Exploring… Ljubljana
One thing I wish I would have started earlier in my adventures and travels, is to document the emotions and feelings experienced along the way when visiting new destinations. So I will kick this personal mission finally by starting with a look at the beautiful Slovenian capital of Ljubljana.
Last week I had the opportunity to visit Ljubljana as a guest of a Tourism and Events industry conference called Conventa. The entire programme was curated by the Ljubljana and Slovenian Tourist Bureau’s, which meant I have privy to some rather incredible insights and moments that perhaps I wouldn’t have previously taken the time to research and action if I was planning travels alone.
The beginning was a bit rocky… I was traveling in on a Sunday, so figured I would attempt to contribute the country’s ‘green’ status, by taking the train journey option from Berlin instead of flying. It’s something I often think over given the volume of travels I embark upon.
Berlin to Munich = easy. ICE trains, quick and comfortable for all.
Munich to Ljubljana = less so. The train was absolutely packed, which meant for 3 hours I was standing in between carriages. Each station in Austria from Salzburg onwards sees more and more people leaving the train for their skiing adventures, which eventually freed some seats up. However I then managed to get absorbed into some writing and totally miss the information about changing carriages at Villach, so ended up in Klagenfurt :/ By bad entirely, so another train journey on meant I was 2.5 hours late arriving for the welcome dinner with the group who were also traveling in. 12 hours of travel set me up for a tired beginning :)
Still, I did my small bit for the environment ;) And arrival was worth the wait. I took a short walk along the riverside from Hotel Slon where I was staying, to the restaurant Breg — a cosy, Slovenian Inn, with (as I subsequently learned is common throughout the whole City and Country) incredible care and affection to food and wine. I managed to indulge in some Octopus followed by some homemade Tiramisu just before the group were too tired and needed to get to the hotel to rest.
The walk back took in this beautiful view of the River Ljubljanica reflecting the illuminated churches and building in a stunning moment that was worth capturing…
The tour on day two took in a range of event spaces, venues and hotels to assess their applicability for our future meetings and events. Our group consisted of 9 other individuals who plan events on varying scales, with myself being the only one thinking from a Sporting perspective. I love this diversity and exploring the variety in everyone’s networks, but also just spending time listening to differing persectives and backgrounds. It’s healthy for the mind and as I have learnt many times over and over again, you literally never know how pathways connect to opportunities.
Some of the fascinating spaces well worth seeing include the National Gallery of Slovenia, The Post Office, Open Farmers and Fish Market, City Museum, Krizanke Summer Theatre, CD Congress Centre and of course the iconic Ljubljana Castle.
Positioned at the heart of everything in the original medieval City, and newly refurbished to provide a wide range of event, meeting and party spaces, the castle is just too perfect of a place to work from. You can walk up in just 15 minutes or take the funicular. The central space (seen below) is more than perfect for a Freestyle Football event! Let’s see what the future holds ;) The drone shots over the City would be spectacular!
The venues were extensive for such a small space. Everything can be achieved by foot, which definitely is a huge factor in the Country’s ability to maintain such a ‘green’ approach to life. A population of just 2 million in the whole country also helps ;)
Grand Union Eurostars hotel hides a hidden gem of a venue — an elegant ballroom dating back over 100 years is set deep within the hotel property so a huge amount of space for events to take place. Some gin tasting afterwards definitely helped as this was the last stop of the day before dinner — 25,000 steps and lots of conversations, meant we were all ready for that refreshment.
The pruduce in Ljubljana is proudly local. No major ambitions to export on any grand scale any of their beautiful wines and gin… people live to their means and focus on quality in everything they do. Dinner in PenClub, an original writers club which felt more like entering someone’s house than a restaurant epitomized this feeling of intimacy and perfection.
The next day took in some more locations including the Austria Trend Hotel — a dream spot for sports groups — especially those wanting extra treatments and support for athletes. The Cukrana Gallery is another interesting space with plenty of room for gala dinners and exhibitions.
The icing on the cake for me came in the form of an interactive experience with one of only 6 original typography studios existing still in Europe. A non-profit setup with support of the City, the charming founder and his array of vintage equipment give the opportunity for people of any age to get a step closer to the history of industry and also produce some artwork too. This was a fantastic experience.
Such a warm, hospitable population and as a destination, it gives digital nomads especially a lot of potential to live in great quality for a fraction of the prices seen around Central Europe. Ljubljana wins! Please feel free to contact me if you would like any links or introductions to people there. I will definitely be returning myself.
