The city was given an image boost as the Games helped update its infrastructure
and lift its passion for sport. Many major foreign sponsors like Coca
Cola, Kodak, American Cyanimid, Miller Brewing Co. and U.S. Tobacco Co. saw
it fit to invest in the biggest sporting event in the history of Yugoslavia. People
flocked to watch the games that cost around USD 111m in 1984. The Bosnian war later left destruction and the heritage of sport was severely damaged
and compromised. Yet with the strong will of the people, along with the help of the Olympic movement and the investment from the International Olympic
Committee (IOC), Sarajevo restored its sporting legacy. Aid came from
the city of Barcelona, which helped rebuild and redevelop the Olympic
Village in Mojmilo, that was left in ruins by the war.

The cities are now forever bound as ‘twins’ since 2000. The IOC also invested more than USD 10m into the reconstruction of the Zetra Olympic Hall, which was named after the late former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch right after his death in 2010. The bobsleigh and luge facilities were also destroyed and later restored and are now a popular training base for other teams. The city never lost its Olympic spirit, as it motivates and drives people to get involved in sports, to train or just be passionate fans. And most important of all, the different ways of collaboration it provided are transmitted from generation to generation.

The Adriatic region has become a hatchery of golden eggs in terms of sporting successes, and it is showing in the global adulation of stars like the Serbian tennis player Novak Djoković, one of the best tennis players in history, and arguably one of the best sportsmen of the century in global sports. He is one of the most endorsed champions as well, outgrowing the local market already early in his career.

According to Forbes, the 33-year-old earned almost EUR 27m in sponsorships in 2019, ranked 68th amongst all celebrities, including movie and music stars. His total earnings were estimated at around EUR 38m, while his net worth is estimated somewhere in the region of EUR 200m. Amongst others, he is endorsed by Asics, Head, Lacoste, NetJets, Peugeot, Seiko Watches, and Ultimate software group. He has always stayed loyal to the Serbian public. This past year, he and his wife pledged EUR 1m to buy medical equipment to fight the pandemic.

Djoković has several other philanthropic interests in his native country through his foundation (which has, according to its webpage, already helped 45 school adaptations, supported 4,500 parents, trained 1600 teachers, and helped more than 30,000 children with education and other needs). Global stardom usually comes with social responsibility and dealing with this part of life is almost as important as sporting success, which in Djoković’s case is abundant.

Are you curious about where you can see Tito’s cars, a blacksmith’s workshop and a world champion bear all at once? Visit the largest national museum, the Technical Museum of Slovenia, where something interesting happens every Sunday.

The Technical Museum of Slovenia is the principal national museum dedicated to the preservation of the technical cultural heritage. In the idyllic surroundings of a former Carthusian monastery, only 20 kilometres from Ljubljana heading towards the coast, you will absolutely be captivated by Tito’s automobiles, an extensive collection of bicycles, printing and sewing machines, a veneer sawmill, a traction engine, a blacksmith’s workshop, a bear that became the world champion in 1973, an exhibition on a 100 year old history of motoring in Slovenia – and a great deal more that’s worth visiting and exploring.

Photo authors: Jaka Blasutto, Blaž Zupančič, Jure Korber, Ursula Osojnik

On Sundays, workshops for children, guided theme tours, Nikola Tesla experiments, demonstrations of old crafts and a series of other activities allow young and adult visitors alike to truly feel the engineering spirit of the past.

This season, the museum is highlighting the occasional exhibition Technique for Sport, at which will include 60 Slovenian manufacturers of sports equipment for land, water and air sports. In mid-October, the museum will open the exhibition Man and Food: In a Vicious Circle, that will be dedicated to historical and technological development, innovation in food production and food preparation and consumption. It will also focus on today’s attitudes towards food and the importance of the circular economy.

Only 15 minutes from the Museum, in between the hills, lies a small valley and a small town called Borovnica (translating Blueberry).

At the very end of the valley, you can find five waterfalls in “Soteska Pekel” (Gorge Hell). During the summertime this is a great place to cool down, while in the winter you can admire the mighty frozen waterfalls.

On the way to the gorge, you will find a small farm Kmetija Bizjak (Bizjak Farm) that offers home-grown products under the brand Pred Peklom (Before the Hell).

The owners are passionate about healthy lifestyle and they offer a variety of home grown products. They grow vegetables according to the biodynamic method, using bio-dynamic preparations instead of pesticides. Hen eggs are available throughout the year. There is also a picnic place at the farm on a somewhat secluded green clearing.

Bizjak Farm’s unique picnic place has everything you need for a day well spent – outdoor grill, peaceful stream, shade in the shelter of the forest.

You can organize your special event under the traditional Slovenian hayrack which can accommodate up to 80 people. While children play on the playgrounds, you can enjoy a game of bowling or football. Other luxuries include a barbecue, refrigerator, fireplace, as well as running water, electricity, and brand-new toilets.

And, of course, home-grown seasonal vegetables!

A wooden log cabin has recently grown in the farm’s immediate vicinity. With its fairytale interior and exterior, it represents a real escape from reality. The wooden construction provides a cozy and warm atmosphere. The upper floor offers accommodation for up to 7 people, while the lower floor has a large common area with kitchen, living room with a fireplace, bathroom, and toilets. A special feature of the log cabin is the large panoramic door, which further opens the space. It leads to the spacious and green terrace, with a barbecue, alongside the calm stream.

So, for Dallas Mavericks it was nothing unusual to start exploring more than just sporting options in terms of their long-term commitment with the now 21-year-old. The agreement to work closely with Slovenian institutions in January 2020 was just a natural process for the NBA franchise, longing to hit the heights it once reached with another European, the German star Dirk Nowitzki. Usually, the NBA is seen as a business-driven competition, where trading players to reach short term competitive goals is a daily routine. Not Dallas, and certainly not with Dončić.

The Mavericks hope to have its star for years to come and they want to exercise as many options as possible in terms of business opportunities in his home country. Never shying away from wanting to play for Slovenia, the Mavericks recognized the special connection Dončić has with his country and formed their own. The team is trying to benefit and also “present the country as a unique destination in terms of economy, investment possibilities and tourism,” as per the Slovenian Tourist Board (STB) on the day they struck a commercial deal with the Mavs. Through Dončić, the partnership will hope to increase the visibility of Slovenia, which provides numerous opportunities heading both ways. The project has brought together numerous other public institutions like the Government Communication Office of the Republic of Slovenia (UKOM), the STB, the Public Agency for Entrepreneurship, Internationalization, Foreign Investments and Technology (SPIRIT) and Ljubljana Tourism, wrote STB on their website.

Together, these institutions have undertaken several promotional activities linked with NBA games with special Slovenian themes and phrases, tourism opportunities, and other links. “Slovenia is getting more and more popular in the USA and Luka Dončić has put on quite a show. We have been brought together at the right time and such synergies would otherwise not be generated. This project definitely upgrades the STB activities in the US market,” the Board’s director Maja Pak pointed out. And so far, it has worked a treat in both ways. Especially as Dončić is hitting his stride in his third season s a fan favourite in the US.

Arguably Slovenia’s biggest sporting success came in September 2017, when the national basketball team became European champions in Istanbul, Turkey. Yet the shirts of both finalists were fighting another battle.

On the one side, sponsor Telemach, the Slovenian telecommunications company (a subsidiary of Netherlands’ United Group) is, among others, a long-standing main sponsor of the Slovenian basketball association (KZS). On the other side, the Slovenian insurance company Triglav, a longterm partner of the Serbian national team.

The company is well known in the Adriatic region with many subsidiaries and was spreading their reach through sporting events even before landing a spot on the shirt of one of the most iconic national teams in the Balkans. Triglav was previously a sponsor for the preliminary round of the EuroBasket 2013 in Croatia with an investment worth more than EUR 150,000, and later one of the main sponsors for the EuroBasket 2015 in Slovenia, before signing a long-term deal with the Serbian Basketball Federation while the national team was preparing for the championships in Kranjska Gora. The strategic positioning in Serbia, and the reach Triglav has through its subsidiaries, is nothing new as big companies, commercially- or statedriven, still benefit from partners from a former republic, or reap the rewards of being a trusted company. Triglav also sponsors the North Macedonian Olympic Committee and the North Macedonian handball national teams, while it was also handed the Superbrand title for its standing in that region.

Who can forget the iconic tourist commercial involving the rooster of its biggest sports stars? Tourist attractions and sport champions are the two driving forces of Croatia’s global reach. Countless success stories of Croatian athletes who have made it from anonymity to global recognition have also helped sports become one of the most important pillars of Croatia’s economy. And athletes have all recognized the significant role they play in promoting the country. They enjoy unwavering support of their passionate fans, as shown in all kinds of team sports such as handball, water polo, basketball, and especially football (its number one export item). The national football team received a triumphant reception after the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where they fell just short of winning the Cup against France.

Still, more than half a million people flocked to the streets of Zagreb to show their support for the “Vatreni” (Fiery – as they are affectionately known). Along with all the footballing emotions, the second place brought in more than EUR 25m in prize money for the Croatian football federation (HNS), and undoubtedly a big chunk in Croatia’s tourist and commercial revenue in the years to come.

Rewards are being reaped even nowadays as the national football championship has netted its biggest contract for sports right holders. The success of the national team has also helped clubs and especially its (now world renowned) players make multimillion-worth moves to big European clubs, way more than any other country in the region.

In mid-June, Ljubljana got a museum that deals with extremely interesting topics. Bankarium, Banking Museum of Slovenia, is located in the former banking hall of the Mestna hranilnica ljubljanska at Čopova ulica 3, Ljubljana. A visit to the museum offers a walk through 200-year history of banking in the territory of today’s Slovenia.

In the museum, which is situated in one of Ljubljana’s most famous Art Nouveau buildings, visitors learn about the five thousand year long history of banking. A presentation of the history of banking institutions and practices on our soil takes them to two hundred years of Slovenia’s banking heritage.

»Why it was us who founded the Museum of Banking? Because of our tradition based on people, banking knowledge and culture, which is more than 200 years old,« says Blaž Brodnjak, President of the Board of the NLB Institute for the Management of Cultural Heritage.

Do you know when Slovenia got its first savings banks and who they were intended for? In the museum you can walk through history all the way to the advent of digital mobile wallets. You can see all the currencies valid in our territory, and get to know the key people who left their imprint in Slovenian banking.

If you are curious how bank employees used to work, you take a step behind the bank counters from different periods. There is also a rich collection of safes and savings books on display, and you can see the inside of the ATM as well.

A step inside the bank vault offers a very special experience. The massive reinforced concrete door has done its job more than well over time, as no one was able to break into the vault on Čopova. Visitors can also check their financial literacy in the museum through playing interactive games.

»Regardless of the fact that the collection was entirely financed by NLB, the museum tells a story about the history of the Slovene banking industry, it talks about the development of institutions and the development of banking practices – from the first piggy banks to the digital transformation. Bankarium is not only a museum, but also a digital centre for financial literacy. Just as this building, the Ljubljana Municipal Savings Bank, was the leader in youth and school savings 100 years ago, NLB has the leading position in knowledge, professionalism and experience, which we are happy to share. After all, financial literacy is part of our sustainable policy and strategy, it is our responsibility and our task.”

The Bankarium also has a museum shop that offers various products related to money and banking. In the store you can buy savings banks, board games, wallets and money boxes and other Slovenian products related to money.

»Slovenes can be proud of our banking history. Few people know this, but the development of banking in Slovenia started at the same time as in other European countries. Our first monetary institution, Kranjska hranilnica (Carniola Savings Bank, founded in 1820), was, for example, only the second ever in the then Austro-Hungarian Empire. The more banking developed, the better it could support the economy and the faster the latter could grow, and with that, society also developed and progressed,« said Blaž Brodnjak, the President of the Board of the NLB Institute for the Management of Cultural Heritage, under the auspices of which the museum was established, at today’s presentation of Bankarium, the Museum of Banking in Slovenia, which presents the banking heritage in the Slovene territory from as early as 1820 to the present day.