LOCATED AT THE HALFWAY POINT between Vienna and Venice in a country that literally has “love” in the middle of its name, the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana is uniquely situated as a convenient and hospitable choice for doing business. A decade ago, only a handful of tourists could pronounce the city’s name (it’s pronounced lyoo-BLYAH-nah), let alone locate it on a map, but today the city is renowned across the globe for its charming atmosphere and groundbreaking green initiatives.

Ljubljana was the first capital in Europe to adopt a zero-waste program, and over the past decade the city carried out more than 1,800 green projects aimed at improving the urban environment. The European Commission named it the Green Capital of Europe in 2016. It boasts more than 5,800 square feet of public green space per resident, and with only 275,000 people in the city — 50,000 of whom are university students — that’s a significant amount of greenery for a capital.

In 2017 Ljubljana ranked on the list of global top 100 sustainable destinations for the third time, praised largely for the pedestrian-friendly atmosphere the city created since first restricting the amount of cars in the city center in 1960. Today cars are completely banned on the main streets, but the city provides free transport via electrically powered golf buggies (kavalirs) and pedicabs and maintains a successful bicycle borrowing system that makes it easy to get around between meetings and before and after work shifts.

The city offers free WiFi for up to 60 minutes per day for visitors through WiFree Ljubljana, although visitors need only pick up a Ljubljana Tourist Card for around €24 (about $30) to enjoy 24-hour free access to the WiFree Ljubljana network as well as free access to more than 15 attractions in the city, a free guided city tour and free travel on city buses.

Outdoor dining at the open-air food market © KRISTY ALPERT

Slovenian is the native tongue for most residents in the city — a language closely related to Croatian, Serbian, Slovak and Czech — although many Slovenians speak English as a second language, and many have a strong grasp of German and Italian as well. Slovenia lies in the Schengen area and has been a member of the European Union since 2004 and of the Eurozone since 2007. At least a pocketful of euros will get you far around this European city, but MasterCard, Maestro, Visa, Visa Electron, Amex and Diners are widely accepted in most shops and restaurants around the city.

The average workweek runs Monday through Friday, with days beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m., although banks generally operate Monday through Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break around noon. Most businesses operate 36- to 40-hour workweeks with a 30-minute break factored in for lunch. European social conventions are standard when it comes to most business dealings, where smart dress and punctuality transcend any cultural differences that may arise. A professional but firm handshake is often the greeting used between colleagues, and new encounters generally start with the exchange of business cards before moving on to formal introductions and eventually the business matter at hand.

Many restaurants and cafés offer business lunch specials that help keep afternoon meetings running on schedule. Set menus or limited choices are on offer at establishments like Restavracija Ošterija Pr’Noni, a favorite in the city for its clean, charming atmosphere and exceptional quality of ingredients. The restaurant fills up during lunch hours with businessmen and -women taking to the fresh, organic salad bar and locally sourced meat dishes on the menu, so it’s best to make a reservation for larger groups.

Meeting around the water cooler looks a bit different in Ljubljana, as you’ll find many locals crowded around the more than 30 outdoor drinking fountains in the city center and suburbs for a free taste of pure, natural spring water. The city launched a Tap Water Ljubljana app that directs you to the nearest natural water fountain. Each of the fountains listed is maintained and checked for water purity periodically to ensure drinkability.

In the summer the city hosts Odprta Kuhna (Open Kitchen) at Pogačarjev trg Square every Friday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m. This sustainability- focused open-air food market has become a popular place for colleagues and friends to meet after work for a quick sip of local Slovenian wine or a taste of the city’s best flavors. More than 100 of the city’s best establishments, such as Restavracija Strelec and Restavracija JB, set up stands each week to offer sample portions of their most popular menu items. Freshness and innovation are the focus with this unique food market, which not only encourages vendors to use returnable or biodegradable packaging but also carefully sorts and recycles all waste and donates leftovers to people in need.