SITUATED half-way between Vienna and Venice, and virtually slap-bang in the middle of Slovenia, the city of Ljubljana is a first class base for the holidaymaker who likes to get out and about and explore.

The city is also a first class destination for anyone who adores all the trappings associated with the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Slovenia is a scenic and diverse country where distances are short and major attractions easily accessible and the country’s capital is a picturesque city full of splendid views, with a medieval hill-top castle towering over its historical city centre and with a calm river spanned by a series of beautiful bridges running right through it.

And just to add to it’s credentials Lonely Planet, the world's leading travel guide book publisher, has recently named it as number two on its Best of Europe 2014 list, which lists the ten top European destinations to visit this coming year.

The city owes a great deal of its architectural appeal to the famous Ljubljana-born architect Jože Plečnik (1872–1957), whose soul and vision are imprinted on Ljubljana just like Gaudí's are on Barcelona.

The lifestyle in Ljubljana is refreshingly relaxed and the city life always vibrant due to Ljubljana's large number of cultural events and excellent culinary offerings, which have, over recent years, been increasingly discovered by the world. It’s particularly colourful at this time of year with its Festive Fair now in full swing with numerous attractions on offer.

Despite being vibrant throughout the year, Ljubljana is normally never crowded, which makes it a great place for visitors to relax and rest from the hustle of daily life – just like the locals do on a regular basis, getting together at the city's countless cafés with outdoor seating.

To really feel the pulse of the city, it is perhaps best to go to the Central Market, which sells all kinds of Slovenian specialties, or visit the Open Kitchen, a Friday street food market where delicious food is freshly prepared by Slovenian chefs right in front of their customers.

The best way to explore the sights of Ljubljana is to get the Ljubljana Tourist Card, which grants not only access to the city's major sights and museums, but also free travel on public buses, a free guided city tour, unlimited wireless internet access throughout the city centre and a number of other benefits at a price that may be up to €80 lower than what one would pay without the card.

In the morning you can visit the stunningly beautiful Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj or Soča Valley in the high mountainous region of the Alps, and in the evening enjoy the sunset in one of the charming little towns on the Adriatic coast.

The world famous Postojna Caves are only about 50 kilometers from Ljubljana and it only takes minutes to reach the peaceful and unspoiled countryside of the city's green surrounding areas, which offer endless opportunities for hiking, cycling, fishing and horse riding.

It’s also a special city at this time of the year with its stunning calendar of events for the festive season. In Ljubljana’s Old Town streets and squares they will have hurdy-gurdy players entertaining from December 15-30, while in the in the square in front of the Town Hall, the Good Fairy will be fulfilling the wishes of anyone approaching her - the good and the naughty, the big and the small, the young and the elderly. The Good Fairy is a project created by the painter Zmago Modic.

Novi trg square will also be hosting music concerts from December 15-23 and during the days before New Year's Eve, the square will host a programme of concerts featuring various pop artists. Also a Christmas Concert will be held in Mestni trg square on Christmas Eve. This annual free concert will once again offer an opportunity to enjoy performances by top Slovenian musicians amidst the festive atmosphere of the beautifully decorated Ljubljana.

Other events include the Grandpa Frost processions in the old city centre from December 26-30. He is the Slovenian counterpart of Santa Claus, who will arrive in Ljubljana from the Far North in his carriage drawn by genuine white Lipizzaner horses and accompanied by a procession of snowmen, bears, rabbits and other creatures from folk and fairy tales. He will visit the old city centre's Festive Fair and venues for children's events.

There will also be street theatre performances over the festive period at the Petkovškovo embankment, music concerts in Kongresni trg square and Pogačarjev trg square, which will also be the base for New Year’s Eve celebrations along with Mestni and Kongresni trg squares and Trg francoske revolucije square to ensure a grand finale to the Christmas Festival.