TOP THINGS TO DO IN LJUBLJANA

In September, I embarked on my first ever solo trip to Slovenia and I am far too excited to share my pictures/stories from this trip with you. Flicking through my camera photos from this trip made me very nostalgic, Slovenia is absolutely beautiful and I would recommend it to anyone. Over the next few weeks, I will be uploading a series of blog posts about Slovenia and what there is to do in this beautiful country. First things first, the city of Ljubljana!

Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia and while it may not have the most tourist attractions or take very long to see, it’s definitely worth your time on a trip to Slovenia! The city is oozing with charm and I could have spent hours just wandering the beautiful streets.

It’s never a very good idea to arrive in a city without a clue on how to pronounce the name of said city (this led to a very awkward conversation with a taxi driver) – so FYI, it’s pronounced Lube-li-ana.

Triple Bridge 

If you’ve seen a photo of Ljubljana, it’s probably taken from Triple Bridge looking up at Ljubljana Castle as this is one of the iconic sights of the city. Triple Bridge isn’t the only riverside location you should check out, make sure that you take a stroll down the river, visit the other bridges, look into the cute independent shops, sample the amazing food and generally soak up the relaxed riverside atmosphere.

Preseren Square

Preseren Square is the main square of Ljubljana and is adjacent to Triple Bridge. The square is the home of the famous “pink church” formally know as Franciscan Church (Franciskanska Cerkev). This is a great place to relax, use as a meeting point or just explore – the church is definitely worth your time!

Cathedral of St Nicolas 

The Cathedral of St Nicolas is a beautiful cathedral indeed. Even the door is to die for. It’s definitely worth peeking inside (while there isn’t a service obviously) to soak up this beautiful architecture. If you can, try and join a walking tour or visit the church when a walking tour is about to go past, the history of this building is very interesting!

Metelkova

Metelkova is an “alternative” social centre. The buildings are crazy, colourful and you won’t know where to look, there’s too much going on! The area is made up of ex-army barracks and was squatted in 1993. There are plenty of bars, art galleries and small concert halls within the area, I’d love to come back and see the place light up at night!

Ljubljana Castle

Up on the beautiful hillside of Ljubljana stands a picturesque castle. The walk to the top is steep but the views are well worth it (walk round to the back of the castle for a beautiful view over the outskirts of the city). The castle itself has a small entry fee and there are always small exhibitions in some of the rooms – when I visited a very dark exhibition on torture devices was on!

Central Market

Ljubljana’s central market is a situated in the city centre and is perfect for browsing if you have some spare time! It’s mainly fresh fruit and vegetables that are sold on the stalls, so perhaps not the best if you’re only in the city for a day. But it’s nice to immerse yourself in the local culture, you’ll find a lot of Slovenians doing their food shopping here on an early morning!

Walking Tour

Ljubljana is only a small city, and can easily be seen in a day or two. However, I love to take a free walking tour when I arrive in a city and Ljubljana was no exception despite it’s size. Not only are these tours are great way to learn where things are within the city, my inner history nerd becomes unleashed as I love finding out about the history and culture of new cities!

Explore the Beautiful Streets & Adorable Shops

The streets of Ljubljana are beautiful. The buildings and architecture are colourful and reminiscent of the streets of Budapest or Prague. It’s a great city to get lost in and take all the sights.

Eat All the Ice Cream

Italy is known for its beautiful ice cream, so given that Slovenia is only a few miles away (some tour companies even offer day trips to Venice from Ljubljana), you’d expect that Slovenian ice cream is just as good! Slovenia gets particularly hot during summer and Cacao Cafe is a must-try. There’s an overwhelming number of flavours to choose from – go wild and at least try a few!

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post and all thoughts are my own.
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