outskirts of the city, on the Sava, in the district called Tacen, a kayaking centre has developed in the 20th century. The first kayaking club in Ljubljana, Kayak kanu klub Ljubljana, was formed here in the thirties and, soon after World War II, a permanent kayak course was set up. Not
long after, Tacen hosted a world championship that was seen by an amazing 15,000-strong crowd. The world championship is coming back to the Sava rapids next year. From 8 to 12 September, Tacen will again
see a gathering of the canoeing elite, who will take each other on in kayak and canoe slalom.
Kayak on Ljubljanica River, Photo: D. Wedam
National Geographic Traveler Slovenia is the world’s fifth most attractive tourist destination. The National Geographic Traveler rated Slovenia fifth among 133 of the world’s tourist destinations. This time, the rating did not concentrate on popularity, but on features that display integrity and uniqueness. The rating was presented
by 437 experts in various fields. Slovenia was rated high for being “savvy about balancing tourism with cultural and historical preservation.” Ljubljana, the capital, is “colorful, vibrant, and architecturally appealing,” and “Slovenia’s
Alps and wine country remain among the most sustainable and authentic places to visit in Europe.” In the reasons for the rating, Slovenia is also described as the “most eclectic, touristic, intelligent, and authentic
destination among all European post-communist countries.” With a score of 78, Slovenia shares the fifth. The Norwegian fjords reached the first place with a score of 85. traveler.nationalgeographic. com/2009/11/