Summer in Ljubljana: Places for Free Time and Useful Phrases
Located in the heart of the country and surrounded by
mountains, Ljubljana is in a good spot to relax and enjoy. Many people live in
Ljubljana as it offers more education and job opportunities than elsewhere in
Slovenia and naturally if there’s not much time to travel outside the city,
people search for places suitable for spending free time inside. For
non-natives, it’s not only useful to read about possible places to enjoy but
also to learn some phrases that could come in handy in communication or showing
respect by trying to use at least a few Slovene words. Below are four of my favourite
places for spending free time in Ljubljana and some basic phrases in Slovenian.
Ljubljana’s top places
The park is located near the city center and a big
student dormitory complex Rožna dolina and thus attracts hundreds of people
every day. It is not only the biggest park in the city, but also one of the
oldest. The park was designed by French engineer Jean Blanchard, as early as
1813. The size of the park is approx.
5km2 and contains different trees, flowers, buildings (a palace,
cafeterias, a sports and recreational centre with an indoor swimming pool,
fitness facilities, etc.), ponds and reading corners. There are also: a bowling
alley, Zoo in the Šišenski hill, chestnut alleys, a children’s playground,
statues, fountains and other parts of the park that are worth exploring. As the
park is constantly developing and has been a popular spot for various
activities such as Qi Gong exercises and Taj Ji, you really shouldn’t miss out
on this lush green place and its surroundings.
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The
Ljubljanica side
Ljubljanica river is running through a large area of
Ljubljana, so many activities and sightseeing places can be found there. The
Prešeren Square (Prešernov trg) is the heart of the city and is easily
recognizable by the statue of France Prešeren. The latter was a prominent Slovenian
poet and played an important role in the history of Slovenia. He wrote the
national anthem “A Toast” (“Zdravljica”) about freedom, equality and
fraternity.
The banks of Ljubljanica are possibly the best place to
meet people of different age, nationality, etc. There, you can taste various drinks
and foods that are constantly offered in numerous restaurants and in the open
market, as well as at events such as the Open Kitchen (Odprta kuh’na), which
you can visit every Friday from mid-March to October. When you’ve had enough
food, it is easy to try out some of the accessible activities such as guided
boat fishing and stand-up paddleboarding. In any time of the day, there is something
to do.
For me personally, the river side draws similarities
to my home town Jekabpils. Namely, in Latvia, when people have a free evening,
they are used to just sitting by the riverside, singing, talking and drinking. Drinking
or being in a public space with an open bottle is forbidden there, except in cafeterias
and other places where spirits are sold. The riverside is surrounded by a steep
embankment, so people feel safe hanging out with a glass of wine on the
riverside, because the police is less likely to spot them there than in the
parks and other public places.
§ Lake Podpeč (Jezero pri Podpeči)
A short ride away from the Ljubljanica and out of the
city center, you can find the Lake Podpeč that is a great place for
picnics, biking and other activities. Lake Podpeč is named after the
village surrounding it and has an almost perfect round shape with a beautiful
view of the hills of Krimsko hribovje. According to the diving studies, the
lake is about 51 m deep.[1] It
is said to have a lot of fish, including trout, carp and pike thus attracting
fishermen. I find it a great place for being alone or with the people closest
to you. The only disadvantage of Lake Podpeč is that it is quite out-of-the-way
in comparison to other natural spots.
§ Metelkova City
Another unique place definitely worth mentioning is
Metelkova City (Metelkova Mesto). It was founded in 1993 by a group of artists who
wanted to prevent the barracks from being torn down by the government’s rule
(namely, the place used to be a prison).[2] The
idea of the artists involved the use of various materials such as cans, used
bikes and numerous other objects to make an alternative place for alternative
lifestyle supporters. The idea has succeeded exceptionally well and now the
area hosts exhibitions, festivals, performances and concerts by artists from all
over the world. It is a perfect spot for those who think outside of the box and
love to explore the alternative scene. The place also includes a gay and
lesbian club. During the day time, when Metelkova is less noisy and crowded,
some say that the metal constructions, where you can sit, look like Peter Pan’s
Neverland. I can agree that sitting up in the air surrounded by big trees draws
some similarities to the Pan’s fictional world where houses are in trees and
people never grow old.
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§ Pozdravljeni!, Živjo!, Zdravo! - Hello
§ Dobrodošli! - Welcome
§ Dobro jutro - Good morning
§ Dober dan (do-br dan) - Good day
§ Dober večer (do-br veh-cheehr) - Good evening
§ Nasvidenje (nas-vee-de-nye) - Goodbye
§ Prosim (pro-seem) -Please
§ Hvala lepa - Thank you a lot.
§ Ni za kaj (nee za-kaj) - You’re welcome
§ Prosim - Please
§ Rad/Rada bi... (pivo)
- I’d like.... (male/female)
(beer)
§ Koliko stane? - How much is …?
§ Kje je ...? - Where is...?
§ Kako pridem do....? - How do I get to....?
§ Naravnost naprej - Straight ahead
§ Obrnite levo/desno pri... - Turn left/right at....
§ Mi lahko pomagate? - Could you please help me?
§ Oprostite. (o-pro-stee-te) - Sorry
§ Govorite angleško? - Do you speak English?
§ Ne razumem. - I don’t understand.
§ Slabo govorim slovensko. (slah-boh goh-voh-reem
sloh-vehns-koh) – I have trouble speaking Slovenian.
§ Od kod ste? (frm/pl), Od kod si? (inf) - Where do you come from?
§ Na zdravje/ Čin! (inf) – Cheers!
§ Kako se imate? (frm), Kako se imaš? (inf)- How are
you?
§ Kako vam je ime? (frm), Kako ti je ime? (inf) – What’s your name?
§ Jaz sem (yaz sem) - I am ...
§ Rad imam Slovenijo. - I love Slovenia.
Despite the fact that Ljubljana is one of the smallest
European capitals, there are numerous places to explore and even more phrases
you can use in a daily conversation. It’s worth noting that the spoken
Slovenian tends to differ from the academic sources. Moreover, it is possible
to tell from which side of the country a person comes just by his dialect
(Slovenia indeed has many).
Meanwhile, Latvia has only one dialect and some
language changes among the countryside places (not recognized as dialects,
though). Similar as in Slovenia, it is possible to tell which region a person
comes from, but over time people tend to assimilate to the city’s spoken
language.
To end with, many people in Slovenia understand and
speak English fluently, so spending free time in Ljubljana is welcoming and
pleasant for the foreigners.
[1] Enciklopedija naravne in
kulturne dediščine na Slovenskem. Accessed from: http://www.dedi.si/dediscina/384-podpesko-jezero
[2] Metalkova. Accessed from: http://www.ljubljana-slovenia.com/metelkova
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