Commitment to Sustainability

Green Oasis Above the City

The Ljubljana Castle is a technologically modern, sustainable and accessible complex. It has been completely renovated and maintained in accordance with the guidelines and trends of the protection and presentation of cultural heritage. It offers innovative ways of cultural expression and the organisation of business and social meetings. At the Ljubljana Castle, the excellence of Slovenian cuisine is reflected. The Ljubljana Castle is the flagship of Slovenian (cultural) tourism, as it sets trends with its tourism products, which are sustainable and socially responsible. Through its operation, it conveys to the world an awareness that the castle and its surroundings are a place with a historically rich past as well as a place of outstanding and diverse creativity.

The potential of the Castle Hill is fully exploited. The removal of stationary traffic from its green areas means that it is even more connected to the castle and forms an integral part of its offer. With the help of advanced technologies, it also offers the possibility of expanding existing activities or establishing completely new content in the fields of culture, education, leisure and interactive tourism. All of the events on the Castle Hill take place in such a way that they do not endanger its natural and cultural features, so it remains a green oasis above the city. Together with the castle, it provides visitors with an opportunity for spending quality leisure time and is worth devoting a whole day to.

The Ljubljana Castle is a unique intertwining of history and the present, with an orientation towards the future. As such, it has become a recognisable symbol of the capital city and a cultural attraction that, due to its uniqueness and its historical and natural features, attracts visitors from all over the world. During the period of operation of the Ljubljana Castle Public Institute (since 2011), it has established itself in the field of culture as a nexus of various arts, always leaving a lasting imprint and memory of the past in visitors.

Below we present the Ljubljana Castle’s involvement in sustainable stories and the activities we carry out in order to contribute to our common good.

The Green Key Environmental Certificate

In 2020, the Ljubljana Castle, as the central tourist attraction of Ljubljana and Slovenia, joined the Green Key, the leading standard of excellence in the area of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation in the tourism industry. In doing so, we committed ourselves to complying with the criteria established by the International Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).
As a monument of cultural importance, the Ljubljana Castle endeavours to preserve the cultural heritage, manage tourist infrastructure and develop a sustainable tourist offer by fulfilling various environmental criteria. With its everyday operational decisions, the Ljubljana Castle acts as a good proprietor.

The sustainable perspective is incorporated into the day-to-day operation of the Ljubljana Castle, playing an important role in the following areas:
– environmental management: with our environmental policy, we are committed to respecting and preserving the green environment in which we operate;
– staff involvement: we encourage all of our employees to act responsibly and sustainably with playful inscriptions on stickers (more below). We regard external partners, suppliers and everyone involved in the day-to-day operation of the castle as part of our staff. We organise our own cleaning campaigns and participate in cleaning campaigns within the framework of the Municipality of Ljubljana, which further contribute to ensuring a more beautiful and cleaner environment;
– informing visitors: in view of the fact that we have more than one million visitors annually, taking care of their wellbeing is our top priority. We encourage visitors to use drinking fountains, to take advantage of sustainable access to the castle on foot or via the funicular railway, to walk on the Castle Hill, and to suggest further initiatives;
– water: we encourage visitors to use the drinking fountains that are installed in several locations throughout the castle. Employees are requested to use water sparingly and water consumption is monitored regularly;
– washing and cleaning: one of the fundamental guidelines is the use of environmentally friendly cleaning agents on all castle surfaces, as well as toiletries with appropriate environmental labels;
– waste: at the castle, we constantly inform users about the correct separation of waste, and we also pay attention to appropriate packaging at events;
– energy: saving energy is an important responsibility of every castle employee. All of our systems and devices are regularly maintained and inspected, and electricity consumption is monitored on a monthly basis;
– food and drink: like the Ljubljana Castle, our partner catering service providers are committed to using food that has an environmental label, a fair trade label or comes from the local area. In addition, they strive to reduce food waste and offer a varied range of vegetable/vegan dishes;
– indoor environment: smoking is prohibited in public spaces and restaurants;
– green areas: the Ljubljana Castle stands on the Castle Hill and is surrounded by green areas. Part of the Castle Hill is covered by the Castle Vineyard, and there is a herb garden inside the castle walls;
– corporate social responsibility: In addition to ensuring that we have happy and healthy employees, we also have a lot of activities that are aimed at various target groups of the local population, especially vulnerable groups, for whom we provide tours of the castle or arrange participation in our educational programmes and performances (for example, cooperation with the heroes of the third floor);
– outdoor activities: visitors to the castle are provided with information about nearby parks and the possibility of renting or borrowing bicycles. The Castle Hill is a green oasis above the city that is intended for walking, running, cycling and recreation on the equipment available at the ‘sports island’. Our tourist offer includes an interactive tour of the Castle Hill with the application The Wisdom of Castle Wine, as well as the adventure game Friderik and the Hunt for the Prison Number;
– administration: we ensure the economical use of office materials and the digitalisation of business processes. We use less and less printed matter and more digital content. We always consider green procurement when it comes to public procurement.

More information about the Green Key certificate is available at https://www.zelenikljuc.si/

The Inclusion of the Ljubljana Castle in the Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism

Operating under the umbrella brand SLOVENIA GREEN, the Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism is a national tool for implementing sustainable tourism in the operation of destinations and tourism companies.
The Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism is a quality certificate that indicates the fulfilment of a wide range of requirements in the area of sustainable tourism. It is a tool for both assessing and improving sustainable performance.

More information about the Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism certificate is available at: https://www.slovenia-green.si/sl/o-slovenia-green/

The Ljubljana Castle is Committed to Sustainable Behaviour and Thinking

Every day, our Castle Courtyard is a miniature world, a whirl of diverse languages, desires and emotions. It fills us with pride when every visitor feels welcome and becomes part of the experience of a great story that interweaves the past, the present and the co-creation of the future.

An important part of this story is sustainability – as a way of coexisting with and respecting the natural environment, while at the same time preserving cultural and historical heritage.

We invite you to join us in our commitment to sustainability. Every step counts.

Think. Act. Inspire Others.

Through simple actions, each and every one of you, as castle visitors, can contribute to changing the behaviour and thinking that responsibly ensure that we can pass on the precious heritage we have inherited to future generations. Let’s preserve and enrich the heart of history and culture, and ensure that the Castle Hill remains a green oasis above the city.

Here are some small but important steps for change:

• Leave your car at home. Use the funicular railway or the electric train to get to the castle. Alternatively, you can cycle or walk, which will be good for your health too.
• Reduce your use of plastic. The castle has drinking fountains with excellent water, so bring a bottle with you, fill it up and quench your thirst.
• Please notify us if you notice a water leak or an electricity sensor that is not working. It is important to prevent any unnecessary energy consumption as soon as possible.
• Separate waste. We have installed bins with instructions on where to put your waste. Teach your children how to dispose of waste correctly and it will become a fun challenge for them.
• Be respectful of history and the local environment, where every stone has its own story.
• Respect the natural environment and help us to keep the Castle Hill clean and green. Admire the vegetation without interfering with its growth. Don’t drop rubbish or cigarette butts anywhere.
• Be considerate towards others. Let’s be kind and considerate towards each other, and respect and help each other. The castle is a meeting place of the world in miniature. May it be an example of the peaceful coexistence of everyone.
• Support creativity. May it uplift and inspire you. The world would be empty without artists. Culture is the soul of society and one of the most precious values of humanity.
• Encourage children with your good example. Teach them to respect history, culture and the natural environment. Help them to understand from a young age that one day they will be the guardians of the world for future generations.
• Share good practices and inspire others to join the huge community that believes in the power of sustainable behaviour.