Moste Ljubljana – All our local tips

Are you up for some fun? Gather your gang of friends and head to the biggest fun center in Ljubljana.

You can get action in a cellar with the Terminator laser games or simply enjoy the funky decorated bowling in the main area. On the upper floor you can take one of the 31 billiard tables, but remember it’s good to make a reservation before, because the place is always full!

If none of these works for you, you can simply escape the reality in the XpanD 3D cinema, even though in my opinion the cost of ticket doesn’t equal the enjoyment. But you never know, maybe you’ll be treated with one of their specials: turning the lights on in the middle of the movie or a broken projector… Like one of Slovene’s self-proclaimed stars said: “The show must go!” …I don’t know, what happened with the “ON”!

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Arena Vodafone Live | Cinemas, Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Restaurants (Italian food)
Smartinska 152 | Moste | +38615205626
Mon – Thu & Sun 10:00 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 10:00 – 01:00

Supposedly one of the biggest commerce centers in Europe, it’s located in the northeast part of Ljubljana. The easiest way there is to take local bus (LPP) nb. 27. Alternatives which will also bring you close are number 2, 7 and 12. You can also take a train from the main station, but I’ve never done that. Once you’re there, you can go around on foot or jump on a free shuttle.

This place used to be a big storage space, but today numerous halls offer a great variety of merchandise products: from fancy dressings to simple gifts and food.

The second reason for visiting the place would be entertainment options: sport events, cinema, cultural shows, etc. The slogan of the place is “This is my city!” and they definitely do a good job making the visitors happy and create possibilities to find everything in one place.

Simply said: a city inside of the city.

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BTC | Bars, Cinemas, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks
Šmartinska 152 | Moste | +38615851100
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 20:00 (shopping)

One of Metelkova (see this article) clubs is, as all the other places there, active in developing and representing independent and alternative culture, but it is, in my opinion of course, far most successful in variety and quality of music it provides.

This is a place to go for ska, punk, rock, metal, reggae and all mixes in between, but also thematic evenings – such as funk evening every first Friday in month – are great and obligatory to visit. Especially because costumes are expected and it is so cool to move your hips in 80’s tennis player/gymnastic girl outfit.

The inside is quite small but cosy. It’s one of those places where you meet everybody you know in the first half an hour. The summer stage behind the club on the contrary hosts up to 800 people and is used for bigger concerts.

The only minus are toilets which become quite horrific after 1am, so drink something strong after your visit – just to prevent infection

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Gala Hala | Bars, Music | Events € 5.00
Metelkova city | Moste | +38614317063
See program on the website

Metelkova city is the home of Ljubljana’s alternative scene, home of artists, musicians and similar crowd. Created with transforming and rebuilding ex army barracks whose walls now serve as canvas for street artists and its outdoor space as contemporary forma viva, surprise me every time with new installations and creations. Here architecture has its own rules, which are worth to see.

People gather here mostly because of numerous music events, but also just to drink a beer and hang out with friends. There is always something going on, which is a nice contrast to the otherwise quite boring and plain Ljubljana night life.

The place itself is a conglomerate of different clubs
See website for program

This bar, just a half of a beer bottle away from Metelkova (see the Metelkova article), is usually the second and most of the time also the last stop in the evening.

It has two levels with different functions. The lower one is an ordinary bar with extra-ordinary bartenders – long-haired and long bearded old rockers. The upper part is a mini concert hall a.k.a. dance floor. They host everything from A to Z, literaly (from Alternative rock, to punk, ska, metal, reggae, to jazZ).

I love concerts there because of very relaxed atmosphere and personal contact with group. I am not an expert for counting crowd, but I believe if more than 150 people would enter this room, the floor would collapse. That means a nice little bunch of spectators, without big gorillas protecting the stage and kicking off stage divers.

And yes, this is the place, where you can easily get a signature of ‘this cute bas guitarist’ directly on your boobs.

Orto bar is also the only place providing some quality party on Thursday, when the rest of Ljubljana usually looks pretty dead. 70′ and 80′ hits can suck you in until 5 in the morning, so Friday school duties are often pushed aside.

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Orto bar | Bars, Music | Beer € 2.50
Grabloviceva 1 | Moste | +38612321674
Mon – Wed 21:00 – 04:00, Thu – Sat 21:00 – 05:00

So here’s my opinion. If there is any museum that you have to visit (we’re talking about museums…not galleries), you have to go to SEM.

I think this is the best museum in Ljubljana, maybe Slovenia, because it’s something different. It shows you the way of life of our ancestors and they don’t do it in a boring way but with a fresh and interactive approach. You will see this immediately when you stand in front of the museum with it’s nice architecture; a mixture of modern and old.

At the moment there are 2 exhibitions, 1 permanent and 1 temporary. Between Nature and Culture has been the permanent exhibition since 2006 and I really like it. It’s divided into two parts. The first one shows you everything about Slovene way of life in the past. The second one is dedicated to other parts of the world. Current temporary exhibition, which is opened till end ofMarch 2010 is called Sudan mission and it talks about Ignacij Knoblehar, missionary and explorer of the White Nile.

There are also some other activities in the museum. You can try yourself in weaving or at a pottery workshop. Who knows, maybe you will discover a new thing you’re good at! There is also a workshop about the proper way of preparing and drinking tea like they do it in Japan.

On the ground floor you will find a nice café, where you can sit down and enjoy the view of the castle and adorable neo-Gothic church.

If you have the chance, visit SEM on the last Sunday of the month: you can get in for free.

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Slovene Etnographic Museum (SEM) | Art & culture, Coffee & tea | Admission (adults) € 4.50
Metelkova 2 | Moste | +38613008700
Tue – Sun 10:00 – 18:00

Bar that brought freshness into Ljubljana, one could easily say it is the first ethno club around here.

Its name Zlati Zob or Golden Tooth as would be direct translation refers to the often seen golden teeth in Gypsy smiles. Founders of the club are also part of well known band Sukar, which is the Slovenian tamburitza ensemble, a music band, that plays mostly gypsy music, which origins mainly from eastern and south-eastern Europe”.

The carefully selected decorations are from all over the Balkan Peninsula and the music played here is also orientated towards the south-east. That means one can hear a lot of folk and gypsy songs, sometimes only from records, but often there is live program.

Usually there are concerts on Thursdays, Ethno jams on Mondays and DJ programs on Wednesdays and Fridays. Sometimes travelers give lectures about their travels.

Dancing nights are also organized. First you can enjoy professional and amateur dancers perform, and then you should join them on the dance floor. Another positive thing about that place is that they serve very good Czech draft beer.

Another interesting thing of this place is also the building itself, which is part of Selo, 18th century mansion used for different purposes during the history.

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Zlati Zob | Bars, Music, Snacks | Beer € 2.20
Zaloka cesta 69 | Moste | +38659139552
Mon – Thu 19:00 – 01:00, Fri – Sat 19:00 – 03:00, Sun 12:00 – 01:00