Slovenia's summer of festivals takes a time-trip to the Middle-Ages

The summer months are really festival months festivals in Slovenia. Film, dance, music, you name it and there's a festival for it. And right now it's time for the Middle Ages to return to Slovenia's capital Ljubljana.

This is music the inhabitants and visitors of Slovenia's capital Ljubljana will hear quite often these days, as a very special festival opened its doors. The Ljubljana Castle and the old centre transform into a Middle Age town, hosting the 8th annual Mediaeval Days. The event is organised by the Ljubljana Mini teater puppet theatre in collaboration with the Ljubljana Summer Festival and opened this week with a concert by the Spanish ensemble Tasto Solo. Mitja Bravher of the Mini theatre Ljubljana was pleased with the opening concert:

"We prepared a wonderful concert with the ensemble Tasto Solo from Spain and it was very well visited from media as well as from the public".

The Tasto Solo ensemble bases its performances on a rich, though forgotten repertoire for keyboard instruments of the late Middle Ages. But the festival offers also Renaissance music for example with American lute virtuoso Joel Frederichsen playing Italian and English music of the late Renaissance. The mediaeval days in Ljubljana is an international festival with artists from Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Croatia and Serbia and all of them share the love for the art of the Middle Age and Renaissance period. The Middle Ages seem to be a magnet and people love to experience those romantic but cruel times. The festival itself in the heart of Ljubljana is also a tourist attraction and the number of visitors of the festival is growing steadily, Mitja Bravher:

"We were very surprised, because each year there are more visitors and more media sponsors so this is a result, which shows us that mediaeval music and dances are very popular in Slovenia and this s once in a year in Ljubljana and this is why it is so popular and it is also popular with tourists in Ljubljana".

The event offers more than just concerts. The festival will conclude with performances by dancers, knights, fire spitters, fencers, actors and other artists, who will hit the streets of Ljubljana on 8 and 9 September.

The final part of the festival will also feature a mass in Latin language, a Middle Age market and a presentation of mediaeval cuisine. Mitja Bravher promised that visitors of the festival are invited to join the feast and eat like in the Middle Ages:

"There will be mediaeval cuisine, mediaeval dishes will be prepared and all visitors can try these special dishes and also traditional Slovenian dishes of that time".

The festival is the right place for those who would love to experience the atmosphere of the Middle Ages and forget about everyday life of the 21st century, at least for a few hours.