pr! - issue 13 (Autumn 2014 / Winter 2015)

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N ew A ut sle um tte r n 20 for Tr 14 /W av in el & te r 2 Me 01 eti ng 5 Pr of es si on al s

pr!

a perfect rendezvous


www.brdo.si

Brdo Congress Centre

A Definitive Place for Decisions


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New Souvenirs in the Makalonca Collection Makalonca, a premium collection of souvenirs launched by Ljubljana Tourism in 2012 to mark the 140th birth anniversary of the famous architect Jože Plečnik, has recently been complemented by new products. The exquisitely designed souvenir collection, based on Plečnik’s illustrations for Fran Saleški Finžgar’s book of fairy-tales about Tsarevna Makalonca, has been enriched by a new shopping bag, a multi-purpose pouch, and umbrellas in elegant black and silver. www.visitljubljana.com

The Ljubljana Card Redesigned The Ljubljana Card was redesigned this summer, and so was its page on the Visit Ljubljana website. Two years ago, the Ljubljana Card achieved an excellent third place in a comparison test of European city cards conducted by the Euro Test website, which is managed by the German Automobile Association (ADAC). The card still offers the best way to explore Ljubljana and save money – up to €80 on admission fees. www.visitljubljana.com

Book an Experience on the Visit Ljubljana Website A combined online booking and shopping system has recently been introduced on the Visit Ljubljana website. The major emphasis is on guided city tours, day trips, and other organized experiences. Online shopping for original and authentic experiences is a widespread trend today and the Visit Ljubljana website is responding to it. Offering a wide and diverse choice of day trips and activities, the Visit Ljubljana ‘experience store’ is a place where everyone can find something to their taste. Apart from the city tours run by Ljubljana Tourism’s guide service, you can browse and book a thematically diverse range of day trips to places around Slovenia organized by different local tour operators. The Ljubljana Card and various hotel packages are also available.

The new online store offers you an opportunity not only to choose from classical activities such as tourist boat cruises and trips to popular tourist destinations such as Bled, the Postojna Caves, Portorož, and Lipica, but also to treat yourself to a number of special experiences, including a costumed guided walk exploring the remains of the Roman city of Emona, which once stood on the site of the modern-day Ljubljana, a culinary workshop, a traditional ‘Slovenian evening’, a helicopter flight, and an 18th century living-history tea party event, to name only a few. www.visitljubljana.com

Experiencing the Roman City of Emona; Photo: M. Pavček

New Design of Ljubljana Card

Follow the Stories on the Ljubljana Social Wall This autumn, a social wall was created on the Visit Ljubljana website. The new social wall brings in the most interesting content posted by visitors to Ljubljana on social media sites and blogs. Ljubljana has been receiving lots of love from its visitors. Posts by those who have shared their impressions and experiences on social networks and blogs reveal interesting stories about how visitors experience the Slovenian capital. The Ljubljana Social Wall, which brings these posts into one place, features amazing snapshots, stories about inspiring

experiences, and blog posts including a lot of useful tips about how to best experience Ljubljana and Slovenia. The quality and amount of content, which is being constantly updated, is exciting even for us who live in Ljubljana, so do not hesitate to visit the Ljubljana Social Wall and let yourself be inspired. www.visitljubljana.com/ en/social-wall

Ljubljana Takes Second Place on Lonely Planet’s Best in Europe 2014 List Lonely Planet, the world’s leading travel guide book publisher, has listed Ljubljana at No. 2 on its Best in Europe 2014 list, which includes ten European destinations considered by Lonely Planet editors as the most worth visiting.

Guided Tour »Ljubljana Stories« Provides a Very Special Experience of Ljubljana; Photo: F. Virant A Perfect Rendezvous, Newsletter for Travel & Meeting Professionals

Do you have trouble pronouncing the name Ljubljana? According to Lonely Planet, “Ljubljana might not roll off the tongue for many travelers, but it’s worth learning how to pronounce as you’re bound to hear much more about Slovenia’s capital in the years ahead”. Lonely Planet describes Ljubljana as “one of Europe’s greenest and most livable cities, boasting a friendly cafe culture by day, and vibrant nightlife after the sun sets”, and points out

the city’s year-long programme of events in celebration of the 2000th anniversary of the Roman city of Emona. Lonely Planet also refers to the Slovenian capital’s advantageous location in the centre of the country, saying that Ljubljana “makes the perfect base with plentiful, inexpensive buses radiating out of the city to the rest of Slovenia, which is as picture-perfect as Switzerland, but much easier on the wallet”. www.lonelyplanet.com

Publisher: Ljubljana Tourism, Krekov trg 10, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, phone +386 (0)1 306 45 83, fax +386 (0)1 306 45 94, info@visitljubljana.si, www.visitljubljana.com Editorial board: Petra Stušek, Tatjana Radovič, Špela Golčer • Production: Mediamix Komunikacije d.o.o.; Head of advertising: Zdenka Šarlah, Mediamix, Phone: +386 2 235 05 67, e-mail: zdenka.sarlah@mediamix.si • Printed by: Schwarz Print • Autumn/Winter 2014-2015 • Committed to caring for the environment, we print on recycled paper.


4 City of Delights

Ljubljana’s Top Chefs Featured in the Four Magazine Ljubljana has become one of Europe’s hottest culinary destinations. Its culinary vibrancy can be felt wherever you turn, and its culinary offerings, projects, and events are increasing in number every day and gaining more and more recognition from international media. Since October this year, the online version of the Four Magazine, which is positioning itself as being ‘The World’s Best Food Magazine’, has been featuring the profiles of three of Ljubljana’s top chefs – Andrej Kuhar (Maxim), Janez Bratovž (JB Restaurant), and Igor

Jagodic (Strelec Restaurant), who have put Ljubljana and Slovenia on the culinary map of the world. www.four-magazine.com

Taste Ljubljana with Chefs Andrej Kuhar, Janez Bratovž and Igor Jagodic (Left to Right), Profiled in Four Magazine; Photo: Bobo

Taste Ljubljana: Long for Its Dishes Ljubljana’s Been Known... Since summer 2014, a selection of typical Ljubljana dishes marketed under the brand name Taste Ljubljana are on offer in more than 60 of the city’s restaurants. Visitors to Ljubljana have expressed a growing interest in typical local food, also by enquiring where they can taste it. Since, until recently, traditional Ljubljana dishes were not a regular feature on the menus of the local restaurants and some of them were completely unknown, Ljubljana Tourism, in collaboration with the renowned ethnologist Prof. Dr. Janez Bogataj, created the Taste Ljubljana brand. The mission of the Taste Ljubljana project is to ensure that a larger share of traditional Ljubljana dishes prepared by using modern cooking methods should be included in the culinary offerings of the Slovenian capital. One of the actions aimed at supporting the promotion of Ljubljana dishes was the publication of the book Taste Ljubljana: Long for Its Dishes Ljubljana’s Been Known – Sitting at the Everyday

and Festive Table with People in Ljubljana. This provides a historical overview of the city’s culinary offerings complemented by recipes, stories related to individual dishes, and a list of restaurants offering Taste Ljubljana-branded dishes as a part of their regular menus. Ljubljana Tourism has also published a free Taste Ljubljana guide available in Slovenian and English from the city’s Tourist Information Centres and the VisitLjubljana website. The dishes available for tasting as a part of the Taste Ljubljana project include frog legs, flying ‘žganci (fried chicken drumsticks and wings)’, various stews, savoury and sweet ‘štruklji’ rolls, ‘potica’ with honey filling (a traditional cake), and cheese pancakes with tarragon filling, to name just a few. www.visitljubljana.com Miša Novak

Ljubljana Traditional Dishes; Photo: Bobo

Getting a Taste of Ljubljana through Travel Blogs A group of six travel bloggers joined forces earlier this year and visited Ljubljana in order to discover its dynamic culinary scene. Acting as a mirror of tourist destinations, travel blogs have for quite some time been a significant source of information for travellers. For this reason, a group of six independent travel bloggers going under the name of The Travel Mob have been invited by Ljubljana Tourism earlier this year. The Travel Mob’s goal was ambitious: within six days they were supposed to taste Ljubljana in every possible way and show it to the world through their own eyes. Of course, they were given some tips, offered some traditional Slovenian dishes, and invited to attend the launch of the extensive Taste Ljubljana project,

created by Ljubljana Tourism with the aim of identifying and promoting typical Ljubljana dishes. The results were exciting and inspiring for everyone. What the visiting bloggers considered particularly interesting was not only the local cuisine, but also the city’s colourful street art, friendly gay scene, vibrant hipster scene, all-night parties at the Metelkova mesto alternative culture centre, socializing with the locals, a Slovenian cooking course, and stand-up paddling on the city’s river Ljubljanica. A summary of their visit is available on Storify. www.storify.com/visitljubljana Tamara Langus

Central Slovenia’s Best Dining and Shopping Experience Striving to provide the best possible dining and shopping experience for visitors to Ljubljana, Ljubljana Tourism has been assessing the quality of the tourism offerings of Ljubljana and Central Slovenia every two years as part of the Ljubljana Quality project. The Ljubljana Quality trademark is used to identify the Central Slovenia region’s catering outlets and Ljubljana’s shops achieving high standards of quality in terms of choice on offer, service, and facilities. The quality of the region’s restaurants and all kinds of shops located within the capital is assessed by qualified mystery guests every two years, with the latest assessment taking place in 2014. The Ljubljana Quality winners among the region’s modern restaurants and traditional ‘gostilnas’ – all of which display the Ljubljana Quality sign on a prominent wall – include the catering outlets that, according to the Ljubljana Quality Commission, achieve not only the highest quality of food and service, but also have the best ambience and interior design. The winners in the category of shops include the shopping outlets selling the most interesting range of products and having the best attitude to customers coupled with the most pleasant interior. Catering outlets and shops must score at least three-quarters of the maximum points. Depending on the number of points scored, the Ljubljana

Quality winners receive a Ljubljana Quality sign with five, four or three Qs to display on the walls of their premises. The 2015 Ljubljana Quality winners will be announced in December 2014. The 2012 winners are listed in the Dining and Shopping Guide – Ljubljana Quality Selection, available on the Visit Ljubljana website. www.visitljubljana.com Miša Novak

Strelec Restaurant at the Ljubljana Castle; Photo: T. Kancilja


5 City of Delights

The Architect Maks Fabiani Year 2015 In 2015, Ljubljana will celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of the Slovenian architect and urban planner Maks Fabiani (1865–1962). This cosmopolitan, who lived and worked in his native region of Kras as well as in Ljubljana, Trieste, and Vienna, is considered to be one of the most important urban planners in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and one of the major architectural innovators at the turn of the 20th century. From March to October 2015, a lot will be going on under the umbrella title of Fabiani Year 2015. A major Fabiani exhibition, set to be held at the Ljubljana Town Hall as well as in Vienna and Trieste, will be accompanied by several smaller exhibitions, seminars, conferences, workshops, and guided tours of Fabiani’s architecture. www.visitljubljana.com

Room Escape Game Based on Stories of Ljubljana A unique interactive real-life room escape game called Enigmarium has been set up at no. 8 Trdinova ulica street in central Ljubljana with a single goal: to challenge you to escape from a locked room in one hour. According to its creators, the Ljubljana real-life escape-the-room game is particularly interesting due to the fact that all the puzzles, challenges, and dramaturgy awaiting visitors in the two themed rooms were uniquely created based on local history and cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. www.escape-room.si

Escape Room Enigmarium in Ljubljana; Photo: V. Cof/Connecta

Ljubljana: a Fantastic Festive Fairy Tale

In December, when the scent of mulled wine fills the air, the city’s ancient streets are occupied by festive market stalls, and countless Christmas lights are switched on, Ljubljana looks as if plucked from a fairy tale and anticipation is in the air. This year’s December festivities will begin on the first of the month, with the opening of the Festive Fair. The city will be decked out in all its festive splendour on 3 December, when the Christmas light switch-on will take place as part of an event titled Switching on of the Christmas lights in Ljubljana, which will mark the official beginning of festivities. Children are eagerly awaiting St Nicholas, whose arrival will be accompanied by the opening of the St Nicholas Fair, held from 3 to 6 December, as well as the

arrival of Grandpa Frost (the Slavic counterpart of Santa Claus), whose processions through the city’s streets will take place daily from 26 to 30 December. Also this year, Grandpa Frost will arrive in a carriage pulled by white Lipizzaner horses and his escorts will include snowmen, bears, and other creatures known from folk and fairy tales. December evenings will be reserved for music. The city’s public squares will host concerts featuring different styles of music. Concerts will be particularly numerous on

Festively Illuminated Prešeren Square; Photo: D. Wedam

the last few evenings of the year and particularly loud on New Year’s Eve, when a minute after midnight the skies above Ljubljana are going to be lit up by a firework display to welcome in the New Year. To enjoy stunning views of the

magically illuminated city, visitors to Ljubljana will be able to take a special advent tour of Ljubljana Castle. Special festive city tours will also be available by appointment. www.visitljubljana.com Tjaša Janovljak

Lock Your Love on the Butchers’ Bridge In Slovenian, the name Ljubljana sounds very similar to the word ‘ljubljena’, meaning ‘the beloved’, and those who have been to Ljubljana and really got to know it well will agree that the city’s romantic character goes well beyond its name.

The Buther’s Bridge, Known as the “Love Padlocks Bridge”; Photo: M. Stott

The romantic spirit has a long history in Ljubljana. Back in the 19th century, the city was the home of the best known Slovenian poet, France Prešeren, whose unrequited love for a wealthy lady, as described in his romantic poems, is deeply felt by the locals. In Ljubljana’s central square, named Prešernov trg after the poet, you will therefore not find a statue of an army commander, but the statue of a poet with the muse of poetry above his head, staring into the distance towards his love, Julija. The city’s well-maintained river embankments stretching upstream from the square are a perfect place for lovers to take a stroll, with numerous benches scattered along the scenic

river banks beckoning them to sit down by the green river. Then there are bridges, which do not only connect the river banks, but also have the power to connect people. One of them, a very special one, is the Butchers’ Bridge, better known to visitors to Ljubljana as the ‘Love Bridge’ or the ‘Love Padlock Bridge’ due to the fact that lovers attach padlocks to its balustrade and drop the keys into the river as a symbol of their commitment. In Ljubljana there are also countless other romantic places that you can discover on your own or with the help of the tips available at www.storify.com/visitljubljana/ romantic-ljubljana. Tamara Langus


6 City of Delights

Fish Footbridge Revamped This summer, the worn-out wooden footbridge connecting Ljubljana’s Kongresni trg square with the historical city centre was replaced by an elegant, slender steel bridge structure, which is anchored invisibly into the embankments and, thanks to transparent safety glass parapets, allows

uninterrupted views of the nearby Triple Bridge. The Fish Footbridge (Ribja brv) seems to be absolutely indispensable for those running errands in the city centre area, and yet the old wooden bridge, made from the leftovers of the glued laminated timber used in the reconstruction of the Triple Bridge, was only built in 1991, almost a century after the architect and town planner Maks Fabiani first planned to build a bridge on its site back in 1895.

The New Fish Footbridge; Photo: N. Rovan

New on the Menu Ljubljana is a small city with a big culinary soul – big enough to allow a large number of new restaurants to introduce flavours from around the world, give the city a metropolitan feel, and provide very special places for people to get together and relax over a meal. In a green and peaceful part of Ljubljana, close to the river, you will find the SPIRIT Bar & Kitchen (Hrenova 19), which is all about food for the soul. It offers excellent brunch menus, burgers, and Italian dishes. www. facebook.com/Spirit-Bar-Kitchen At the foot of the castle hill, Hiša pod Gradom (Streliška 10) serves a daily changing menu of Mediterranean lunch dishes in the unique ambience of a medieval town house. www.hisapodgradom.si Soba 102 (Cankarjeva 4) offers the diverse flavours of Mediterranean cuisine and pays particular attention to music. The restaurant’s walls are decorated with portraits of renowned musicians, and an in-house band plays daily to enhance the atmosphere. www.facebook. com/Soba-102-Ljubljana

The colourful restaurant Casa Mulata (Nazorjeva 4) offers a fusion of Latin flavours, cocktails, and music. www.facebook.com/ casamulata Libanonske meze & drugi užitki (Trubarjeva 45) serves Middle Eastern food presented on brightly coloured plates. www.libanonskemeze.si The Wok (Čopova 4) takes you on a culinary journey of Asia, giving you an opportunity to compose your own wok meal and watch the chef prepare it for you. www.thewok.si The 5 Kitchen & Bar (Streliška 22) prepares dishes inspired by the culinary traditions of all continents while trying to use mainly locally sourced ingredients. www.the5.kitchen You can enjoy a nice cup of tea at Čajnica Primula (Ižanska

Cafe Kolaž; Photo: J. Klančišar

15), a tea room located in a little house in the heart of the Ljubljana Botanic Garden, surrounded by flowers and trees. www.cajnica-primula.si Feel the spirit of Primož Trubar era, the Slovenian Protestant reformer, at Gostilna pri Trubarjevi mami (Trubarjeva 52). Get impressed by delicious

modern flirtation with a 16th century cuisine. www.kavalino.si At Cafe Kolaž (Gornji trg 15), a newly opened Old Town LGBTfriendly café, you can expect to enjoy anything from drinks, snacks, and lunches to books and good company. www.facebook.com/kafe.kolaz Nika Pirnar

Ice Cream in Winter? Why not... If you have a sweet tooth, you will be pleasantly surprised by the endless list of amazing sweet delights available in Ljubljana. The list has recently become even longer as a number of new outlets selling naughty treats have opened their doors. If you have a passion for chocolate and Italian gelato, make sure to visit the newly opened Vigò Ice Cream shop (Stritarjeva 4). www.facebook.com/vigo-icecream-Ljubljana The Fresh Point takeaway (Miklošičeva 7a) will make your mouth water with frozen Greek yogurt available from a dispenser that allows you to serve yourself and finish your treat off with a delectable topping of your choice. www.facebook.com/ freshpoint.si At Gelateria Romantika (Dvorni trg 1), you can taste

creamy Italian ice creams and refreshing sorbets handmade daily from natural ingredients. www.gelateria-romantika.si Sladkarnica in Marmeladnica Lotos (Breg 16) specializes in fairy cakes – moist little cupcakes decorated with icing in various colours, but it also offers a range of other amazing treats, from chocolate sponge cake with filling to butter biscuits, baklava, and frozen yogurt. www.facebook.com/smlotos Nika Pirnar Sladkarnica & Marmeladnica Lotos, Specialized in Fairy Cakes; Photo: M. Ronina


7 City of Delights

First Themed Cycle Path The beginning of this autumn saw the opening of the first themed cycle path in Ljubljana, called the Waterside Path. It starts from Fužine Castle, leads along the Ljubljanica river embankments through the city centre, and ends on the Špica embankment. A fun cycling experience is provided by interactive cycling games such as ‘Pedal Yourself

to a Free Coffee’, which requires you to collect four stamps to win a cup of coffee in the city centre, and ‘Treasure Hunt’, which requires you to find a treasure hidden along the way (see instructions at www.geocacher. si). A map of the path and a free smartphone application are available. The Waterside Path is the first in a series of four themed paths, which will also include the Forest Path, the Plečnik Path, and the PATH. www.facebook.com/obvodna.pot.lj

Ljubljana Crowned European Green Capital 2016

In June 2014, Ljubljana received the prestigious title of European Green Capital 2016. Among the five finalists contending for the title, Ljubljana, with its sustainable development strategy document Vision 2025, was the one that the jury in Copenhagen found the most impressive. Vision 2025 sets out Ljubljana’s strategy for the protection of the environment, sustainable mobility, sustainable energy provision, and electromobility. The European Green Capital jury, chaired by the European Commission, pointed out in its report that the last 10 to 15 years have seen dramatic changes in traffic levels in the Slovenian capital: »From being a city which was previously dominated by car transport the focus is now on public transport and on pedestrian and cycling networks.« Ljubljana has changed its traffic regime and limited motorized traffic in favour of environmentally friendlier alternatives. The city’s extremely popular BicikeLJ bicycle hire network, which consists of 30 docking stations and 300 bicycles, has recorded two million rides within slightly more than three years. As set out in the Vision 2025, by the year 2020 Ljubljana will achieve a modal split of one-third of

Ljubljana Introduces Destination Sustainability Indicators In keeping with its efforts to promote sustainable tourism development, Ljubljana has begun to introduce the European Tourism Indicators System for Sustainable Management at Destination Level.

Ljubljana is one of the European test destinations that have been introducing the ETIS indicators, developed by the European Commission. The ETIS system is aimed at helping tourist destinations to monitor, manage, and promote sustainability measures. Ljubljana Tourism is currently concluding the data collection phase, which is the basis for defining goals and measures. As successful sustainable development involves concerted action of all the stakeholders as well as the local residents and visitors, Ljubljana Tourism has engaged all the stakeholders in the destination. How to find a proper balance between economic and social outcomes is a challenge faced by many tourist destinations. This aspect was discussed in her blog by Christine

Radke, a member of the ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) Destinations and Sustainability Team, after this year’s The Travel Convention held in Ljubljana between 21 and 23 September 2014. After a close examination of practice in Slovenia and Ljubljana in particular, Radke concluded that a lot has been done in terms of sustainable development and cited Ljubljana as an example of good practice: “Ljubljana did strike me as a very green city with very little cars and a lot of green spaces. In particular I liked those very futuristic recycle stations all over the city. They were not only motivating residents but also all the visitors. While the Germans might be the World Champions in recycling, with Ljubljana we are getting serious competition.” Miša Novak

Ljubljana is a City with Lots of Green Areas; Photo: J. Kotar

Popular Bicycle Renting System in Ljubljana, Called BicikeLJ; Photo: P. Logar

public transport, one-third of walking and cycling, and only one-third of private motor vehicle transport. www.europeangreencapital.eu Miša Novak

Ljubljana Adopts Zero Waste Strategy

Kavalir – an Electric Vehicle for Pleasant and Free Rides in the Old Town of Ljubljana; Photo: D. Wedam

According to the organization Zero Waste Europe, Ljubljana is a European capital with the largest share of recycled waste. The city now has an ambition to reduce waste generation even further. In September 2014, Ljubljana was the first European capital to become a member of the Zero Waste Europe network. The adoption

of the zero waste strategy means that the local community will strengthen the first three priorities in the field of waste management, i.e. the prevention of waste generation, reuse, and recycling, in order to achieve the zero waste goal, which is to make dumping sites and incineration plants redundant. www.zerowasteeurope.eu



9 City of Arts and Culture

Wedding Halls at Ljubljana Castle in New Splendour It seems as if the mighty medieval walls of Ljubljana Castle support the wing where two halls on the upper floor and a café at the level of the courtyard are located. The interior of the halls opens up to the courtyard and intertwines with the historical environment. A terrace located a level higher

boasts a unique view over the courtyard and perfectly complements the multipurpose halls used for various business and protocol events, and especially weddings. Better known as White and Blue Halls, the halls shine in all their glory when the bride and groom enter them. After this year’s complete renovation one can even more strongly feel the historical architecture in them, which makes the weddings there truly castle-like. www.ljubljanskigrad.si

White and Blue Halls, Ljubljana Castle; Photo: AoutPhoto

Biennial of Design (BIO) with New Tourism Concepts The 24th Biennial of Design, which was marked by an experimental initiative at its 50th anniversary, brought together more than 100 international designers and multidisciplinary agents in search for potential future design. For six months, a group of artists studied everyday life topics and created projects for the exhibition. One of these is nanotourism, which seeks alternatives to the existing tourism industry and explores new possibilities of experiencing tourism at micro level. A number of projects was

created – from initiatives to revive forgotten traditional crafts in the street of Zagreb (Croatia), research of collective memory neighbourhoods in Krakow (Poland), Rajzerfiber Biro Nanotourism Agency in Maribor (Slovenia), development incentives of nanotourism in Vitanje (Slovenia), where the

Biennial of Design (BIO); Photo: A. Kovač

Cultural Centre of European Space Technologies (KSEVT) is located, to special accommodation opportunities in the BIO50} Hotel, housed in Ljubljana Museum of Architecture and Design. In exchange for a free night, nanotourists can contribute to the exhibition in their very own way –

apart from sleeping there, they can move the exhibits and thus change the exhibition area. Until 7 December 2014, BIO is put on display at the Museum of Architecture and Design, the Museum of Modern Art and Jakopič Gallery in Ljubljana. www.bio.si Pika Domenis

Happy Birthday, LGBT Film Festival! Ljubljana LGBT Film Festival, the oldest festival of its kind in Europe, this year marks its venerable thirtieth anniversary. Between 29 November and 7 December 2014, the LGBT Film Festival, which displays films by gay and lesbian artists as well as films about homosexuality already since 1984, takes place. The major part of the programme this year takes place at Slovenska kinoteka

(Slovenian Cinematheque), with replays in Celje, Ptuj, Maribor and Koper. This festival of noncompetitive nature brings more than twenty mostly awardwinning feature and short films of recent productions from around the world. The choice is

enormous, from documentaries to animation and even experimental films. In Ljubljana, a rich accompanying programme at various locations (K4 Club, Kinoteka, Škuc Gallery and Škuc Cultural Centre Q) is organised. www.ljudmila.org/siqrd/fglf Tjaša Janovljak

Ljubljana’s LGBT Film Festval is Europe’s Oldest of its Kind

Ljubljana International Film Festival (LIFFe)

LIFFe brings an overview of the best European and world film production. Already for the 25th time in a row, this year’s LIFFe takes place between 12 and 23 November. You can choose between several festival sets. Perspectives are the official competitive section of young directors for the Kingfisher Award by Telekom Slovenia. Avant-premieres bring film highlights purchased for Slovenian distribution. Kings and Queens section includes the films by award-winning and renowned masters of modern cinema. World Film Panorama represents the front-runners from five continent festivals. Extravaganza is the so-

called late-night cinema of daring idiosyncratic artists addressing sensual topics. Retro Big Screen will be dedicated to the films that boast special audio-visual qualities and the connoisseurs of cinema want to see only on the big screen (e. g. The Red Shoes, Lawrence of Arabia, The Wizard of Oz, etc.). This will be followed by two sets dedicated to renowned authors. The Retrospective represents Alexey German, recently deceased giant of Soviet

and Russian film, an iconoclast, whose last film Hard to be a God pushes the boundaries of the film language, while Homage, a short, concentrated presentation of the festival and the media exposed author, this year represents the young Swedish director, Ruben Östlund. In cooperation with Kinodvor, Kinobalon brings films to younger audience, aged from 7 to 14 years. Kino-Integral section is intended to review experimental film.

Europe in short, the last set, is a short film competition programme, with the accompanying programme including conversations with festival guests and filmmakers, round tables, seminars and exhibitions. Festival venues are Cankarjev dom Cultural and Congress Centre, Kinodvor Cinema, Kino Šiška Cinema, Kino Komuna, Slovenian Cinematheque and Kolosej Maribor. www.liffe.si Janina Pintar


10 City of Arts and Culture

A Number of Concerts in Ljubljana in 2014 On 6 November, Stožice Centre will host the quadruple Grammy winner Michael Bublé, while a legend from New Orleans and a six time Grammy winner, Dr. John & The Nite Trippers, will perform at the Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture on 8 November. On 16 November Stožice Centre will host the rock band One Republic and a month later, on 15 December, the Canadian singer Bryan Adams, known for his raspy voice. Triggerfinger, ‘the loudest band in Antwerp’, will perform instead on 18 November in a slightly more intimate setting - the Cvetličarna Club.

Weekly concerts at the Prulček Jazz Bar Prulček Jazz Bar (Prijateljeva 2) is known for numerous free of charge concerts of different live music genres, taking place even up to six times a week throughout the year. Mondays are reserved for acoustic performances by classical artists, Wednesdays for Jazz Jam and Thursdays for the world music. On Fridays, it is time for some commercial music and on Saturdays you can listen to different authors presenting their own music. On Sundays, the garden in front of Prulček, which is adorned with umbrellas, hosts creative workshops and turns into a real bazaar of applied arts. www.prulcek.si

Emona – A City of the Empire

At the venerable 2000th anniversary of Emona, which stood on the site of the presentday Ljubljana, the City Museum of Ljubljana has put on display a central exhibition entitled Emona: A City of the Empire. The exhibition Emona: A City of the Empire focuses on the city as a key operation element in the vast Roman Empire, which in the 2nd century AD had 60 million inhabitants on an area covering 5 million sq km. A city was not only considered an organizing principle, but the centre of power, privilege, culture and knowledge. The exhibition displays some important new findings from recent excavations in Ljubljana: a rich woman’s grave from the Iron Age and an early Roman soldier’s grave from Kongresni trg square, a mural painting from the 1st century, an Early Christian mosaic from the building site of the National and University Library II, and a fragment of theatrical masks and gems with scenes from the Roman life and mythology. The

portraits of the founders of Emona, Emperor Augustus and his successor Tiberius, take a special place in the exhibition. The exhibition brings out the heritage of Emona, which began to take shape already in the 17th century and flourished in the 20th. It highlights the

extensive archaeological excavations in the second half of the 20th century and a wealth of objects, companies and projects that found inspiration for their names in the Roman Emona. The exhibition is on view until 31 May 2015. www.mglm.si Maja Kovač

Emona Exhibition in the City Museum in Ljubljana; Photo: A. Peunik

Garden in Prulček Jazz Bar; Photo: J. Matoz

11th Slovenian Biennial of Illustration

Since its establishment in 1993, the Slovenian Biennial of Illustration has evolved into the most important event of its kind in Slovenia. By following new inventions and technologies, artistic illustration is fast transforming. Considered irreplaceable in the computer age, it is booming around the world. Its special place in Slovenia is emphasized by the 11th Slovenian Biennial of Illustration, which showcases the excellence of Slovenian illustrations and opens the door to new expressions. This year’s Biennial, taking place from 17 November 2014 to 1 February 2015, puts on display older as well as younger generations of illustrators. In addition to reviewing the selection of productions from the past two years a comprehensive presentation of the illustration oeuvre of painter Jože Ciuha will be shown. The Biennial is on view at the Gallery of Cankarjev dom Cultural and Congress Centre. www.cd-cc.si Saša Globačnik

Roman Stories from the Crossroads

The new permanent exhibition at the National Museum of Slovenia presents archaeological finds from the time when the territory of the present-day Slovenia formed part of the Roman Empire

Roman Stories from the Crossroads in NMS; Photo: T. Lauko

While the exhibition Emona - A City of the Empire at the City Museum of Ljubljana focuses primarily on the lives of the Romans who lived in the territory of today’s Ljubljana, Roman Stories from the Crossroads at the National Museum of Slovenia take a closer look at the Roman era in the entire Slovenian territory. Among more than a thousand exhibits, a special place is given to the imperial construction inscription

dating from 14 AD or 15 AD, which provides evidence on when Emona was founded, this being the actual reason for celebrating the 2000th anniversary of its creation in 2014/2015. The text goes: “The late emperor Augustus and his adopted son and successor Emperor Tiberius financially supported an important construction in the city…”. Next to the inscription, the original position of the gilded bronze statue of a Roman citizen is

displayed; at the time of Emperor Trajan, the statue was part of an exceptional sepulchral monument obviously modelled on Trajan’s Column in Rome. The stories told by the exhibited objects bring together the picture of the Roman era on the present-day Slovenian territory, where different worlds met and unforgettable stories were forged. www.nms.si Tinka H. Selič


11 City for Meetings

Hotel Cubo Recognized as the Best 4-Star Hotel in Slovenia The travel website Trivago has put together a list of top-rated Slovenian hotels based on their guests’ reviews. This website, which brings together over 140 million hotel

reviews from various online sources (Expedia, Booking. com, Tripadvisor), published an unbiased final rating shown on a scale from 1 to 100. The top rated Slovenian hotels

include the Hotel Cubo, which achieved a rating of 91.22 and is considered by Trivago users to be the best 4-star hotel in Slovenia. Two more Ljubljana hotels are close to the top: the

Plaza Hotel, which scored a rating of 89.61 and ranks third in the 4-star category, and the Adora Hotel, which scored the same, and ranks second in the 3-star category. www.trivago.si

Conventa Gathers Meeting Industry Professionals in Ljubljana The 7th Conventa New Europe trade show for meetings, events & incentives highlights Emerging destinations, Experience, Engagement, Education, Emotions, Energy and Entertainment. Considered as one of the most anticipated professional meeting industry gatherings of 2015, Conventa will again heat the meetings floor in Ljubljana on 21 and 22 January 2015. Ljubljana Tourism is a partner of Conventa’s Organizer – the Slovenian Convention Bureau. The last edition of the show was rated as highly successful based on the exhibitors’ and international clients’ attendance, as well as the record number of prearranged business meetings

and fam trips available to hosted buyers. All of this sets high expectations for Conventa 2015, its target also being 140 exhibitors and 250 hosted buyers. Kevin Kelly, an internationally acclaimed

Conventa Meetings; Photo: M. Delbello Ocepek

motivational speaker, has been announced as the guest star for its educational programme. The Ljubljana Convention Bureau will, as in previous years, organise a Pre-Conventa fam trip, adding for 2015 a second

option, right after the Show. Clients will be able to catch a feel of the city and get to know its meetings offer in an informative and experiential way. www.conventa.info Tatjana Radovič

ABTA’s The Travel Convention 2014 Rocked Ljubljana, Slovenia

The prime event of the UK travel industry attracted 400 travel trade professionals and media representatives to Ljubljana from 21 to 23 September 2014. The Convention was jointly hosted by SPIRIT Slovenia and Ljubljana Tourism. As delegates from this year’s Travel Convention 2014 made their way back home after a whirlwind three days of networking, business sessions and social events, their general feedback was they had attended a fantastic event in a truly

Welcome by Hosts; Photo: A. Gardner

vibrant and beautiful destination. The broad conference theme of ‘The Power of Personal’ was developed during business sessions by a line-up of inspiring speakers, who presented a diverse range of related subjects. Among them, UK’s

Evening Event at the Križanke Summer Theatre; Photo: N. Verdnik

economic recovery, the impact of demographics and an increasingly ageing population on our industry, and the transformative effect of ‘big data’ or ‘customer intelligence’, also through practical examples on the opportunities and the risks of using customer data effectively. Technology should clearly support and empower the relationship with the customer, rather than replace it, and the theme of ‘trust’ has been a powerful narrative running through many of the sessions. The local hosts have for months worked closely together with the Organizing Team, adding their personal touch to many arrangements that contributed to the excellent delegate experience. Pre-tours to Lake Bled and Postojna Cave were available, as

well as Ljubljana sightseeing tours and welcome desks at the two official hotels. A football match was organized, too. The social events at the Ljubljana Castle and Križanke Summer Theatre presented a different creative concept – the first highlighting traditional Slovenian culture and gastronomy, and the second focusing on the trendy, urban scene. Delegates have also highly rated the catering and thoroughly enjoyed the downtown location designated as their after-hours meeting point. We are convinced that they will not only remember the ‘I Feel Slovenia’ slogan, but the actual love imbued in our hospitality. www.thetravelconvention.com Tatjana Radovič


Eat, drink and dress as you please At “Gostilna pri Trubarjevi mami” we can find dishes from the 16th century prepared in a new, modern way. Back then food was rich with meat and poultry, served with buttery and sweetish sauces thickened with the soft inside of bread. These are but few thoughts about the food of the 16th century, which served as our guide for the dishes from this rich heritage.

GOSTILNA PRI TRUBARJEVI MAMI | TRUBAR’S MOTHER’S INN KAVAL GROUP KAVALINO Trubarjeva 52, 1000 Ljubljana kavalino@kaval-group.si | 00386 40 187 781 | www.kaval-group.si


13 City for Slovenia

Culinary Experience in the Central Slovenia Region To explore the dazzling array of flavours of Central Slovenia, join a culinary tour offering you an opportunity to taste six different local specialities (including, among others, the famous ‘potica’ roll, Kranjska sausage, Trnič cheese, and Lenček slice) in the attractive surroundings of ancient towns and scenic countryside. Your culinary exploration of the region will begin in the streets of Ljubljana. After visiting the Central Market,

which is the heart of the historical city centre, and having a mid-morning snack, you will continue towards Kamnik, a pleasant medieval small town situated at the foot of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, where you will get to know the area’s main culinary story, centred around Trnič cheese. One of the stopovers that you will make on your way back to Ljubljana will be in the small town of Domžale, where you will take a tour of the Straw Plaiting Museum and get to know the story about the plaited straw hats that were once sought after across Europe. www.visitljubljana.com

Regional Flavours Come into Life through Taste Central Slovenia The region of Central Slovenia, which consists of Ljubljana and its green surrounding municipalities, offers not only a diverse range of natural and cultural attractions, but also a rich choice of culinary offerings, which are being upgraded through the Taste Central Slovenia project. The history of the region’s culinary awakening goes back to 2012, when the Gastronomic Strategy of Central Slovenia was developed in collaboration between Ljubljana Tourism, in its role of destination marketing organization at the regional level, and the renowned ethnologist Prof. Dr. Janez Bogataj. The strategy was followed by the publication of a culinary guide entitled Flavours of Central Slovenia: In the Middle of the Table, which brings together a selection of more than 80 dishes originating from the region and a list of catering outlets offering them. Taste Central Slovenia focuses not only on the development of typical local dishes made using modern preparation methods, but also on quality. For this reason, the project Ljubljana Quality has now been expanded to include also the assessment of catering outlets in other parts of the region. By developing the culinary product of the Central Slovenia region under the brand name Taste Central Slovenia and the culinary product of Ljubljana under the brand name Taste Ljubljana, Ljubljana Tourism has offered a trendy answer to the increasingly asked question of where to taste something local, something typical of Ljubljana and Slovenia.

The region’s restaurateurs have been responding well and the culinary offerings of some of the municipalities in the region have been upgraded with local culinary products and brands. Kamnik, for example, has developed – parallel to the brand Taste Central Slovenia – its own culinary brand Taste Kamnik and based its culinary story around Trnič cheese, while Dobrova–Polhov Gradec has developed the so called Bundle of Delights of Count Blagay’s Land. Miša Novak Local Brewery Adam Ravbar in Domžale; Photo: T. Jeseničnik

Ljubljana Central Market; Photo: D. Wedam

Taking Tea with Count Blagay and Enjoying the Delights of His Land Just a short way from Ljubljana, in the heart of the Polhov Gradec Hills, lies Polhov Gradec, a gem of a little town surrounded by beautiful natural scenery. If you enter the walls of the friendly Polhov Gradec Mansion, once the home of Count Blagay, a leading figure of the Enlightenment in Slovenia, you will find yourself in a different space and time – a time of polite socializing and witty conversations. Each Friday at 15:30, you can join a tea party hosted by Count Blagay and his lovely wife Antonia, who love to have a chat with their guests over a cup of herbal tea served in their salon. www.visitljubljana.com (the Tours and Trips section) When you are in Polhov Gradec, you can also taste the delicacies contained in the Bundle of Delights of Count Blagay’s Land: goat’s milk cheese, homemade salami and bread, and chocolate with bee pollen – all of them produced locally using traditional methods and wrapped in a neat bundle.

A Gift of Cheese to Say ‘I Love You’ In the summer, during the pasturing season, herdsmen on Velika planina, Slovenia’s largest pasture plateau, overlooking the small town of Kamnik, have for several centuries been making Trnič, a salty hard cheese with a distinctive pear shape made from cottage cheese, cream, and salt. In the past, balls of Trnič, lovingly decorated with special ornaments using carved wooden sticks referred to as ‘pisave’, would always be made in pairs as they were symbolic of female breasts. In the autumn, when the pasturing season was over, the herdsmen would give one of the pair of Trnič balls to their sweethearts as a token of love and faithfulness or even a promise of marriage, and keep the other one for themselves. The acceptance of Trnič was a sign that the herdsmen’s courtship was accepted, and the ladies would keep the gift for years to follow. Trnič can be tasted and purchased in the town of Kamnik. www.kamnik-tourism.si

Trnič Cheese; Photo: K. Brumec


14 City for Slovenia

Winter Fun on Ice

During the winter festive season, ice skating is a popular pastime in Ljubljana and its surrounding areas. Ice-skating enthusiasts can choose from both urban ice rinks and romantic frozen-over lakes in the city’s surrounding areas. In Ljubljana, you can go skating at the ice rink on the Trg mladih square in the BTC City shopping centre (www.btc-city. com), at the Lucky ice rink in the Savsko naselje area (www.drsaj.se) or at the ice

rink in the city’s central park, Tivoli (www.lumpi.si). Urban ice rinks are also located in the nearby medieval town of Kamnik, in the town of Domžale, and in the Zalog suburb of Ljubljana. If you prefer skating at natural ice rinks, you only have to go as far as northern Ljubljana, where the Koseze Pond is teeming with skaters in winter. Natural ice skating destinations within an hour’s drive from Ljubljana include Lake Rakitna, Jezersko, Bloke, Lake Cerknica, and Vrbje.

Ice Skating in Kamnik; Photo: Kamnik Tourism Archive

Ljubljana: A Perfect Base for Exploring Slovenia Ljubljana lies halfway between Vienna and Venice, at the crossroads of different cultures, geographical regions, and historical developments. It is a city where all of Europe meets and where the diversities of Slovenia merge together. Thanks to its central geographical position, Ljubljana is also an ideal base for exploring Slovenia: hardly any of the country’s iconic destinations are more than an hour’s drive from the capital.

Ljubljana is a City for Discovering Slovenia – a Trip to Bled; Photo: F. Ferjan

Ljubljana has a vibrant cultural life and a packed calendar of events, thanks to which it is a place where you can never be bored. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to spend some of your stay also on trips to places around Slovenia after you have seen all the capital’s attractions, experienced its relaxed feel, and perhaps taken part in some of the organized experiences available from Ljubljana Tourism aside from the range of regularly scheduled general city tours. You can take part in a culinary workshop, take a guided cycling tour of Ljubljana, fly over the city in a helicopter, explore the remains of the Roman city of Emona on a torchlit evening tour, go standup paddling on the green river Ljubljanica, and experience the city all the way from the river’s surface to the stars above Ljubljana Castle – to name just a few. For those who have exhausted some of these options and are eager to explore the rest of Slovenia as well, Ljubljana Tourism has designed an attractive array of organized trips taking from only a few hours to a full day to complete, available daily, many of them for a minimum of two people only.

Full-Day Trips to Slovenia’s Major Places of Interest

One of the ‘evergreen hits’ is the full-day trip Slovenia within a Day, which gives you an opportunity to visit the charming Bled lake resort, explore the legendary Predjama Castle, and round off the trip with a visit to the world famous Postojna Cave. You can also join a trip to the Alpine lakes in Bled and Bohinj, take a day to explore the Slovenian coast, or visit the

scenic Alpine valley of the river Soča and simply enjoy its natural beauty or join an adrenalin-fuelled white-water adventure. Another highly popular trip takes you to Škocjan and Lipica and gives you an opportunity to visit the famous Lipica Stud Farm and take a tour of the Škocjan Caves, a natural site included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Popular options also include a trip to Idrija, a small town famous for its history of mining and bobbin lace making, a trip to Maribor, the centre of the Štajerska region of Slovenia, a trip to the wine region of Goriška Brda and its endless vineyards and timeless villages, and a large number of other experiences organized by Ljubljana Tourism in collaboration with local travel agents.

Exploration of Ljubljana’s Green Surrounding Areas

Apart from exploring Ljubljana and the major attractions of Slovenia, you can also join a wide and varied range of trips and organized experiences aimed at

Predjama Castle is Visited on a Full-Day Trip ‘Slovenia within a Day’; Photo: M. Krivec

exploring the little-known gems of the scenic green region of Central Slovenia. You can take tea with Count Blagay at the idyllic Polhov Gradec Mansion, visit the Mayor’s Cave and get to know an amazing underground world just a short way from Ljubljana, or enjoy a cycling and culinary experience in the ‘Heart of Slovenia’.

Close at Hand

To cut a long story short: visit Ljubljana and experience the vibrancy of a capital city, with the ease of reaching and exploring the country’s major sights, and the wealth of little-known gems just a stone’s throw from the city. Simple, well-organized, close at hand. All the trips can be browsed and booked online. www.visitljubljana.com/en/toursand-excursions Uroš Črnigoj

Exploring Central Slovenia To make it easy for visitors to explore the scenic gems in Ljubljana’s green and diverse surrounding areas, Ljubljana Tourism has published a revised edition of the brochure Wrapped in a Big Hug: A Guide to the Central Slovenia Region. The guide, available from Ljubljana’s Tourist Information Centres and online at www.visitljubljana.com, provides a coherent overview of the region’s points of interest and tourism offerings and gives you plenty of ideas on how to round off your visit to Ljubljana in a unique and memorable way.


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16

A Library that Does Not Lend Books

In the Savsko naselje area of Ljubljana, the Library of THINGS has recently opened its doors. It is the first library in Slovenia to lend things like inline skates, longboards, record players, hammocks, tents, sewing machines, and other everyday objects. It is a sad fact that we often buy things that end up sitting in a drawer after being used just a few times. The new Library of THINGS offers a solution to this problem. The things available for borrowing

from the library, collected through donations, include home and garden tools, domestic appliances, sports equipment, equipment used in leisure and entertainment activities, art tools,

toys, and baby gear. The Library offers an innovative way of obtaining things that we only need occasionally and promotes the culture of sharing and

neighbourly help. In the future, the library premises may also be used for other activities, from various workshops to simply socializing. www.knjiznicareci.si Nika Pirnar

Ziferblat: ‘The Only Thing Not Free Is the Time’ Ziferblat is a place for socializing where you can really make yourself at home. You can have a cup of tea, help yourself to some biscuits or make your own coffee. And when the bill comes, you only pay for the time spent at Ziferblat. The Ljubljana Ziferblat is the world’s 13th Ziferblat to have opened its doors. It is a place for socializing where guests are actually microtenants and co-creators of whatever is happening there. It is neither a flat nor a café, but rather something in between, a space of freedom where you can do whatever you want: play the piano, play chess, talk to

complete strangers, read a book, prepare a snack and share it with friends, or perhaps do some work or have a meeting. The name Ziferblat, which means clock face in Russian and German (Zifferblatt), has associations with clocks and time, symbolic of Ziferblat’s policy of charging five cents for every minute you spent there. The Ljubljana Ziferblat is

Ziferblat; Photo: J. Birsa

situated in a luxury flat at no. 8 Vegova ulica converted for use as a social salon with a large

window overlooking the street. www.ljubljana.ziferblat.net Nika Pirnar

Creative Young Designers Ljubljana has been gripped by design fever. The profile of young Slovenian design talent is rising and an increasing number of projects are reaching beyond narrow consumer circles. The following is a report on what is currently happening on the young Slovenian design scene. An increasing number of young Slovenian designers are concerned about the environment, for which reason they tend to use locallysourced natural materials. Wood, for example, is the material of choice of Atelje Mali and a group of designers going by the name of Tok Tok. The latter are the proud creators of a small wooden iPhone speaker called Trobla, which has no electronic components or batteries. www.facebook.com/AteljeMali www.toktokfurniture.com An exquisite series of exercise books with cover designs themed on Ljubljana and Slovenia was sent to the shelves of stationery shops at the beginning of the new school year by Teja Ideja – Idejni obrat. www.tejaideja.com Creative urban gardens mainly in the form of vertical rows of pockets made of felt and suitable for indoor or outdoor use are being designed by Florideja. www.florideja.com A clearly nostalgic looking cookware collection called Polka has been created by the legendary Slovenian enamel cookware factory EMO Novum

under the artistic direction of the illustrator Milanka Fabjančič, who operates under the brand name HA HA. www.go-ha-ha.com Various useful everyday objects such as tote bags, backpacks, chairs, and even skateboards are decorated in a distinctive style by the illustrators going by the name of Numokk. http://numokk.bigcartel.com/ The artist Petra Varl creates simple, stylized drawings of ordinary people in everyday situations. Her works adorn schools, galleries, and a fair number of homes. www.petravarl.com

Some of the designers are active in more than one area. The designer duo Hausfold, for example, combine interior, furniture, fabric, and pattern design with photography. www.hausfold.com Kaaita, too, sets no boundaries for itself. Being a creative manufacturer, passionate about designing and producing things that have a positive effect on everyday life, it creates what it refers to as ‘things you like’. www.kaaita.com Another designer brand that simply has to be mentioned is Zulu Zion, a brand of socks

Ljubljana Themed Series of Exercise Books by Teja Ideja; Photo: Teja Ideja Archive

remarkable for their exceptionally vibrant colours and unusual pattern combinations. www.zuluzion.com Products created by Slovenian designers can be purchased online, from their respective websites, and from a number of shops selling unique handmade products in the city centre of Ljubljana, such as IKA (CirilMetodov trg 13), Zoofa (Breg 12), and Babushka Boutique (Gosposvetska cesta 8). The designers also present their work at the ARTish festival of creativity and the Christmas Artmarket. Tjaša Janovljak

Atelje Mali Creates from Local Wood; Photo: Atelje Mali Archive


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