Festivities in Ljubljana were centred in Congress Square, while concerts were also held at three other smaller venues around the Old Town.

Many tourists, foremost Italians, were among the 40,000-strong crowd who partied to a wide selection of Slovenian music acts ranging from pop and rock to classical and oompah.

Also among the crowd was Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković, who was on hand to witness the traditional fireworks display from the castle at the stroke of midnight.

The party in Slovenia's second-largest city Maribor was held in the Leon Štukelj Square, where some 5,000 to 6,000 people turned out to enjoy concerts but no fireworks due to austerity measures in the city.

There had been some trepidation among local authorities ahead of the festivities given that the central Maribor square was witness to two violent demonstrations against local politicians in recent weeks, but the event passed without incidents.

Meanwhile, many people donned skis to usher in 2013 at the popular ski resort of Pohorje overlooking Maribor.

Outdoor festivities were also organised in other Slovenian towns and cities, with crowds numbering into the thousands reported from Kranj and Koper.