Travel Guide to Ljubljana – an ultimate collection of best places to see

TRAVEL
Review prepared by Marko Mirkovič, Founder & Art Director at ORBIS Production
March, 2020
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We want to start the story about Ljubljana with some bright and interesting facts:
  • The name of the capital of Slovenia – Ljubljana romantically resembles the word 'Love.' However, this is most likely an accident. The first mention of Ljubljana was found in the XII century as Laibach (from the Bavarian labach – 'swamp'). Nevertheless, the exact origin and meaning of the word Ljubljana is still a mystery. But in the documents of the XII century also the name Ljubljana was found as Luwigana.
  • Ljubljana is the smallest capital in Europe, with a population of 297,000.
  • The honorary title "Green Capital of Europe" in 2016 went to the capital of Slovenia.
  • UNESCO included Ljubljana in the list of literary cities. Over 50,000 students are learning here, making this wonderful city a young and cultural center of attraction.
  • About 10 percent of the inhabitants of Ljubljana are employed in the field of art!

  • The famous Celica Hostel is located in Ljubljana. Its rooms are decorated in the form of a prison. It was built on the site of the former barracks, and the rooms are decorated by famous artists. According to many reputable guides in Ljubljana, Celica is among the top places to visit.
  • The streets of the center of Ljubljana diverge like rays, this is especially noticeable from a bird's eye view.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT SLOVENIA?
This is a common question that a tourist is interested in when arriving in the capital of Slovenia. Read the answer further in the review prepared by local Slovenian photographers.
The answer is simple – any, whenever you want. Ljubljana is beautiful at any time of the year. It is also worth remembering that the humidity level is relatively high, but winters are quite mild.

Here you will not meet crowds of tourists, such as those who want to hide from the Trevi Fountain in Rome or on the Rialto Bridge in Venice. Everything is quiet and calm.

In our humble opinion, the ideal time to visit is from April to October. Everything is individual, and you can find a middle ground personally.
Below you can see the weather in Ljubljana today, as well as the forecast for the coming days and the average temperature for months:
LJUBLJANA WEATHER
If you want to visit Lake Bled soon, you can get from Ljubljana in several ways:

1. By car, the journey will take about 35 minutes, and the distance is 53 km.

2. By bus – the ticket price per person is € 8 one way. Bus schedules and tickets can be purchased on this website. Depart from the bus stop at the central station.

3. By train – you can view the schedule on the Slovenian Railway website. Trains depart from the Ljubljana Train Station.
BLED WEATHER
The official website of the Postojna Cave says how you can get to Cave and Predjama Castle.
PREDJAMA WEATHER
Travel time to Portoroz from Ljubljana by car will take approximately 1 hour. Having overcome 118 km on the A1 highway, you will spend around 10 liters of gas. The average cost of petrol in Slovenia is € 1.10.

Below you can see the weather in Portoroz in the coming days.
PORTOROŽ WEATHER
TOP 7 PLACES #MUSTVISIT IN LJUBLJANA
Sights of Ljubljana. Guide to the best places in the capital of Slovenia. What to do in Ljubljana? Overview from locals, photographers, and guides of Ljubljana.
With our best licensed guide in Slovenia, we have prepared for you the top 7 best places without which the inspection of Ljubljana will be superficial.

1
Ljubljana Castle
Ljubljanski Grad (Castle in Slovenian) is the oldest castle in Slovenia. The first mention dates back to the 12th century. And from the middle of the XIV century, the Ljubljana Castle has come under the control of the powerful Habsburg dynasty.
Over its long history, the castle changed hands many times, was the haven of kings, and barracks, and a defensive fortress, and a prison... And at the beginning of the 20th century, Ljubljanski Grad passed into the possession of local authorities and was inhabited until the 60s!
There are three ways to get to the Castle:
  • On foot. Ascent to Ljubljana Castle will take about 20 minutes along the narrow cobblestone streets, smoothly turning into forest paths. Follow signs for St. Florian's Church on Ulica Na Grad.
  • By car. This is the easiest and fastest way. Parking is located right at the entrance to Ljubljana Castle. For electric vehicles, electric refueling is provided. By the way, Ljubljana is very friendly for electric cars! Having saved your strength on the rise to the Grad, do not miss the opportunity to walk around the surroundings by visiting the Castle Vineyard and the observation deck.
  • By funicular (approximate cost €2.20). Perhaps this is the best way in the absence of transport. Take the funicular upstairs, take a walk along with Ljubljana Castle and go downhill, sit in one of the many cafes on the river – a festive mood is guaranteed!
On the territory of Ljubljana Castle is the famous Strelec restaurant. Entrance to the castle is free, for climbing the tower €12 with an audio guide (there are many languages), but all the best views can also be seen from the castle walls, where you can climb absolutely free.

There is a small vineyard on the slope near the castle, and in the castle itself, there is a cellar with excellent local wine. In it, you can see the collection exhibits of wine, beautifully laid out over the years.

We will tell you more about Slovenian wines in our next articles. This is a great and fascinating topic! Looking ahead, we recommend the local Modri Pino, Refošk, Teran, and of course Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
strelec

2
Dragon Bridge
The dragon is a symbol of our green city. It is proudly located on the coat of arms of Ljubljana and on the famous bridge of the same name.
According to an old local legend, the dragon was defeated by the ancient Greek hero Jason from the myths about Jason and the Golden Fleece.

If you do not have photos with dragons, you can assume that you have not been to Ljubljana! But this is a great reason to return here again;) The Dragon Bridge cannot be confused with anything, and you will not pass by.

Visiting time: round the clock, a sense of aesthetic harmony is guaranteed.

Souvenirs: be sure to treat yourself to the purchase of a magnet or a soft toy in the form of a Ljubljana dragon.

Cost: priceless.
Dragon Bridge Ljubljana

3
Prešeren Square
France Prešeren is the great Slovenian poet of the first half of the 19th century. Slovenia celebrates the Day of Joy and Culture on the poet's birthday (December 3), and Culture Day on the day of death (February 8). It is one of the main holidays in the country.
The heart of the old city is Prešeren Square, where the famous Franciscan Church is located. It can be seen on many postcards from Ljubljana.

And the monument to the poet is looking at this church, next to which is Tromostovje – the most famous pedestrian bridge in Ljubljana, consisting of three bridges over the river Ljubljana. Tromostovje was built according to the project of that same Jože Plečnik, whose buildings adorn modern Ljubljana.

Visiting time: round the clock, a sense of aesthetic harmony is guaranteed.

Souvenirs: the best memory will be beautiful postcards bought at any souvenir shop and sent to your friends and relatives at the nearest Slovenian post office.

Cost: priceless.

4
Metelkova District
Center for Contemporary Street Art. Very original and extravagant. It's worth a visit at least once, preferably in the afternoon or early evening.
“Modern paintings are like women, you'll never enjoy them if you try to understand them.” (с) Freddie Mercury
Imagine a whole small district dedicated to the self-realization of informal youth! But more than 20 years ago there was a prison! As a result, local youth turned this object into a free creative zone. Here you will see the freedom of expression of various subcultures, and you will be delighted with the local community or cool graffiti on the walls of houses.

Visiting time: around the clock, but it is better to visit in the afternoon and early evening.

Souvenirs: You will not be able to go past the walls painted by street artists without making a creative photo! Wear a bright T-shirt or use an unusual accessory to emphasize the urban atmosphere of the Metelkova district in the photo.

Cost: Free.

5
Nebotičnik
The very first and famous skyscraper in Ljubljana.
Our pride, that was built in 1933. Nebotičnik is visible everywhere, but in order not to make a mistake, catch a point on the Google map. It is an interesting fact – at the time of completion of construction on February 21, 1933, Nebotičnik occupied already the 9th line of the tallest buildings in all of Europe, having 13 floors and a height of 70 meters!

Lifehack: Restovracija Nebotičnik and a cafe are located on the upper floors.

Address: Štefanova ulica 1, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Built between the two world wars, Nebotičnik opens one of the most beautiful views of Ljubljana, and the song 'Na Vrhu Nebotičnika' describes just the emotions of visiting a cafe on the top floor of a Skyscraper.

To plunge deeper into the atmosphere of Ljubljana, drop into the playlist 'Šuštarski Most' song the extraordinary Majda Sepe.

Of course, in recent years, the 5-star Intercontinental Ljubljana hotel has been trying to compete with the good old Nebotičnik, but the classics, as you know, are timeless. Slovenes are still proud of the Unkind.
Na nebotičnik sva odšla
Bližje sonca in modrega neba
Pozabiva, da premajhna za dva
In žalostna sobica, je najina
(с) Bele vrane - Na vrhu nebotičnika

6
Tivoli Park
The largest park in Ljubljana. Here is a cool zoo and many walking paths, not a new but durable skate park and roller drome, playgrounds, and tennis courts, there is even a cafe with a mini-golf course.
Do not miss the Jakopič Promenade, where there is a gallery with large format photographs in the open air! It os designed by the most famous architect of Ljubljana – Jože Plečnik.

Лайфхак: нагулявшись в Тиволи, отдохните на террасе пивницы Union и попробуйте свежего местного пива. Нам особо нравится Nefiltrirano pivo и Radler в жаркую погоду! Кстати по этой крутой пивоварне проводят экскурсии с дегустацией Union Experience. Это не реклама, а личная рекомендация!

Lifehack: after walking in Tivoli, relax on the terrace of Pivnica Union and try a fresh local beer. We especially like the Nefiltrirano Pivo and Radler in hot weather! By the way, this cool brewery conducts excursions with Union Experience tasting. This is not an advertisement, but a personal recommendation!

Slovenia is a very athletic country, but they love to go for a walk here too!

7
Ljubljana Squares
Inspection and visiting the main squares of Ljubljana should be done slowly. However, all life here proceeds very slowly. Someone will miss the rhythm of the big city, but for Slovenes, it is a pleasure. Perhaps that is why Slovenia has one of the highest life expectancies in the world.
  • Congress Square or Kongresni Trg is often the starting point for starting a city tour. Most of it is occupied by Park Zvezda with the underground parking located under it, which is very convenient if you are by car. Take a look around, and you will see many historic buildings – one of the most famous in Europe University of Ljubljana; one of the oldest Philharmonic in the world; and also at the Congress Square you can be surprised to find ancient stones, plates, and wells – the remains of the ancient Roman city of Emon.

  • Prešeren Square, we wrote about it above! Have you not scrolled to the bottom? Thank you for reading up to here!

  • Republic Square or Trg Republike. Sacred for locals and part-time is the largest in little Ljubljana. It was built in the 70s of the last century. The local parliament is located here. And sometimes solitary pickets for another freedom.
WHERE TO EAT TASTY AND INEXPENSIVE IN LJUBLJANA?
What do you need after a good walk? Eat well. Otherwise, why is this all. Joke. We love the local cuisine and are always happy to share excellent, proven places as personal recommendations!
  • Kralj žara – you don't have to go far from Congress Square! Probably one of the best steaks in Ljubljana. Not budget, but worth it.
  • In our opinion, the best burgers are made at Pop's Place. But for leadership, Hood Burger can certainly argue with it! Do not forget to ask for a frying medium-rare. After quarantine ;)
  • About Union Pub near Tivoli Park and Strelec restaurant, which is located in the Castle, we wrote above.
  • Cubo – elegant and tasteful. Large selection of local wines and 5-star cuisine.
  • Gostilna Livada – great view from the terrace and nice food. Good and reasonably priced business lunches.
  • Ošterija Pr'Noni – book a table in advance and ask for it on the river! Trendy place, quality and tasty food, good wine.
You can explore all the key sights of Ljubljana in a comfortable mode for a couple of days. The capital of Slovenia is hospitable to guests and has the unique charm of an old European city. To some, the rhythm of local life may seem too slow, but it is thanks to it that the inhabitants of Ljubljana, like the whole of Slovenia, enjoy every moment and enjoy every little thing. In this article, we tried to collect the main attractions of Ljubljana, but of course, there are many more exciting places here than one page can convey. If you are planning your first visit to Ljubljana, we could recommend you use the services of a guide. And if you penetrate the capital of Slovenia and come to capture your memories, we can offer you to contact local photographers. For example, to us. The website 'Photographer in Slovenia' has photoshoot offers in Ljubljana. A photo walk through the old city, the Metelkova art zone, or Tivoli Park - all this and much more can be easily and comfortably implemented. Write to us on the contacts on the website (mail / mobile / viber / telegram), and we will develop an individual solution for you.

Your photographer in Ljubljana will know all the hidden places of this beautiful city.

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