444 SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE
Shopping & Entertainment
Slovenia has a lively and varied shopping culture that
embraces old-style outdoor markets as well as modern
malls. A wide range of handmade goods is available
includ ing crystal, black pottery and fine lace. Food items
are also of particularly high quality. As for entertainment,
the Slovenes are outgoing people. They enjoy spending
time in the country’s cafés and bars and the capital
city, Ljubljana, has a vibrant clubbing scene. Theatres
and concert venues can be found in all the country’s
cities. Several interesting local events, such as excellent
traditional music and art festivals are also held in
most big cities and towns.
OPENING HOURS
Shops are mostly open
from 8am to 7pm Monday
to Friday and from 8am to
2pm on Saturday. Only a
handful of food stores stay
open on Saturday afternoons
and Sundays.
MARKETS
The area around Ljubljana’s
Slovenska cesta offers the most
choice in the way of high-
street shops and depart ment
stores, while the nearby Old
Town is the best place for
luxury goods, gifts and souve-
nirs. At the northern end of the
Old Town, Ljubljana’s col ourful
main market offers a variety
of fresh fruit and vege tables as
well as delicates sen pro ducts,
dried herbs and craft items.
The Sunday morn ing antiques
and bric-a-brac market on the
Ljubljanica river bank is full of
potential discoveries. Most
towns have their own markets
selling fruits, vegeta bles and
home-cured meats.
CRAFTS AND SOUVENIRS
Slovenia is renowned for
its traditional handicrafts.
Quality crystal from the town
of Rogaška in the east of
the country can be found at
Galerija Rogaška in Ljubljana’s
Old Town. The delightfully
intricate lace made by the
women of Idrija is available
at Galerija Idrijske Čipke, also
in the Old Town. An especially
typical form of folk art is the
decoration of beehives with
scenes depicting village life or
wild animals. Painted boards
displaying beehive motifs and
black pottery are exhibited
in museums, but are also
sold in most souvenir shops,
including Etnogalerija Skrina
in Ljubljana.
Lavishly illustrated books
on Slovene architecture, the
natural landscape and folk
traditions are sold at book-
shops. Mladinska Knjiga
Konzorcij in Ljubljana is one
of the bigger outlets where
these books can be purchased.FOOD AND DRINKMany of Slovenia’s delicatessen
products make ideal gifts,
with pršut (home-cured ham)
of the karst region topping
the list. Other gourmet delights
include klobase (farmhouse
sausages), med (honey)
and bučno olje (pumpkin
seed oil).
Most food shops and
supermarkets stock a wide
selection of Slovene wines.
Alongside excellent Merlots,
Sauvignons and Rieslings,
there are a handful of out-
standing indigenous wines:
the dry white šipon from
eastern Slovenia; rich red
teran from the karst region;
and the gentler red refosk
from the coast. Strong
viljamovka (Williams pear
brandy), the splendid
brinjevec (Juniper brandy)
and delicious slivovka (plum
brandy) are among the most
popular local spirits.PUBS AND BARSMost places in Slovenia have
a downtown area with cafés
and bars. The Old Town in
Ljubljana and the Lent river-
side area in Maribor areCLASSICAL MUSICSlovenia offers a diverse
musical repertoire. The
Slovene National Theatre,
Opera and Ballet and the
Slovene Filharmonic are
among the best of their
kind in Central Europe.
Located in the heart of
Ljubljana, Cankarjev
Dom can claim to be one of
Europe’s finest cultural ven-
ues frequently hosting top
inter national performances.
Tickets for concerts are avail-
able from the box offices of
the venues themselves.FESTIVALSFestivals form an integral
part of Slovenian cultural life.
The popular Ljubljana Summer
Festival embraces classical
music, jazz, opera and folk
and usually takes place
from July to mid-September.
Other well-known annual
festivals include Druga Godba,
featuring ethnic music from
around the world, which takes
place in Ljubljana during May.
Tickets for both the Summer
Festival and Druga Godba can
be obtained from the Ljubljana
Summer Festival box office
opposite the Križanke concert
venue. The noted Lent Festival,
which covers everything from
pop to classical music on
outdoor riverside stages, takes
place in Maribor from late
June to early July.
Slovenia also has firmly
rooted seasonal traditions,
as evidenced by its famous
Pust Festival. Held in February
each year, this is regarded
as the most famous of
Slovenia’s pre-Lent carni vals
and involves riotous displays
of masked revelry.two of the liveliest places
for bar hopping. Clubbing
and live music are major
features of Ljubljana’s night-
life, although venues change
from one year to the next.
Fans of live rock should
head to Metelkova Mesto,
a former Yugoslav Army
barracks that has been taken
over by several alternative
cultural organizations and
transformed into a nest of
bar and club venues.