I’m currently living in and enjoying Ljubljana, Slovenia, where I’m carrying out my practical training for 5 months. My work tasks are in the HR and management area in a small local start up. Since the company is small, interns are able to have bigger positions and responsibilities, offering me a great chance to be autonomous and innovative. The company is in the wellbeing and meditation industry, which aligns with my own personal interests too, motivating me even further – on top of working on interesting tasks with lots of meetings and chances to enhance the current operations.
The city of Ljubljana is very easy to navigate in, with a river running through the middle of it. There is a wide variety of different bars and restaurants, as well as art and museums. Most of the museums also have a free entrance every first Sunday of the month, so definitely take advantage of that! Also, if you like eating out, get to know the local Boni system – it offers discounted meals for students in many restaurants, the prices for full meals being around 2-5 euros. It’s an amazing advantage!
Since the country is small, all different attractions are close to reach. Public transport works between the biggest cities and tourist attractions, but if you’re more interested in visiting the various mountain areas or less touristic caves, a car would be necessary. Travelling via public transport is definitely encouraged by the government as well since national buses and trains are 30% cheaper on weekends. My favourite trips in the country have been to lake Bled, Maribor, and the small coastal cities between Italy and Croatia. It’s been fun to explore the country as a whole and not just focus on Ljubljana only, even though it of course offers the most possibilities, being the biggest city in the country. The location of Slovenia is ideal for international travel too since it’s very quick to travel to other neighbouring countries, like Croatia, Austria, and Italy. There are train networks between the countries, but I’ve personally utilised Flixbuses more.
When comparing Finnish and Slovenian work cultures, I would say they’re quite similar. Punctuality and professionalism are highly appreciated, and the atmosphere is often relaxed – of course there are differences between different companies. In my experience while working in Slovenia, colleagues are seen outside of work too for food and drinks for example. I have read that Slovenia tends to be a bit more hierarchical than Finland but that has not been my experience.
I would definitely recommend Slovenia as a destination for your study or internship exchange or just a place to visit as a tourist! There are so many natural attractions, like caves, mountains, and waterfalls, as well as cities with cultural opportunities. The country is often called as a “hidden gem” since it isn’t usually on people’s radar, but I’m definitely glad about my choice of pursuing it as a country to do my internship in.
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