With the arrival of a new international colleague, who is doing his traineeship at Zavod Nefiks, we wanted to present some ideas on what Ljubljana and the Central Slovenia region has to offer. For that purpose, we have decided to compile a list of ideas on what to do and where to go during the next days of lockdown. This is also the reason the following article is written in English and we have decided to share it with you as well.

April 1 marked the third lockdown in Slovenia in just over a year. As the lockdown will last until April 11 (with the exception of Easter Sunday – when two households can gather), we still have 10 days and some time to go around. Especially now, that the weather is getting warmer and spending time outdoors is becoming more attractive.

We have put together a list of places (digital and physical) where you can spend your free time if you happen to live in the statistical region Central Slovenia, in Ljubljana and the surrounding area. In this lockdown, as in the previous one, it is forbidden to leave the region (with some minor work-related exceptions). So the suggested trips will not get you in any trouble, they are all affordable for everyone as well.

What do you need to know before you can freely visit all the places?

• The ban on gathering is in place and people are allowed to meet with the members of their households.
• The curfew remains active from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• Public transport will run according to the holiday timetable.
• Masks are compulsory outdoors, except for outdoor recreational activities.

What can you visit and where can you go?

1. Walk or bike along the Trail of Remembrance and Comradeship (PST) in Ljubljana

The Trail around Ljubljana, also called the Trail Along the Wire (Pot ob žici) is an almost 33 km long recreational and memorial path that runs around the »Green Ring« in the city of Ljubljana. It follows the trail of where the barbed wire was closing Ljubljana for a whole of 1170 days during the Second World War. You will pass the Koseze pond and Zoological Gardens, the Golovec hill and Žale cemetery. Take your time and visit the beautiful places, plan a picnic on the way.

Find out more and get a free map (available in English): https://www.visitljubljana.com/assets/Dokumenti-PDF/Tiskovine-SI/Pot-spominov-in-tovaristva.pdf
There is a bikemap available as well: https://www.bikemap.net/en/r/1116496/#10.92/46.0544/14.5174

Why go?

• Get a glimpse of how green our city really is.
• The path is mostly flat and suitable for everyone.
• You can start and finish wherever you want …

2. Visit the Ljubljana Botanic Garden

Ljubljana Botanic Garden is the oldest Slovenian cultural, scientific and educational institution, it was founded in 1810 in the time of the Illyrian Provinces. Since then it has grown steadily and in 1946 the greenhouse was added. It is open every day of the week and offers a quick escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Visit the outdoor gardens and its variety of plants and trees and for a fee of 2€ (for students) you can enter the greenhouse. There you will have the opportunity to visit the tropical paradise in the city and buy yourself a tropical plant cutting for a really cheap price.
Find more information here: http://www.botanic-gardens-ljubljana.com/en/about-the-garden/garden-today

Why go:

• Best place to read a book or drink your coffee to go.
• Buy a small tropical cutting for your indoor plant collection or a plant sapling to start your own small garden.
• The trees are starting to bloom.

3. Visit the Sakura cherry trees

The Sakura trees were a gift from Japan to Slovenia in 2000 – a very important one, since Sakura trees are sacred trees of the Japanese culture. Those trees know quarantine as well – when the Sakura cherries first arrived to Slovenia, they were put to quarantine for a year to make sure that they hadn’t brought any foreign diseases with them. Since they are already blooming now (and not for a long time) it is the best time to visit them.
You can find them across the road from the Zoological garden, in front of Biotechnical Faculty.
Find more information here: https://www.ljubljanasakura.com/what-is-happening/

4. Visit the online activities offered by Ljubljana’s organisations and youth centres

Give a look at the latest launching community on KAMC, where you can also find the Youth centre Vič (Mladinski center Vič) and its digital activities. Sign in, say hi and let us know what you have been up to during this (hopefully) short lockdown. To visit us, go to: kamc.mreza-kroj.si
If you are a first time visitor of Discord, you can find instructions here: https://mentalitch.com/step-by-step-guide-how-to-log-in-discord/

5. Visit Iški Vintgar

Take your bike or bus number 27 and go to Iški Vintgar. It’s a great opportunity to see the picturesque gorge of the Iška river before summer starts, when it becomes a crowded natural swimming and picnic destination. It is located in a canyon and you can observe the rushing river, sandbanks and numerous river pools.
A recommendation: dress warmly.
Find more information here: https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/poi/iski-vintgar/

Why go?

• A great one-day trip.
• A test for the bravest – who will go swimming first?
• A runaway from the city.

6. Take a tour of the city centre along the Ljubljanica River

The capital city Ljubljana is located on the Ljubljanica River (to make it easy to remember). You can take a nice day of the city centre by following the stream of Ljubljanica. Start at Poljanski nasip, where you can stop at Metelkova to see the alternative scene of Ljubljana, Park Tabor and check out Stara mestna Elektrarna. Continue along Trubarjeva cesta to observe the colourful shops and restaurants on it and continue to the vibrant Central Market. Visit the Dragon Bridge and take a walk to Ljubljana Castle going up from the Lutkovno gledališče to get the best view of the city. Take a different way to go down and walk along the Ljubljanica river to the old Ljubljana city centre. See the Robov vodnjak and Gornji trg and its narrow streets. Finish it on Špica or Plaža, where you can eat the pre-prepared sandwiches you packed for the way.

Why go?

• To get an impression of the city life in Ljubljana.
• Create a mind map of all the places worth visiting when the lockdown ends.

7. Take a trip through the Pekel Gorge

Pekel literally means »hell«, but the scenic views on the Pekel falls are far from it. The Pekel gorge was carved by the Borovniščica stream and offers a beautiful excursion to the 7 waterfalls that lie there. This trail is not the easiest one, so I recommend you to be prepared for the (2 hour) excursion with good hiking gear.
Find more information here: https://www.slotrips.si/eng/natural-sights/trip/940/Pekel-gorge

Why go?

• Go to »Blueberry« (city Borovnica) and »Hell« (Pekel) in the same day.
• Beautiful scenery and calm atmosphere.
• A nice day trip to cool you down from the city heat.

That’s a short list to get you started exploring the region. If you have any other suggestions of what we should add to the list, or if you have taken pictures of the trips you took – feel free to share them with us. You can either share them on KAM’C or send us a message at mc.vic@nefiks.si .

Enjoy!

Sources:

2. https://www.visitljubljana.com/sl/poi/botanicni-vrt-ljubljana/
3. https://www.ljubljanasakura.com/
5.https://siol.net/trendi/potovanja/novost-v-iskem-vintgarju-530447
6. https://day-trips-slovenia.com/highlights/ljubljanica-river/
7. https://www.visitljubljana.com/sl/obiskovalci/pisma-iz-ljubljane/junij-2019/slikovita-soteska-pekel-cudovit-svet-slapov-in-slapicev/