Image by Jošt Derlink

Šiška is becoming a better and better place to live and CUK (center urbane kulture / center for urban culture) Kino Šiška earns much of the credits for this. It opened in fall 2009, but already has a huge impact on the Ljubljana scene.

In the last few months it hosted a lot of important musicians from Slovenia and abroad (Josipa Lisac, Lollobrigida, Isis, Pan Sonic, Juno Reactor, Florence and The Machine, New Young Pony Club…). They have mostly music events, but also photo exhibitions, theater and dance events, some workshops…

In the past Kino Šiška was a cinema (kino in Slovene) and was built as a part of the Šiška municipality center. When Ljubljana got a new cinema complex in 2001, the majority of smaller cinemas closed their doors. They wanted to renovate Kino Šiška into a multipurpose hall for different kinds of contemporary events and almost a decade later we finally got it!

My favorite events in Kino Šiška are YU GO! Nights. Each of them presents 3 or 4 bands from ex-Yugoslavia area and can also be tagged as nu yu scene.

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Kino Šiška | Art & culture, Bars, Cinemas, Music, Theaters, Festivals & events
Trg prekomorskih brigad 3 | Siska | +38630310110
Depends

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Ljubljana

Image by Tjaša Janovljak

“Stara elektrarna” literally means and is an old power station. It is a technical monument and as such protected. It was built approximately hundred years ago and has worked till after second world war. In eighties and nineties the building was discovered by artists and since then it attracts all sorts of performers.

I usually go here a few times a year when they are hosting some – usually quite crazy – shows. It can vary from modern dance to theatre and other kinds of scene performing. Sometimes they organize artistic or technical (that concern scene performing: scenery, lights…) workshops, lectures, round-table discussions and similar. Rarely you can get into a nice party but if you happen to be invited on one, don’t say no. Their biggest happening there is Festival “Mladi levi” at the end of August.

The main hall has a spacious stage to which you get after beautiful entrance hall which is preserved as a museum. Here you can see part of a big chimney, turbine and some measuring tools that were used in the power plant.

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Stara elektrarna | Art & culture, Music, Theaters
Slomškova ulica 18 | Center | +38651269906
Depends on the show

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Ljubljana

Image by Tjasa Janovljak

This used to be a bicycle factory ROG, founded after the Second World War. It is today in temporary use by whomever is in need of a working and creation place. Big halls are offering a lot of space even for dance practices. But for me and for most of you this is another really cool place to hang out. I could easily say this is the real alternative place to go to.

There are mainly three options, first and the most permanent is a gallery Kljub vsemu (Nevertheless), which is on the left hand side after you enter the Rog walls. In the building behind it a new thing is forming. You should check it out. On the other, right hand side there is small building that has smaller events, like debates, film projections, alternative Erasmus hanging spot (the first one is usually in main stream bars and organized), smaller concerts and whatever you can think of.

But if you go towards the tallest building, that looks like a factory hall and you follow the noise you will enter the concert hall. In this biggest hall they sell also drinks when there is an event, but you are always allowed to bring some with you. Next to the entrance to the concert hall there is a bar/club that changes names quite regularly…It could be Trocky, Ultima or … Be surprised!

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ROG | Art & culture, Music, Theaters | Beer € 2.00
Trubarjeva cesta 72 | Center
24 hours daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Ljubljana

Image by Boris Novak

Ljubljana castle (Ljubljanski grad), positioned on a small hill, serves as a perfect orientation point when you explore city center for the first time. So just leave your map at home and follow your intuition.

It’s a nice narrow street walk from the old city center to reach the castle (nice path starts at Greek restaurant Ati in the old part – just turn left from there and follow path with stairs), and I deeply recommend that over a touristic ride with “something that looks like toy train” from Prešeren square or taking the funicular.

Ljubljana castle is nicely renovated and it is worth to see architectural details – even going to the toilet is not an everyday experience. It holds an exhibition about Ljubljana history and it hosts many differnt events troughout the year – my favorite is the summer film festival (movies under stars) in august, showing selection of good movies from current year in castle atrium under open sky.

Greatest thing is you can go to the top of the castle tower to observe the view over the whole city and take some amazing pictures. There are also great views from the castle surroundings (benches are positioned on strategic spots) which results in its popularity for romantic “first date” spot. You can see couples everywhere, sitting, kissing and hugging, and yes I admit, on a clear evening, watching city lights and stars at the same time can be pretty romantic indeed.

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Ljubljana castle | Art & culture, Snacks, Theaters | Free
Grajska planota 1 | Center | +38613064293
Oct – April 10:00 – 21:00, May – Sep 09:00 – 23:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Ljubljana