As its inhabitants and numerous visitors will tell you, Ljubljana is, indeed, a people-friendly city. Categorised as a medium-sized European city, it offers everything a metropolis does yet preserves its small-town friendliness. It is the political and cultural heart of the Slovene nation; an important European commercial, business, exhibition and congressional centre as well as the transport, science and education centre of Slovenia.
Its geographical position in the centre of Europe has determined Ljubljana as a natural meeting place for merchants and soldiers as well as – and more than once – peacemakers. The victors of the Napoleonic wars selected this peaceful city as the site of the Holy Alliance congress, which in 1821 sealed the European political geography for years to come.
In Ljubljana the old meets the new; and it seems that history has spent all of the settlement’s five millennia preparing it to become the nation’s capital. It has managed to retain traces from all periods of its rich history; from the legacy of Roman Emona; through to the Renaissance, Baroque and Art Nouveau periods characterised in the house fronts and ornate doorways of the city centre, the romantic bridges adorning the Ljubljanica river, the lopsided rooftops and a park reaching deep into the city centre.
Ljubljana is a city of culture. It is home to numerous theatres, museums and galleries, and boasts one of the oldest philharmonic orchestras in the world. The fi rst music society in Slovenia, the Academia philharmonicorum, was founded in 1701. It was a vehicle for baroque music and also facilitated the development of musical production in this region. Its honorary members included such renowned composers as Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven and Johannes Brahms, and distinguished musicians such as the violinist Nicolo Paganini. Between 1881 and 1882, at the very start of his career, Gustav Mahler was its resident conductor.
For the people of Ljubljana culture is a way of living and thinking and is very much a part of everyday life. Over 10,000 cultural events take place in the city every year, among which there are 10 international festivals. The inhabitants of Ljubljana and its visitors can admire artists from all the different fields – from music, theatre and fine arts to the alternative and avant-garde.
The first impression a visitor gets of Ljubljana is that it is an exceptionally young city. It is home to over 50,000 students, who give it a special vibe. As four Slovene regions meet in Ljubljana, the city’s numerous restaurants and inns offer a wide range of local delicacies, not to mention superb wines.
In short: Ljubljana is a city that people often return to, be it because of work or because of pleasant memories of previous visits. It is similar to a number of other pleasant European cities – yet it is different, and if you want to be fully assured that Ljubljana is an interesting, pretty and friendly place then just ask the locals – they love it. And with a name that, according to one theory, means beloved, how could they do otherwise?
ARRIVAL & ACCESS
Ljubljana lies at the junction of important travel routes leading from Northern Europe to the Adriatic, and from Western Europe to the East, the Balkans and the Middle East.
It is easily accessible by car, train, bus and plane, and is thus directly connected with all major European cities.
Air: www.lju-airport.si
Rail: www.slo-zeleznice.si
Road: www.promet.si
Transport from the Ljubljana Airport
Special arrival and departure transfers by shuttle bus service or private transfer are offered from Ljubljana airport, during the period 6th and 7th of March for arrivals and 9th and 10th of March 2014 for departures. All other dates will be considered as individual transfers.
Departures from hotels or venue is scheduled 2,5hours before flight, exact time will be advised one (1) day before your departure at information desk at conference venue.
Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (also known as Brnik Airport), Ljubljana, Slovenia to Ljubljana city
Possible forms of transfers are:
• Shuttle bus transfer: 9€ per person (min. 4 persons, max. waiting time 1 hour, price of one-way transfer, VAT included)
• Private transfer: 38€ per car (1 – 3 persons in car, price of one-way transfer, VAT included)
• Group transfer: 50€ per van (4 – 8 persons in van, price of one-way transfer, VAT included)
Shuttle bus is offered if there is minimum 4 delegates arriving within 1h. If there is less than 4 delegates, we reserves the right to offer you shared private transfer or private transfer.
Delegates can book their arrival/departure transfer by completing TRANSFER ORDER FORM on-line.
Transfer requests must be submitted by 5th of March 2014. An English-speaking driver will meet you with EGLSF 2014 sign located in the Arrival Hall at the Airport. If you book a private transfer, please look for a sign with your full name.
Possible ways of payment: cash on site, Bank transfer, credit card on site (with a 3% surcharge for credit card payments).
Transfers from other airports are available on request.
AIRPORT TRANSFER BOOKING LINK
CONTACT INFO: info@grh.si, www.grh.si, (Emergency number: +386 41 376 964)
Alternative airports
Ljubljana airport is served by carriers Adria Airways, Air France, Montenegro Airlines, EasyJet, Turkish Airlines and Wizz Air (along with all their code-share partners) for regular routes and generally has most convenient direct or connecting flights.
Klagenfurt (AUT) is served by Austrian and Germanwings (and their code-share partners) and is located about 90km from Ljubljana (travel time 1hr).
Trieste/Ronchi (ITA) is served by Alitalia, BelleAir, Lufthansa and Ryanair (and their code-share partners) and is located about 120km from Ljubljana (travel time 1,5hrs).
Zagreb (CRO) is served by Aeroflot, Air France, Austrian, British Airways, Croatia Airlines, Easy Jet, EL AL Israel Airlines, Germanwings, Lufthansa, Norwegian, Qatar Airways, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines (and their code-share partners) and is located about 150km from Ljubljana (travel time 2hrs).
Graz (AUT) is served by Air Berlin, Austrian, Intersky, Lufthansa, Neos, Niki, Pegasus, SunExpress (and their code-share partners) and is located about 200km from Ljubljana (travel time 2,5hrs).
Venice/Marco Polo (ITA) is served by a wide range of carriers and is located about 230km from Ljubljana (travel time 3hrs).
Transport from most of the mentioned airports (as well as some others) can also be arranged via shuttle service providers. We have partnered with GRH Conference Logistics to offer you best prices!
Getting around the city
Ljubljana is a small city, so within the city centre most venues can easily be reached within a short walking distance. The historic part in the strict city centre is closed for traffic and only accessible by foot or with bicycles.
Ljubljana also offers a free city bike service (limited to one hour, pending initial registration and payment of 1,00 EUR for a week’s use): www.bicikelj.si
There is also a network of public bus transport system across Ljubljana, and the city is connected to its suburbs and other cities by trains and busses. A ride on the public transport within the city will cost you 1,20 EUR for any combination of rides within 90 minutes: www.lpp.si
Taxi services are also wide-spread and quite affordable in Ljubljana – with the current tariffs below 1 EUR per kilometre (a typical fare in Ljubljana will cost you about 5 EUR): www.taxi-intertours.si
