State Visit to Slovenia

Norway and Slovenia have enjoyed excellent diplomatic relations since January 1992, when Norway officially recognised the new nation of Slovenia. This is the first State Visit by Norway to Slovenia, and the King and Queen are accompanied by a large delegation of representatives from the Norwegian government and business sector.

Official welcoming ceremony

The visit began with a formal welcoming ceremony at Brdo Castle. Built in 1510, the castle is located about 30 kilometres outside of the capital city of Ljubljana. The castle is often used as the site for important diplomatic meetings and other important official events.

From the castle grounds, King Harald, Queen Sonja, President Türk and Mrs Miklič Türk continued into Brdo Castle for discussions. There was an exchange of gifts and reciprocal conferral of orders.

Meetings

Following the welcoming ceremony, a plenary session was held between the Norwegian and Slovenian delegations. King Harald and President Türk headed the discussions between the delegations and later presided over the signing of two memorandums of understanding that establish guidelines for the allocation of Norway Grants and EEA Grants up until 2014 (see fact box).

During the day, King Harald also held meetings with Slovenia’s President of the National Assembly Dr Pavel Gantar and Prime Minister Borut Pahor.

Plečnik House

Queen Sonja visited Plečnik House, which is part of the Architecture Museum of Ljubljana. The house takes its name from the architect Jože Plečnik (1872-1957), who lived and worked there for many decades. The exhibit inside the house displays the architect’s tools, personal effects, models, pictures and letters.

Although Mr Plečnik worked in both Vienna and Prague, he made his greatest impact in his hometown of Ljubljana. Many of his works – including bridges and locks, seaside boardwalks, parks and squares – contributed to the city’s development. He also designed monumental buildings such as the Church of St. Francis of Assisi and the library at the University of Ljubljana.

Tour of Ljubljana

In the afternoon King Harald and Queen Sonja were given a tour of Ljubljana. First they visited City Hall, where they met with Mayor Zoran Janković and Ms Mija Janković. City Hall is located in the centre of the Old Town and is also used as a concert venue. Several Norwegian musicians have performed there in recent years.

King Harald and Queen Sonja also visited several of Ljubljana’s most important historic sites, such as the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, the Central Market and Prešeren Square, named after Slovenia’s national poet, France Prešeren.

The legacy of Jože Plečnik is evident throughout the city, including Triple Bridge – one of the city’s landmarks. There are historical references to a wooden bridge at the site dating back to 1280, and stone bridges were erected through the centuries. Based on the bridge from 1842, Mr Plečnik designed a triple bridge by adding pedestrian bridges on both sides. The area was designated as car free in 2008, and all three bridges have since been exclusively for pedestrian use.

On their tour around the city the King and Queen were accompanied by Dr Peter Krečič, an art historian with a special focus on architecture and the works of Jože Plečnik.

Gala banquet

This evening King Harald and Queen Sonja will be the guests of President Türk and Mrs Miklič Türk at an official gala banquet held at Brdo Castle.