Slovenia apr 06 - 1

Ljubljana
Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is a lively Central European city lying in a basin at the confluence of the Sava and Ljubljanica rivers, between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, at 298 metres above sea level. It covers 273 square kilometres and has a population of 276,000. Its climate is basically continental, with January temperatures averaging - 0.3 and July temperatures 20.7 degrees Celsius.

Both the residents of Ljubljana and numerous visitors say that Ljubljana is a city made to man's measure. Classified as a medium-sized European city, it offers all the friendliness of a small town and at the same time everything that a capital should offer. Due to its geographical position, Ljubljana is an ideal departure point for discovering the many faces and beauties of Slovenia.

Ljubljana bears witness of all the five millenniums of its history. Apart from the remains of the Roman Emona, it boasts a Medieval castle and numerous old city centre Baroque buildings with uneven roofs and richly decorated façades and portals. The mosaic of Ljubljana is completed by picturesque bridges across the Ljubljanica river and the vast Tivoli park, which extends to the very city centre. The centre of Ljubljana owes its appearance partly to the masters of the Italian Baroque and partly to those of the Art Nouveau period, the latter being reflected in the style of many buildings built immediately after the earthquake of 1895. In the first half of the 20th century, it was the world famous Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik who stamped a strong personal mark on his birth place. The city's appearance was later contributed to by his disciples and the "new wave" of distinguished young Slovenian architects.

Ljubljana is a city of culture, which, among other things, boasts one of the oldest philharmonic halls in the world. Every year it hosts more than 10,000 cultural events ranging from most prestigious concerts, theatre performances and fine art exhibitions, to avant-garde events and those pertaining to alternative culture. The events include as many as 14 international festivals.

Due to the international reputation of its university and institutes, Ljubljana gets visited by all kinds of scholars, due to its lively creative atmosphere by famous artists from across the world, due to the numerous business gatherings and fairs by vast numbers of businessmen, and due to the large number of congresses it hosts by various experts from all parts of the world.