10 Things to Do and See in Ljubljana

Ljubljana is Slovenia’s small capital. Romantic and rich in history, lively and full of attractions, Ljubljana is a city that surprises and captivates visitors. With its magnificent landscapes, extraordinary architecture, rich cultural heritage (the result of exchanges and influences), and cheerful, relaxed atmosphere, it is very easy to fall in love with it.

And it is not hard to discover its treasures, all close at hand and reachable with a walk or a pleasant bike ride.

On the hill, the imposing bulk of the castle dominates the city from above, which lies along the Ljubljanica River (well worth a boat trip). The historic centre contains the main monuments and the most interesting sites, while beautiful museums and galleries celebrate art at the highest level, and the city market is a concentration of the history and traditions of Ljubljana’s people.

Each district preserves its own historical character: medieval, Baroque or Art Nouveau, although the entire city is “marked” by the incredible works of the brilliant architect and urban planner Jože Plečnik, who, from the 1920s until the beginning of the Second World War, was entrusted with redesigning the city according to his own taste.

Bridges are a distinctive feature of the Slovenian capital. Many cross the Ljubljanica and offer picturesque views, perfect to photograph or simply admire.

Charming cafés and lively venues line the riverbanks, where the atmosphere becomes especially magical at night. There are therefore many reasons to visit Ljubljana, a tourist destination perhaps a little too often overlooked.

On this page, we recommend the 10 things you absolutely must do and see during your visit to Ljubljana.

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1

The eclectic art of the great Ljubljana master Jože Plečnik reveals all its grandeur and originality in the National and University Library (NUK), his most important work in the city of Ljubljana. Designed in 1932, the library was built between 1936 and 1941.

The imposing building, shaped like an irregular rectangle, consists of four floors, four wings and two internal courtyards.

The façade is decorated with red bricks and stone blocks placed randomly, according to the sudden decisions of the builders.

The classical architectural element is unmistakable: an elongated Ionic column that divides the windows of the four floors in two. Also worth noting are the handles on the main door, shaped like two small horse heads representing Pegasus, the mythical winged horse, a symbolic guide for visitors to the library in the world of knowledge.

Inside, the monumental central staircase in dark marble with 32 black columns leads to the large reading room, whose glass walls allow natural light to flood the space and make the wood covering it shine.

The side entrance is embellished by a bronze statue of Moses, the work of sculptor Lojze Dolinar. NUK is an important cultural monument. In fact, it boasts the largest collection of literature in the country and holds numerous medieval manuscripts and Renaissance prints.

Opening hours and ticket price for the National Library

Opening hours:

The reading room is open for visits on Saturdays from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The atrium and exhibition spaces can be visited from Monday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The NUK café in the basement is open from Monday to Saturday, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Full ticket: €5 for the Reading Room.

How to get there: Turjaska 1, on foot in the historic centre.

2

At the top of the hill called Grajska Planota stands the oldest castle in Ljubljana. The first certain records of its existence date back to the Middle Ages, when the wooden castle was the seat of the Carinthian prince Spanheim, governor of the province.

In 1335, the castle, which had become the property of the Habsburgs, was fortified because of frequent Turkish invasions. However, it was only in the second half of the 15th century that the changes made by the duke, later Emperor Frederick III, completely altered its appearance and size.

With the exception of the outer walls and the Chapel of St George (1489), all the castle’s main buildings were rebuilt in the 16th and 17th centuries following the terrible earthquake of 1515.

In the mid-17th century, the stronghold lost its function as a fortress and noble residence and became a military warehouse. Following the French occupation of the city (1809), the castle was used as a barracks and military hospital. With the return of the Austrians, the structure was converted into a provincial prison.

Between 1845 and 1848, the old wooden fire lookout tower (the Viewing Tower) was replaced by a new masonry tower. In 1849 the castle was abandoned until, in 1868, it was once again used as a penitentiary, a function it maintained until the end of the Second World War.

Purchased by the municipality in 1905 and subjected to lengthy restoration works (still ongoing), today the castle is a popular tourist destination hosting concerts, cultural events, exhibitions and performances.

Opening hours and ticket price for Ljubljana Castle

Opening hours:

January – March and November – December: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
April, May and October: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
June – September: 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Ticket: with funicular €13. Castle only €10.

The ticket includes:

• Puppet Museum
• Viewing Tower and Virtual Castle
• visit to the Slovenian History exhibition
• Return by funicular

How to get there: on foot or by funicular.

3

St Nicholas Cathedral is one of the finest examples of Baroque art in Slovenia. The church, dedicated to the patron saint of fishermen, stands on the site of a 13th-century Romanesque basilica, while the current building with its twin bell towers dates back to the early 18th century.

The cathedral, designed by the Jesuit architect Andrea Pozzo on the model of the Roman church of Il Gesù, has a Latin-cross plan. It consists of a single nave, side chapels and a transept above which rises the dome, added in 1841.

The church interior, in pink marble with white and gilded stucco, was frescoed by Giulio Quaglio with paintings depicting scenes from the life of St Nicholas. Particularly valuable are the sculptures of the four bishops of Emona by Angelo Putti, the angels of the Corpus Domini altar by the Venetian sculptor Francesco Robba, and the carved choir stalls.

In 1996, to commemorate the visit of Pope John Paul II, two extraordinary bronze portals were added. In particular, the main door, made by Tone Demšar, symbolises 1,250 years of Christianity in Slovenia; on the side door, instead, Mirsad Begić, a Bosnian Muslim sculptor, depicted the sacrifice of Christ and the history of the Diocese of Ljubljana through the effigies of its bishops.

Opening hours and ticket price for Ljubljana Cathedral

Opening hours: every day from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Ticket price: free.
How to get there: on foot in the historic centre, at Dolničarjeva ulica 1.

4

A lively atmosphere fills Ljubljana Central Market every day, the main shopping hub of the city as well as a popular meeting and socialising place.

Designed by the famous architect Jože Plečnik between 1940 and 1944, this distinctive market consists of the open-air market in Vodnikov trg, the covered market in Pogačarjev trg, the elegant Renaissance-style arcade that follows the curve of the Ljubljanica (Plečnik’s Colonnade), a series of interesting underground areas and a huge flower shop added later.

At Centralna Tržnica you can find practically anything: all kinds of food (vegetables, cured meats, spices, fruit, herbs, meat, fish, honey), flowers and plants, local handicrafts, Slovenian specialities such as Karst prosciutto, horse pâté, homemade bread, tasty cheeses and the typical “potica” cake.

The colourful stalls are a constant temptation to taste and buy, and they are truly hard to resist.

You can wander around the Market for hours and hours without ever getting tired, stocking up on all kinds of delicacies, observing the people of Ljubljana to learn about their habits, and savouring the authentic atmosphere of a public market that reflects an ancient city tradition.

Opening hours and ticket price for the Central Market

Opening hours:

Open-air market: Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.; in winter from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed on Sundays and public holidays.
Covered market: Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Covered market under Plečnik’s colonnades: Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Ticket price: free.
How to get there: on foot in the historic centre, just after the Dragon Bridge.

5

At the foot of Rožnik Hill, not far from the centre of Ljubljana, lies Tivoli Park, the largest park in the city, an ideal place for walking, playing or meeting up.

The large green area (510 hectares) was created in 1813 according to the design of Jean Blanchard, but since then a series of expansion and renovation works have followed.

In addition to geometric paths, tree-lined avenues and gardens embellished with numerous statues and fountains, the park complex includes a pond and a small botanical garden created in 1880, an outdoor Olympic swimming pool built in the 1930s along with sports fields and a children’s playground, and a sports hall (1965) where sporting events and concerts take place.

The main feature of Tivoli, however, is the picturesque Jakopič Promenade (named after the Slovenian Impressionist painter Rihard Jakopič), redesigned by Plečnik in 1934. It leads to the 17th-century Tivoli Castle, guarded by four dog sculptures, which today houses the Tivoli Gallery – International Centre of Graphic Arts.

But this beautiful small palace, restored in neoclassical style, is not the only historic building in the park. On its northern edge stands the Baroque-style Cekin Mansion, home since 1951 to the National Museum of Contemporary History of Slovenia.

Opening hours and ticket price for Tivoli Park

Opening hours: the park is open 24 hours a day.
Ticket price: free.
How to get there: at the foot of Rožnik Hill. It can be reached using the underpass from Cankarjeva cesta.

6

Four fierce-looking winged dragons guard the arched bridge that crosses Ljubljana’s river. A fine example of Secession-style architecture, the Dragon Bridge was one of the first reinforced-concrete bridges in Europe.

Originally called the Jubilee Bridge, it was built in 1900 to honour the 40 years of rule of Emperor Franz Joseph I (1848-1888), replacing the old wooden bridge known as the “Butchers’ Bridge”.

In 1919, the work was renamed Zmajski Most (Dragon Bridge) in reference to the monstrous creatures placed at its four corners, symbols taken from the coat of arms of Ljubljana, a city that, according to mythology, was founded by Jason, the Greek hero who killed the dragon that lived in the marsh near the source of the Ljubljanica River.

Because of the terrifying appearance of the dragons on their pedestals, locals have ironically nicknamed it “mother-in-law”.

The innovative structure was designed by the Austrian engineer Josef Melan, a famous designer of reinforced-concrete bridges, and built by the Dalmatian architect Jurij Zaninović, who designed the decorative balustrades, bronze lamps and hammered-copper dragons.

7

One of Ljubljana’s best-known symbols is the small but distinctive Triple Bridge (Tromostovje), an elegant entrance to the Old Town. In fact, when it was built (1842), it was an ordinary single-arch stone bridge over the Ljubljanica, known to everyone as Špitalski most (Hospital Bridge), although its official name was Franz Bridge, in honour of Archduke Franz Karl of Austria, as recalled by the inscription on the bridge pedestal.

Between 1929 and 1932, due to increased city traffic, two additional pedestrian bridges were added alongside the existing bridge, based on a design by architect Jože Plečnik.

Plečnik, who greatly admired certain elements of classical architecture, removed the metal railing from the central bridge and equipped the three bridges with sturdy stone balustrades, above which he placed street lamps.

From each side bridge, two stairways lead to the tree-lined terraces above the river where the famous Slovenian architect had poplars planted. Today the Triple Bridge, now fully pedestrianised, is a pleasant promenade enlivened by street artists and musicians, connecting Prešernov trg, Ljubljana’s main square and popular meeting point, to the historic centre.

8

Mestni Trg is the Town Square, the heart of Ljubljana’s old centre. The elegant buildings constructed after the earthquake of 1511 decorate the square and give it a strongly Baroque appearance.

Among the most beautiful buildings are Haman House, which houses the Mestna galerija (City Gallery), Lichtenberg Palace with its façade decorated by sculptor Osbalt Kittel, the Rakovec and Obrez palaces by Matija Persky, and Souvan House, with façade reliefs representing commerce, agriculture and art.

Dominating Town Square is the Mestna hiša, or Town Hall (also called Magistrat or Rotovž), the seat of the Municipality of the City of Ljubljana. Built in 1484, it was rebuilt and enlarged in 1717-18 and renovated in 1963. Above the façade, clearly influenced by Venetian style, rises the clock tower. In the Gothic-style arcaded courtyard stands the small Narcissus Fountain, the work of Venetian sculptor Francesco Robba.

In front of the Town Hall rises the obelisk of the Fountain of the Carniolan Rivers (1751), one of the most famous monuments of Baroque Ljubljana and the last work Robba completed in the Slovenian capital. Taking inspiration from Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona, the sculptor represented the three Carniolan rivers — the Krka, the Ljubljanica and the Sava — through three figures holding large vessels from which water flows.

9

Slovenia boasts a rich culinary culture made up of typical regional dishes as well as recipes from Italian, Austro-Hungarian and Balkan cuisine. Therefore, Ljubljana’s restaurants and gostilna (traditional inns) offer not only Slovenian specialities but also dishes from the countries that once dominated this land and left their mark on its cuisine too.

Soups, meat and game are the stars of traditional gastronomy which does not hide its rural origins. Must-try dishes include: bean and sauerkraut soup (jota), polenta usually made with semolina (Žganci), Idrija dumplings filled with potatoes and pancetta, served with mutton or rabbit meat sauce, Kranjska klobasa (Carniolan sausage), Kraški pršut (Karst cured ham), and divjačinska salama (game salami).

Among the “influences”, meanwhile, Austrian-style barley soup (ričet), Italian njoki (potato gnocchi) or riota (risotto), and Hungarian gola (goulash) are among the most widespread dishes. Slovenian wines are excellent to pair with dishes with such strong, decisive flavours, such as Teran and Cviček. Desserts also deserve a taste.

Potica is the famous rolled cake with walnut filling; Prekmurska gibanica, on the other hand, is made of a series of layers of pastry alternated with a filling of walnuts, poppy seeds, raisins, honey, ricotta and cream. Also good are zavitek (strudel) and krof (doughnut); honey pastries, heart-shaped sweets with a cinnamon aroma, have ancient origins.

10

Ljubljana has an excellent range of hotels, hostels and apartments at very low prices, or in any case below the average for European capitals.

In the historic centre, where the main attractions are concentrated, prices for 3-star hotels range from 40 to 80 euros per night. Do not forget that Ljubljana lies in a very green area (like all of Slovenia), so just outside the city centre there are farm stays and B&Bs surrounded by nature. Obviously, this means you will need to get around by car or public transport.

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