If you love shopping and find yourself in Ljubljana, BTC Ljubljana is the best place to visit. Known as BTC City, it’s the biggest shopping destination in Slovenia. It’s a premier destination for anyone who wants to shop, dine, and forge unforgettable memories.
BTC City is among the biggest shopping centers in Slovenia. Apart from department stores, it is famous for its international street brands and many luxury experiences. It’s not only a place to shop, but rather a place to experience new things and get the best deals.
BTC has a long history, starting as a simple series of warehouses in the mid-20th century. Here’s everything you need to know about BTC, together with all the things you can do in this wonderful destination.
Understanding the History of BTC City
The history of BTC starts in 1954, beginning as the Centralna skladišča (Central Warehouses). The company began with a founding contract initiated by Dr. Marijan Dermastja – the mayor of Ljubljana at the time.
Centralna skladišča started expanding their operations by providing warehouse activities for other companies, many of which were not among the co-founders of the company.
The expansion of the company’s activities and operations pushed it beyond offering warehouse services to other companies. The Central Warehouses were renamed Javna skladišča (Public Warehouses) and offered a more centralized method of beneficial expansion.
The company started to put all of Ljubljana’s warehousing activities in one location. By 1975, the company transformed into what is the largest goods and transport center in what was, at the time, Yugoslavia.
Around the same year, Javna skladišča also started a rebrand. It changed its name to Blagovno Transportni Center Ljubljana, which translates to Ljubljana Goods and Transport Centre or BTC, in common parlance.
By 1990, BTC as a company received a turning point. The company stopped its warehouse activities and moved away from the logistics business. In an exploration of entrepreneurial freedom for the business, the company rebranded yet again.
This time, the company stayed with the acronym BTC. The acronym, however, now stood for Blagovno Trgovinski Center (Goods and Shopping Centre). The company recreated its warehousing space, transforming into a public limited company the same year.
The company started to create a careful selection of new, profitable, compatible, and competitive programs. They also pushed towards better business content and a more suitable infrastructure to better market their business.
The Rapid Modernization of BTC
During its first few years, the first individual stores started opening in the early ‘90s. By 1993, Jože Mermal took over the company’s management and tried to change its image.
Mermal pushed towards a new, more attractive image meant to sell experiences rather than goods alone. From the first few shops came what is now known as the renovated Hall A.
By 1994, the company went public and quoted its stocks on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange. Three years later, the public limited company that was BTC became an international conglomerate, listing its shares in the London Stock Exchange – the first Slovenian company to do so.
The company was so successful that it also registered for the Frankfurt and München Stock Exchanges. Between 1993 to 2013, BTC pushed towards massive business transformation and urban renewal. Their restructuring paid off, creating a harmonious mix of various businesses to create a diversified portfolio.
The vision of what we know today as BTC City came to fruition, creating a small city from a former rural town area. It became the true center of commerce for the locale, going through another decade of restructuring and building connections.
The business took on a more balanced offering for the people, catering to business, commercial, recreational, entertainment, and cultural needs of Slovenes in one central location.
Why BTC City Grew So Massive
The story of BTC’s growth as a company and a commercial powerhouse in Ljubljana is the story of smart, long-term investments. As an establishment, they created many forms of successful activities that made a solid base for the business. Their pioneering work extended from space management to logistics and digitalization.
What makes BTC City unique is how they intersperse urbanism, modernistic values, and diverse portfolios. They created a remarkable social and public space for Slovenians, visited by as many as 21 million people every year.
BTC Ljubljana does not stop at being a shopping center where people buy clothes. They work with the community and help them grow with the business.
For starters, the company joins the green initiative of the locale. They work towards responsible environmental practices and support societal initiatives that can improve people’s lives.
BTC Ljubljana Working Hours
If you plan on visiting BTC City, you would need to know the working hours they have. Like any mall, BTC Ljubljana is open from 9 AM to 8 PM from Mondays to Saturdays. The center closes during Sundays and holidays, mostly to facilitate work-life balance for their employees.
So far, the mall has adjusted its opening and closing times according to the government’s decree. The pandemic created a special situation, where most of the services are limited to temporary business hours.
The City Park is open from Monday to Friday, from 9 AM to 8 PM. Every Saturday, they open earlier, starting at 8 AM. Like the mall, they close during Sundays and Holidays.
The BTC City Market is another crucial area of service for the mall. The internal market opens from Monday to Friday, from 8 AM to 6 PM, and every Saturday from 7 AM to 5 PM.
For the foreign market, they’re open from 8 AM to 7 PM from Monday to Friday and every Saturday from 7 AM to 6 PM.
How Do You Get There?
So, how do you get to BTC City Ljubljana? BTC City itself is located right next to the northern Ljubljana ring road, which is only 1.8 miles (3 km) away from the city center. It’s also only 15.5 miles (25 km) from Ljubljana’s Jože Plečnik International Airport.
What makes BTC Ljubljana great is its great, central location. It is quickly and easily accessible by various means of transport – you can easily reach the premises with several forms of transportation. You can visit by car, bicycle, or city bus, and within BTC City itself, you can take advantage of the possibility of a free ride by using the City Bus.
If You’re Coming From Klagenfurt, Austria
If you’re coming from the direction of Austria, you would need to take the A1 Motorway, also known as the West Autobahn (EP61). Leave the A1 at the Maribor Exit and continue along the Ljubljana H3 bypass, towards the direction of Maribor.
Leave the Ljubljana Ring Road at the exit for Nove Jarše (BTC City). Once you reach the first crossroads, turn right. Drive along Šmartinska cesta, which is a two-lane road. Take the left lane and, after 1000 ft (~300 m) at the first crossroads, you need to turn left and arrive in BTC City.
If You’re Coming From Graz/Vienna, Austria and/or Hungary
If you’re coming from the direction of Hungary, take the A1 motorway (E57). Leave the motorway at the exit for Nove Jarše and continue along the Ljubljana H3 bypass in the direction of Nove Jarše.
Take the road that runs parallel to the Ring Road and follow the Nova Jarše sign. After a good 300 m, it will take you to a crossroads, where you turn left onto Šmartinska cesta, which is a two-lane road. Take the left lane and, after 1000 ft (~300 m) at the first crossroads, you need to turn left and arrive in BTC City.
If You’re Coming From Italy
If you’re coming from the direction of Italy, take the A1 motorway (EP70). Leave the Autobahn at the exit for Ljubljana North, then continue along the A2 motorway and the Ljubljana bypass in the direction of Maribor.
Leave the Ljubljana Ring Road at the exit for Nove Jarše (BTC City). Once you reach the first crossroads, turn right. Drive along Šmartinska cesta, which is a two-lane road. Take the left lane and, after 1000 ft (~300 m) at the first crossroads, you need to turn left and arrive in BTC City.
If You’re Coming From Croatia
If you’re coming from the direction of Croatia, take the A2 motorway. Leave the A2 motorway at the exit for Maribor and continue driving on the A1 motorway.
Leave the road at the exit for BTC / Industrial Zone Moste, and at the first crossroads turn left and drive along Letališka cesta to the roundabout. You will see the Emporium on your right. Leave the roundabout at the first exit, and you have arrived in BTC City.
If You’re Coming From The Center of Ljubljana
If you’re a visitor coming straight from Ljubljana, you would want to drive along Šmartinska cesta. This road will lead from the direction of the center towards Nove Jarše. You would need to turn right onto Američka Street at the BTC City office building and arrive in BTC City. Follow the BTC City sign on Šmartinska cesta.
If You’re Riding The Bus
BTC City can be easily reached by LPP city buses, which run on routes no. 2, 7, 12, 24, and 27. Bus routes 2, 7, and 12 take visitors to two entrances to BTC City along Šmartinska cesta (stops at the BTC City office building and Citypark).
Bus route 24 takes visitors to the Atlantis Water Park, past the entrance to the Emporium (from the Airport Road). Bus route no. 27 runs through BTC City, and it stops in several locales, including the BTC City office building, Hall A, BTC City Market, Colosseum, Merkur, and the Emporium.
If you have to top up or buy an Urbana card, Urbana sales and filling points in the BTC City area are available in several areas. These include:
- Hotel Plaza
- Petrol service station (along Šmartinska cesta)
- Spar BTC (Hall A)
- Traffic 3DVA (Hall A)
- 3DVA Newsstand (BTC City Market)
- Trafika 3DVA (Crystal Palace Shopping Gallery)
- Interspar (Citypark)
If you need an urbanomat, you can find them in the area of BTC City Ljubljana, specifically:
- LPP stop BTC City Market (in the parking lot opposite the Mr. Pet Store)
- LPP stop Žito (along Šmartinska cesta near McDonald’s)
If you’re not sure how to use the bus, it’s best to check guides into using the bus stations for the locale.
If You’re Using the BicikeLJ
For those traveling within the BicikeLJ system, there are 60 stops in the Ljubljana area. Many of these are between approximately 1000 to 0.5 miles (~300 to 500 m) apart, are easily accessible and ideal for overcoming shorter distances.
With their bikes, you can also get to BTC City. There are three stops that you can access, namely:
- Atlantis Water Park
- Hall A – South (in the parking lot opposite the Mr. Pet store)
- City Park – East (entrance at Telekom Slovenije)
There are 20 floor locks available at each stop within BTC City Ljubljana. It’s best to take advantage of each one.
If you’re Using Avant2Go
The Avant2Go electric vehicle sharing system is one of the newest ride-sharing trends that BTC City supports in full. It represents a new trend in sustainable mobility, something that Ljubljana is famous for.
A total of more than 120 electric vehicles are available for rent at several locations throughout Slovenia. Five rental sites are also located in BTC City Ljubljana, including:
- Crystal Palace
- Youth Square
- Culinary park
- Decathlon
- Citypark
If you want to learn how to use this system, it’s best to check on their official website.
Parking In BTC Ljubljana
One of the biggest advantages of BTC City is free parking spaces. It’s among the biggest parking locations in Europe, with as many as 8,500 slots for you to use.
You can park your car in the marked outdoor parking spaces or drive it to the garage house at the Atlantis Water Park or Citypark. There are also special parking spaces for pregnant women and parents with children at several locations.
There are charging spaces for electric cars available for all those that support sustainable mobility efforts within Old Town.
Even if you can’t park near your destination in BTC City, don’t worry about it. You can take a free ride inside BTC City with the City Bus, which stops at as many as eight stops.
Why Should You Visit BTC City Ljubljana?
BTC City Ljubljana is among the most expansive business centers in Europe. It is among the biggest shopping, entertainment, cultural, and recreational experiences in the continent, with as many as 500 shops. There are also dozens upon dozens of food and drink sellers, restaurants, and concessionaires.
With over 475,000 square meters of floor space, they have the largest entertainment and recreational facilities in Slovenia. They are so big that you can find almost anything you need in and around the country.
The facilities for BTC City include a multiplex cinema, casino, bowling alley, water park, and fitness center. They even house luxe hotel facilities, a business and tech hub, and the tallest business tower in Slovenia. Anything you need to find, you will likely find through the customer service desk too.
If you’re the type who leaves home to shop and finds themselves on a shopping spree, BTC City is the place for you. There’s a near-endless amount of activities and entertainment that you can do.
The shopping center itself has as many as 10,000 different local and global brands. BTC Ljubljana is Slovenia’s premier shopping destination. It’s also the biggest source for premium international brands and unique local retailers. If you need something, you’ll likely find it here.
What Can You Find In BTC?
Whatever you want, you will likely find it in BTC City Ljubljana. They offer some of the latest in fashion, footwear, sports apparel, and other accessories, together with many niche items you will only find in remote locales.
You will see various shopping areas and branded shops, together with Slovenia’s most extensive selection of consumer electronics and home appliances store. They also have a great pick of specialty outlets and even an open market.
If you want the best of the best, you can visit Shopping Arena A and find more than 150 unique shops and boutique brands, ranging between local and international brands.
It’s hard to believe that one of Europe’s biggest shopping and entertainment destinations is in Slovenia. For a population count of 2 million citizens and a country that covers more than 20,000 square km, BTC is an aberration, but it’s there!
Some of BTC’s many leading brands include:
- Apple
- Benetton
- Boss
- C&A
- Desigual
- Furla
- Gap
- Kenzo
- Ralph Lauren
- Samsonite
- Superdry
- Uggs
- Under Armour
- Zara
The BTC City, visited by as many as 21 million people each year, is the center for business, leisure, and entertainment. People go here to mix business with pleasure and leisure, giving the average person the chance to work, play, have fun, and relax.
More Than Shopping
When you visit BTC City, there are more things you can do than shop. The experiences are the sky’s the limit, so you can taste the good things in life without burning yourself off.
You can relax and stay at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel for luxury accommodation. Enjoy yourself at the Atlantis Water Park and enjoy the blue waters, swimming to your heart’s content.
There’s also the Arena leisure center to see the latest events in BTC. The Kolosej multiplex cinema is there if you want to catch up on your favorite movies, together with the Xpand 3D cinema.
If you want to try your luck, you can visit the Casino Rio gaming salon. There’s a market for you to explore the freshest of foods, find superb restaurants with all types of cuisines, and bars packed with social happening. Pick from an attractive daytime bar and even a nightclub on the roof of Crystal Palace.
If you want to see live events, BTC City Ljubljana is host to many events, from sports to entertainment to a variety of open-air events. If you love cool summer evenings, Crystal Palace’s Green Terrace is the one for you.
Crystal Palace’s Green Terrace is Slovenia’s top venue for music and dance events. The terrace also hosts a cinema under the stars, for that romantic evening you’ll never forget. Some other events in BTC include:
- Late Night Shopping every March and November
- Festival of Shopping and Fun ever May and October
- Franja BTC City Marathon, a green cycling competition every first weekend of June
- The Rhythm of Youth, a music festival every first weekend of September, celebrating new music and beats
- Crystal Palace Race to the top every third weekend of November
- Merry December at the BTC City, a month-long festivity that transforms the shopping center into a city of lights, visited by Santa Claus, Father Christmas, and even Grandpa Frost
BTC Ljubljana is always alive all year long, so whenever you feel likely playing, this is the place for you.
Why Eat At BTC City
Every premium shopping locale and entertainment center needs good food. A shopping extravaganza is never complete if you don’t enjoy delectable treats. If you want gustatory delights, BTC City has it for you.
BTC City also offers a unique mix of restaurants, coffee shops, cake shops, and fast food joints. If you’re the type who likes to visit BTC City just to grab lunch or you want to wine and dine, they have it for you.
You can feast at their Street Food open-air kitchen, for starters. The kitchen comes with a variety of cottages that serve food from all over the world. Whether you’re feeling Thai, Indian, or Japanese, they have it for you. You can even feast on burgers and salads, depending on your diet.
BTC City is famous for being the biggest shopping mecca in Slovenia. In recent years, it has become a major culinary hotspot on this side of Europe. With as many as 70+ restaurants, cafés, and snack shops, you can just grab something easy to eat or drink throughout the center.
What cuisines do you fancy? Find everything from healthy breakfasts and fast-food snacks to business lunches to extravagant gourmet dinners; they have it for you.
If you go south of the Tržnica BTC City, you can enjoy what the food court offers. Many of these shops start from a simple burger stall to an Italian delight. You can even enjoy traditional Slovene gostilna and brewery and even taste delightful steaks.
Entertain Yourself In BTC Ljubljana
BTC City has many different entertainment options to choose from. Apart from having a superb place to hang out with friends and family, every experience can be unique in BTC. There are several kinds of fun things you can do in Slovenia’s biggest hub.
BTC City has a beautiful theater for fans of the classical. There are a few comedies, with even a few English shows in between. You can take your friends bowling, enjoy some beach volleyball, and even drive a go-kart.
You can play tennis or badminton in the Millennium indoor recreation halls, together with many fitness centers where you can tone your body. There are even group workouts that let you feel like you belong to a big group of friends and enthusiasts.
There’s also the cinema, which you can enjoy in 2D or 3D, depending on what you’re feeling. There’s a gigantic trampoline park named WOOP in BTC City for wholesome fun. If you want to get your blood pumping, you can even go to a casino and test your luck.
Want to relax and spend some quality time with family? Need some romantic time with the person who matters the most? BTC City offers has a superbly beautiful water park too.
Swim At The Atlantis Water Park
The Atlantis Water Park offers a variety of swimming options, including indoor and outdoor pools. You can enjoy a nice, hot sauna, rest your pains away with the thermal pool and even ride the water slides with your kids.
The Vodno mesto Atlantis Water Park comes with three sections, each suitable for three different age groups. The entire park has 16 pools, with six large pools, four kiddie pools, and six specialty pools.
With a size of 1,800 square meters of water surface, you’ll find yourself feeling like a mermaid. The 15,000 meters of indoor swimming facilities are at your disposal. The three sections are:
- The Thermal Temple
- World of Adventures
- Sauna Land
The Thermal Temple (Termalni tempelj) is best for senior visitors, which includes thermal pools. It also has cascading bath areas and even three specialty pools with massage benches.
The World of Adventures (Svet doživetij) has many pools and a variety of water attractions, which includes a 650 ft (~200 m) long rapid river. There are also several underground caves, a big wave pool with an artificial atoll, two large slides, and much, much more.
Sauna Land (Dežela savn) is full of saunas, including a pool and a steam, a bio, a stone, and an earth sauna. The indoor area has, among other things, a hot bath that you will find in an underground cave.
Apart from being the best water park in Slovenia, Vodno mesto Atlantis is a great place for themed parties, summer games, water-based competitions, themed events, birthday parties, and much more.
Conclusion
BTC Ljubljana has everything under the sun. It’s among the biggest and most complete indoor experiences in Europe and some of the best on the planet. You can find everything here, so it’s a must-visit place for the entire family.
Are you looking for more places to go? Ljubljana has so many activities in store for you. There are many natural wonders, cultural marvels, and even food stops you won’t find anywhere else. Find out everything you can do in Ljubljana now.
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