This year’s May festivities got underway in Ljubljana the evening before International Labour Day with the traditional 1 May bonfire on Rožnik. The celebrations are ongoing until 9 May, which Ljubljana celebrates as a city holiday.

The people of Ljubljana traditionally celebrate 1 May, International Labour Day, on Rožnik with a red carnation in their buttonholes. This year’s events on Rožnik for 1 May were led by the Partisan Choir, the Litostroj Brass Band, dramatic actor Marko Simčič, the Avenue Band and the Lovrenških šest group, while those present were also addressed by Mayor of Ljubljana Zoran Janković.

9 May – Ljubljana City Holiday

The festivities in May go on until 9 May, when we celebrate a City Holiday to mark Peace Day and Europe Day. Ljubljana celebrates its city holiday to commemorate 9 May 1945, when sirens from Ljubljana Castle heralded the long-awaited and determinedly-fought for freedom. The City of Heroes and the Partisan Army had overcome the occupying forces and defeated the wire which formed a menacing encirclement of Ljubljana and restricted the lives of the people of Ljubljana during the war years.

To honour the City Holiday, on Thursday 9 May 2013 there was a Gala Meeting of Ljubljana City Council at Ljubljana Castle, at which Mayor Zoran Janković bestowed the highest awards of the City of Ljubljana, through which, once a year, Ljubljana honours deserving citizens in public life and organisations that give the Slovenian capital a seal of excellence.

At a gala ceremony, this year’s titles of Honorary Citizen were awarded to dramatic actress Štefka Drolc and journalist and writer Juri Gustinčič.

Ljubljana Capital City Awards were presented to film teacher and writer Mirjana Borčić, President of the Key Society and writer Katjuša Popović, journalist and writer Janez Čuček and photographer Joco Žnidaršič. Ljubljana bestowed plaques to honour teacher and school Principal Ana Vehar, the Ljubljana Octet Society, the Moste-Polje Friends of Youth Society, the Dolfka Boštjančič Centre for Training, Work and Care, Draga, the Kombinat Women’s Choir and Ivan Cankar Halls of Residence.

The traditional ‘Walk around the Wire’ event

Thursday 9 May 2013 sees the start of the traditional ‘Walk around the Wire’ event – a walk around the 35km-long route where between 1942 and 1945, the Second World War occupying forces encircled Ljubljana with barbed wire to prevent contact between the city and the rural hinterland around it.

The 57th ‘Walk around the Wire’ got underway this year in the morning of Thursday 9 May with a walk by children from Ljubljana kindergartens, with pupils from Ljubljana primary and middle schools taking part on Friday 10 May.

The main event takes place on Saturday 11 May when the path will play host to hiking lovers and the ‘trio’ race, while in Congress Square in central Ljubljana there is a diverse cultural programme featuring the Partisan Choir and Alenka Godec.