Ljubljana – A City in Green

This photographic exhibition by the National Museum of Contemporary History is dedicated to Ljubljana’s most prominent and well-known parks, as well as the city’s more intimate green havens. The photographs, which are taken from various photographic collections, show how the city’s green spaces were part of the everyday life of Ljubljana’s inhabitants in the interwar period, while also reflecting on the role of urban greenery today and in the future.

The images show the importance of urban green spaces as places for recreation and the social life of citizens – from the promenade in Tivoli (the main part of which used to run along the present-day Cankarjeva Street and Jakopič’s promenade in Tivoli) to one of Ljubljana’s famous pubs located under the shelter of trees. On the other hand, the privacy of gardens or lesser-known green havens in the city makes it possible for people to indulge in peaceful activities that relax both body and mind. The natural environment is also a wonderful setting for relaxed children’s play and exploration, offering the opportunity for genuine contact with animals and observation of the cyclical nature of the seasons. In general, the very sight of greenery has beneficial effects on one’s mental health and well-being. Trees in particular have a beneficial effect on the urban climate, improving air quality, regulating temperature and humidity, reducing noise levels and providing refreshing shade from the sun’s heat.

Take a walk through Ljubljana’s parks and green spaces as they existed in the past!

Curator: Barbara Kočevar

The exhibition has been prepared in cooperation with:

The Agricultural Society’s tree nursery at Poljane, with the King Peter’s Barracks in the background, Ljubljana, interwar period, photographic collection of the newspaper Slovenec, photo by unknown author, kept by the National Museum of Contemporary History.

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Wild chestnuts and the bandstand in Zvezda Park, Ljubljana’s first public park, with the Casino Building in the background, Ljubljana, interwar period, photographic collection of the newspaper Slovenec, photo: Photographic studio “Helios” Veličan Bešter Ljubljana, kept by the National Museum of Contemporary History.

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Rowing on Habjan’s pond in Rožna dolina, with Habjan’s villa in the background and the Church of Our Lady’s Visitation on Rožnik above it, Ljubljana, interwar period, photographic collection of the newspaper Slovenec, photo by unknown author, kept by the National Museum of Contemporary History.

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Sledding in Tivoli Park, Ljubljana, interwar period, photographic collection of the newspaper Slovenec, photo by unknown author, kept by the National Museum of Contemporary History.

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A view across the crowd on Congress Square to the castle on the hill, a popular place for a walk in Ljubljana, interwar period, photographic collection of the newspaper Slovenec, photo by unknown author, kept by the National Museum of Contemporary History.

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