Guide to the collections of TMS Bistra

The first collections were dealing with forestry and hunting and opened their doors to the public in 1953. Today, more than 6000 m2 of exhibition areas are on display of 9 permanent collections, which are presented on these pages in more detail.

Guide to the collections of TMS Bistra

Technical Museum of Slovenia Collections

Temporary exhibitions

The Road Vehicles department includes two temporary exhibitions.

In addition to the Ljubljana Tram exhibition dating from 1997 located within the automobile collection predating Second World War, there is also a temporary exhibition (established in 2002) that addresses the development of the Slovene Commercial vehicles industry.

The first tram in Ljubljana
Commercial vehicles and buses in domestic production

The first tram in Ljubljana

Since autumn 1997, when Bistra hosted a temporary exhibition ‘Ljubljana Tram – Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow’ you can see the first city tram, dating from 1901. It is complemented with some panels from the exhibition which was accompanied by a catalogue that is sold out.

Commercial vehicles and buses in domestic production

The depot of commercial vehicles manufactured in Slovenia shows the TAM Pionir truck, the first serially produced vehicle in Slovenia – the exhibited vehicle was adapted for firefighters’ needs. It was given to the museum as courtesy of the volunteer fire service Stična. In the same hall, you can also see two chassis of TAM trucks (TAM Pionir and TAM 4500), a collection of the TAM factory engines and the technically most challenging vehicle, the TAM 110 which was developed by this well-known Maribor-based factory for the needs of the Yugoslav army. A special position is occupied by the last type of the city bus which is completely manufactured in Slovenia and was created in cooperation of TAM and the Ljubljana factory Avtomontaža.