Every year, the atmosphere is extremely lively, with a holiday fair ranked among the 10 best in Europe by Tourism Review, while Monocle magazine recommends Christmas shopping in Ljubljana to its readers. Several free events for children and adults and concerts with Slovenian and foreign stars have attracted numerous foreign visitors for years. The fair is also a social event, featuring many refreshment stands. The unique festive decoration is designed by artist Zmago Modic, who creates Cosmic Ljubljana every year.
If you want to learn about the decorations while visiting the city’s attractions, we recommend the Festively Decorated Ljubljana Tour. This takes place daily at 17:00, the rendezvous being in front of the Tourist Information Centre on Stritarjeva ulica street, by the Triple Bridge. The easiest way to discover Ljubljana is by using Ljubljana Card, which enables visits to all main attractions.
Await the New Year with a view of the Ljubljana Castle
Enjoy New Year’s Eve outdoors on the squares or embankments of the Ljubljanica for the most beautiful view of the Ljubljana Castle fireworks. Fun-seekers can attend free open-air concerts featuring pop performers on the Kongresni trg square, rock concerts on the Trg francoske revolucije square, Slovenian traditional folk music on the Pogačarjev trg square, and popular songs on the Mestni trg square.
Prefer to spend the year’s longest night somewhere warm? We recommend a hotel in Ljubljana’s city centre with an excellent view of the Ljubljana Castle fireworks. Hotel Slon provides a traditional New Year’s Eve celebration with a 7-course menu and live music, while Hotel Cubo and Hotel Lev also offer culinary treats. Grand Hotel Union invites you to its brand new Atelje restaurant, or you can dance to swing rhythms at the Union Café. You can book a table in one of the top restaurants featuring world famous chefs, including JB, Strelec, Na Gradu, AS and AS Aperitivo, and Maxim, or taste famous desserts in the Zvezda and Lolita cafés.
Christmas shopping in Ljubljana
Advent is also about gifts. Why not delight your loved ones with a gift from Ljubljana this year? The holiday fair boasts a rich selection of items. Christmas shopping is also fun in the city centre’s small shops. Find top quality Slovenian food products in Kraševka (Vodnikov trg 6) or Zakladi Slovenije (Ciril-Metodov trg 10). If you’d like to try the salt that Jamie Oliver uses in his restaurants, visit Piranske soline (Mestni trg 8). Design lovers can visit the city centre’s small independent shops offering various items by Slovenian designers. Ika (Ciril-Metodov trg 10) places Slovenian designer creativity at the forefront of its shelves, while Zoofa (Breg 12) features Slovenian-designed fashion and applied arts items. Concept Store Pentlja (Mačkova ulica 4) offers a wide selection of clothes, accessories, gifts, cosmetics and drinks by local and regional designers.
December is for entertainment, so goand visit the December 2016 in Ljubljana events!