Vrienden van Slovenië

The Vrienden van Slovenië society in the Netherlands is the central Slovenian organization in the Netherlands. Through its bilingual website, in the bilingual printed Lipa magazine, by the informational e-bulletin "Lipov list" and on its Facebook page, it informs about its activities and events in both the Netherlands and Slovenia. The members of the Slovene community in the Netherlands and members of the association work together on the organization of numerous successful events and strive for greater visibility of Slovenia in the Netherlands.

The Association provides assistance to the Dutch and Slovenian media in their search for information, comments on various events or in finding interlocutors for appearances on radio and television shows. Members of the association give information to Dutch people interested in spending their holidays in Slovenia and, together with the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia, actively participate in the Embassy Festival in The Hague.

The association's traditional events include a cooking workshop in November, the St. Nicholas celebration in December, the celebration of Prešeren's day in February and the celebration of the National Day of Slovenia, and a traditional picnic, which usually follows the women's run in Utrecht in June.

An important aspect of cultural and social events of the Association is the possibility of presenting both young and already well-established Slovenian artists from both countries to the wider audience. Slovene students of music and other arts have the opportunity to perform at the events, which, in cooperation with the Embassy, enabled these individuals to perform at other events outside our community as well.

Mass in the Slovenian language

In the Netherlands, a Mass in the Slovenian language is conducted by Dr Zvone Štrubelj, a permanent Slovenian priest in Brussels. Slovenians from Limburg gather on a monthly basis at the Mass in Heerlen, and Slovenes from Randstad in Rijswijk near The Hague.

Invitations to the Mass are posted on Facebook, and interested individuals can also be notified by e-mail. Apart from liturgy, it also involves valuable meetings with the country's citizens, regular contacts with Slovenian culture and tradition, and for newcomers, of course, also the exchange of experiences.

Slovene lessons in Rijswijk

The introduction of complementary lessons of Slovene was followed by the need to hold gatherings for the youngest members of the community. Their main purpose is that children can keep contact with their mother tongue and other Slovene-speaking children in the Netherlands through play. Slovenian lessons are held at Don Bosco Center in Rijswijk, with organizational support by Nina Bogerd and Špela Božnar.

They invite you to join through Facebook, usually on the Facebook page Slovenes in the Netherlands, with the launch of the "Playful lessons for Slovenian children in the Netherlands" event.

Slovenian community on Facebook

The Facebook group "Slovenci na Nizozemskem" is surely the most relevant gathering place for obtaining a wide range of information of a formal and informal nature, since the experiences there are exchanged by individuals who have long been living in the Netherlands and who can provide information and advice first hand. On this page, the events of the Association, Slovene lessons and the Slovenian Mass are also published.

In the Facebook group "Malčki na Nizozemskem" parents exchange information and advice, as well as arrange gatherings and play-dates.

The Facebook page "Prevozi SLO - NL / NL - SLO" is a well-visited forum regarding the offered transport to and from Slovenia.