Yes I know, you are used to reading my itineraries for visiting cities in two days and this time I am offering you one to visit Ljubljana in one day. True, unfortunately, however, in this beautiful city I could only spend one day as it was a quick stop during the trip to Slovenia by car to reach the glamping Big Berry in Primostek. Ljubljana is located practically in the center of Slovenia and is very easy to reach by highway. Visiting Ljubljana, at least the center, only takes a day because everything there is to see is fairly close by.
I arrived in Ljubljana without too many expectations, I was aware it was a very interesting city but I did not think it would give me such a feeling of peace, tranquility and livability.
Arriving by car I encountered some difficulties only with the parking issue. There are numerous parking lots in Ljubljana on the side of the road but the majority only allow you to park for two hours, which is obviously implausible if you want to devote the right amount of time to the city.
After a little wandering through Ljubljana’s many traffic lights, I founda covered parking lot on the street named Komenskega Ulica. You can find it just after the intersection with Resljeva Cesta that is, the street that then leads to the Dragon Bridge. The parking lot is covered and is precisely a stone’s throw from this famous bridge.
If you are driving you can therefore leave it in this parking lot and drive into the city.
One of the things that immediately struck me was that as I pulled out of the parking lot I found myself on a street parallel to the main street, a street that had I not known I was in Slovenia, I would have thought I was on a small street in some small village in Greece, very peculiar.
The advice I always give to understand a city well in all its nuances is to go around it on foot, to walk the length and breadth of it perhaps even going off the beaten path. The Slovenian capital is a city that lends itself very well to being visited on foot.
Ljubljana was also named the European Green Capital for the year 2016, an award that is given according to certain criteria related to eco-sustainability. The city has managed to maintain a green appearance and perfect livability.
Along the riverbanks a number of places have sprung up that have not disfigured the area; on the contrary, they are perfectly integrated with the urban context. This stretch of river and city center is particularly beautiful to experience both during the day and in the evening, I stopped for a small beer at one of these clubs and the feeling it gave me was one of extreme relaxation.
Another thing I noticed, and I think it is also related to the Green Capital concept, a lot of use is made of wood, many of the establishments I mentioned use tables and furnishings of various kinds made of wood, which contributes even more to that atmosphere of warmth and peace.
What to see in Ljubljana, one of the eco-friendly cities
Visiting Ljubljana in a day is doable, among the things to see for sure, the first is the Dragon Bridge, not for nothing is the symbol of the city. Legend has it that the dragon moves its tail whenever a virgin girl passes over the bridge.
From the Dragon Bridge head to the tromostovje Bridge along the tree-lined pedestrian street that runs alongside the Ljubljanica. After a few meters you will encounter the Butchers’ Bridge, which today has the value of the padlock bridge as is the case in many other cities.
A few more steps and you will reach Presernov Trg which is basically one of Ljubljana’s main squares. It is almost circular in shape and from here you can access the triple Tromostovje Bridge.
It is a very distinctive as well as a colorful spot. Towering over the square with its salmon color is the Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin, or Franciscan Church.
From this beautiful square there is access to the Tromostovje Bridge, which is one of the best known symbols of the city. Its special feature is that it consists of a central and two side bridges. Initially it was built individually as a normal bridge, around the early 1930s two pedestrian bridges were added and the whole thing was unified by removing the metal railings and replacing them with stone as we see it today. The reason for adding the two additional pedestrian bridges was the increase in city traffic; now the bridge is all “pedestrian traffic” anyway and is certainly an icon for the city of Ljubljana.
To continue visiting Ljubljana simply cross this bridge. Here you will find a number of things to see including the Mestni Prg, the old square, considered the heart of the city. It is a very elegant area, indeed all of Ljubljana is elegant, clean and tidy.
Mestni Prg is crossed by a street that hugs the hill of Ljubljana Castle. Yes, you read that correctly, there is a castle in Ljubljana, and I am passionate about castles, they fascinate me quite a bit.
But about Ljubljana Castle I will tell you in a moment; just a few meters from the square is the St. Nicholas Cathedral and the central marketplace.
There are actually two markets. One is near Vodnikov Trg, it is a paradise for fruits and vegetables. The other is a market made up of little wooden houses all alike and is another paradise. In short, you have two paradises in one, what more do you want.
All kidding aside, here you have the opportunity to taste a variety of typical dishes and get lost inside the thousands of stalls that make it up.
Where to sleep in Ljubljana?
As you may have guessed, the city is to be experienced all round, so what better place than the city center, so you can enjoy the riverfront in some nice places.
If you need some suggestions you can find some HERE.
Ljubljana Castle
Another very important landmark, as I mentioned, is the Ljubljana Castle, which can be accessed via a flight of steps or by taking the convenient funicular railway. The start is in a small street to the right of Vodnikov Trg right at the end of the market.
The funicular covers a very short distance, in 2 minutes maximum it takes you to the top, in the meantime you can enjoy the view of the whole city. The cost A/R is 4 euros, if you want you can also add the ticket for the museum, which however I have read is not very interesting.
Forget a castle like the Scottish ones, this castle is elegant but being renovated does not give the same feeling we are used to when we enter a castle. At least that is the feeling it gave me. It was rebuilt around 1960 and now features a couple of clubs and restaurants inside. It is undoubtedly a very livable place, one of the major sights in Ljubljana, but to me it did not leave much. Maybe I’m just too used to it.
Still, it is a stop I recommend you make because surely the view is worth it and you will get an overview of the capital of Slovenia.
Among the things to visit in Ljubljana you must necessarily include the Tivoli Park which I unfortunately was unable to visit due to lack of time.
Conclusion
Ljubljana is definitely a city to spend a full day in, I find it so livable that I even consider it a good base from which to make excursions to nearby places. This is strange because it would hardly occur to me to recommend a city, among other things a capital city therefore theoretically chaotic, as a base. Instead, I think Ljubljana deserves it and also deserves to be experienced and appreciated in the evening.
A nice dinner and evening walk along the riverfront must surely be worth it.