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LJUBLJANA

February - March 2011

Prešeren Day

February 8th is Slovenia’s national

day of culture, which means no work

and free museums!

Pokal Vitranc & Planica

Two of Europe’s biggest ski

competitions take place in March

ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES

Contents

Arriving in Ljubljana 6

Getting around 7

Basics 9

Statistics, politics and where to find the loo

History 10

2,000 years in 800 words

Language 11

Culture & Events 12

Music, festivals and exhibitions 12

Cultural centres and venues 15

Ski Centres 19

A day on the slopes is only 20 minutes away

Where to stay 20

Business suites to hostel bunks

Despite being hidden away in the basement under

Kinoteka, Bon Appétit is one of Ljubljana’s most romantic

restaurants - of course the fact that it’s authentically

French surely helps.

ljubljana.inyourpocket.com

Contents

In 2011 Slovenia celebrates its 20th year of independence,

culminating in a major ‘Homecoming’ event that will be held

on 1 July in Ljubljana. See www.twenty.si for more info

Dining & Nightlife 29

Where to eat 29

Everything from A to V(egetarian)

Cafés 40

Enjoy one of Ljubljana’s favourite pastimes

Nightlife 39

Dance and drink the night away

What to see 49

Bridges, museums and the castle

Where to shop 58

The best of what and where to buy

Slovenia Wine Guide 64

Highlights from three wine regions

Directory 66

Lifestyle 66

Business 67

Maps & Index

Street Register 69

City centre map 70

City map 72

Country map 74

Index 75

February - March 2011

3

4 Foreword

What was predicted to be the coldest winter in years has

mercifully failed to live up to expectations, while ample snow

in the mountains and a recent spate of beautiful sunny

weather has left both skiers and fans of drinking coffee

at riverside cafés perfectly contented. We encourage the

former group to check out our guide to Slovenia’s numerous

ski resorts (p 19) - and vote for their favourite in our new

online poll - while the latter can find a couple of new places to

get their caffeine fix in our updated Cafés section (p 37).

After a slight lull in activity over the holidays there is also once

again a full slate of cultural events during the coming months,

including a series of concerts in honour of one-time Ljubljana

resident Gustav Mahler, English language stand-up comedy,

some experimental Yugoslavian films at the Museum of Modern

Art and a concert by Ethiopian jazz legend Mulatu Astatke,

among many others (p 12). You’ll want to mark 8 February down

on your calendar, as Slovenia’s national day of culture is not only

a work-free day but most museums, galleries and other cultural

institutions also waive their admission fees.

And finally, congratulations to all the winners and finalists

of our Best Ljubljana Nightlife poll, and a big thanks to the

thousands of people who cast their votes over the past

month - the results can be viewed in detail on page 47. As

always we welcome any and all feedback, be it on Facebook,

Foursquare, Twitter or even old-fashioned email.

Cover story

One of architect Jože Plečnik’s finest

creations, the National University library

(p 52) is known for its monumental

stature and somewhat imposing façade.

However, it is the exquisite attention

to detail which makes the building

truly amazing. One such example, and

a favourite subject of both amateur and

professional photographers, are the

incredible horse head door handles of the building’s main

entrance on Turjaška Ulica.

ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES

Ljubljana In Your Pocket

Drenikova 33, 1000 Ljubljana

Slovenia

Tel. +386 30 316 602

ljubljana@inyourpocket.com

www.inyourpocket.com

Director Niko Slavnic M.Sc.

niko.slavnic@inyourpocket.com

ISSN 1855-3486

©IQBATOR d.o.o.

Printed Schwartz

Published Published six times per

year

Maps Monolit d.o.o.

Editorial

Editor Yuri Barron

Writers Yuri Barron, Will Dunn, Craig

Turp, Richard Schofield, Francisco

Alvarez, Elliott Foxton, Patrick Byrne

Layout & Design Vaida Gudynaitė

Consulting Craig Turp

Photos Yuri Barron, Ljubljana Tourism,

Branka Jovanović, Dunja Wedam,

Betina Ribeiro, Flavio Takemoto

Cover photo Barbara Jakše and Stane

Jeršič

Sales & Circulation

Sales & Operations Management

Irena Jamnikar, Karmen Hribar,

Biljana Maletič, Katja Šneler, Mojca

Slovša

Europe In Your Pocket

In Your Pocket has broken much new ground of

late, publishing new guides in the Netherlands

(Den Bosch, Utrecht), in Austria (Vienna), in

Croatia (Brac and Senj), in Slovenia (Celje), in

Serbia (Nis) and in Switzerland (Zurich). A new

guide to Minsk, Belarus, will be the next In Your

Pocket to launch.

We have also begun rolling out iPhone apps to

all our cities. We will be launching even more In

Your Pocket guides as apps throughout 2011:

to find out which cities we will be covering, and

to keep up to date with all In Your Pocket news

and events, like In Your Pocket on Facebook

(facebook.com/inyourpocket) or follow us on

Twitter (twitter.com/inyourpocket).

Copyright notice

Text and photos copyright IQBATOR d.o.o.

Maps copyright cartographer. All rights

reserved. No part of this publication

may be reproduced in any form, except

brief extracts for the purpose of review,

without written permission from the

publisher and copyright owner. The

brand name In Your Pocket is used under

license from UAB In Your Pocket (Vokiečių

10-15, Vilnius, Lithuania tel. +370-5 212

29 76).

Editor’s note

The editorial content of In Your Pocket

guides is independent from paid-for

advertising. Sponsored listings are

clearly marked as such. We welcome all

readers‘ comments and suggestions.

We have made every effort to ensure

the accuracy of the information at the

time of going to press and assume no

responsibility for changes and errors.

Ljubljana In Your Pocket ljubljana.inyourpocket.com

EuroBasket 2013

At a meeting in Munich

o n 5 D e c e m b e r

2010, the Board of

FIBA Europe chose

Slovenia to host the

European basketball

championships in the

s u m m e r o f 2 01 3!

Slovenia’s love for the

game and success in

recent international

tournaments was a major factor in securing what will be the

country’s largest sporting event. Most of the games, or at

least the final ones, will be held in the new Stožice sports

arena in Ljubljana, while others will be held in soon to be built

sports halls in Novo Mesto, Maribor, Celje and Ptuj.

Ljubljana’s PR! among the finalists at 2010 Digital

Magazine Awards

The electronic version of PR! magazine, issued by Ljubljana

Tourism for tourism experts, foreign journalists, tour and

meeting organisers from abroad, reached the finals of

the Digital Magazine Awards 2010 in the category of

travel magazines of the year. Each year, the international

Digital Magazine Awards are granted to the best digital

magazines and their creators in fifteen categories. The

selection panel, comprised of luminaries from the digital

magazine industry, judges the magazines based on their

level of innovation, appealing style and design, content,

and effectiveness with target audiences.

Ljubljana IYP on Facebook

Can’t wait for the next

issue of Ljubljana In

Your Pocket? Visit our

Facebook fan page

to get your daily fix of

snarky comments,

travel and entertainment

news, restaurant

and nightlife tips,

and lots more random

Ljubljana-related info.

Some of our regular features include polls on the best of

what the city has to offer, date night recommendations

and videos teaching everyday Slovene. It’s also the best

place on the web to ask questions you may have about

the Slovene capital. And if that’s not enough we also

like to bribe our fans with things such as free restaurant

vouchers, chocolate and concert tickets. Besides, who

couldn’t use another excuse to waste time on time on

the internet?

ljubljana.inyourpocket.com

in the news

Gold Medal at Shanghai Expo

At the closing ceremony of the Shanghai Expo 2010, the

Slovenian pavilion, dedicated to Ljubljana, the current

World Book Capital, was awarded the gold medal for

creative interior design in the category of up to 2000m²

pavilions. This prestigious award places Slovenia

amongst the countries whose pavilions received the

highest acclaim at the Shanghai Expo 2010. The pavilion,

which at 1000m² was one of the smaller ones at the

exhibition, was designed by the architect Boris Podrecca

and the artist Matej Andraž Vogrinčič.

Ljubljana World Book Capital

Named as the UNESCO World Book

Capital for 2010, Ljubljana officially

ends its reign on 23 April 2011. The

honour has been both a recognition

of Slovenia’s long-standing literary

tradition, as well as an affirmation of

Ljubljana’s status as an international

tourist destination. Since the first

Slovene book was published by Primož

Trubar in 1550, literature has held

an especially important place in

Slovenia’s cultural landscape, and as

recently as 20 years ago the country led Europe in books

published per capita. There are still many events left on

the Book Capital programme - see www.visitljubljana.

com for a full listing.

ljubljana.inyourpocket.com

February - March 2011

5

6 Arriving in LjubLjAnA

Officially part of the Schengen zone since late 2007 and

nearly completely surrounded by other Schengen-agreement

countries, entering Slovenia has never been easier.

With a well-developed system of buses, trains and highways

throughout the country, getting around is also fairly

easy. The centre of Ljubljana is relatively small, meaning

public transport is rarely, if ever, needed when in town.

Arriving by plane

Ljubljana‘s cosy little Jože Pučnik Airport is 26km northwest

of the city, near Brnik. Getting there takes about

30 minutes by taxi (€35-45) or shuttle (€5-8, schedule is

coordinated with flights) and roughly twice as long by bus

(€4.10, up to 16 per day between 05:00-20:00). Check the

airport‘s website for a complete schedule.

Arriving by train

Once you‘ve worked out the tunnel and stair system and

made it to the main train station building, find everything

you need including an ATM and press stand selling top-up

cards (but alas no SIM cards) for prepaid SIM accounts.

Left luggage is provided courtesy of 80 coin-operated

lockers with instructions in English on platform Nº1, with

the toilets conveniently located next door. The station also

boasts a surprisingly good Tourist Information Centre, a

train information bureau immediately to the right and currency

exchange opposite (open daily from 10:00 - 19:00,

Sat 08:00-15:00, Sun closed). Getting to town depends

as always on where you‘re planning to stay and how fit

you are. Many central hotels are within reasonable walking

distance. Alternatively, find taxis outside, and make sure

the meter is running before you depart.

Arriving by bus

All national and international buses arrive at the central

bus station which is located directly in front of the main

train station. The ‚temporary‘ prefabricated station building

features little in the way of facilities for recent arrivals,

making a trip to the train station almost compulsory. Perhaps

the only one of its kind in the world, the bus station

does however contain a Sixt car rental kiosk, with the only

other useful facility being a small internet café for which

tickets can be acquired from ticket window Nº1. Getting to

town is the same as described above.

Located on Erjavceva just south of Tivoli, this graffiti was

apparently done to commemorate the sixteenth issue of

Ljubljana In Your Pocket

A Word From Our Mayor

For me, Ljubljana is the most beautiful city in the the world

– unique for its special position in the heart of Slovenia.

As a city with rich history and cultural heritage, it attracts

ever more visitors every year from near and far. The most

important ambassadors for Ljubljana are undoubtedly

our residents, who live the intercultural dialogue and with

their openness, kindness, and hospitality always ensure

a touch of comfort and warmth.

Welcome to Ljubljana!

Arriving by car

Driving to Ljubljana is a joy due to the good roads and

excellent signposting. The city is circled by a ring road

from where it‘s easy to get to the centre. Simply follow the

parking signs for convenient places to leave your car near

the city centre. Once in the city, it‘s best to walk the short

distances rather than drive through the heavy traffic and

narrow street. Also, if you‘re staying in Old Ljubljana be

aware that it is largely a pedestrian only zone.

If Things Go Wrong

The emergency number is 112 for fire, rescue,

andambulance and 113 for police. If possible, find

someonewho speaks Slovene to help you make the

call sincethere is no guarantee of finding an English

speaker onthe other end.The nearest Casualty Unit

(Emergency Room) to thecity center can be found at

University Medical Centerat Zaloška cesta 2, Ljubljana

(D-2) and emergencytreatment is free for members of

EU, EEA, andSwitzerland. We also list local pharmacies,

dentists, andother services in the directory. You

can find it here. If you find yourself in trouble with the

police, call yourembassy immediately. The numbers for

all embassiescan be found here under Foreign Representation

in the directory.Useful Emergency Words:

NA POMOČ! (NAH POH-MOCH) - HELP!

gasilci (GAH-SEELT-SEE) - firemen

policija (POH-LEET-SEE-AH) - police

bolnišnica (BOW-NEESH-NEET-SA) - hospital

Zoran Janković

Mayor

Ljubljana In Your Pocket ljubljana.inyourpocket.com

Urbana Card

Th e c i t y b u s

operator, LPP,

has finally int

r o d u c e d t h e

l o n g - a w a i t e d

U r b a n a C a rd,

a form of electronic

ticketing

that will eventuall

y replace

t h e p r e v i o u s

hodge-podge

system of payment

that included

tokens,

coins and photo ID cards. The credit card-sized smart

card is similar to those already used in other cities,

such as London’s Oyster Card and Paris’ Navigo Pass.

The cards can be purchased for a one-time fee of €2

at many locations including various tobacconists and

news-stands, tourist offices, the central bus station

and LPP offices at Bavarski Dvor and Celovška Cesta

160. Credit can be added for any amount between

€1-50 at these same locations as well as some three

dozen green Urbanomati machines scattered around

town. When getting on the bus simply touch the card

to one of the green card readers at the front entrance

and €0.80 will be deducted from the card allowing 90

minutes of travel, including unlimited transfers.

Public Transport

Although most of Ljubljana‘s sights are within easy walking

distance for even the most unfit and/or laziest of people

(and you can trust us as we‘re proud card carrying members

of both groups), there is a far-reaching and fairly efficient

bus network for reaching attractions farther afield,

such as the Zoo, BTC shopping centre or even distant

Šmarna Gora, or for those interested in seeing what the

city looks like outside the city centre. Although you may

be lucky enough to see some Tito-era antiques plying the

roads, the entire fleet is currently being modernised, so

most of the time you can expect a comfortable ride. While

nearly every stop has a schedule displayed, at most only

the frequency of departures is listed, which can make for

some frustratingly long waits. With the newly introduced

Urbana Card, 90 minutes of travel with unlimited transfers

costs only €0.80.

Trains

Slovenian Railways (Slovenske Železnice) does an admirable

job of running an efficient network with clean modern

trains that are usually on time. Their website (www.slozeleznice.si)

contains a wealth of information in English,

including live information on train delays as well as an

online timetable. See the national and international train

schedules in this guide for the main destinations.

Train Station (Železniška Postaja) E-1, Trg Osvobodilne

Fronte, tel. (+386) 1291 33 32, potnik.info@

slo-zeleznice.si, www.slo-zeleznice.si. Full of nice touches

such as little conveyor belts for taking heavy bags up to the

platforms, Ljubljana‘s reasonably central train station just

north of the main action is slated for demolition, to be replaced

by a truly fabulous new building in 2010. See Arriving for

ljubljana.inyourpocket.com

getting Around

information on several of the station‘s facilities, plus, if you‘re

planning on leaving town, the ticket office straight out of a

1970s disco movie is to the left of the main entrance, with

signs and departure screens in English.

Buses

Bus Station (Avtobusno Postajališče) D/E-1, Trg

Osvobodilne Fronte, tel. (+386) 12 34 46 00, fax (+386)

12 34 46 01, avtobusna.postaja@ap-ljubljana.si, www.

ap-ljubljana.si. Essentially a large caravan without any

wheels, Ljubljana‘s temporary central bus station couldn‘t

be easier to use. Enter through one of the doors at either

end, buy a ticket from one of the kiosks, and away you go.

Some tickets can be bought directly from the driver, but you

should always check in the bus station to make sure. The

bus station operates many national routes as well as regular

international services. QOpen 05:00 - 22:30, Sat 05:00 -

22:00, Sun 05:30 - 22:30.

Car rental

The speed limit is 50km/hr in built-up areas, 90-100km/

hr on main roads, 130km/hr on highways. Cars must

use headlights at all times and must have a spare wheel,

warning triangle, spare lightbulb, first aid kit and, in winter,

either snow chains or winter tyres. The alcohol limit is

0.05%. The traffic information centre has road webcams

and maps of current traffic problems at www.promet.si.

Budget D-3, Miklošičeva 3, tel. (+386) 14 21 73 40,

info@budget.si, www.budget.si. Cars from €40 per day.

QOpen 08:00 - 16:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 12:00. Airport office

tel. (04) 201 43 00, open 07:00-23:00.

Europcar D-2, Dalmatinova 15, tel. (+386) 31 38 20

52, reservations@europcar.si, sl.europcar.si. Cars from

€36 per day. QOpen 08:00 - 18:00, Sat 08:00 - 15:00,

Sun 08:00 - 12:00. Airport office tel. (04) 236 79 90, open

08:00-21:00.

Airport

Ljubljana Airport (Letališče Jožeta Pučnika)

Zgornji Brnik 130a, tel. (+386) 42 06 10 00, fax (+386)

42 02 12 20, info@lju-airport.si, www.lju-airport.si. Well

connected to the Balkans and most major European destinations,

Ljubljana‘s Jože Pučnik Airport, 26km northwest of the

city, is as small and efficient as the rest of the country. There‘s

free Wi-Fi for internet addicts, a buffet-style restaurant, a

couple cafés, a bank (with ATM) and currency exchange office

Vinjeta - A Ticket to Drive

Vinjeta www.dars.si. Slovenia requires

all motor vehicles travelling on

Slovenian highways to have a vinjeta

(veen-yeh-tah) sticker. This system

exists in lieu of tolls, and the vinjeta

can be easily obtained at nearly all

gas stations and kiosks.

Yearly/monthly/weekly stickers are

€95/30/15 for cars and yearly/half-yearly/weekly ones

are €47.50/25/7.50 for motorcycles. Also be aware

that border police will likely not remind you to purchase

a vinjeta when entering the country, but are highly likely

to issue you a steep fine when leaving if you’ve failed to

do so. For more info check www.dars.si.

February - March 2011

7

8 getting Around

Taxis

Ljubljana’s taxis are safe, clean and generally reliable.

The starting rate is usually between €0.80-1.50 with

a per kilometre rate of €0.70-1.70, depending on the

company, time of day and number of passenger. Waiting

usually costs €15-20 per hour. Ordering a taxi by phone

will get you lower rates for longer distance trips.

Elit Taxi Tel. (+386) 41 752 751, elit@elit-taxi.si,

www.elit-taxi.si. This friendly well-run taxi company

offers city and airport transfers in a fleet of spotless

new cars and vans. They will also happily drive you

pretty much anywhere in Slovenia (or even surrounding

countries) with special rates for return trips.

Metro Taxi M-3/4, Litijska 16, tel. (+386) 80

11 90.

Taxi Društvo Ljubljana C-2, Gosposvetska 10,

tel. (+386) 1234 90 00, info@taxi-ljubljana.si,

www.taxi-ljubljana.si.

(open 07:00 - 19:00) and a post office (open 08:00 - 18:00,

Sat 07:00-12:00, Sun closed). Getting there takes about 30

minutes by taxi (€35-45) or shuttle (€5-8, schedule is coordinated

with flights) and roughly twice as long by bus (€4.10,

up to 16 per day between 05:00-20:00). Check the airport‘s

website for a complete schedule. QOpen 00:00 - 24:00.

Open 24hrs, airport information from 07:00-23:00.

Airlines

Adria Airways (JP) K-2, Kuzmičeva 7, tel. (+386) 13 69

10 00, fax (+386) 14 36 88 06, booking@adria.si, www.

adria.si. Slovenia‘s flag carrier. Direct flights to Amsterdam,

Athens, Barcelona, Birmingham, Brussels, Bucharest, Copenhagen,

Dublin, Frankfurt, Instanbul, Kijev, London Gatwick,

Manchester, Moscow, Munich, Ohrid, Oslo, Paris-Charls de

Gaulle. QOpen 08:00 - 19:00, Sat 08:00 - 12:00. Airport

office phone: 04 259 43 38 Open: 05:30-24:00

Air France (AF) B-4, Igriška 5, tel. (+386) 12 44 34

47, fax (+386) 12 44 34 48, mail.cto.lju@airfrance.fr,

www.airfrance.si. Flights to Paris CDG. QOpen 09:00 -

17:00. Closed Sat, Sun.

National bus schedule

From Ljubljana To Ljubljana

First Last City First Last *

06:00 22:30 BLED 05:00 22:30 18-22

10:15 20:10 CELJE 04:50 18:10 5-9

05:10 22:30 GROSUPLJE 04:23 21:45 50

17:20 MURSKA

SOBOTA

05:45 1

05:30 23:00 POSTOJNA 06:07 21:10 20

11:35 17:20 MARIBOR 06:52 13:35 3-4

05:30 23:00 NOVA GORICA 04:45 19:45 15

06:00 21:35 KOPER 04:56 19:30 13

05:30 19:30 JESENICE 05:44 20:44 14

05:15 23:00 KRANJ 04:20 22:15 50

07:10 22:25 NOVO MESTO 05:45 15:28 10

05:30 19:30 KRAJNSKA 05:20 20:20 15

GORA

All buses depart daily. Schedule valid until 31 December

2010. *Buses per day

International train schedule

From Ljubljana To Ljubljana

First Last City First Last *

06:15 21:15 BELGRADE 05:50 21:50 4

02:00 08:40 BUDAPEST 12:03 16:35 2

08:05 07:25 GRAZ 06:34 18:37 4

09:27 23:50 MUNICH 08:27 23:40 3

09:27 23:50 PRAGUE 07:14 17:11 2

09:27 23:50 SALZBURG 01:34 14:12 3

02:30 VENICE 21:20 1

05:45 17:25 VIENNA 07:56 15:57 3-8

07:26 23:50 VILLACH 04:07 19:27 7

02:00 21:15 ZAGREB 07:00 23:35 7

20:48 ZURICH 21:40 1

All trains depart daily. Schedule valid until December

11, 2010. *Trains per day

Austrian Airlines (OS) Ljubljana Airport, tel. (+386)

42 02 01 22, office.ljubljana@aua.com, www.aua.com.

Flights to Vienna. QOpen 06:30 - 18:00, Sat 06:30 - 15:30,

Sun 06:30 - 10:00.

Brussels Airlines (SN) Ljubljana Airport, tel. (+386)

42 06 16 56, www.brusselsairlines.com. Flights to Brussels.

QOpen 16:00 - 19:00. Closed Sat, Sun.

Czech Airlines (OK) Ljubljana Airport, tel. (+386) 42

06 17 50, lju@czechairlines.com, www.czechairlines.

com. Flights to Prague. QOpen 08:00 - 16:00. Closed

Sat, Sun.

Easyjet (EZY) Ljubljana Airport, tel. (+44) 87 06 00

00 00, www.easyjet.com. Flights to London Stansted and

Paris CDG. Q Airport office tel. (+386) 4 206 16 77. Open

two hours before flights.

Lufthansa C-2, Gosposvetska 8, tel. (+386) 14 34

72 46, lufthansa@adria.si, www.lufthansa.de. QOpen

08:30 - 16:00. Closed Sat, Sun.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) , tel. (+45) 70 10

20 00, www.flysas.com.

Turkish Airlines (TK) Ljubljana Airport, tel. (+386) 4

206 16 80, thyljubljana@siol.com, www.turkishairlines.

com. Flights to Istanbul.

International bus schedule

From Ljubljana To Ljubljana

First Last City First Last *

12:57 20:20

BANJA LUKA 13:30 13:30 1-3

10:00 22:25 BELGRADE 00:50 21:00 2-3

05:10 05:10 BOLOGNA 15:20 15:20 1

19:45 19:45 BRNO 16:20 16:20 0-1

05:10 08:15 MESTRE

(VENICE)

11:30 17:10 2

18:30 18:30 MUNICH 19:45 19:45 0-1

20:00 20:00 SARAJEVO 15:15 20:40 1-2

20:45 20:45 SOFIA 15:30 15:30 1

15:30 16:00 SKOPJE 15:30 17:00 1-2

05:10 06:35 TRIEST 14:00 19:30 1-2

01:00 01:00 ZAGREB 16:00 16:00 1

All buses depart daily. Schedule valid until 31 December

2010. *Buses per day

Ljubljana In Your Pocket ljubljana.inyourpocket.com

Drinking

Alcohol is only sold to people over 18, and sadly after 21:00

it cannot be bought in stores.

Electricity

Like most European countries, Slovenia’s voltage is 220 volts

AC, 50 Hz, and the country uses European two-pin plugs.

Money

Slovenia adopted the euro in January 2007. Euro coins come in

denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, 1 and 2 euros,

while banknotes come in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500

euros. The Slovenian side of the euro coins are decorated with

among other things storks, Mount Triglav, Lippizaner horses,

a man sowing stars and a Jože Plečnik design.

Politics

The Republic of Slovenia is a parliamentary democracy. The

president, Dr DaniloTürk, was elected in 2007. Borut Pahor has

been the prime minister since 2008. The next parliamentary

elections will be in September 2012. The government consists of

the PM and 15 ministers, of which two are without portfolio.

Basic data

Population

Slovenia 2,053,355 (2009)

Ljubljana 266,845 (2004)

Area

20,273 square kilometres

Ethnic composition

Slovenian 83%, Former Yugoslav minorities 5.3%,

Hungarian, Albanian, Roma, Italian and others 11.7%

Official languages

Slovenian, Italian, Hungarian

Local time

Central European (GMT + 1hr)

Longest river

Sava (221km in Slovenia)

Highest mountain

Triglav 2,864m.

Borders

Austria 318km, Italy 280km, Hungary 102km,

Croatia 670km

ljubljana.inyourpocket.com

Climate

Temperature, °C

30

20

10

0

-10

-20

J

Exchange rates

Market values

bAsiCs

Rainfall, mm

150

120

F M A M J J A S O

N

D

Religion

Although Slovenians are traditionally Roman Catholic, the

most recent Eurobarometer Poll in 2005 found that only 37%

of the population believe in a god, with 16% atheists and the

rest of them believing in ‘something’.

Smoking

Cigarettes can’t be sold to people under 18. Slovenia recently

banned smoking from public indoor spaces except in special

smoking areas in offices, hotels and bars.

Tipping

It’s not traditional to tip in Slovenia, though a reward of about 10%

for good service in a restaurant or bar is always appreciated.

Toilets

Clean and pleasant public toilets can be found at the Dragon

Bridge (Open 07:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun), in the Plečnik

Passageway (Open 07:00 - 20:00. Closed Sun) and at the

Triple Bridge (Open 07:00 - 21:00).

1 EUR € = 1.34 US$ = 0.84 UK£ = 1.29 CHF

= 1.35 AU$ = 110 ¥ = 8.85 CNY

(20 January, 2011)

90

60

30

Compared to the rest of Western and Central Europe,

prices in Slovenia are still fairly competitive despite noticeable

increases since the introduction of the Euro in 2007.

Here are some typical everyday products and prices:

Product Price

McDonald’s Big Mac €2.40

Slice of pizza € 1.80

Slice of burek € 2.00

Cup of coffee € 1.10

Bottle of name brand vodka € 12.50

Decent bottle of local wine € 3.50

Bottle of local beer in a shop € 0.90

Pint of beer in a pub € 2.40

Pack of cigarettes € 2.50

Single bus ride € 1.00

Movie ticket € 4.90

Postcard € 0.30

Litre of petrol € 1.10

Taxi ride across town € 5.00

Fine for parking illegally € 40

February - March 2011

9

10 history

Many of Ljubljana’s streets are named for major European cultural figures, such as Beethoven

Evidence suggests that people first populated the area known

today as Slovenia as far back as 250,000BC. People were known

to have settled in the area around Ljubljana by around 400BC

when the Celts started arriving.

Roman times

With the expansion of Julius Caesar’s empire comes the

establishment of the Roman town Emona on the left bank of

the Ljubljanica, of which some remains can still be found in

today’s Ljubljana. Thriving for a relatively short period of time,

Emona is abandoned some time during the 6th century AD,

and the region is invaded several times by the Huns and other

early Germanic tribes.

Medieval Ljubljana

Ljubljana is first mentioned in writing in 1144. The now primarily

Slavic city is invaded by the Habsburgs, who control the city and

Slovenia almost uninterrupted up until WWI. The city expands

during the first few hundred years of this period and the basic

shape of the Old Town as it is today is laid out.

16th to 18th Centuries

Protestant influence grows with the Reformation and continued

Austrian occupation. The first book in Slovenian is published in

1550. The city is seriously damaged by the earthquake of 1511

and much of the city is rebuilt in the Baroque style.

19th Century

Napoleon visits the city in 1809 and makes it the capital of the

Ilirske province. As with many occupied countries in this part

of the world, a national awakening takes place during the 19th

century. Slovenian becomes Slovenia’s official language, the first

college is founded, and the city grows into the shape and form

it more or less is to this day. Ljubljana’s importance is boosted

by the arrival of the first railway in 1849. After much of the city

is destroyed by the huge earthquake of 1895, the city is almost

completely rebuilt at the start of the 20th century. The Old Town

is preserved practically intact.

Between the wars

After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire Slovenia

becomes part of the State, and then the Kingdom of

the Slovenes, Croats and Serbs on December 1, 1918,

which subsequently becomes the Kingdom of Yugoslavia

in 1929. The Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik (1872-

1957) builds many of his most important buildings in the

capital between the two World Wars. Slovenia is occupied

by the Italians, Germans and Hungarians during WWII.

In 1945, Croatian-born Tito, whose mother was born

in Slovenia, establishes the Socialist Federal Republic

of Yugoslavia.

Socialism & Yugoslavia

Slovenia develops as the richest and most Westernised of

the Yugoslavian states. After the so-called Tito-Stalin split of

1948, Yugoslavia becomes much less oppressive. Yugoslavs

enjoy many freedoms and are even allowed to travel out of

the region and work in the West. Tito dies in Ljubljana on the

afternoon of May 4, 1980. Relative freedom and prosperity

doesn’t stop the region from suffering the same blows as

the rest of the Communist world, and Slovenia becomes

the first country to declare independence from Yugoslavia,

officially becoming independent on June 25, 1991 after the

population votes in a referendum in favour of the move on

December 23, 1990.

Independence & Beyond

After a slightly shaky start, Slovenia establishes itself as

the tiger of the former Yugoslavia. A shrewd combination

of nationalist pride and business acumen keeps much of

the country’s industry in local hands. Slovenia joins the

UN on May 22, 1992 and the EU on May 1, 2004, several

weeks before joining NATO. The local currency, the tolar,

is replaced by the euro on January 1, 2007. At the end of

the year, Slovenia becomes a member of the Schengen

countries, and in 2008 proudly takes over the EU presidency

for half a year.