Slovenia: Ljubljana

Sovenia’s capital, pronounced loo-blah-na, is exceptionally lovely. It’s a small city, very pretty, very green, very clean and oh so very easy. People are unhurried, they’re polite and … English is widely spoken. Also, the local food and red wine are excellent and there’s plenty to see. A full week here went down a treat.

Ljubljana begs to be walked or cycled. The terrain is flat and there are clearly defined pedestrian and cycle lanes that make walking a joy. A most efficient local bus service makes short work of longer distances.

In the centre, the main square is Peresen with the distinctive Pink Church and Triple Bridge. A number of avenues feed into this square and they’re all worth exploring.

The narrow Ljubljanica River runs through the Old Town and both banks  are given over to bars and cafes that fairly vibe come late afternoon.

Ljubljana’s symbol is the dragon – power, courage and greatness. Below is the Dragon Bridge.

Ljubjana Cathedral dates from 1700. The exterior is recognisable by the green domes, but it is the interior that visitors are keen to see. It is truly magnificent and many of the frescoes and sculptures also date from the 1700s.

Ljubljana Castle was built in medieval 15th century when Slovenia was part of the Austro Hungarian Empire. Over time renovations have taken place and today, it is definitely a site to visit. I will say the walk up to the castle is quite steep, so be kind to yourself and take the funicular.

There’s plenty to see at the castle. A short history of Slovenia is on show and visitors are taken through the 1500s to the formation of Yugoslavia and then independence. There’s also a prison, a chapel and a decent circular climb to the viewing tower. We didn’t eat at the restaurant, but it gets rave reviews for its local produce.

I’ll never say no to a good museum, and in Ljubljana, there are two that are well and truly worth seeking out.

At the National Museum of Slovenia, there’s a beaut Roman lapidarium of 200 stone monuments as well as a number of other pieces from 50 BC onwards.

The world’s oldest musical instrument – the Neanderthal flute which is 60,000 years old and made from the thighbone of a young bear is also here.

I also enjoyed the Museum of Contemporary History which takes a long hard look at Slovenia’s recent history including both world wars, Tito’s Yugoslavia and Independence. 

There’s also a sizeable display of Slovenian sports history here and a reminder that it was Team Slovenia that won gold in the Men’s Double Scull at Sydney Olympics in 2000.

About an hour by bus from Ljubljana is beautiful Lake Bled. This stunning alpine landscape with a pretty island in the middle of a deep blue lake and a castle on the hill deserves all the accolades that are constantly heaped on it. The 6km walk around the entire lake reveals swimming spots, rowing courses (some at Olympic level), and hiking tracks that lead onward and upward.

The village of Bled is decidedly cute with its cafes and stores.

A couple of days later, we returned to Bled to visit Vintgar Gorge. We fully intended to walk the 3.5 kms through the village of Podham to the gorge return. However, an entrepreneurial man working at Marmut Travel hailed us as we alighted the bus and talked us into taking a shuttle. It worked out perfectly.

Vintgar Gorge is stunning and much work has gone into building the timber walkways that hug the sides of the gorge. The walk is 1.7 kms of sheer glacial beauty and takes at least 2 hours.

The climb out of the gorge brought us to the picturesque St Catherine’s Church.

Lean on my advice to stay a couple of nights in Lake Bled since there’s excellent walking/hiking.

Skofja Loka is a medieval town about 50 minutes by bus from Ljubljana that proved to be another excellent day trip. The town has an appealing centre.

At Skofja Loka castle, there’s an excellent museum where a couple of hours is easily spent poring over 20,000 items. Museum staff are to be commended for their acquisition of items and the way in which they are beautifully displayed. The oldest preserved Slovenian director’s Passion Play is here. Next Passion Play Production in Skofja Loka? 2026.

We anchored ourselves for the week at Thomas Apartments – liking the extra space. It’s 4 short bus stops or a 30 minute walk to the centre, and our amazing host thought of every little thing we could possibly want.

Bothers me that my trips trash the planet and I can never work out my carbon footprint, so jumped the train from Ljubljana to Maribor. Slovenian Rail no less. Was good to be training.

Put Ljubljana on your list of fabulous European cities to visit. You won’t regret it.