The biggest promotional event of Slovenian museums and galleries, the event attracts about 40,000 visitors annually.

More than 370 admission-free events will be put on in 55 Slovenian towns this year, Aleksandra Berberih Slana, the head of the Slovenian Museum Association, told reporters in Maribor on Tuesday.

She said that new institutions were joining in every year. This year, 83 institutions are taking part, with events at 130 venues countrywide.

"We're the custodians of Slovenian cultural heritage and on this occasion we want to bring the museums, galleries and their programmes to the broader public," Slana said.

The events include exhibition openings, guided tours of exhibitions in several languages, workshops for children, adults and families, lectures and film screenings.

However, there will also be concerts, theatre shows, readings, sports activities and even local food and wine tastings. Most of the events are running between 6pm and midnight.

The Museum of National Liberation in Maribor will hold a touch typing competition for young people to experience time before computers and for older ones to reminiscence about old times.

Some of the institutions have engaged artists to take part in their events, with many young artists involved in preparation of the programme.

An MA student of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Janja Kosi, has made short animated films to promote the Museums on a Summer Night event and cultural heritage.

"People see that museums and galleries are fun and they like to come back," Slana said, adding that events such as this were especially important for education of new audiences.