One of the more overlooked capitals in Europe, Ljubljana has actually a lot to offer. But first the facts. Ljubljana is the largest city and capital of the country of Slovenia. It is not particularly big, compared to other European capitals, with a population of just two hundred and eighty thousand inhabitants, but then again the whole population of Slovenia is just two million, so this is normal and to be expected by anyone who has thought enough about the problem.
Ljubljana sits at an elevation of two hundred and ninety five metres above sea level and is spread out on an area of one hundred and sixty four square kilometres. The story of Ljubljana has started somewhere around the end of 12th century and beginning of 13th century, though the exact date is hard to pin down.
The population density, in case you are wondering and cannot calculate yourself, given you already know the population and the area, is one thousand and six hundred people per square kilometre. The postal code, in case you want to send a letter to Ljubljana, is one thousand. The registration plate code, in case you are wondering if any of the cars passing you by are from Ljubljana, is LJ.
All of this information, of course, is not going to make you rush into the city. Furthermore, if you are looking for some venerable European town with a lot of castles, gothic buildings and somber atmosphere, look away. Ljubljana does have some gothic architecture and a very nice castle on top of the hill, overlooking the whole city in the middle of a great park for leisure walks. It is just that the charm and assets of Ljubljana lie elsewhere.
Ljubljana is today a very lively city with great events happening all year round and inherent sense of aesthetics. Even before noticing or knowing any of the festivals going on, you can see that Ljubljana somehow resembles a modern art project. It has astounding and perfectly placed graffiti in every corner you do not expect to find graffiti.
Even the dullest shop is arranged as if for a gallery exhibition. The theatre scene is vibrant, with important artists working in the different branches of theatre like contemporary theatre (SNT Drama Ljubljana is the best place for that), street theatre (ask for Ana Monro Theatre), physical theatre (for example Betontanc) and puppetry (look for Ljubljana Puppet Theatre).
There are, of course, many groups that specialize in modern dance, most of which you can ultimately see in Ljubljana Dance Theatre. Perhaps the most used venue for culture in Ljubljana is the Cankar Hall, named after Ivan Cankar, a Slovenian author and playwright. The hall, which actually has many halls, is used for many and varying events, such as art and music festivals.
Then there is Metelkova. Metelkova is an autonomous artistic neighbourhood and is just too wild to describe. The place used to be an army barracks (of the Austro-Hungarian army from the end of 19th century and beginning of 20th century).
However, in the early nineties of the last century (20th century), the seven buildings were turned spontaneously into artist studios, art galleries and nightclubs. Every night and every day, indeed, at any time you can find interesting people, you can witness some art performance or see a live playing band. The Metelkova project is ongoing, so to speak. One can spend days just studying one of the many walls decorated by Slovenian artists there.
This post was written by written by Izzy Smith
