DEPARTMENT STORES

Centromerkur, Trubarjeva 1 (Prešeren Square)

Centromerkur is Ljubljana's oldest living department store, and it might really be best to think of it more as a museum exhibit than as a place for any serious shopping. The splendid Art Nouveau facade and foyer contrast all too starkly with the store's mediocre selection of goods, most of them, moreover, arrayed behind counters so that you have to point and ask. Clothing, sporting goods, household items and textiles are among the pickings here.

Maximarket, Trg republike 1, 01/476 68 00

This compact socialist-era building packs a lot in: stationery, perfumes and such on the ground floor, clothing on the first (also an Internet corner @ 199 SIT/15 min), domestic appliances and textiles on the second. Prices are higher here, but selection is good. The basement boasts Ljubljana's largest supermarket, plus an underground mall featuring various shops and the Cankarjev dom ticket office. There are even several in-house eateries here, ranging from ritzy Maxi to cheapo Restaurant 2000.

Metalka, Dalmatinova 2, 01/431 11 55, Mon to Fri 9am to 7pm, Sat 9am to 1pm

Located in a dull high-rise off Miklošič Park, Metalka features numerous small boutiques on its recently redesigned but still rather confusing ground floor. From there, head downstairs for the biggest selection of tools and hardware in the city center (plus audio equipment and lighting fixtures), or upstairs for clothing, household appliances, kitchen and bathroom fixtures, and other furnishings. Not exactly an attractive place to shop, but the prices and quality are good.

Müller, Čopova 40, 01/200 24 00

Not so much a department store as a conglomeration of large specialty shops, one on each floor. The basement has domestic goods, the ground floor oozes perfume, while the first floor is a well-stocked drugstore. There are kitchenwares and appliances on the second floor, lots of toys on the third, and one of downtown Ljubljana's largest CD shops on the fourth. You'll note a heavy emphasis on imported goods here, especially Austrian and German stuff. The odd escalator layout helps you keep fit.

Nama, Tomšičeva 1, 01/425 83 00

While it doesn't necessarily have the cheapest prices or best choice in every section, Nama's decades-long tradition and totally central location make it Ljubljana's favorite department store. The ground floor offers magazines, perfumes, stationery and a Benetton shop, with food and services in the adjacent arcade. You'll find clothing on the first and second floors, domestic appliances and textiles on the third, and and youth apparel at the top.

  BOOKSTORES

Bukvarna, no exact address or phone - located on Slovenska across from the Ursuline Church, open Tues and Thurs 10am to 1pm, 3pm to 6pm

Though somewhat dim and dusty, this subterranean labyrinth of used books holds the promise of endless discovery. There's a special section for fiction in English (and other languages) in the well-concealed annex, but you'll also find English books mixed into many other sections, so take your time looking. You pay by the weight here, and never pay much.

Kod in kam, Trg francoske revolucije 7, 01/200 27 32

Located just around the bend from the National Library, this little corner shop has the biggest range of maps in Ljubljana, including detailed maps of individual regions, cities and natural areas in Slovenia. Also stocks plenty of postcards and a wide array of guidebooks, though many are in Slovene only.

Konzorcij, Slovenska 29, 01/425 01 96

Far and away the biggest and best selection of books in town. So it's no wonder that Konzorcij also has the widest array of foreign-language books – maybe half of all the titles here are in English. This dead-center downtown store is particularly strong on travel, social sciences, and the arts, and also has a huge selection of English-based foreign language learning books, so you can start studying Ukrainian or Urdu right here in Ljubljana.

Novak, Wolfova 8, 01/425 78 23

Just a step or two away from Prešernov trg, this bright, cheerful bookstore has a great selection of literature, art books, travel guides and esoteric matter. At least one third of Novak's stock is in English, except for the large children's literature section in the back. They've also got lots of books in French, and a fair amount in German. And the store boasts big, comfortable chairs for idling over a prospective purchase.

Oxford Centre, Kopitarjeva 2, Mon to Fri 8am to 7pm, Sat 8am to 1pm

Just one block south of the Dragon Bridge, Oxford stocks an enormous range of materials for people learning or teaching English, including all manner of dictionaries, books on methodology, and critical editions of English literature. They've also got probably the largest selection in town of those cheapo reprints of classic novels, as well as maps and travels books.

  MUSIC

Big Bang Music, BTC, 01/587-3573, Mon to Fri 8:30am to 8pm, Sat 8:30am to 8pm

Ljubljana's biggest music shop is part of the Big Bang entertainment complex, which sprawls over 3 separate buildings connected together by a walkway at the BTC shopping center. On the top floor you'll all major genres of music, as well as listening stations alongside a refreshing cafe. Big Bang also stocks blank tapes and CDs, videos, DVDs and lots of other AV accessories.

Dallas Mute Shop, Rimska 14, Mon to Fri 10am to 7pm, Sat 9am to 1pm

Small indie record shop halfway between Slovenska and the university. Features what is probably the best selection of dance/techno/electronic music in town. Also has pop, jazz, world music, reggae, even some major label stuff. The shop interior has been decorated to the point of distraction.

DZS, Trg francoske revolucije 6, Mon to Fri 10am to 5pm, Sat 10am to 1pm

Ljubljana's only classical music shop, featuring a large selection of mainly standard repertoire and well-known composers, but also a few surprises. Big import labels like DG, Teldec, Marco Polo and EMI are heavily featured, and prices are fairly high, as you'd expect. Also stocks sheet music.

Müller, Čopova 40, 01/200 24 00

The top floor of the popular Müller "superstore" boasts downtown Ljubljana's largest selection of CDs. The quality, however, varies from section to section: pop and world music are well covered, dance or classical less so. Also stocks blank cassettes, headphones and other audio paraphernalia. More listening stations than anywhere else in town, but you still might have to wait a while.

Music Box, Levstikov trg 1a, 01/126 20 62, Mon to Sat 9:30am to 10pm, Sun 5 to 7pm

Small south-central music store with an especially good collection of "Yugo-nostalgia" discs. For the uninitiated, this simply means music from the former Yugoslavia, everything from unplugged ethno to slick disco-pop. Merely decent selection of other genres. Doubling as a video and DVD rental outfit gives Music Box those extra long opening hours.

   GIFT IDEAS

Antiques

Antika Ferjan, Mestni trg 21, 01/426 18 15