Ljubljana – European Green Capital 2016

For many Slovenians as well as visitors coming to Slovenia from all over the world, the well-known green colour, representing Slovenia throughout the world, is truly one of a kind. The Slovenian shade of green has been even more pronounced in the capital city since end June, as Ljubljana has been named European Green Capital 2016 by the European Commission.

This prestigious award has already been given to Hamburg, Victoria-Gasteiz, Nantes, Bristol and Copenhagen, where this year`s ceremony took place. This initiative is a special acknowledgment given by the European Union each year to the city promoting high environmental standards and ambitious green objectives for sustainable development. If you have recently had the chance to feel the green-coloured atmosphere of Ljubljana, you must be convinced that it was the perfect candidate for the award. This European award, which recognises local efforts to improve the environment, the economy and the quality of life in cities is seen as an encouragement for Slovenia as a whole and especially for those who contribute to the city`s sustainability strategy "Vision 2025".

One of the main reasons for Ljubljana winning this award among five strong finalists was the Vision 2025 Strategy. Since 2007, the Green European Capital 2016 has been implementing an integrated approach to environmental management comprising the Environmental Protection Programme and the Sustainable Mobility Plan, the Sustainable Energy Plan and the Electromobility Strategy. Moreover, the green policy of the Slovenian capital is reflected in the share of city`s green purchases exceeding 70% of all city purchases. Transportation in Ljubljana has also changed dramatically in recent years. The BicikeLj bike-sharing system has reached more than 1.6 million journeys, which is close to the number of all inhabitants in Slovenia. A city which was rapidly becoming dominated by the car, Ljubljana, and especially its centre, has now given priority to traffic-free areas promoting well-being of the pedestrians and cyclists. Currently the greenest European city intends the cyclist and the public transport users to account for equal one-third shares of all transport in the city in the following few years. An impressive service in Ljubljana has also been the Cavalier, an environmentally-friendly electric bus carrying residents and visitors free of charge around the city centre to do their errands, taking them to their homes or to the city sights.

The Commissioner for the Environment Janez Potočnik, coming from Slovenia, took great pride as he announced the victory of his city which was shortlisted for the award for the second time. This year`s applicants for the Green Capital Award 2016 were, alongside Ljubljana, Essen (Germany), Nijmengen (the Netherlands), Oslo (Norway) and Umeo (Sweden).

Owing to its green atmosphere, Ljubljana could have won a title of the hippest capital of Europe as well. An American travel blogger who has now been living for several years in the German capital, which is very popular among hipsters, has declared Ljubljana a paradise for hipsters and compared it to the popular Berlin. Many of Adam`s friends have never heard of Ljubljana, so he was even more excited when he fell in love with the Slovenian capital only after spending few hours there. His blog lists 6 reasons, why Ljubljana is for him the new Berlin. The first reason is the notorious Metelkova, a former squat, now alternative nightlife heaven. In this area, one can find also the famous Hostel Celica; the building used to be a military prison, as its name, namely The Cell, and the design suggest. According to the Trivago portal, the Hostel Celica is claimed to be one of the top 10 hipster hotels! The "hippest" things for Adam were also Draft Beer Tour by Ljubljananjam, the Open Kitchen food market, the Culinary Slovenia cooking class and the Taste Ljubljana event as well as enjoying the feel by (and on) the Ljubljanica River, getting around on a bike using the Bicikelj bike-sharing system as well as the art galleries and the artistic vibe of Ljubljana on its art markets.

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