FEEL Slovenia Podcast

A Living Stage: The UNESCO-Listed Škofja Loka Passion Play and Slovenia’s Historic Towns

In this episode of Feel Slovenia, the Podcast, Dr. Noah Charney takes listeners beyond Slovenia’s iconic destinations into a network of 24 historic towns [https://www.zgodovinska-mesta.si/en/] – where culture is not preserved as memory, but lived as experience. At its emotional and cultural core is the Škofja Loka Passion Play [https://www.slovenia.info/en/things-to-do/events/22015-the-skofja-loka-passion-play], one of Europe’s oldest dramatic traditions and a UNESCO-recognised masterpiece of intangible heritage. Performed across the streets, squares, and courtyards of Škofja Loka, the Passion Play transforms the town into an immersive open-air stage, bringing together hundreds of local performers in a powerful retelling of a centuries-old story. It is not simply a performance, but a collective act of memory, identity and community. From this defining experience, the episode unfolds across Slovenia, introducing towns shaped by craftsmanship, culinary traditions, and layered histories—from Idrija’s lace-making heritage to Radovljica’s beekeeping legacy. Whether explored through a scenic journey or slow, immersive stays, these towns reveal Slovenia as a country of living stories—best understood not just by seeing, but by experiencing them. Feel Slovenia the Podcast is brought to you by the Slovenian Tourist Board and hosted by Dr Noah Charney. Sound Production: Urska Charney For more inspirational content, check out www.slovenia.info [https://www.slovenia.info/en] and our social media channels, including Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/feelslovenia/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/slovenia.info], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/slovenia], Twitter [https://twitter.com/sloveniainfo], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.com/feelslovenia/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/slovenian-tourist-board] and Tripadvisor [https://www.tripadvisor.com/Profile/FeelSlovenia].

Marina Abramović on Ulay and Art Vital

This Valentine’s Day, we invite you to step into one of the most extraordinary love stories in contemporary art — a story where passion became performance and devotion became artistic legacy. In this intimate and thought-provoking episode of Feel Slovenia the podcast, we explore the powerful intersection of love, risk and radical creativity. At its heart is Art Vital [https://www.slovenia.info/en/stories/exhibition-art-vital-at-the-cukrarna-gallery], the landmark exhibition at Cukrarna in Ljubljana, which traces the groundbreaking collaborative work of Marina Abramović and Ulay, who were partners in life as much as in art — living nomadically in a van, placing absolute trust in one another and testing the limits of endurance, vulnerability and connection. In this deeply personal conversation, Marina Abramović, arguably the world's most famous living artist, reflects on how they met, how their creative alliance took shape, and what it meant to make art at a time when performance had no market, no clear institutional support and no safety net. What drove them forward was a shared vision — radical, uncompromising and profoundly human. The episode also illuminates Slovenia’s vibrant contemporary art landscape [https://www.slovenia.info/en/stories/creative-art-centres-in-slovenia] — from Moderna galerija and the Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova in Ljubljana to the forthcoming museum in Bled — underscoring the country’s growing role as a compelling cultural destination in Europe. Feel Slovenia the Podcast is brought to you by the Slovenian Tourist Board and hosted by Dr Noah Charney. Sound Production: Urska Charney For more inspirational content, check out www.slovenia.info [https://www.slovenia.info/en] and our social media channels, including Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/feelslovenia/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/slovenia.info], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/slovenia], Twitter [https://twitter.com/sloveniainfo], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.com/feelslovenia/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/slovenian-tourist-board] and Tripadvisor [https://www.tripadvisor.com/Profile/FeelSlovenia].

Slovenia’s Winter Sports Culture

Snow here isn’t background scenery; it’s a way of life. In this episode, we step into Slovenia’s winter pulse, where ski jumping is a family ritual, weekends revolve around the forecast, and visitors are welcomed not just as guests, but as participants. From the lively slopes of Kranjska Gora and Krvavec to the serene cross-country trails of Pokljuka and the valley beauty of Jezersko, we explore the most accessible, rewarding ways to ski, glide, sled, and enjoy winter – without the crowds. Two elite athletes, both with their family roots from Gorenjska, a region named among the Best Places to Go in Europe in 2026 by Condé Nast Traveler [https://www.slovenia.info/en/stories/conde-nast-traveler-gorenjska-among-the-best-places-to-go-in-europe-in-2026], guide us through this landscape from opposite sides of the Atlantic. Hockey legend Anže Kopitar, who built his career in the United States, shares what he recommends to friends when they visit Slovenia: basing themselves in Bled or Ljubljana, day-tripping across Gorenjska, and balancing crisp mountain mornings with riverside coffee and Michelin-starred dinners. He reflects on bringing the Stanley Cup to Lake Bled and explains why Slovenia’s small size is one of its greatest strengths – where the sea, the Alps, and the capital city are all within easy reach. We also head to Planica, Slovenia’s iconic ski-flying valley, where visitors can walk beneath the legendary hill, tour the Nordic Museum, experience indoor skydiving, or zipline across the valley for a ski jumper’s-eye view. Slalom racer Lila Lapanja offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at elite alpine skiing. Raised in Lake Tahoe and now competing for Slovenia, she speaks openly about her decision to return to her roots and join the Slovenian national ski team. She shares her personal life story, her strong USA–Slovenia connection, and what it takes to run a lean, independent “Team Lila” – from coaching and ski service to logistics and mental preparation. We dive into race-day details: breathing cues at the start gate, trusting feel as light and ruts shift, and how hundredths of a second can define an entire season. If you’re planning a winter holiday [https://www.slovenia.info/en/stories/winter-activities], think Slovenia: come for the snow, stay for the culture, and leave with a new respect for mountains that shape everyday life. Enjoyed the show? Subscribe, share it with a friend who loves winter, and leave a quick review to help others find us.  Feel Slovenia the Podcast is brought to you by the Slovenian Tourist Board and hosted by Dr Noah Charney. Sound Production: Urska Charney For more inspirational content, check out www.slovenia.info [https://www.slovenia.info/en] and our social media channels, including Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/feelslovenia/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/slovenia.info], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/slovenia], Twitter [https://twitter.com/sloveniainfo], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.com/feelslovenia/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/slovenian-tourist-board] and Tripadvisor [https://www.tripadvisor.com/Profile/FeelSlovenia].

Jože Plečnik Beyond Ljubljana

This episode explores the architectural legacy of Jože Plečnik beyond Ljubljana and presents him as Slovenia’s defining architect and a creator of a distinct national architectural language. Listeners are guided on day trips and longer journeys across Slovenia to discover Plečnik’s lesser-known works. The main focus is Kamnik [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8UzKFDnK3c], including the Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher in the Franciscan Church, described as a complete, immersive work of sacred art rich in symbolism, materials, light and craftsmanship. Other works in and around Kamnik include bridges, baptisteries, church renovations, private interiors, and the Royal Hunting Lodge at Kamniška Bistrica. The episode then highlights Plečnik’s sensitivity to place in other regions: the Rosary Steps and church renovations in Kranj [https://www.visitkranj.com/en/sights/plecnik-stairs-fountain-and-arches/]; a gothic-modern church renovation near Tolmin [https://www.tol-muzej.si/exhibitions/permanent-exhibitions/the-church-of-st-mary-s-call]; the Church of the Holy Spirit in Bogojina [https://visitpomurje.eu/en/explore/zupnijska-cerkev-gospodovega-vnebohoda-plecnikova-cerkev-plecniks-church] in Prekmurje, which blends monumental form with local craft and tradition; funerary architecture in Ljutomer; and unrealised but influential plans in Bled [https://brdo.si/en/objekti/kavarna-belvedere/], including the origins of today’s Belvedere Pavilion. Throughout, the episode emphasises Plečnik’s use of local materials, artisans, symbolism and reuse of existing structures, presenting his architecture as spiritual, human-scaled and deeply rooted in landscape and culture.  Explore Slovenia through Plečnik’s works outside the capital, one journey at a time!   Discover the monumental legacy of Jože Plečnik [https://www.slovenia.info/en/things-to-do/culture/discover-the-monumental-legacy-of-joze-plecnik] You may also wish to listen to another podcast episode [https://en-podcast.slovenia.info/1925937/episodes/14360005-joze-plecnik-slovenia-s-architectural-shining-star] dedicated to Plečnik, featuring a conversation with Ana Porok of the Plečnik House Museum and Peter Krečič, former director of the Architecture Museum of Ljubljana. Feel Slovenia the Podcast is brought to you by the Slovenian Tourist Board and hosted by Dr Noah Charney. Sound Production: Urska Charney For more inspirational content, check out www.slovenia.info [https://www.slovenia.info/en] and our social media channels, including Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/feelslovenia/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/slovenia.info], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/slovenia], Twitter [https://twitter.com/sloveniainfo], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.com/feelslovenia/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/slovenian-tourist-board] and Tripadvisor [https://www.tripadvisor.com/Profile/FeelSlovenia].

Joker Out and the Slovenian Language

Feel Slovenia the podcast takes you beneath the surface of one of Europe’s most surprising countries – its culture, creativity and the people who make it sing. And this time, that’s quite literal. This episode is about the Slovenian language and features an extensive, exclusive, indepth interview with its surprising ambassadors – the hugely successful rock band, Joker Out. The band, who gained international fame representing Slovenia at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest with their song Carpe Diem and made the world dance – and sing in Slovenian – share how performing entirely in Slovenian became a statement of authenticity and pride. Through candid stories from behind the scenes, reflections on songwriting in multiple languages and a few personal tips for exploring Slovenia, the episode reveals how a small language can have a big voice. Feel Slovenia the Podcast is brought to you by the Slovenian Tourist Board and hosted by Dr Noah Charney. Sound Production: Urska Charney For more inspirational content, check out www.slovenia.info [https://www.slovenia.info/en] and our social media channels, including Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/feelslovenia/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/slovenia.info], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/slovenia], Twitter [https://twitter.com/sloveniainfo], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.com/feelslovenia/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/slovenian-tourist-board] and Tripadvisor [https://www.tripadvisor.com/Profile/FeelSlovenia].