Anyone who comes to Ljubljana thinking of it as another Eastern European backwater deserves the eye-opener they’ll get. The capital, which calls itself the 'City of Culture,' has a population of only around 300,000 --- it’s Slovenia’s largest city by far -- and may have more artistic offerings per capita than anyplace this side of Bali. (Ljubljana dominates Slovenia’s cultural scene as Vienna does in Austria, or Boston does in Massachusetts.) By one count, the city boasts four professional orchestras; 53 galleries; 22 museums; ten theaters; 11 cinemas (not counting a 12-screen multiplex on the outskirts); and well over 100 general and specialized libraries.
The old town is complemented by the sleek, modernist sprawl of the nearby Cankarjev dom cultural and convention center, Slovenia’s (and one of Europe’s) largest, with six concert halls and two galleries. Its construction between 1980 and 1982 was a bold move for a small provincial capital, especially at the time (the early post-Tito era). It’s a huge, charm-free structure, and the natural habitat of hip, chain-smoking college students along with smartly dressed, cell-phone-happy, espresso-swilling Yugoyuppies with keys to BMWs and Hondas in their pockets. But without it, Ljubljana would be a much diminished place. It’s home to the well-regarded Slovenian Philharmonic, and also hosts almost any sort of cultural event or symposium imaginable. Prices are reasonable, and the acoustics are excellent.
In the clubs, American-style garage rock, punk and hardcore and other loud-and-fast variations rule, along with techno, house, and the like. The national capital is also Slovenia's biggest college town. In the '80s, the college radio station, Radio Student, and youth-oriented alternative magazines -- in particular, Mladina and Nova Revija -- played a large political role in the movement toward Slovenia's eventual independence. Today politics have faded into the background, but student influence on the city's cultural life can't be overstated. (Aficionados of alt-culture shouldn’t miss Ljubljana’s post-nuclear-urban-wasteland Metelkova compound, the most visible vestige of the city’s hot-and-heavy ‘80s punk/alternative scene and still a center for left-of-center lifestyles and creativity.)
Hard rockers will want to check out the Orto Bar (where no tourist ever ventures), on grungy Bolgarska ulica (ulica = street), where the vibe suggests lower Manhattan (with cheaper drink prices) and the action continues well into the small hours... the Jazz Club Gajo, on Beethovnova ulica downtown, is the place for -- well, you know.