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You are here: Home / Travel / Europe / Slovenia / Ljubljana Christmas Market and More

Ljubljana Christmas Market and More

December 20, 2015 by Fiona Maclean 11 Comments

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Last Updated on December 14, 2016

Christmas in Ljubljana, Slovenia:

Guest Feature by Anna Van Leemputten

When you don’t have much time to ‘shop’ and still take in cultural and sporting elements of a country, a Christmas market, which brings together very different arts and crafts, has an obvious attraction. Do not be mistaken when Ljubljana describes its market more as a festival than a market.  There’s a real party atmosphere here at the Christmas Market surrounded by twinkling lights along the banks of the river.

Ljubljana Slovenia at night

Music, eating and drinking may be the obvious attractions, rather than the gift stalls, lined up along the river bank, in neat wooden cabins or under the main meat and fish market canopy. Here you will be able to find different gift ideas, with everything from semi-precious stones and ghee made from Slovenian cows milk, plus the ubiquitous vast array of locally produced spirits, through to sheep and goats skins and blown glass. It seems the typical small gift given by a Slovenian is a fridge magnet, which were on nearly every stall, but handmade wooden objects were apparent – anybody for a wooden bow tie? – as were handmade soaps, herbal tea, local ceramics (including the bowls we had previously eaten our soup out of) and brightly coloured sweets. There were also stalls selling a variety of woolly hats, just in case you’d forgotten yours, and plenty with wares included beautiful hand knit children’s jumpers.

Slovenia Christmas Ljubljana

The fair caters really well for children; you’ll find many dancing to the music played in every street and and surrounded particular stalls. From observation it seems Slovenians love cats – Ljubljana has its own cat café – and there is a cat character in a beautifully illustrated children’s book Decek in Hisa/ The Little Boy and The House, by Maja Kastelic. The cat was the centre piece of one stall and also a local bookshop window, and had children thronging to it. The book itself has no words, being a picture story book, and makes an ideal present for a child, as a memory of Llubljana.

Christmas Biscuits Slovenia

The market also introduced us to the Slovenian equivalent of a bag of chips. Here a potato is peeled and then skewered. The skewer is placed on a vice and a sharp knife gouges it as a handle is turned, creating a spiral through the potato which is then pulled along the length of the skewer. It is then dropped into hot oil, much as chips are and when ready the skewer is eaten like a lollipop, a napkin protecting your hand. They were in great demand!

Ljubljana Christmas Market

There are many sights we were not able to visit because of time restraints, for example one I would particularly have liked to have visited is the Moonolith art installation. An interactive Christmas display it shows the constellations as you move around it. It is part of the Dark Star project, which would have been apt given it was the opening week of the new Star Wars movie.

Sadly, we were also not introduced to The Good Fairy, who resides in front of the City Hall, granting wishes, as she only appears during the larger part of the Festival between Boxing Day and New Year. During this period she is joined by Grandpa Frost, with processions and multiple free open air concerts and street theatre.

It’s a good excuse to book a quick flight for that sad period after Christmas Day before we all go back to work – or put it in your diary for next year – Christmas is truly an experience in Ljubljana.

 

Our tour of the Christmas Market, Ljubljana was part of a trip as guests of the Slovenian Tourist Board to learn more about Slovenia, European Green Capital 2016.  More information is available here 

Filed Under: Slovenia, Travel Tagged With: christmas

About Fiona Maclean

London based freelance writer and marketing consultant. I edit London-Unattached.com and write for a number of other publications. With a music degree and a background in marketing across many sectors, my passions include all types of music, food, restaurants, wine and travel

Comments

  1. Veronika says

    December 27, 2015 at 10:06 pm

    I really enjoy all European Christmas markets! I always think of Vienna first, but I see that Ljubjana has also much to offer!

    Reply
  2. Stevie Wilson says

    December 27, 2015 at 7:18 pm

    Sounds like you had an amazing time. I love things like that. Good to know the best part of the event is between Xmas and New Years!!

    Reply
  3. Wandering Carol says

    December 27, 2015 at 6:43 pm

    I never understood the appeal of Christmas markets until I was in Germany and realized that, as you say, they’re more of a festival than a shopping spree. This one sounds just as fun.

    Reply
  4. Yasha Langford says

    December 27, 2015 at 12:15 pm

    Christmas markets are my favourite thing about Christmas in Europe. Ljubljuana looks like it knows how to celebrate the season. What lovely photos.

    Reply
  5. Natasha Amar says

    December 27, 2015 at 11:36 am

    Looks like a fun Christmas-time destination. The cat cafe sounds interesting too!

    Reply
  6. Bobbi says

    December 27, 2015 at 8:52 am

    How festive! That’s certainly a unique way to eat potato chips!

    Reply
  7. Mar says

    December 27, 2015 at 8:44 am

    I didn’t even know that Ljubljana had a Christmas market. I love those potatoes, I saw them at the German Christmas markets too and in Seoul a while back, fancy and delicious!. I think next year I need to expand my Christmas market horizons…

    Reply
  8. Karilyn says

    December 26, 2015 at 11:09 pm

    I have never been to Ljubljana – sounds like a wonderful place to visit during the Christmas season. Those skewered potatoes sounds delicious too!!

    Reply
  9. Stefan says

    December 26, 2015 at 8:44 pm

    LOVE Ljuljana! It’s such a cute little place and totally underestimated. Had a stop over during my inter railing trip through Eastern Europe travelling between Zagreb and Venice. Definitely want to go again and also visit Lake Bled.

    Reply
  10. Laura says

    December 20, 2015 at 3:09 pm

    It’s been a few years since I was in Ljubljana and thought it was a fantastic city and would love to go back for this time of the year as the market looks amazing

    Laura x

    Reply
  11. Elyse Silver says

    December 20, 2015 at 2:08 pm

    Wow your photos look really beautiful. I’d have loved to have seen the Dark Star Project too. To be honest it’s not somewhere I’d have ever considered visiting but your post may have just changed my mind.

    Hugs Elyse. x

    Reply

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