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Mit - SINFO 2008 04 - 8 - Index

CULtUrALtrails
sinfo april 08 36
circular walls and corner towers, and two entry towers with a
drawbridge and chapel. The gothic Chapel of St. George was
consecrated in 1489 and looks almost the same today, while all
the other buildings were either built or rebuilt in the 16th and
17th centuries. Until 1814 the castle served largely as barracks
and then as a provincial prison for a few decades. The Outlook
Tower, which has been one of the most visited tourist sights in
Slovenia for several years now, because a large part of Slovenia
is visible from it, was built in 1848. It was the home of a guard,
whose duty was to fire cannons to warn of fire or announce
important visitors or events in the city. In 1905 the Castle was
purchased by the Municipality of Ljubljana to be used for cultural
purposes; however, the city has been using it for these purposes
only recently, because until 1964 it was mainly a residential
dwelling. Since then the city has been rebuilding and renovating
it; nevertheless, many events have taken place here for a number
of years. Today, Ljubljana Castle is an exceptionally attractive
tourist sight and venue of numerous cultural events, concerts,
theatre performances, exhibitions, conferences and official
receptions, which in the picturesque and beautifully arranged
castle setting give a special character to the lively pulse of life in
Ljubljana as the capital of Slovenia, and in many ways the capital
of the European Union in the first half of 2008.
tHE caStlE’S NEw rolE
In 2007 it had 900,000 visitors, most of whom climbed the steep
stairs to the Outlook Tower, which has been one of the most
visited tourist sights in Slovenia for a number of years, and many
visitors also take a look at the virtual museum. It needs to be
mentioned that as many as 566 events were held in the renovated
part of the Castle in 2007, most of them cultural events, as well
as wedding ceremonies. Last year a funicular began to take the
visitors to the Castle, an exceptional technical acquisition, which
for several years upset many citizens and city authorities, but in
the end was well received, even though it is not economically
viable. A well-planned road and numerous footpaths lead to the
castle as well, which the residents of the city centre use for walks
and recreation.
The city is planning to arrange more shops and restaurants in
the castle, which will be carefully integrated into the Castle
environment. For this purpose, the city needs an additional 20
million euros; the renovation is supposed to take at least another
two years, but these premises will then be easier to let.
At the beginning of May, on 8 and 9 May to be precise, a meeting
of mayors of the capital cities of EU Member States and candidate
countries for EU membership was organised at Ljubljana Castle
in the framework of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council.
The meeting coincided with the European Forum, the informal
meeting of European leaders in Ljubljana, Europe Day, and
Ljubljana’s Peace Day. Many international meetings this year are
being held in the framework of intercultural dialogue, which also
symbolically emphasizes the openness and tolerance of Ljubljana
and the whole of Slovenia.
Already in April an original theatre project, City of Sighs, was
staged at the castle; the traditional Mediaeval Day is already
being carefully organised, when the castle assumes a completely
mediaeval appearance for one day. A number of historical
exhibitions are being prepared, and most cultural events this year
will be part of the traditional Ljubljana Festival with performances
by numerous famous European musicians. By the way, the Festival
Ljubljana company also manages the renovated Castle.