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 | Art & culture, Shopping | Free
Kongresni trg 13 | Center | +38640455365
10:00 – 20:00 daily

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

On the eastern side of Presernov trg square along Petkovskovo nabrezje bank of Ljubljanica River less crowded bars are situated. One of the first here was Caffe Promenada.

This bar shows that it has been here for some time already with quite an old wooden sign. It isn’t the sign that makes you notice the place but the tables and chairs in front of it with promenade passing in between. The café’s front view offers you a beautiful view over the river of Ljubljana’s main market, designed by very important architect for our city, Plecnik.

This place, though situated in exact center of the city, still gives you a reasonably calm option to have coffee and watch the river flow by. If you are more into finding yourself some company, just turn around, people are passing by. The garden is open also during winter and gets quite a lot of sun, even between buildings, during (of course) sunny days.

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Cafe Promenada | Bars, Coffee & tea | Coffee with milk € 1.40
Petkovskovo nabrezje 9 | Center
07:00 – 01:00 daily

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.

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!

Lately a new place is emerging, you will find it if you follow you left hand, pass gallery and pass the entrance to the “always changing name” place, right in the corner.

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

“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

Premier is, like Cafe Promenada, on a less crowded Petkovškovo nabrežje embankment very near Prešernov trg square. It has been here for a while and I am sure it will be here for long since it has really wide selection of beer. Beside local beers there is also tap of Guinness and numerous bottled beers. Like tasteful Czech beers, London Pride, London Porter and others.

Mainly none of them need any extra presentation but there is one that most definitely needs it. That is a local beer called Human Fish Beer after a Slovenian special amphibious, animal that is known as Human Fish (But is not actually a fish!). Tasty beer and cozy atmosphere in this bar will make you wanna come again! 

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Premier Pub | Bars | London Pride € 3.60
Petkovškovo nabrežje 17 | Center | +3864305231
Mon – Sat 08:00 – 01:00, Sun 09:00 – 01:00

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 had 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

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

When it comes to fast food, Ljubljana fails at the diversity test. You can divide almost all places into 3 categories: burek, kebab and McDonald’s (the only fast food chain from the West). On Trubarjeva Street you can find a small but important exception: falafel.

I’m not a fan of kebab, definitely not a fan of overpriced fast food chains and I’m not in the mood every day (or night) for burek (although I love it), so falafel can be quite handy.

This falafel place is also somewhere in the middle between Prešeren square and Metelkova and Rog (check the Metelkova article), so it’s a good place to stop.

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Falafel | Snacks | Falafel € 3.50
Trubarjeva 40 | Center
Mon – Fri 11:00 – 00:00, Sat 12:00 – 00:00, Sun 13:00 – 22:00

A few years ago I went to France for 2 weeks, I nearly always bought my lunch or snack in bakeries – boulangeries. When I left the country I knew I would miss those bakeries, but then I remembered that we also have one of those in Ljubljana!

Bakery Žak (Jaques) is located near Slovenska street in a bulding called Metalka and there you can buy some of those French pleasures. Early in the morning you can get different kinds of croissants, pain au chocolat etc and also great baguettes and sandwiches…

It’s best to go here before noon because later you may find 2 leftover croissants and one sandwich, because it’s quite a popular spot among locals.

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Pekarna Žak | Snacks
Dalmatinova ulica 2 | Center
Mon – Fri 07:00 – 17:00, Sat 07:00 – 13:00