How Far Would You Go

How
far
would
you
go?
How far
would
2
you
search
for your
roots?
Geography
Globeflowers on the slopes of Koro{ka.
3
4
She never liked the greyness of hotel mornings - she
wanted to spend the day before the start of the conference away from the capital city, to discover it a little bit
at a time. But where should she go? Maybe to where her
ancestors came from. To the margins, the sea and the
fringe of the Karst. She knew that the Burja blows there,
an unusual wind unknown on the east coast of her
American homeland. The hotel receptionist hands her
the keys to a car, advising her where she had to stop on
the way to the coast; at 10, wrapped up in a warm blanket, she entered the fairy-tale world of underground stalagmites and stalactites that is Postojna Jama; at 12 she
saw before her the magical world of the Secovlje saltpans
and realised that there are places that have escaped the
tourist swarms; at 1:30, she allowed herself a glass of
wine in a Piran inn that reminded her of holidays in
Italy; at 3, driving along the road through the picturesque Karst landscape, she reached the conservation village of Štanjel, continuing her route towards the vinecovered hilly landscape and winter-sports centre at
Bovec. At 5:30, she dropped down from the highest
Slovenian mountain pass Vršic, still marked by winter,
towards Kranjska Gora, sitting in the middle of the highlands before drinking her last coffee of the day at 6:30
on the terrace of a cafe by Lake Bled, with an island and
a small church in the middle. As she returned to
Ljubljana and her hotel, she decided to return next summer. But this time not alone, but with her family, proud
of the beauties of the land of her forefathers.
5
(Diana Oblak is an anatomist from Cleveland, a child of Slovene parents.)
How did Slovenia become Slovenia? The names Slovani, Slovini or Slovenci derive from the
root "slovo" (word) and mean people of the same word, i.e. those who understand each
other; thus like the predecessors of today's Slovenes, who first settled this territory in the 6th
century and a century later founded the first Slovenian state - the duchy of Karantanija, mute
Geography in numbers
* 20,273 km2 is the surface area of the Republic of Slovenia * 1,370
km of borders * 46,6 km of coastline * 2,008,516 population (30
june 3006) * 99.1 population density per km2 *
Nationalities: Slovenes 87.8%, Croats: 2.8%, Serbs 2.4%, Muslims
1.4%, Hungarians 0.4%, Italians 0.4%, others 5% * 50.1% urban
population.
7
6
Slovenia as paradise on earth
Foreign visitors are rarely unmoved by the natural beauties of Slovenia - the landscapes, peace,
attractive towns and villages and the like. But for me, more important attractions are hidden in
its social characteristics: how people live alongside one another. I imagined some indicator of
the spirit of a society - I notice whether people you meet on Golovec wish you a good morning,
whether pedestrians also have rights and so on. In the towns and villages, Slovenia ranks high,
something I've only rarely experienced. Slovenia compares well with other countries I've lived in.
I've lived in 13 countries - rich and poor, Christian and Muslim, democratic and autocratic. None
of them (except Australia, which is now our home) come close to the combination of attractive
features we found in Slovenia.
Don Hindle, Australian, professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of NSW)
witness to which is the stone Duke's throne on Gosposvetsko Polje (in what today is Austria),
on which the Karantanci crowned their dukes. In 745, Karantanija became part of the
Frankish state, the Slavs adopted Christianity and gradually lost their independence. The
Freising manuscripts also date from this period (the 10th century); they are the oldest
How far
would
8
you
reach
for
knowledge?
Society
The National and University Library in Ljubljana
9
Primo` Trubar (1508-1586)
10
He wanted to catch up with the times
in which he lived and move beyond a
Europe that believed in the permanence
of a system in which the earth was the
centre of the universe; he wanted to
reform the Slovenian Church and to
teach the people the lessons of the
gospels, and he wanted to reorganise
the Slovenian education system and lay
the foundations for the development of
Slovenian literature. Because he was a
man of a changing world, he had to
flee. To Nürnberg, Rothenburg,
Tübingen. Once there, he didn't
renounce thoughts of spreading his
views; he wrote for his countrymen and
had his first book printed in Tübingen for security under the nickname
"Illyrian patriot", just as the printer
Morhart hid behind the name Jernei
Skuryaniz from Sedmograška. The work
of the Slovenian protestant reformer,
founder and first superintendent of the
protestant Church in Slovenia, including several catechisms and translations
of individual parts of the Bible, were
placed in 1596 on the Vatican's list of
banned books and were later largely
destroyed. Two pamphlets from 1550
also escaped fire and oblivion. Trubar's
Catechism and Primer are today considered the first printed Slovenian books.
Primoz Trubar (1508-1586), central figure of Slovene
Protestantism and founder of the Slovenian literary language. He fled to Germany in the face of persecution
from the Catholic Church in 1547.
preserved texts in the Slovenian language. In later centuries, the Slovenian lands became part
of first the Habsburg and then the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The mid-15th century saw the
11
Sunday morning in Ljubljana flea market...
Internet
More than one-quarter of the population use the Internet and electronic mail, ranking Slovenia
among the European average. Due to the increasing e-literacy of the population, a government
programme has enabled the construction of 246 Public Internet Access Points, and the government
has also adopted an e-business programme (e-government), which should remove the last administrative barriers and allow more citizen-friendly operations.
short period of the Principality of Celje, the last political entity based on Slovenian territory. The
Reformation established the foundations of the Slovenian literary language, bringing Slovenes
Education in numbers
* 447 elementary schools attended by around 170,000 pupils
* 98% of elementary school pupils continue at one of 141 secondary schools * 89 tertiary education institutions are attended by
around 90,403 students with around 15,000 students graduating
each year * more than 20% of graduates continue with
postgraduate studies *
Ljubljana open market
12
The Main Square of Maribor
A typical fairground
scene
Left> A hammersmith
Right> Tartini’s statue in Piran
13
Sitting out near the Ljubljanica river
Behaviour
When Slovenes enter a lift, they say hello, and
when they leave, they say goodbye. This is a
friendly custom, one that I accepted much quicker than the Slovenian way of driving. In fact it
says a lot about Slovenes, but it would be
extremely inappropriate for instance in
Manhattan, Hong Kong or Sao Paulo. I've been
living in Slovenia for so long that every time I
return to New York, I must stop myself from
greeting everyone who enters the lift, because
saying hello on every floor in such an environment would sound very strange (and saying
goodbye would come across as a provocation).
Michael Benson, American film-maker and publicist
their first printed book in Slovene in 1550 and in 1584 a Slovene translation of the Bible. During
the period of the Illyrian provinces (1809-13, half of Slovenia was part of the French Empire),
Slovenian national consciousness began to strengthen, reaching a peak in the year of revolutions (1848) with the demand for the unification of all Slovenes in a single kingdom within the
How far
would
14
you
follow
beauty?
Art and culture
Countryside of northern Slovenia
15
Previous page:
Detail of the church
on Jo{t
17
16
29 January 1944. A day like any other that winter: unpleasantly chilly. The reading
room of the new Ljubljana library is cold. It is closed to the public because of the frost.
Staff members are huddled together in a single room with a lit stove. The hours pass
slowly in the dead silence of the large building. The clock strikes ten, eleven … suddenly
a roar. The building, distinguished by its squares of red brick and stone worked in various forms shudders. The glass shatters, the doors of the reading room are blown off,
thick smoke and the smell of petrol waft into the room. Fire, heat and dust. The arrival
of the fire-fighters reveals that an Italian postal plane in German service has crashed
into the reading room. The cause of the accident: a fault in the flaps. The pilot of the
plane and a library worker lose their lives in the flames. 60,000 books also burn with
them. After the war, the reading room is completely renovated, and the library is
renamed the National and University Library. Critics today believe that the building is
one of the most important creations of the world-renowned Slovenian architect Joze
Plecnik in his homeland.
(Joze Plecnik (Ljubljana, 1872-1957), Slovenian architect who worked in Vienna, Prague and Ljubljana)
Austrian Empire (the unification of Slovenia programme). After the First World War, the failed
attempts at trialism (division of the Habsburg monarchy into Austrian, Hungarian and
The interior of Ple~nik’s National and University
Library in Ljubljana
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry by the architects Sadar-Vuga
Southern Slav parts) and the disintegration of Austro-Hungary, the Slovenian ethnic territory
was divided among four states; within the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (the
Like other small centralEuropean nations, the artistic
creativity of Slovenes during the
time of national rebirth was
linked to the lack of their own
state and political leadership.
The Slovenian language, which
for centuries preserved the
national identity, has now
become its greatest bastion,
while other art forms made decisive contributions to recognition
of the nation in subsequent
years.
18
Although Slovenes were involved
in all areas of art, the recognition of Slovenian culture and
creativity in the last decade has
been mainly marked by achievements in literature, theatre,
music and architecture.
Art and culture in numbers
* Around 4,400 new book titles in 2005 * 7,384,000 items in 61
public, 138 specialist and 54 higher-education libraries with a
total of 19 milion loans a year * 12 professional drama theatres
2 opera-ballet companies * 7 professional orchestras * more than
750,000 theatre visitors per season * 136 galleries and exhibition
grounds * 121 museums * 90 cinemas * 1,700 amateur cultural
societes *
Robba’s Fountain in Ljubljana
19
Traditional mask of Laufer (runner), Cerkno Carnival
Traditional interior:
a “black” kitchen
Previous page:
The monument to
France Pre{eren,
the greatest
Slovenian poet
Kingdom of Yugoslavia), the Slovenian territory was first divided into two administrative
units (the Ljubljana and the Maribor) before being united in the Drava banovina. Prekmurje
joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1919. Slovenes only got their own republic within the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia after the end of the Second World War
How far
would
20
you
fly
21
among
the stars?
Science and
social science
Evening sky over the hills of Notranjska (central Slovenia)
86513282306647093844 Science in numbers
3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679821480
22
Life covered with a veil of secrecy and a whiff of romance, due to
the battles won and wars lost on battlefields on the Rhine, Fort
Louis, Mannheim and Mainz; due to enthusiasm for astronomy
and ballistics, roguishness which meant that everyone who discovered a mistake in logarithmic tables would receive a gold coin as a
reward; due to a gift for negotiation that often exceeded the
diplomatic abilities of generals; calm and composure during military campaigns against the Turks, the French and the Prussians,
and the disappearance and mysterious death in the waves of the
autumn-cold Danube. The first known Slovenian military expert
who achieved shining success in war through practical application
of his theoretical inventions, a natural scientist and mathematician
who gained world fame (and a hereditary baronial title) as the
author of logarithmic tables that led to him becoming a member
of several European academies. In his theoretical writings he
reached for the stars, although he couldn't touch them at the
time. Today he can, Jurij Vega is the only Slovene commemorated
twice in the heavens - through the name of a crater on the moon
and a planetoid that orbits the Sun.
* 1693 foundation of the Academia Operosorum Labacensium
* 1938 foundation of the Slovenian Academy of Science and Art
today 375 research organisations * 5,253 full-time researchers *
Slavoj @i`ek (photo: Denis Sarki})
(Jurij Vega (17541802), author of
logarithmic tables.
Having calculated Π
to 140 decimal
places, he was for
many years the
world record holder.)
Slovenian euro coins.
23
The giant of Ljubljana
Zizek is a bundle of unlikely elements. He's arguably the brightest and most significant star in
Europe's philosophical cosmos, throwing out light by way of an infectious plundering of popular culture and an interest in the tabloid domain of Viagra and virtual pets. Crucially, he is a
theorist of the whole when the perceived wisdom is that grand philosophical theory is now
nether credible nor possible. ...
An American critic famously described Zizek as "the giant of Ljubljana". That charmed city,
untouched by the wars of former Yugoslavia, remains his home. It is dominated by a hill topped
by a castle and looped by bridges - the central feature in a redesign by the proto-postmodernist
architect Joze Plecnik. His grandly eccentric parliament was never built on the hill, but his
incongruous monument to Napoleon is visible among the medley of styles down below. The
perspective reminds me of the bird's-eye view of the town in Hitchcock's The Birds - one of
Zizek's favourite references. The philosopher's home is just east of the centre as it reaches
towards a kind of Slovenian Shoreditch of warehouses.
Guy Mannes-Abbott, The Independent
on 29 November 1945; two years later, based on the Paris peace treaty, the bulk of Primorska
was reunited with Slovenia. 1990 marks the beginning of the last period of Slovenian history;
after the first democratic elections in April 1990 and the plebiscite in December the
same year for a sovereign and independent state (88.5% of registered voters voted in
How far
would
24
you
drop
down
the
slopes?
Economy
The Church on Jo{t
25
Success stories always have an unusual beginning. One
example is the unique race in the last year of the war,
January 1945. Competitors tested the first pairs of massive wooden skis hand-made to the design of the ski
jumper Rudi Finzgar, which because of their side arches
were surprisingly similar to today's skis for carving.
Between the wooden skis and the later sales hit there
was a whole series of improvements by local experts,
including innovations on a global level. They support the rapid development of the only Slovenian
company that produces skis which, following a crisis in the ski market in the 1990s, today has a
new marketing strategy and new designs. As the
26 manufacturer of the most technologically
advanced skis and boards, the company from
Begunje in Gorenjska is linked to leading
international designers and produces skis
with excellent features, with fashionable and
exciting designs and an optimal balance
between skiing properties and price for all
categories of users. Elan is therefore a
word that means something. It represents a respected company and embodies the concept of success, a fact that
is confirmed by its sale of 15 million
pairs of skis all over the world.
(Elan d. d. is one of the most profitable manufacturers of winter-sports equipment in the world. It
produces more than 400,000 pairs of skis annually,
80% of which are exported).
Some macroeconomic indicators for Slovenia for 2006:
GDP pro capita: EUR 14,808 * Growth in GDP: 5.2% * Inflation:
2.5% * Export of goods and services: EUR 20.5 billion * Imports of
goods and services: EUR 20.7 billion * Unemployement: 6.0% (surveyed unemployement level according to ILO standards) *
The largest Slovenian exporters: Revoz, Gorenje, Krka, Lek, Impol,
Sava Tyres, Cimos, Prevent Global, Adria Mobil
Channel and Elan: special edition skis as shown in the magazine Wallpaper*
Joining the EU
There is another, much larger circle in Slovenia - its border. A circle that will open like never before. Yes, invasions, politics and wars from outside have formed the
history of the country, and it is a miracle that the heart
of Slovenia still beats and that its soul remains largely
untouched within its borders. But now, with the invasion
of its current and future European neighbours, Slovenia
is becoming part of a larger world. Many will experience
its abundant beauties and fruits. Equally, Slovenes will
become citizens of Europe and will step out of the circle to share the wealth of the outside world.
Cultural DNA will be mixed, and new identities will be
forged from the genetic material of history and memory. Slovenia, don't take too quickly from other countries,
but allow a new passion to emerge about the treasures
and possibilities of this country, and help establish high
standards for management in education and culture to
allow the European lifestyle to advance. The circle
should open in this way.
Steve Diskin, American, architect, visiting professor at ALU
favour), Slovenia declared independence on 25 June 1991. The Slovenian Parliament adopted
the new Slovenian constitution at the end of the year. On 29 March 2004 Slovenia became
27
a NATO member and on 1 May 2004 it joined the European Union. On 1 January 2007 Slovenia
also became a member of the Eurozone.
How
far...
28
to
paradise?
29
Tourism
Trenta in the Julian Alps
A legend tells that - after creating the world and carefully sharing beauty among the
countries of the world, sparingly and cautiously - God had a handful of pure beauty
which he scattered across the country known today as Slovenia. Although to foreigners it may seem no larger than a flowerpot, it does represent Europe in miniature
with its natural beauty and landscape diversity; here the Mediterranean temperament
meets the Pannonian melancholy, the apparent coldness of the Alpine world meets
the joie de vivre of the Karst, the urban bustle meets the sleepy gentleness of the
hills. They say that Slovenia is a pleasant country that calms the soul and invigorates
the body, because of its unspoilt nature, mild continental climate, the hospitality of
its people and the numerous springs of healthy water. The secret of the health-giving
properties of the waters was discovered long ago. The rich culture of thermal spas in
Slovenia is shown by excavations of remains from the Roman empire and written documents about thermal waters from the 12th century, and particularly the foundation
30 and expansion of existing health centres during the period of the rebirth of central
European spas; thermal and climatic spas in Bled, Laško, Dobrna and Rogaška Slatina
have - for more than a century and a half - intensively developed spa tourism, which
has developed into one of the more important branches of Slovenia tourism. Due to
the ever-more hectic pace of modern life, today it depends on the increasingly popular
wellness programmes - offered not just by fifteen spas but also by all modern hotels
and independent wellness centres - that in the heart of untouched nature combine
sporting activities with an active approach to life. The wealth of untouched nature, the
combination of experience, wisdom and the features of the country with the friendliness of the hosts ranks Slovenia not just as a country of growing interest for guests
seeking what they really want and need in Slovenia's mosaic of health and wellness,
but also as a country in great demand for organising various meetings and top-level
conferences.
Photo: Golf Bled archive
31
The colourful landscapes of Bled...
33
32
Local port of Piran
Oil rape field with beehives
Slovenia invigorates with natural beauty
Slovenia is roughly the same size as one of the four Japanese islands, Shikoku, but nature here
is incredibly rich and diverse. In this small area you can find everything: mountains, lakes, hills,
plains and even the sea. A true paradise on earth. Particularly recently, I've travelled a lot
around Europe, I've also visited other countries around the world, and I can say with certainty
that nobody else has such wealth.
Takashi Tokuhisa, Japanese, karate teacher and art lover
Almost 58% of the country is covered by forests
The canyon of the Tolminka River
Vineyards of the [tajerska region
Food
The [kocjan Caves
Of course foreigners quickly notice the food,
about which it cannot be said that it involves
small differences, because there's nothing
small about Slovenian food. If Slovenes have
ever heard of nouvelle cuisine, they've politely
listened and stuck to their old rule that a
guest must never leave hungry. If Slovenian
inns have large plates, it's not because they
want to arrange the meal artistically, but
because they want enough room for mountains of meat, sauce and potatoes. There's
nothing wrong with the quantity, and as for
quality - yum! I'll probably come back to
34
Slovenia for Prekmurska gibanica if not for
anything else. But also for evenings in the
ice-cream garden by the Ljubljanica or
stuffed calamari and seafood platters in Piran,
or ...
Special attractions:
Christian Moe, Norwegian in Ljubljana
Pr{ut drying in the Karst
The oldest Slovenian wine cellar in Ptuj
Famous Potica
* Underground caves: In Slovenia there are around 8,100 underground caves, 25 of them have been arranged for sightseeing; the Škocjan Caves are famous for their extraordinary beauty - since l986, they have been included among
UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, the most beautiful of them is the Postojna Cave, so far it has been visited by more than
30 million admirers.
* Cerknica Lake: The largest intermittent lake in Slovenia, and one of the largest in Europe, its surface can reach up to
38 km2. Its mysterious disappearing and reappearing has inspired many folk tales. On the basis of the research work into
the intermittent Cerknica Lake, the polymath J. V. Valvasor (1641-1693) in 1687 became a member of the Royal Society
in London.
* Fauna: The best-known representatives of the rich natural treasure of Slovenia are the Proteus anguinus or "human
fish" - the largest known inhabitant of the Karst caves - and the Lipizzaner, a native breed of horse; the stud farm in
Lipica - over 400 years old - is home to around 200, while there are only 2,500 in the world.
* Kraški Teran: A speciality among Slovenian wines is Kraški Teran, a dark red wine from the Refošk vine that grows in
the Karst. The red Karst earth (terra rossa) - a speciality among wine-growing soils - gives it its unique aroma.
The Lipizzaner horses
35
Tourism in numbers
* 55 natural spas and wellness centres * 26 casinos * 5 conference
centres and 15 places with congress facilities * 8 golf courses *
hotels of all categories, 8 of them of the highest class * 19 youth
hotels and Youth Hostels * more than 200 tourist farms * 50 camp
sites * 3 marinas with 1,900 moorings * more than 30 wintersports centres with 1,270 ha of ski slopes * more than 7,000 km
of marked mountain paths *
37
36
Gala dinner, Grand Hotel Union, Ljubljana
Casino HIT, Nova Gorica
Habakuk Wellness Centre, Maribor
How far
would
38
you
follow
a winner?
Sport and recreation
Lipizzaners grazing near Lipica
39
Harmony of mind and body. The tendons
snapped into action by the pistol shot. Body
in motion. Running. A view of someone who
seems to be running for life, for victory.
Speed. The hundredth that separates the
winner from the losers. Then a moment that
stretches into eternity. And memories; of
frozen fingers, because even at the start of
winter with temperatures around zero she
wanted to complete her training schedule;
of the running track in her home town, and
her first competition; tears of anger in
defeat and tears of joy in victory; parents
40 who - when it seemed she could do no
more - encouraged her and trainers who
believed in her; crowds always demanding
new victories and the little boy who wrote
to tell her that he was keeping the gift she
forgot a few days before on the winner's
podium ... Then disillusion. Lasting speed.
The final few metres with the shouts of
supporters in the background. The finish
line, the doorway to a new dimension.
Silence reverberating around the arena. A
glance at the scoreboard. Sounds return.
Unrepeatable feeling of happiness. Hands
that could embrace the world. 1:55.82.
World record. And alongside it the name
- Jolanda Ceplak.
(Jolanda Ceplak is the world indoor record holder at 800
m)
Although almost half of the population of
Slovenia do not participate in sport (a figure
somewhat higher than the European average),
Slovenes are still a sporting nation; not just
because in the past it strengthened national consciousness, but also because today you could
hardly find a Slovenian who could not recite the
achievements of Slovenian sports people - in ski
flying, downhill skiing, athletics, rowing - as well
as those in extreme sports - rafting, canyoning,
skiing, snowboarding and climbing.
41
Ice climbing in the Karavanke Mountains
Kayak on the wild waters of the So~a
Sports in numbers
* 1689 first written mention of skiing and ski equipment in
Slovenia * 1862 first Slovenian sports union founded * 1991
Slovenian Olympic Committee founded * 14 olympic medals * 287
medals in world championships * 6,400 sports societies and clubs
with 80,000 members
Divja jaga downhill world cup
43
42
A group of trekkers on Triglav (2,864 m)
Show jumping
Nature, health
As far as local customs go, I noticed something: older people here are still vital and young physically and in spirit. The smiles on their faces and what they radiate supports the old saying that those who know how to live with nature are repaid twice over. This must be learned
from the people here. Cleaning the lungs in every way.
Ana Ristovic Car, Serb, poet, translator and editor of the Balcanis Magazine
Golf
* Jolanda ^eplak, world indoor
record holder at 800 m
* Slovenian handball team, second
in the 2004 European
Championship
* Davo Krni~ar was the first person
in the world to ski down the
highest mountain in the world,
Mount Everest
* Alja` Pegan and Mitja Petkov{ek,
European champions in gymnastics
on the beam and parallel bars.
* Luka [pik and Iztok ^op, Olympic
gold medallists in coxed pairs
* Rajmond Debevec, Olympic
shooting gold medallist
How
far on
44
Friday
evening?
45
Leisure and free time
Ur{lja Mountain
46
Friday. A day when schoolbooks sit in a corner, when study materials are left on the
benches of lecture theatres, and a day when, for 48 hours, the monotony of offices
are enlivened only by the sound of air conditioning and coffee machines. Friday
evening. A time for fun and relaxed chats, the clattering of beer steins and wine
glasses, a time for snacks and toasts in old town centres, sitting in the summer along
the banks of the Ljubljanica and the pedestal of the monument to the Slovenian poet
and his muse, and also a time for numerous events, concerts and all-night parties for
the most persistent. But there are some Fridays that are particularly important for
young people. One such is every performance in the last three years by undoubtedly
the most popular Slovenian band, who excite not only teenagers, but also their parents. The only Slovene band ever to appear on MTV or to organise a concert with the
Symphony Orchestra of Radio and Television Slovenia was founded in 1995 and the
record-holder in the number of records sold in two months. Slovenes are at least
united in one thing - Siddharta are the best!
(Siddharta, the only Slovenian band to have filled the Central Stadium in Ljubljana at their concert on 13 September 2003)
Laibach in concert (photo: Laibach archive)
Leisure in numbers
* Ambasada Gavioli (Izola), K4, BOF, Fun Factory (Ljubljana) -clubbing * Metelkova Mesto (Ljubljana), Pekarna (Maribor) - concerts,
entertainment and subculture events * Špas theatre, Theater 55
(Ljubljana) - comedy theater * Cafe Teater (Ljubljana) - variete,
cabaret * 90 cinemas *
Music
The music scene in Ljubljana is exceptional. The diversity
and degree of musicality cannot be measured on the
Richter scale. If I had to mention anyone in particular,
I'd have to say that, for me, Magnifico is a star of the
same mould as Sly Stone, I like the funky Planet Groove
and the great people from Kuhinja. I've worked with
Siddharta on six songs; we began with an English ver- 47
sion of B-Machine. Supposedly Laibach recorded it a
while ago.
Shawn Thomson, English, songwriter and teacher
Laibach in concert (photo: Laibach archive)
Siddharta in concert (photo: Ivan Zupi~)
Clubbing...
Good to know
Holidays
1 and 2 January New Year
8 February Pre{eren Day, Slovenian cultural holiday
Easter Sunday and Monday
27 April Day of Uprising Against Occupation
1 and 2 May May-Day Holiday
25 June Statehood Day
15 August Assumption
31 October Reformation Day
1 November All Saints' Day
25 December Christmas
26 December Independence and Unity Day
48
Banks
Since 1st January 2007, Slovenia is a member of the Eurozone,
so the official currency is now euro. Visitors to Slovenia can
exchange currency and travellers' cheques, open bank
accounts, send cash and conduct various types of non-cash
transactions in banks. Banks are generally open during the
week from 9-12 and 2-5, with duty banks open on Saturdays
from 9-12. Money can also be exchanged in exchange offices,
at hotel receptions, in tourist agencies, at petrol stations and in
larger retail outlets.
The daily exchange rates can be found at:
www.bsi.si/podatki/tec-bs-en.asp
Shops
Shops are open without a break; during the week, generally
from 8-7 (with some private shops also open until 9 p.m.); on
Saturdays from 8-1; some are also open on Sundays and holidays. Payments are made in tolars, but most shops also accept
credit cards (American Express, Diners, Mastercard-Eurocard,
Visa).
Post
Post offices are open weekdays from 8-6, and Saturdays from
8-12. In the main towns, the head post office is also open in the
evenings and on Saturday afternoons. To use payphones, you'll
have to buy phone cards from post offices or newspaper
kiosks; www.posta.si
International access telephone number is 00.
Telephone country code is 386; www.telekom.si
Almost the whole country is covered by mobile telephone signals, while operators have signed contracts with major
European and global operators.
Electricity
220 V, 50 Hz.
with the January average 0°C, but during the summer it can get
very hot at the coast, and it can be fairly cold in the hills in winter. We recommend that you find out what sort of weather you
can expect before you arrive in Slovenia.
Radio programmes
Traffic information: on the RDS system after the news on channel 2 from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening in English,
German and Italian, and every weekend in July and August.
Holiday weather forecasts: July and August, channels 1 and 2
at 7:15 in English, German and Italian. Special information is
also added on the weather in the hills and the northern Adriatic.
News: international and local news every day on channel 1 at
10:30 p.m. in English and German.
Frequencies
Channel 1: AM 326.8 (918 KHz); FM 88.5, 90.0, 91.8, 92.0,
92.9, 94.1, 96.4
Channel 2: FM 87.8, 92.4, 93.5, 94.1, 95.3, 96.9, 97.6, 98.9,
99.9
www.rtvslo.si
School holidays
29 October 2007 - 2 November 2007 - autumn holidays
24 December 2007 - 2 January 2008 - New Year holidays
18 - 22 February 2008 - winter holidays for Ljubljana and Maribor
25 - 29 February 2008 - winter holidays (except for Ljubljana
and Maribor)
28 April - 2 May 2008 - May-Day holidays
Important telephone numbers
Police
113
Fire brigade 112
Ambulance 112
AMZS (Automobile Association of Slovenia) 1987
General info 090 93 98 81
Where to find additional information about Slovenia?
Government Communication Office
Gregor~i~eva 25, 1000 Ljubljana
Phone: +386 1 478 26 00
Fax: +386 1 251 23 12
www.ukom.gov.si
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Pre{ernova 25, 1000 Ljubljana
Phone: +386 1 478 20 00
Fax: +386 1 478 23 40
www.mzz.gov.si
Water
Water supplies are safe to drink throughout the country.
Office for European Affairs
Gregor~i~eva 25, 1000 Ljubljana
Phone: +386 1 478 24 50
Fax: +386 1 478 25 00
www.svez.gov.si
Weather
Due to the different climate zones - Mediterranean at the coast,
Alpine in the Alps and the Karavanke, and Pannonian in the
north-east of the country - you should bring clothes appropriate to the season. Average July temperatures are above 20°C,
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia
Dimi~eva ulica 13, 1504 Ljubljana
Phone: +386 1 589 80 00
Fax: +386 1 589 81 00
www.gzs.si
Spomenik svetovne dedi{~ine - UNESCO
UNESCO world heritage site
Regijski park
Regional park
Triglavski narodni park
Triglav National Park
Toplice
Spa
Igralnica
Casino
Mednarodno letali{~e
International airport
Konferen~ne zmogljivosti
Conference venues
Statistical Office of the
Republic of Slovenia
Vo`arski pot 12, 1000 Ljubljana
Phone: +386 1 241 51 00
Fax: +386 1 241 53 44
www.stat.si
Slovenian Tourist Board
Dunajska cesta 156
1000 Ljubljana
Phone: +386 1 589 18 40
Fax: +386 1 589 18 41
www.slovenia.info
Ljubljana Tourist Board
Gregor~i~eva 7
1000 Ljubljana
Phone: +386 1 426 71 11
Fax: +386 1 425 33 58
www.ljubljana-tourism.si
Cultural Centres in Slovenia
British Council
Center Tivoli, Tivolska cesta 30
1000 Ljubljana
Phone: +386 1 300 20 30
Fax: +386 1 300 20 44
info@britishcouncil.si
www.britishcouncil.si
French Institute Charles Nodier
Breg 22
1000 Ljubljana
Phone: +386 1 200 05 00
Fax: +386 1 200 05 12
biblio@institutfrance.si
www.institutfrance.si
Goethe Institut
Tivoli Center, Tivolska cesta 30
1000 Ljubljana
Phone: +386 1 300 03 10
Fax: +386 1 300 03 19
info@ljubljana.goethe.org
www.goethe.de
Italian Cultural Institute
Kongresni trg 13
1000 Ljubljana
Phone: +386 1 241 56 40
Fax: +386 1 241 56 43
iiclubiana@esteri.it
www.italcult.slo.it.tt
Not far!
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO? NOT FAR!
3rd edition
Publishers: Government Communicaton Office (Director An`e Logar, MA) and Slovenian
Tourist Board (Director Dimitrij Piciga)
Production: Nuit d.o.o.
Author of the text: Miha Trefalt
The quotations from abroad were published in the daily Delo in the series "Views of
Slovenia", in 2003
Photographs: Tomo Jeseni~nik, Lorenka Stropnik, Branko Cvetkovi~, Government
Communication Office of the Republic of Slovenia, Slovenian Tourist Board Archives,
Getty images
Print: Mond Grafika d.o.o.
Ljubljana, July 2007
CIP - Katalo`ni zapis o publikaciji
Narodna in univerzitetna knji`nica, Ljubljana
308(497.4)
908(497.4)
TREFALT, Miha
How far would you go? / [author of the text Miha Trefalt ;
photographs Tomo Jeseni~nik ... et al.]. - 3rd ed. - Ljubljana :
Government Communication Office : Slovenian Tourist Board, 2007
ISBN 978-961-6435-41-3 (Government Communication Office)
1. Gl. stv. nasl.
233951232