Some say he is one of the major profiteers of healthcare. He says that’s not true. He recommends everyone to read his book titled In the sign of the fish, where he explains it all. 

I am not a lobbyist, says Božo Dimnik (89), a doctor, a long-time businessman and a cosmopolitan. They got everything mixed up, he points out. I am predominantly a marketer, he elaborates. »I did this all my life. The only time I lobbied was for an independent Slovenia.« 

»I caught my first fish in Ljubljana, in Gruberjev canal. It weighed a little over two pounds. With the fish in my hands I ran to our house to bring her there alive, put her in the pool, and went to see her again and again. Since then, I’ve been at the water every day.«

And before the independence of the country in 1991, he witnessed and experienced a lot. Before the second world war, he grew up in Belgrade, together with the children of the Karađorđević royal family. »The king’s descendants tell me my personal archives consist of more of their ancestors’ photographs than theirs,« Dimnik says, not trying to hide his pride. 

»In the 1960s, there was a chronic shortage of foreign currencies in Yugoslavia, and we could read in the newspapers that the government was buying cars for its offices. I had some foreign currencies and I thought I could take advantage of it and earn some, hence I started importing cars. I exchanged or bought these foreign currencies from foreigners, mostly rich people. With the exchange I earned 15, 20%, sometimes even more, even up to 50%. I handed out dinars to foreigners at the official exchange rate, and of course I exchanged foreign currency in the black market, which allowed me to cash in on this.«

He played cards with top communist leaders, Tito, Stane Dolanc, and Edvard Kardelj. Anecdotes about significant history events come out of his mouth easily. He hung out with the world’s most famous celebrities –the British count Angus Douglas, and Brigite Bardot are some of them. He always loved the company of women. His book is full of stories about women he has met and been surrounded with within his business. 

A person has to focus on an area where he is really good at, advises Dimnik. »You can capitalise on that when you invite business partners to your very own field.« His is fishing. Everything important that has happened to him is related to fish. Hence the title of the book, In the sign of the fish. The book was edited by Slovenian writer and journalist Tadej Golob, the author of the most read and best-selling crime novels in Slovenia. 

Božo Dimnik will present the book in the Gallus hall in Cankarjev dom on Monday, September 27, at 5 p.m. 

»[Stipe] Mesić, who knew about my visit to [Hans Dietrich] Genscher, asked me to arrange a meeting for him so that he could also explain Croatia’s position in Yugoslavia to the German politician. I called Count Douglas again to pull his strings and help me on this matter. And on November 14, 1991 the meeting took place in complete secrecy. However, it is difficult to take the president abroad without anyone knowing about it, Janez Drnovšek helped us with that. Mesic had introduced me to Drnovšek before.«

Everyone of us needs to take a break from the relentless every-day pace, stress and work saturation from time to time. With the summer still lingering, now might be the perfect moment to exercise an efficient and mind-clearing getaway. We have collected a few tips on where to do this efforetlessly. This time in the beautiful eastern part of Slovenia.

Luxury Villa Izabela is located in the heart of Prlekija, a stone’s throw from the river Mura and Jeruzalem vineyards. It boasts an exceptional position with an easy access. It offers great starting point for nature lovers and active holiday seekers. This modern furnished house has everything you need to take an efficient break from everyday routine, including the lush garden, the pool, and the sauna room.

Luxury Villa Izabela offers great starting point for nature lovers and active holiday seekers.

A few kilometers from Maribor you will find a very special place where stress and the Internet have no entrance. »We strive to run away from the daily routine, so the place has no wi-fi,« says Goran Gumze, longtime entrepreneur and director and driving force of the recently opened Boutique Glamping Divja DiVine. At the edge of the quiet village Zgornja Korena, on the way from Maribor to Ptuj, you can merge with nature in an unspoiled forest environment and forget about worries and tense nerves. The four nicely decorated glamping houses are complemented by a sauna, a swimming pool and many hidden pathways, where you can exchange the city hustle and bustle for a calm forest stroll. The eco-estate also has sheep and rabbits, and visitors can bring their own pets, too, at no extra charge. »In a few years, our pride will be our original biodynamic wine,« predicts Gumze, who recently planted 4,000 vines, turning the hill on the estate into a wine-growing piece of soil.

Divja Divine, at the edge of the quiet village Zgornja Korena, on the way from Maribor to Ptuj, is a place where you can merge with nature in an unspoiled forest environment and forget about worries and tense nerves.

In Rogaška Slatina, the area where some of the most unusual mineral water springs from the earth, you will find Tourist Farm Marjanca. This place is ideal for peace and beauty of nature. It offers beautiful sights not only of the surrounding mountain world but also all the way to the Kamnik Savinja Alps in the west. Farm provides plentiful of options to enjoy your perfect logout, from local cuisine to different types of saunas, and even famous Kneipp bath. Children will be surely pleased, too, for they can feed animals, search and collect hen eggs and help farm’s grandma bake bread.

Tourist Farm Marjanca provides plentiful of options to enjoy your perfect logout, from local cuisine to different types of saunas, and even famous Kneipp bath.

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.