Image by jost derlink

I love everything about vinyl records. I love the sound, the fact that you have just the most special songs on vinyl contrary to thousands of MP3 on your computer, I also like it when my friends are surprised that my old gramophone is still working:).

One of the things I love is also to browse in small packed 2nd hand record shops. You go in with maybe just a thought what you want, but you always get something special. And the most exciting part is when you’re on your way home and you just can’t wait to listen to it.

VOM 2nd hand record shop is one of the spots where I can fulfill my vinyl love and also the place where I bought my first one. Listening to jazz on gramophone…what else can you want in your life! It’s also a good place for special Ljubljana souvenirs. Why would you buy some lame tourist souvenirs, when you can buy old Yugoslavian evergreens on a vinyl which is probably older than you:).

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VOM | Art & culture, Shopping
Gledališka pasaža | Center
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 19:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Ljubljana

Image by jost derlink

I decided to write about three projects in Ljubljana focused on sustainable development and social enterprises. First one is Cultural – ecological fellowship Smetumet (trash-art). Their goal is to show a new perspective on trash and recycling, showing us that we can be a part of “reduce, reuse, recycle” principle in different ways, not just by throwing trash in separated dumpsters.

The beauty of this project is that we can play with our garbage, using creativity and our imagination. With all that we can transform rubbish into new useful and wonderful things. One of the great missions is focused on old clothes. Why do we need to throw away old stuff, just because something new is cheap? We can redesign old ones and give them our personal touch. With the similar “do it yourself” theory they are encouraging us to make our own toys, cosmetics, food, furniture etc. as a statement of standing up against consuming society.

They have their “cradle” in Šiška, where they have different workshops and where you can buy their products made from collected trash. One of my favorite items is wallet made from baby food (Čokolešnik and Čokolino) packaging. I also like that they are located in Šiška, giving this area new quality programs.

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Smetumet | Art & culture, Shopping | Wallet € 10.00
Celovška 53 | Siska
Mon, Wed & Fri 10:00 – 16:00, Tue & Thu 13:00 – 19:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Ljubljana

Image by jost derlink

The last but not least of thematically related articles is Oblačilnica dela (the working dressing-room/ dressing-room of work), located close to Gostilna dela (check out the article). It’s also a part of Tovarna dela – unit for textile. The goal of Tovarna dela – Tekstil is teach about the importance of separate disposal of old clothes and textiles, the establishment of a functional system for collecting old clothes and new “green” jobs for young unemployed and older unemployed women.

In Oblačilnica dela they sell used and redesigned clothes. For the official opening they prepared an event “A date with another dress”. I have always liked to wear used clothes, knowing that before I got it, it already hade a long journey packed with adventures and that gives them great value, immeasurable with money. Knowing that here by getting something you like, you are also helping someone, puts everything on a higher level.

Here you can also buy products from Projekt Človek with the collection ‘Izdelki iz koše’ (products from dumpster) and Kralji ulice.

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Oblačilnica dela | Shopping
Poljanska cesta 11 | Center
Mon – Fri 09:00 – 19:00, Sat 09:00 – 13:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Ljubljana

Image by Union.SLO

If you would take a part of Amsterdam and transform it into a Habsburg city mixing Mediterranean atmosphere, you would get Gallus bank. It has narrow houses like Amsterdam, Baroque architecture like Vienna and a part of feeling you get in Italian cities with the outside cafés.

The bank is located in the centre of Ljubljana, South of the Cobblers Bridge. Here you can relax, buy some gifts for you and your friends in great shops with old vinyl, CDs with ethno, funk, jazzy music, wooden toys etc. There are also some nice places where you can eat, from pancakes to steaks, sit down and order a cappuccino or just buy a beer and go down the stairs to Ljubljanica river.

The whole area is reserved for the pedestrians, except for the most southern part of the bank which is a parking space of the residents. You don’t have to worry to get hit by a car; just be careful if there are any cyclists near you.

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Gallusovo nabrezje | Art & culture, Bars, Shopping
Gallusovo nabrezje | Center
24 hours daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Ljubljana

Image by Jost Derlink

Last year I wrote about ZOOO, because they had Startas shoes. Now I decided to present the oldies goldies Croatian store. The only thing inside that I would buy are Startas (everything else looks just funny ). They have designer printed shoes and also the basic ones: black, white and dark blue for €20 or even cheaper (€4) on sales!

As you all know, Slovenia was once a part of Yugoslavia. In those days things from the West were either hard to get or outrageously expensive! Because of that young folks didn’t drink Coca-Cola but Cockta (which you should try because it’s great!) and they also didn’t have (well….at least the majority didn’t have) All Star sneakers. But they had Startas shoes, made in Croatia. They were really popular in the 80′s but people forgot about them in the 90′s when Yugoslavia felt apart.

Thanks to designer Mauro Massarotto the brand got a new and fresh design in 2006. I’m a kid of new post-communist Slovenia so before the renaissance I had no idea about Startas and now that I know for those shoes and owe a pair (or 2 or 3…) I would just like to say: thank you Croatia!

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Borovo | Shopping | Startas € 20.00
Tavčarjeva ulica 1 | Center
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 19:30, Sat 08:00 – 13:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Ljubljana

Image by Jost Derlink

This is one of the most useful spots in Ljubljana. We all heard stories about Ljubljana, how idyllic city it is, how cute, romantic etc. But how will this romance help you, when you will need to buy milk and box of cereals at 22:00 or even worse, on Sunday at 16:00?

The truth is, that there are not a lot of places that are opened till midnight or on Sunday (not counting gas stations with ridiculous prices).

Mercator is the most common grocery store in Slovenia and this one on Tržaška cesta 37B is open every day from 06.00 till midnight (including weekends and holidays!).

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Mercator Tržaška cesta 37b | Shopping
Tržaška cesta 37B | Vic | +38612414054
06:00 – 00:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Ljubljana

Image by Tjasa Janovljak

Lectarija from afar appears as a museum shop, but a closer look reveals it’s a true curiosity. Every Ljubljana visitor meets the great architect Jože Plečnik and I proudly present all the Spotted by locals readers what I call his least known project.

Jože Plečnik had a remarkably positive attitude towards tradition, so it is not surprising that he responded to the request in 1939-1939 to draw the plans for the interior of the shop that was going to sell traditional arts. During next sixty years Lectarija had its tops and its regression but was later restored and has a new life in the Ethnographic Museum (check the Slovene Ethnographic Museum article).

The shop now has handmade traditional products like Idrija lace, wooden and clay products, hand woven goods and hand painted beehive panels among others. There is also some unique jewelry from traditional materials from Slovene designers.

Even if you don’t want to buy anything, this shop is worth seeing. When you enter the main museum doors turn left to find the shop.

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Lectarija | Art & culture, Shopping
Metelkova 2 | Center | +38613008700
Tue – Sun 10:00 – 18:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Ljubljana

Image by Tjasa Janovljak

Casa Slovenija is a new souvenir shop on renovated Kongresni trg square. You will notice it with Slovenian flag hanging above the entrance door and “ciza” – traditional carriage decorated with flowers or pumpkins or whatever is growing in that season.

What makes it different from the rest of the shops is that is made as an old Slovenian house. When you enter the shop you enter past century. In the middle there is a ceramic stove which was common around Slovenia and even I have a warm memory on my grandmothers’. Next is an imitation of a “black kitchen” where many sausages used to be smoked and the place is fully decorated with old furniture.

You should drop buy this shop for three reasons. To see it, to buy hand made Slovenian arts & crafts which are hard to find elsewhere and to get a shot of  a blueberry liqueur – our traditional welcome drink.

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Casa Slovenija | Shopping | Free
Kongresni trg 13 | Center | +38640455365
10:00 – 20:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Ljubljana

Image by Eva Taucar

When you enter this place, close your eyes and breathe in once or twice. What you will smell is the smell of heaven. Pure chocolate – everywhere and in everything. The chocolate oriented sweetshop Rustika is the best when it comes to this brown gold. Cakes, pralines and ice creams – what a joy!

When you will start brainstorming what to bring home from holidays, don’t bother with kitschy T-shirt nobody wants to wear, but instead choose some dark chocolate truffles that are first: edible, and second: not just edible but damn good. You will definitely gain popularity among your friends and family!

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Rustika | Shopping, Snacks | Chocolate cake € 2.30
Trubarjeva cesta 44 | Center | +38659935730
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 21:00, Sat 09:00 – 14:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Ljubljana

Image by Eva Taucar

This deli on the basement floor of Maximarket is quite a sight; I was positively surprised when I set foot inside for the first time after the reincarnation from just an ordinary food market, crowded in the weekends with youngsters buying alcohol for parties, to definitely no.1 gourmet place in Ljubljana.

They have a huge range of Slovenian wines, oils and meat products proudly promoting our culinary culture. Yeah, we surely know how to eat good; it is not just Italians and French who kick ass. What you definitely won’t find in these two countries is great pumpkin oil, gorgeous on green salads and beans, that comes from our North East flat region. An almost black thick liquid, known just in some parts of Austria and Hungary, is tradition in our little country; a bowl of salad can hardly manage without it. Small “fancy dessert” recipe, a bit hard to believe but with other words “don’t judge just try”, is to sprinkle few drops of pumpkin oil on vanilla ice cream – it tastes fantastic!

When it comes to top five things to bring home, you have to include this oil, Karst prosciutto, Karst sheep cheese, Teran liqueur and few bottles of Slovenian wines.

When hunger unexpectedly strikes and you are looking for something fast and cheap, it is also worth to stop here. Fresh pizza slices, sandwiches, pastries, cakes and fruits can help you to survive on a very low budget.

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Delikatesa Maximarket | Shopping, Snacks | Slice of pizza € 1.00
Trg republike 1 | Center | +386614766800
Mon – Fri 09:00 – 21:00, Sat 08:00 – 17:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Ljubljana