Ljubljana, European Green Capital 2016 - Visit Ljubljana

Ljubljana Tourism
                                                                                  Krekov trg 10
                                                                                  SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
                                                                                  T +386 1 306 45 93
                                                                                  F +386 1 306 45 94
                                                                                  nina.kosin@visitljubljana.si
                                                                                  www.visitljubljana.com

Ljubljana, European Green Capital 2016
Ljubljana is situated about halfway between Vienna and Venice. Its character and appearance have been
shaped by diverse cultural influences and historical events. While in winter it is remarkable for its dreamy
Central European character, it is its relaxed Mediterranean feel that stands out in the summer.

Ljubljana is a picturesque city full of romantic views, with a medieval hill-top castle towering over the
historical city centre and a calm river spanned by a series of beautiful bridges running right through it.
The city owes a great deal of its architectural appeal to the famous Ljubljana-born architect Jože Plečnik
(1872–1957), whose soul and vision are imprinted on Ljubljana just like Gaudí's are on Barcelona.

For the last decade, Ljubljana has been working hard to achieve high environmental standards. Its efforts
were first internationally recognised in June 2014, when the European Commission announced it as the
European Green Capital 2016 in recognition of its efforts to raise environmental awareness and decade-
long implementation of its sustainability strategy, Vision 2025, which sets out a range of green measures,
including a green public transport network.

In April 2015, Ljubljana received the Tourism for Tomorrow Award for 'Most Sustainable Destination' at
the Global Summit of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The jury pointed out that, following its
sustainability policy, Ljubljana has undergone a complete transformation.

                                                          The city's traffic policy encourages sustainable
                                                          mobility solutions. 2012 saw the closing of the
                                                          core city centre area for motorised vehicles.
                                                          Urban cycling is rapidly increasing in popularity
                                                          and the city's cyclists thoroughly enjoy riding
                                                          public bicycles, which can be used for free as part
                                                          of the BicikeLJ bicycle hiring network.

                                                          More and more public city buses in Ljubljana are
                                                          fuelled by methane in order to achieve a
                                                          reduction in CO2 emissions. Electric-powered
                                                          vehicles called Kavalir can be hailed for a free ride
                                                          within the core city centre area.

Quality tap water

Tap water in Ljubljana is potable without any prior technological treatment. Free drinking water from a
large number of public drinking fountains is available in the city's streets during the warm part of the
year, from April to October.

The first in the series of projects, events, and activities in celebration of Ljubljana's prestigious title of
European Green Capital 2016 is the project Water, created in partnership with the Museum and Galleries
of Ljubljana. Until 8 May, Ljubljana will host a modern museum exhibition and a programme of
accompanying events aimed at raising the general public's awareness of the importance of this life-
sustaining resource, which is too often taken for granted.

ACTIVE Ljubljana
Ljubljana has an impressive green identity. Green spaces account for almost 75% of its surface area. Its
mixed landscape is a patchwork of buildings, tree-lined walks, gardens, parks, green embankments, and
pocket woodlands. The city's forested surrounding areas offer great opportunities for outdoor recreation.

Outdoor physical activities popular with the residents of Ljubljana
include anything from traditional forms of exercise such as walking,
running, cycling, and inline skating to outdoor yoga and various forms
of fitness workout on trim trails and at the so called 'trim islands'.

The less traditional recreational activities available during the summer
months include, among others, kayaking and stand-up
paddleboarding on the river Ljubljanica. Stand-up paddleboarding
took both Ljubljana and Slovenia by storm this summer since it
satisfies the desire not only for relaxation, fun, and exploration, but
also for intensive activity and serious training. As the level of
strenuousness can be adapted to suit individual capabilities, it does
not require above-average fitness and is suitable for just about
anyone who can swim. In Ljubljana, you can try your hand at this
popular sport under the supervision of instructors.

At the moment, Ljubljana is the only European capital where you can
stand-up paddleboard right through the city centre, which allows
you to see the city from an interesting and unusual angle and
experience the Ljubljanica not only as a quiet river running through
wild and almost unspoilt nature, but also as a dynamic waterway with a vibrant urban character.

Both local residents and visitors make good use of the BicikeLJ bicycle hire network and the Ljubljana
Bike hire service, which offer a fast and easy way to travel around the city.

Popular destinations for the city's walkers, recreational runners, and cyclists are the river Ljubljanica
embankments and the city's parks and hills - the castle hill, Rožnik, Šišenski hrib, Golovec, and Šmarna
gora.

Another popular recreational spot is Mostec, a pleasant forested area in the immediate vicinity of
Ljubljana Zoo offering visitors a network of forest paths and a trim trail equipped to modern standards.
Several hiking paths run to the top of Rožnik and the nearby Šišenski hrib hill from one end of the forest
and to the Koseze Pond and the Path of Remembrance and Comradeship from the other.

The Path of Remembrance and Comradeship is a 35-kilometre recreational path encircling Ljubljana. It
symbolises dedication to a healthy lifestyle and serves as a reminder of the city's history as it runs along
the course of the military barbed-wire fence that surrounded Ljubljana during the Second World War. It is
mainly intended for walkers and runners, but along several sections of the path you can also find outdoor
workout equipment and, in snowy winters, cross-country ski tracks.

Just a short way from the bustling city you can visit the vast Ljubljana Marsh. The marshy plains of this
landscape park protected as a UNESCO site are crossed by a dense network of cycle paths. A number of
forest paths lead to the top of Mount Krim.

Ljubljana, with its Ljubljana Marathon, whose 20th edition was held this year, is also an important capital
of running. This international event is attracting more and more runners and supporters each year, and
its wide and varied programme of accompanying events and activities held over three days offers
something for running enthusiasts of all ages. This year, the number of entrants grew to more than
29,000, over one-fifth more than last year.

In the immediate vicinity of Ljubljana, you can find two of the country's 13 golf courses, which golf lovers
may already be familiar with as Slovenia has been named as the Undiscovered Golf Destination of the
Year 2015 by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO).

A perfect base for exploring Slovenia

Ljubljana lies at the centre of Slovenia, a scenic and diverse country where distances are short and major
attractions easily accessible. In the morning you can visit the stunningly beautiful Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj
or Soča Valley in the high mountainous region of the Alps, and in the evening enjoy the sunset in one of
the charming little towns on the Adriatic coast. The world famous Postojna Caves are only about 50
kilometres from Ljubljana and it only takes minutes to reach the peaceful and unspoiled countryside of
                                                          the city's green surrounding areas, which offer
                                                          endless opportunities for hiking, cycling, fishing,
                                                          and horse riding.

                                                         You can choose from a vast range of attractively
                                                         priced organised day-trips from Ljubljana offering
                                                         you an opportunity to visit the country's major
                                                         attractions and explore the distinctive features of
                                                         its amazingly diverse regions and the region of
                                                         Central Slovenia in particular.

                                                         For more information, visit the official website of
                                                         Ljubljana and the Central Slovenia Region at
                                                         www.visitljubljana.com.

City of DELIGHTS
The lifestyle in Ljubljana is refreshingly relaxed and the city life always vibrant due to a large number of
cultural events and excellent culinary offerings, which have, over recent years, become increasingly
popular with travellers from around the world. Despite being vibrant throughout the year, Ljubljana is
never crowded, which makes it a great place for visitors to relax and rest from the hustle of daily life –
just like the locals do on a regular basis, getting together at the city's countless cafés with outdoor
seating. To really feel the pulse of the city, it is perhaps best to go to the Central Market, which sells all
kinds of Slovenian specialties, or visit the Open Kitchen, a Friday street food market where delicious food
is freshly prepared by Slovenian chefs right in front of their customers.

The best way to explore the sights of Ljubljana is to get the Ljubljana Tourist Card, which grants not only
access to the city's major sights and museums, but also free travel on public buses, a free guided city
tour, unlimited wireless internet access throughout the city centre, and a number of other benefits at a
price that may be up to €80 lower than what one would pay without the card.

In order to offer visitors truly exceptional city experiences, Ljubljana Tourism has created a wide and
diverse range of guided city tours including anything from a historical exploration of the remains of the
ancient Roman city of Emona and architectural walks of Baroque, Art Nouveau, and Plečnik's Ljubljana to
a range of culinary tours for those interested in exploring the city's gourmet delights.

In 2016, a number of new, eco-friendly tours of the European Green Capital 2016 will be added to the
range of guided tours already available. The new tours will take visitors not only around the historical city
centre, but, in line with the city's sustainability strategy and friendly mobility policy, also to Ljubljana's
green hills, parks, river embankments, and gardens. They will range from walking and cycling tours to
stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and segway trips and will include even a super sweet guided walk
along the Ljubljana Beekeeping Trail. For more information and booking, visit
www.visitljubljana.com/en/tours-and-excursions.

Library under Trees

Library under Trees is a project aimed at
adding variety to the range of Ljubljana's
leisure activities. It offers visitors an
opportunity to borrow books, comic books,
magazines and newspapers in different
languages free of charge.
'The world's only 100% natural library'
operates through seven branch libraries,
making it possible for visitors to enjoy
reading in pleasant tree-shaded locations
such as Tivoli and Zvezda Parks, Ljubljana
Castle, and the Trnovski pristan
embankment, among others.

Culture

Ljubljana is a lively city. It displays a remarkable agenda of more than 10,000 cultural events each year -
including 14 international festivals. During the warm months, a host of free events liven up the public
spaces in the city centre area, helping to create a special atmosphere in the Slovenian capital.

The scope of musical events held in Ljubljana reflects both a rich musical tradition and a burgeoning
contemporary music scene.

The festivals that contribute most significantly to the musical life of Ljubljana include the prestigious
Ljubljana Festival, which brings together the world's biggest names in classical music, opera, and ballet,
the Slovenian Music Days, the Summer in Ljubljana Old Town festival, the Druga Godba festival, which
is considered to be one of Europe's best world music festivals, and the highly acclaimed Ljubljana Jazz
Festival.

In the summer, a large number of free festivals are held on open-air stages and city streets, one of the
most interesting being the ever-surprising Ana Desetnica street theatre festival. At the end of the year,
the city centre hosts a festive fair and countless entertainment events as part of the December in
Ljubljana festival, thanks to which Ljubljana is considered to be one of the most attractive European
capitals during the Christmas season and a must-visit Christmas destination. This year's December
festivities will begin on Friday 27 November with the switching on of Christmas lights, which will be
adding fairy-tale spirit to the city until 11 January 2016.

Food and culinary heritage

Slovenia and Ljubljana lie at the crossroads of different culinary cultures, which is the reason why
Slovenian cuisine reflects traditional influences from Mediterranean, Alpine, and Pannonian cuisines as
well as influences from the culinary art of the Balkans and several other parts of the world, which are of a
more recent date.

Central Market

Ljubljana's Central Market is more than just a place to shop. Traditionally, it has also been a place for the
locals to meet and enjoy themselves together.

The Central Market consists of an open-air market, located in the Vodnikov trg and Pogačarnev trg
squares, a covered market situated in between the two squares, and a series of small food shops along
the river Ljubljanica, which are referred to as 'Plečnik's Covered Market' as they are located in a
colonnade designed by Ljubljana's famous architect Jože Plečnik.

Apart from fresh Slovenian fruits and vegetables grown by local farmers, the market also offers a choice
of tropical fruits, dry-cured meat products, balcony flowers, and plug plants. At the covered market, you
can get dry-cured meat products, fresh meat, homemade bread baked in the wood-fired oven,
homemade biscuits and other sweet baked goods, various kinds of homemade cheese, dried fruits and
nuts, homemade olive and pumpkin seed oil, and much more.

Each Wednesday, the Pogačarjev trg square hosts an organic market where you can get organic food
produced by Slovenian farms. Occasionally, the market features themed events presenting culinary
offerings, farm produce, and organic foods offered by farmers and food producers' associations from
different Slovenian regions.

Taste Ljubljana

A perfect opportunity to explore the city's
culinary heritage is the selection of dishes
under the brand name Taste Ljubljana,
which includes typical Ljubljana dishes
prepared using traditional recipes with a
modern twist and all-natural local
ingredients.

The Taste Ljubljana dishes are listed on the
menus of 60 restaurants across the city
marked with Taste Ljubljana stickers.
Typical Ljubljana dishes and the city's
culinary heritage can also be explored as part of a range of culinary tours.

Apart from serious dining at modern restaurants and traditional gostilnas, Ljubljana also offers an
excellent choice of street food, most notably at the Open Kitchen food market, held in the Pogačarjev trg
square from April to October. Being a testament to the variety of cultures that have informed modern
Slovenian cuisine, this food market is a perfect option for getting your hands on fresh local delicacies.
Expect food from independent chefs, traditional gostilnas, and tourist farms plus assorted music and
entertainment.
Nothing compliments good food like good wine, beer or schnapps, and Ljubljana has a lot to offer also in
this respect. Slovenian wines are considered to be among the best in the world and Slovenian beers are
highly appreciated too.
Ljubljana may be small, but it has a huge amount to offer beer lovers. Its range of places to eat is
complemented by a rich choice of taverns, pubs, and other catering outlets and specialised shops offering
beer. If, on top of that, you consider Slovenia's microbreweries, whose beers you simply must taste, you
can be sure that you have an exciting journey ahead. A perfect opportunity to taste Slovenian beers and
get to know them really well is the guided walk of craft breweries.

Potica and lePotička

Potica is Slovenia's most recognised sweet dish. This baked roll, which can have a variety of different
fillings, including savoury ones, was first mentioned by the Slovenian Protestant writer Primož Trubar in
1575. It is baked in a special baking dish referred to as 'potičnik'. The most typical 'potica' filling is made
with tarragon, and the most popular one with walnuts.

Since the introduction of the first Slovenian specialist potica brand, le Potica, this traditional dessert has
also been available in a trendier and handier size. Miniature poticas referred to as lePotičke (little
beauties) are prepared to well-tried traditional Slovenian potica recipes using all-natural ingredients.
They are available with walnut, hazelnut, tarragon, plum or chocolate filling, and are perfect for giving as
a gift.