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We are CurioCity:
arrive in Ljubljana as a tourist, leave as a local!
We love Ljubljana. It’s beautiful, vibrant, clean and safe, and we want you to be a part of that. We want to see you immersed in the stories, the people and the magic of Ljubljana as it exists today. Here at CurioCity we are not such a fan of the typical tour. We focus less on the buildings and landmarks, and more on the people living here and their stories. Your visit shouldn't just be about sightseeing, but fully experiencing the city though the eyes of a locally-licensed guide. We believe that bigger isn’t always better, so our groups are always kept small and intimate. Experiences should be less like “tours”, and more like real-life human-beings exploring a city together, seeing the side of Ljubljana that often remains undiscovered by tourists.
At CurioCity we won’t:
Bore you with excessive facts and figures and obsess over Dead people,
Repeat the same old scripted tours over and over and over, no matter who’s in the group,
Or use a flag on a stick to herd you around Ljubljana.
But we promise:
We will show you Ljubljana like we, the locals, see it
We will tailor your experience to suit you as best as we can.
No two tours will be exactly the same.We will reveal interesting stories from our capital city, and the people living here.
We believe that it’s our responsibility, as locals, to help this city thrive so we’ve decided to run CurioCity as a non-profit organisation. We are privileged to know local, independent social businesses, who are so often missed by passing tourists. When you book with us you directly support these locals. You can make memories on our walks, while making a real difference here in Ljubljana.
This is how we do it. Run by locals, supporting locals, creating locals.
Dragan Barbutovski
Okay, I'll admit it. I'm not actually from Ljubljana. In fact, I've lived in Liverpool, Brussels, the U.S., and most recently Kosovo, but now I'm proud to call Ljubljana my home once again. You can take a Slovene out of Slovenia, but you can't take Slovenia out of a Slovene.
Officially they call me a Communication Consultant, specialising in the EU and social responsibility campaigns. As well as communicating (ask anyone, I talk a lot) my passions have always been EU politics and travel. I surprised myself recently when I tallied up that I've visited over 50 countries so far!
Now though, I'm part of CurioCity, which is built in the way I like to travel. I avoid big groups, and you'll always find me mixing more with the locals than you will other tourists. And above all, I always try to support the local economy. When I’m buying souvenirs, I'd rather they are locally designed and produced. And when I visit restaurants, I choose local ones with seasonal food, rather than those belonging to faceless organisations.
So on behalf of my team I would like to extend our welcome to Ljubljana. Dobrodošli!
What are you curious about today?
Uroš Trauner
I've lived in Ljubljana for 25 years now, although it's been in my heart since my teenage years when I used to visit my relatives who lived in its historic centre.
Since then I have been astonished by this city and its squares and parks, as well as its numerous bridges crossing the Ljubljanica river. All this played a role in me becoming an architect.
Once, after already living here for a while, I described Ljubljana as ‘seductively blue and mysteriously green’. Even today, I truly see it in its own colour scheme. I see and feel Ljubljana’s distinctive shades under its numerous majestic oriental plane and chestnut trees.
I also love photography and the artist in me can’t help but be inspired by Ljubljana’s appearance. It’s a vibrant city dressed in enchanting pastel colours, as trapped on an impressionist canvas.
Everywhere you look there’s a new shape, a different view or something else to experience… and there’s a pleasant murmuring everywhere as you walk through Ljubljana’s busy streets.
I try to capture this mysterious mix on camera. Most of the photos you see on CurioCity are mine.
Tjaša Janovljak
When I was born I was given this lovely name Tjaša. After having to repeat it over and over for every foreigner I meet, I’ve come to realise that my name only exists in Slovenia.
I am addicted to travel. For me traveling can be to the other side of the world or to the neighboring town in Slovenia. And if there is a concert on the way, even better.
Among others I could point out half a year in Central America, hitch hiking a truck to Madrid to see Smashing Pumpkins live and this years week-long hike over the Pohorje mountain range in the east of Slovenia.
When I travel, my camera is never far away and I am trying to publish as much as possible on my blog or elsewhere. With my passion to write, take pictures and to share interesting places with others I became a spotter for Spotted by Locals. When I am not traveling you can find me on the streets of Ljubljana or in a souvenir shop that I manage.
Tom Norman
I’m the only non-Slovenian in the team. I visited Ljubljana for the first time in 2014, and it’s fair to say she’s had a piece of my heart ever since. Now I’m fortunate enough to call her my home for a while.
When I’m not obsessing over Slovenia you can normally find me writing, or thinking. I do a lot of both. I wrote a book last year called How To Travel The Land For Less Than A Grand, and now I share empowering ideas for twenty-somethings on my site.
I enjoy running, drinking coffee, playing the piano and dreaming up crazy ideas about how to change the world for the better.
If you see me around Ljubljana don’t hesitate to say hello.
