4. Prešeren Square

The vintage, friends, is over, And here sweet wine makes, once again, Sad eyes and hearts recover Puts fire into every vein. Drowns dull care Everywhere And summons hope out of despair.

Prešeren Square is one of the distinctive features of Ljubljana and Slovenia. It is unusual for a main square of a country to host a monument to an artist instead of a military leader. Zdravljica (“A Toast”), whose 7th stanza is the Slovenian national anthem, is also special, singing praise to peace and grapevine instead of celebrating our glorious past. This plant, which plays an important role in our culture, is already feeling the effects of climate change in Slovenia. Spring frosts of young vine sprouts are becoming more frequent, and due to the general warming of the atmosphere, the growth of vines is expected to be possible even in areas where it is too cold for them today.