Slovenia unveiled its new National Museum of Slovenia-Metelkova (Metelkova cesta 25) Thursday in a redesigned Yugoslav Army barracks in a grungy-but-hip neighborhood near the Ljubljana train station. Its first exhibition celebrates Primož Trubar, the 16th-century Protestant reformer who penned the first Slovene-language book. The museum’s permanent collection will debut this fall, featuring works of applied art such as iconic 20th-century Slovenian architect and designer Jože Plečnik’s dining room set and one of the lampposts he created for Ljubljana’s Tivoli Park.
Category: Ljubljana
Slovenia’s International Mountain Film Festival
The second International Mountain Film Festival opened last night at Ljubljana’s Cankarjev Dom and at Kulturni Dom Groblje in Domžale. The four-day celebration of mountaineering will present more than 40 films from around the world, from K2 to Slovenia’s Soča Valley.
Poetry in Ljubljana’s Prešeren Square
Ljubljana residents gathered before the statue of national poet France Prešeren today to hear a recitation of his poetry. Slovenia’s Culture Day, February 8, marks the date of the Romantic poet’s death in 1849.
Slovenia’s Culture Day
Slovenia celebrated Culture Day, a national holiday, Friday. Ljubljana’s museums offered free admission to mark the occasion. The National Museum, which was packed with families visiting a hands-on nature exhibit, even welcomed guests with bowls of candy and juicy Clementines. Learning is sweet.
Ljubljana’s Toško Čelo Hill
View from the balcony at the Pri Bitenc restaurant on 1,820-foot Toško Čelo.
The view, plus the hearty lunch (at right, ričet, a stew of barley, vegetables, and sausages), homemade grape juice and flancat (Slovenia’s answer to elephant ears) makes Pri Bitenc worth the hike.
Lampposts in Ljubljana’s Tivoli Park
Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik designed these lampposts for the Tivoli Park promenade in 1931. Of the sixteen now standing, some are restored originals, while others are reproductions. The National Museum of Slovenia has one of the originals, and plans to display it at its new Metelkova extension, due to open this spring.
Opera House Progress
Slovenian Philharmonic
THE Academia Philharmonicorum on Kongresni Trg, where Gustav Mahler was conductor from 1881 to 1882. The building is now home to the Slovenian Philharmonic, which this year celebrates the 100th anniversary of its founding during a political struggle between Germans and Slovenians in Ljubljana.
Ljubljana Sales
MANIKINS in the display window at the Nama department store flaunt Ljubljana’s post-holiday discounts, which officially began yesterday. The government here dictates the length of the sales and the maximum discounts; this year shops can slash prices by as much as half, but only for two weeks. Busloads of shoppers from neighboring countries are expected at retail mecca BTC City.
Jennifer Dorroh 
