10 cultural highlights of Ljubljana

The Ljubljana Festival is one of the oldest in Europe since its beginnings date back to 1952. The opening of the festival, which marks each summer in the city with top artistic events, takes place at the Kongresni trg square. In recent years, a shorter winter edition of the festival was established as well.

The National Gallery, the Slovenia's foremost museum of historical art, celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2018. Its permanent collection includes, among other things, phenomena such as the Slovenian Impressionists and the opus of the painter Zoran Mušič. Despite its serious content it is extremely family-friendly.

The largest culture centre in Ljubljana does not have its own artistic ensemble. Instead, it hosts events. And it regularly hosts top names of all artistic genres. Every year, around 1000 culture events take place in the Cankarjev dom Centre.

Ljubljana boasts an exceptional history, which you can discover in the City Museum of Ljubljana. It was restless, full with dramatic reversals and left behind a rich legacy, ranging from the times of Pile-dwellers on the Ljubljana Marshes until today. In the basement of the museum you can see the remains of the Roman road, which ran right there in the 1st century AD.

One of the best things in summer in Ljubljana are evening projections of current top films in the courtyard of the Ljubljana Castle. Ticket prices are wallet-friendly, but we recommend buying them at least a day before the show, because of a high demand.

The permanent exhibition of the National Museum of Slovenia represents the legacy of prehistory, the Roman Empire, and the Middle Ages. There are some outstanding finds on display, among them also the Neanderthal Divje Babe flute, which is considered the oldest musical instrument in the world. A part of collections is on display at the museum building on Metelkova.

The opera house, built in 1892, has a rich history behind it. Its orchestra, opera soloists and ballet ensemble perform a rich repertoire of classical operas and ballet works. Even in 21st century, a visit to the Ljubljana Opera remains a premium culture experience.

Alternative Culture Centre Metelkova has been operating since 1993, when a group of activists occupied a complex of former barracks. Since then, many artists transformed it in a “do-it-yourself” style and created one of the most original spaces you will ever see.

In a picturesque building at the Kongresni trg square operates one of the oldest philharmonic societies in the world. Among its honorary members are composers Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms, and the violinist Paganini. Gustav Mahler also started his career here as a conductor. Its orchestra preserves its honourable tradition and regularly collaborates with renowned musical names.

The library in the Seminary Palace is the hidden pearl of the Baroque Ljubljana. Its ceiling was painted by Giulio Quaglio in 1721 with frescoes, which are, like all its interior furnishing, completely preserved. Since it was founded, it holds many valuable manuscripts and prints.