WDEC in Žale cemetery, Ljubljana

A free guided tour around the cemetery.

During the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries (WDEC), which takes place within the framework of the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe (ASCE), this year we will organise free guided tours around the Žale cemetery. 

 Guided tours of the cultural heritage of the Žale cemetery will be held twice a day from 30 May 2022 to 5 June 2022.

The guide will be waiting for you in front of the administrative building at Plečnikovih Žalah (Plečnik's propile) at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.. 

During the guided tour you will visit the famous Plečnik's Žale, the graves of well-known Slovenians, the works of famous architects and sculptors, and other important parts of the Žale cemetery, which is actually an outdoor museum. 

Cemeteries as a cultural heritage are an important part of our history and art, and therefore are the tourist attractions of cities where one can feel the history and culture of the local population. 

One such is also the Žale cemetery. Due to its high cultural, historical and artistic value, it is one of the most beautiful European cemeteries. Many giants of our history are buried at the Žale cemetery: poets, writers, sculptors, painters, composers, architects, actors, engineers, politicians, athletes, etc. 

There are also many cemeteries from the I. and II. World War II in the cemetery and other memorials. 

The cemetery is also important as the second largest city (Ljubljana) park and is interesting in all seasons of the year.

Plečnik's Žale on the UNESCO list

Plečnik's Žale were recognized as a site of exceptional universal value and were included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The 44th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which began on 16 July 2021, confirmed the entry of selected Plečnik's works in Ljubljana on this prestigious world list. In addition to the complex of the Plečnik's Žale - Garden of All Saints, located at Žale Cemetery, six of Plečnik's other works in the City of Ljubljana (known today as Plečnik's Ljubljana) have been added to the list of world cultural and natural heritage.

About Plečnik's Žale

Plečnik's Žale - The Garden of All Saints is a part of Žale Cemetery in Ljubljana and was built according to the plans of the famous Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik in the years 1937 to 1940. The entrance to the Garden of All Saints is designed monumentally, like the mighty Propylaea. The central building of the mourning complex is the Chapel, around which are arranged mortuary chapels or chapels dedicated to various saints and patrons of Ljubljana parishes. These are surrounded by an exceptional park arrangement of various trees, bush fences, a fountain, pillars and lamps. At the end of the Garden of All Saints, Plečnik placed a building of carpentry workshops, which is decorated with frescoes.

Sites of exceptional universal value

The selected buildings, complexes and spatial arrangements meet the criterion “to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history.” At the same time, they meet the requirements for authenticity and integrity and have a regulated legal protection and management system. All three represent the essence of the concept of so-called exceptional universal value, which is justified on a global scale.

The Plečnik's Žal area has so far been a registered area of cultural heritage and enlisted in the Register of Immovable Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia. In addition, Plečnik's Žale is a cultural monument of national importance, and also bears the European Heritage Label from the intergovernmental initiative.

*Source: https://www.zale.si