Magical locations of Kranjska Gora

Advent is the most magical time of the year. Streets are festively decorated, thousands of lights are lit everywhere, and every Sunday we light a new candle on our Advent wreaths.

In the Alpine Village in the centre of Kranjska Gora, local vendors await you with divine products made from natural materials and delicacies from local farms. If you are a fan of homemade Slovenian cheeses or meats, you can find your own shop right there. Local caterers have expanded their services and are also making tea or hot chocolate on the square. The lighting of the Advent lights will take place on 30.11.2024 at 19.00 with a festive speech by the Mayor of Kranjska Gora and a concert by the Slovenian musician Dejan Vunjak. Then, every Friday and Saturday until Christmas, you can visit the Alpine Village for unforgettable musical performances by well-known musicians such as Nuša Derenda, Booom!, Alya, Kvatropirci, Jet Black Diamonds and more and more… The year will end in the company of Slovenian ensemble, Modrijani.

Thousands of lights also invite you to stroll through the magical Viharnik Garden in Mojstrana, which has been managed for many years by local resident Stane Brus. In the garden, there is a fairy-tale wooden house and a wooden bivouac, the latter of which houses a mountain crib with a very special story to tell. The cribs are designed by the author to look like the way life used to be in Mojstrana.

There are several spruce trees, or drəvésc or drəvéščkov as they are called in Gorenjska, in squares around the municipality. The spruce and evergreen branches symbolise life force and eternity, which further emphasises the Christmas message. The erection of Christmas trees was a relatively unknown custom in Carniola, with most of the trees being erected in the homes of German officials and officers. The first public Christmas tree was erected on the Zmajski Most bridge in Ljubljana only in 1845.

A much older custom in Slovenia is that of the nativity scene. These were first erected in the Jesuit Church of St James in Ljubljana in 1644. At first they were only placed in churches, but only a century later they began to be placed in homes, first in bourgeois homes and later also in homes in rural areas. A little over a decade ago, the Living Nativity scene came into its own. The idea of a theatrical performance with the Christmas story of the Living Nativity scene in ice was developed by local resident Pavel Skumavc. Performances will take place from 25 to 30 December, every day at 16:00, 17:00 and 18:00. What makes these performances special is that the entire venue of the Mlačca Gorge, where they take place, is encased in ice. This year, thanks to the freezing temperatures and snow, Pavel has created a real ice kingdom. The reflection of the lights in the ice creates a mystical and magical atmosphere in the gorge, where every visitor can become the king or queen of the Ice Kingdom for a moment.