English - Ljubljana

14
Olimje, Photo: Turizem
Podčetrtek Archive
Olimje, a Must-See Floral Paradise
The Slovenian village of Olimje, well known for its monastery and
one of Europe’s oldest monastic pharmacies, received a gold medal
for excellence in horticultural displays at the Entente Florale Europe
2009 international horticultural competition. The village area is well
worth visiting also for its other attractions, including a golf course,
the Terme Olimje spa with its Orhidelia wellness centre (connected
to Ljubljana by a special train on Saturdays), as well as a host of
delectables, from locally produced chocolate to excellent wines and
specialities of local restaurants.
www.olimje.net
Transromanica
This year, the town of Kamnik’s Little
Castle became part of Transromanica,
recognized as a Major Cultural Route
of the Council of Europe. Other
Slovenian Transromanica sights include
Podsreda Castle, the Stična Monastery,
the Church of the Assumption and St.
John the Baptist’s Baptistery in Koper,
St. Martin’s Church in Laško, and St.
George’s Castle and Church in Ptuj.
Wild Flower Festival in Bohinj
The International Wild Flower Festival in Bohinj is one of the central events marking Slovenia’s presidency
of the Alpine Convention and the International Year of Biodiversity.
Workshop at the Wild Flower Festival, Photo T. Sodja
The gala opening of Bohinj’s
4th International Wild Flower
Festival will take place on 22
May, the International Day of
Biodiversity. Festival events,
held under the motto “Building
a sustainable future for man
and nature”, are aimed to
con tribute to the building of
public awareness about the
out standingly rich natural and
cultural heritage of Bohinj, the
entire Triglav National Park, and
the wider Alpine area. From 22
May to 5 June, the village of
Bohinj and the Triglavska roža
information centre in the nearby
town of Bled will host a large
number of interesting events and
activities, including workshops,
guided tours, concerts, exhibitions,
and lectures, among others.
The Wild Flower Festival’s
diverse programme of events,
whose main themes will be
“Alpine flowers in art”, “Alpine
flowers at home” and “Alpine
flowers in science”, will offer an
opportunity for both visitors
and the local residents to learn
about nature, biodiversity, and
cultural heritage and come to
understand the importance
of their preservation. Wellpreserved
nature is a major
advantage of Bohinj as a tourist
destination.
One of the important goals
of the festival is the promotion
of sustainable development
and nature-friendly tourism as
the preservation of the natural
and cultural heritage of Bohinj,
the Triglav National Park and
the entire Slovenia are of key
importance for sustainable
economic development. Due
to its specific features, the
Alpine region, populated by 14
million people, is particularly
vulnerable and needs special
attention. In order to find
appropriate solutions to the
region’s common problems, such
as those related to demography,
the changes in mountain
farming, the negative effects
of mass tourism, and traffic
overload, in 1991 all the eight
Alpine countries (Austria, France,
Italy, Lichtenstein, Monaco,
Germany, Slovenia, Switzerland)
and the European Union as
a whole signed the Alpine
Convention, expressing their
willingness to pursue a common
policy for the development of
their exceptional mountainous
region.
www.bohinj.si/alpskocvetje/eng
Visit to Maribor’s Lent Festival
Lent Festival, held in Maribor, a city well connected to Ljubljana, is an international festival hosting over
400 cultural events in two weeks. This year it will be held from 25 June to 10 July.
At the beginning of summer,
the banks of the river Drava
in Maribor turn into a vibrant
centre of cultural and social life
resonating with rhythms from
around the world. Apart from
classical, jazz, popular and ethnic
music concerts and singersongwriter
and chanson evenings,
the festival features theatre and
dance performances, puppet
shows, stand-up comedy, creative
workshops for children, sporting
events, and three mini-festivals
including the Folkart folklore
festival, the Jazzlent jazz festival,
and the Street Theatre Festival.
Some of the events are free.
Lent Festival has hosted a
large number of world famous
artists, including, among others,
the legendary Ray Charles, B.
B. King, James Brown, Jose
Feliciano, Lester Bowie, Tania
Maria, Eric Burdon & The
Animals, David Byrn, Reggie
Johnson, Omara Portuondo, and
Cubanismo. Each year, the festival
also brings together numerous
renowned artists from Slovenia.
Main Stage at the Lent
Festival, Photo: Narodni Dom
Maribor Archive
Lent Festival has received a
large number of awards, including
over 40 awards from the
International Festival and Events
Association (IFEA), a network
comprising over 2,500 festivals
from around the world
www.nd-mb.si