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Ljubljana Travel guide

Ljubljana hotels, Ljubljana vacation packages 2024 - 2025

Ljubljana is a dynamic European city lying between the Alps and the Mediterranean.
It is no coincidence that the two longest thoroughfares in Ljubljana bear the names of Vienna and Trieste. Where the two intersect, rich traditional intermingles with the lively ferment of new ideas - a city of warm and welcoming people.
Ljubljana is situated at an altitude of 298 m above sea level, while the hilltop castle in the centre of the city stands at an altitude of 366 m.
Ljubljana is one of the special places from where you can take your day off either skiing in the mountains or swimming in the sea.

Ljubljana

Ljubljana Travel information

Ljubljana guide

Ljubljana History

If one is to believe the legend, then the founder of Ljubljana was the Greek prince Jason, together with his companions, the Argonauts. According to the legend, Jason and the Argonauts, while fleeing from King Aites, from whom they had stolen the golden fleece, sailed from the Black Sea up the Danube, from the Danube into the Sava, and from the Sava into the Ljubljanica. Around about here Jason encountered a terrible monster, which he fought and slew. This monster was the Ljubljana dragon, which now has its permanent abode on top of the castle tower on the Ljubljana coat of arms.

Ljubljana’s geographical position has governed its colourful past. A brisk migration of nations flowed through the Ljubljana Gateway, part of the natural entrance from Central Europe to the Mediterranean, the Balkans and on towards the East. So it is not surprising that settlements of pile dwellers, and later Illyrians and Celts, grew up in this region more than 5000 years ago.

At the time of Roman hegemony, from the 1st to 6th centuries A.D., the capital of contemporary Slovenia was called Emona.

Subsequently Emona was frequently invaded by the barbarians and, in 452 A.D., was finally destroyed by the Huns under Attila. The Slavs began to settle in this territory in the 6th century A.D. little is known of the first Slav colonization, but ancient Slavonic graves found in different parts of Ljubljana confirm that it did take place. The first feudal rule was established in the Ljubljana region in ca. 1000 A.D. and Ljubljana became its centre.

Ljubljana is first mentioned in written sources from 1144, its historical rise beginning in the 13th century when it became the Capital of the Province of Carniola. In 1335 it came under Hapsburg rule.

From the end of the middle Ages onwards the town gradually assumed the role of the Slovene cultural capital. Slovene Protestantism, as the most powerful social movement of the 16th century, was a major influence in this. Ljubljana was then the meeting-place of the nationally conscious. Primož Trubar, who gave the Slovenes their first book in 1550, worked here and many years later, France Prešeren and Ivan Cankar, two important figures in the struggle for the cultural and political freedom of the Slovene nation produced their works here.

In 1693 a scientific academy, the Academia operosorum Labacensis, was founded. It was modelled on Italian scientific academies, and among other things, gave an incentive for the building of the first public library. Academia operosorum, which associated theologises, lawyers, physicians and philosophers, was merged with Academia incoltorum (for the fine arts) and Academia philharmonic rum in 1701. With the establishment of these academies Ljubljana became an important cultural and scientific centre with links to Italy and Central Europe. Academia philharmonic rum fostered Italian music. A small orchestra was founded - one of the first outside Italy. The honorary members of the Philharmonic Society, which, towards the end of the 18th century stemmed from the traditions of this orchestra, were Haydn, Beethoven, Paganini, Brahms, and subsequently Mahler also conducted the orchestra.

Ljubljana had an important role in Napoleonic times, even being the capital of the entire Illyrian province between 1809 and 1813.

The building of the Vienna-Trieste railway (1849-57), linking Ljubljana with the world was decisive in the further development and organization of the city.

Ljubljana has twice experienced earthquakes: the first in 1511 and the second in 1895, when almost the whole city was destroyed in the natural catastrophe. Reconstruction gave Ljubljana its new contemporary image.

World War I brought the break with the Hapsburg dynasty. Austro-Hungary disintegrated and Slovenia and its capital joined the new state, the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

After World War II Ljubljana became the capital of Slovenia, one of the six republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

At a national referendum held on December 23, 1990, the people of Slovenia voted for independence and sovereignity and on June 26, 1991, the Republic of Slovenia proclaimed its independence. With this, Ljubljana became the capital of a new state, the heart of the political, economic, cultural and scientific life of the Slovene nation, which its inhabitants and even a number of visitors have described as a “city of human dimensions”. Ljubljana, with only some 276.000 inhabitants and thus one of the smaller or medium sized European cities, is nevertheless a great city. It has everything, which cities of a million boast, as well as being the national and republican centre, and even more - it contains all that gives a city worldly magnitude.

Besides the archaeological remains from the time of Roman Emona, buildings and artefacts with a tinge of Italian and Austrian artistic style and the work of domestic architects who nevertheless gave the city an original Slovene image and influenced its contemporary appearance, there are also many things, especially in the lives of the inhabitants, which tell of its past and present cultural history. The rich cultural life of Ljubljana undoubtedly has its roots in its permanent links with the world, in all that it has accepted from it and given to it in its integration in European and world culture.

Ljubljana Sights, sightseeing, culture:

Ljubljana sights

Presernov trg (Preseren Square)

This square is named after the greatest Slovene poet, France Prešeren (1800-1849). His poetry is a symbol of longing for love and freedom, which is why one of his poems became the national anthem. The monument was unveiled in the autumn of 1905 and is the work of architect Maks Fabiani and sculptor Ivan Zajc. The ornamented façade of the Franciscan Church, built between 1646 and 1660, dominates the square based on the Italian model. Its great altar is the work of sculptor Francesco Robba, from 1736. The vaults were painted by Matej Langus in the mid-19th century, and restored in the 1930s by Matej Sternen. The Art Nouveau façades of “Ura” and “Centromerkur” are also a characteristic of Prešeren Square. Tromostovje (Triple Bridge), a special feature of Ljubljana architecture, is made up of the old stone bridge from 1842 and two side ones which architect Jože Plečnik added in 1931, providing an entrance into the Old Town.

Stolnica (Cathedral)

The Ljubljana church which boatmen and fishermen dedicated to their patron St Nicholas, probably stood on the site of the present cathedral as early as the 13th century. The original Romanesque church was later rebuilt many times. The contemporary church, with frescoes by Giulio Quaglio and built to the plans of the Roman Jesuit Andrea Pozzo, was constructed between 1701 and 1708. The cupola was added later by the native architect Gregor Maeek, and painted by Matej Langus in 1843-44. To the right of the main entrance is a Gothic capital with a head of Christ on the external wall. As for the internal furnishings, there remains a mid-15th century Gothic Pieta.

Contemporary Slovene sculptor Mirsad Begie carved the history of the Ljubljana Diocese on the side door of the Cathedral in honour of the Pope’s visit to Ljubljana in 1996. The main door, made of bronze, created in the same year, is the masterpiece of the contemporary Slovene sculptor Tone Demsar. It represents 1250 years of Christianity in the country and was blessed by the Pope.

Skofijski dvorec (Bishop’s Palace)

The present Archbishop’s palace, originally Renaissance, was later transformed in its first renovation into an early Baroque building and has the most beautiful preserved arcaded courtyard in Ljubljana. The construction of the palace started in 1512, and it was raised by one storey in the mid-17th century. At the end of the 18th century it acquired its present façade with wreathed ornamentation and was connected to the cathedral by a passage. Some time later, Emperor Napoleon slept in this building, and his governors of the Illyrian Province, L. Bernadotte, Marmont and others lived here. Today it is the seat of the Slovene Catholic Metropolis.

Vodnikov trg (Vodnik Square)

Vodnik Square was created after the earthquake of 1895 when the girl’s grammar school and the school library were pulled down, to make room for the market. It was named after the monument to Valentin Vodnik, the Slovene poet, the work of sculptor Alojz Gangl. Opposite the monument, a footpath leads to the Castle Hill. Along the Ljubljanica, from Vodnik Square to the Triple Bridge stands Plecnik’s famous Market, a long monumental building with colonnades.

Zmajski most (Dragon Bridge)

The Dragon Bridge stands by the market place and was built in 1901 on the site of the former wooden “Butcher’s Bridge”. It was named after the Emperor Franz Joseph, although only on paper since the name was never adopted in practice. The bridge is a concrete and iron structure and was among the first of this type in Europe. Otto Wagner’s pupil, Jurij Zaninovich, ornamented it.

Ljubljanski grad (Castle)

The central point of interest of Ljubljana is the Castle Hill. Excavations testify that the hill was first fortified in the time of the Celts and Illyrians and that the Romans had a military post there. The beginnings of the medieval castle go back to the 9th century, although the castle building is first mentioned only in 1144. At that time it was the seat of the provincial ruler Spanheim, who even minted his own coinage here. It gained its present image after the earthquake of 1511 and with further renovations at the beginning of the 17th century. The provincial rulers occupied it until the first decades of the 17th century, later becoming simply the garrison and provincial prison. The castle is being renovated now, so that the two wedding suites, the tower, a chapel and a cafeteria are open to visitors, while the rest of the reconstructed premises are used for occasional performances and exhibitions. Near the castle stands a monument to the Slovene peasant uprising (by Stojan Batic, 1974).

Rotovz (Town Hall)

The first building erected here in 1484 was rebuilt in 1718 to the plans of the architect Gregor Maeek. It has preserved a number of memorials of Ljubljana’s past, including the Hercules and Narcissus fountain (the work of Robba’s workshop) and the Gothic auditorium, in which Ljubljanchans attended theatrical performances by itinerant comedians in the 16th and 17th centuries. Today it is the seat of the Ljubljana City Council. In front of the building stands one of the most representative monuments of Ljubljana, the Robba fountain with allegorical sculptures of the three Carniolan rivers: the Sava, Krka and Ljubljanica. Francesco Robba created it in 1751, the great master of a Ljubljana sculptural studio in the first half of the 18th century.

Mestni trg and Stari trg (Town Square and Old Square)

The two squares flow into one another and then into Gornji trg (Upper Square). All three, representing the Old Town, are of a typical Gothic, wreathed design. The houses are almost all Baroque; only some with their axes at right angles to the street have retained their medieval layout. Just as the Cathedral dominates Mestni trg, so the Church of St Florian (1672) dominates Gornji trg. A footpath leads from it to the castle, which together with the surroundings, was laid out by the architect Joze Plecnik.

Levstikov trg (Levstik Square)

The Jesuits from 1613 to 1615 alongside their monastery rebuilt the Church of St James, which was also the home of the first Ljubljana high school (theology, philosophy and medicine) and the first high school of music. F. Robba, who also lived in this square, carved the high altar in the church in 1732 and the altar in the chapel of St Francis Xavier is by Jakob Contieri (1669). After the earthquake of 1895, the two belltowers had to be demolished and replaced by a new, single one, the highest in Ljubljana. They also then added a sacristy. The Shrine to Mary, which stands in the square, was erected in the 17th century in gratitude that the Turks had bypassed the country. Joze Plecnik redesigned the square in 1927 and gave it its present appearance. On the north side of the square stands the late Baroque Gruber Palace, built in the 1770s by Gabrijel Gruber. It conceals an oval stucco staircase with a chapel on the first floor and a dome on the top. J. Kremser Schmidt decorated the chapel with paintings showing the scenes from Mary’s life, Andrej Herrlein painted the dome in fresco.

Narodna in univerzitetna knjiznica (National and University Library)

The library was built to the plans of architect Joze Plecnik between 1935 and 1940. The largest early Baroque palace in Ljubljana, which belonged to the prominent Turjak family, had stood here until the earthquake of 1895. The Library preserves a number of medieval documents, incunabula and Renaissance editions, and as a special curiosity, underground literature printed in occupied Ljubljana from 1941-45. Towards the west, the building is adjacent to the remains of the Roman walls which were restored by Joze Plecnik. On them stand memorials to Slovene Slavicists, continuing the line of memorials to Slovene musicians in front of the Academy of Music.

Trg francoske revolucije (French Revolution Square)

The entire south-western part of walled Ljubljana was in the possession of a Teutonic order of knights, the Knights of the Cross (Krizniki) and the entire complex between French Revolution Square, Gosposka Street and Zoisova and Emonska Streets is still called Krizanke today. The Knights of the Cross-were already living here in the beginning of the 13th century, at which time a monastery stood here. St Mary’s Church is first mentioned in sources from 1268. They built the new, still standing church on the same site to plans prepared by the Venetian Domenico Rossi. In the 18th century the monastery was demolished and rebuilt. The entire monastic complex, on Plecnik’s reconstruction, serves today as the venue of the Ljubljana Festival. Plecnik’s memorial pillar to Napoleonic Illyria, with the emperor’s garlanded head in relief and Vodnik’s verses from Ode to Illyria Resurrected stands in French Revolution Square. Built into the pillar are ashes from the grave of a French soldier who fell in 1813 in battle with the Austrians. Also worthy of examination in this square are the memorial to the poet Simon Gregorcic (by sculptor Zdenko Kalin) and the palace of the Counts of Auersperg, today the seat of the City Museum and the Slavonic Library.

Kongresni trg (Congress Square)

Basically created in the Baroque style, it was laid out in its entirety for the Congress of the Holy Alliance in 1821. The south end of the square is dominated by the building of the University of Ljubljana. The building itself was erected as a ducal palace between 1898 and 1902. Next to the University stands the Slovene Philharmonic building erected in 1891 on the foundation of the former Provincial Theatre, which had been destroyed by fire. The Slovene Philharmonic is among the oldest music societies in the world, having been founded in 1701 as a successor to many older ones. Haydn, Beethoven, Paganini and Brahms were its honorary members. Schubert applied for the post of city music master here and Gustav Mahler was resident conductor for the 1881-82 season. Adjacent is a Biedermeier house, now the seat of the oldest Slovene publishing house, Slovenska matica, founded in 1894. The Kazina, a beautiful example of Classical architecture, dominates the northern side of the square. In the park, called Zvezda (Star), among the remains of the walls of antique Emona, stands a copy of a gold plated bronze statue of the Patrician of Emona, which was actually found here and at first mistaken for a statue of the Emperor Constantine.

Ursulinska cerkev (Ursuline Church)

This is the most beautiful Baroque work of art in Ljubljana. Although we do not know the architect who conceived this masterpiece, it is easy to see his links with the northern Italian Palladian School of late Baroque. In the interior of the church, which is not painted, is a huge high altar, the major work of Francesco Robba. The paintings on the side altars are by Valentin Metzinger. Some paintings, including three by the painter Palma the Younger, were brought here from the former Capucin church. In front of the church stands the famous Holy Trinity, made from wood in 1693 in gratitude that the town had survived the plague. In 1721, it was carved in stone and later twice renovated. Today only a copy of the original sculpture stands on the column, while the original is stored in the City Museum.

Trg republike (Republic Square)

This is the central Ljubljana Square and was planned by architect Edo Ravnikar. Here stands a monument to the resistance, the work of sculptor Drago Trsar. On the north side of the square stands the Republic of Slovenia parliament building (architect V. Glanz, from 1954-1959) with monumental portals being the work of sculptors Z. Kalin and K. Putrih. Adjacent to it in the park is the tomb of national heroes, the work of Edo Mihevc and sculptor Boris Kalin. Towards the east and south, the square is bounded by a department store, the head office of Ljubljanska Banka, those of other major companies and Cankarjev Dom Cultural and Congress centre.

Cankarjev dom - Cultural and Congress Centre, built to the plans of arch. Edo Ravnikar and collaborators, offers modern facilities and services to match world standards. The centres can accommodate up to 5.000 visitors at the same time in its numerous halls ranging in capacity from 20 to 2.000 seats.

Visitors can enjoy the most diverse cultural events in art, theatre and film as well as congresses, meetings, press conferences, product launches, exhibitions, dances and banquets. Finally, the 3.800 sq m of exhibition space also hosts, every odd year, part of the International Biennial of Graphic Arts.

The monument to the writer Ivan Cankar is the work of sculptor Slavko Tihec.

Roman Wall and Antique Monuments

The southwestern section of the walls of antique Emona has been preserved. The Emperor Augustus himself supposedly laid the foundation stone in AD 14. Not far from here is Jakopic Garden, in which the archaeological remains of the walls of two Roman villas have been preserved, perhaps actually those in which the Emonans with whom St Hieronymus corresponded once lived. One of the finds is preserved “in situ” near Erjaveeva Street; an early Christian centre with baptistery, portico and Bishop’s palace, all from the 5th century. The multi-coloured tile mosaics announce the name of the donor and prove that the town had its own archdeacon in the late Classical period.

Narodni muzej (National Museum)

It was established in 1821 as one of the earliest provincial foundations of this type. In 1885, it obtained its own permanent building (architect Viljem Treo) and is still today the central national collection bearing witness to the past of the Slovenes and the other nations who lived on this territory before them.

In addition to the archaeological collection, its ethnological, cultural, historical and natural history collections are also of interest. In the square in front of the building stands a monument to the Slovene historian Janez Vajkard Valvasor (1641- 1693), the work of sculptor Alojz Gangl, who also created the statuary which adorns the Opera house, Vodnik’s monument and many others (1859-1935).

Moderna galerija (Museum of Modern Art)

This gallery was planned by architect Edo Ravnikar and built in 1945. Today it contains a collection of the works of Slovene 20th century artists. This is the centre and exhibition site of the International Biennial of Graphic Arts, one among the largest exhibitions of this kind in the world. Together with Berneker’s monument to Primož Trubar, the father of Slovene literature (1508-86), it lines the entrance to Tivoli Park, a favorite promenade for Ljubljanchans.

Tivolski grad (Tivoli Mansion)

Jesuits erected the mansion situated in the very heart of Tivoli Park at the beginning of the 17th century. After the dissolution of their order it was the summer residence of the Bishop of Ljubljana, and in the middle of the 19th century it became the property of Austrian Field Marshal Radetzky, who gave it its present appearance. The mansion has recently been renovated and now houses the International Centre of Graphic Arts.

Narodna galerija (National Gallery)

The building was erected in 1896 to the plans of architect Skabront. It served for performances by various national societies and had a gymnasium in the basement. In 1918 it became the seat of the National Gallery and is still today the home for a collection of Slovene works of art from the Middle Ages until the 19th century.

Opera

The building was constructed in 1882 in the neo-Renaissance style. The Czech architects Hrasky and Hruby drew up the plans for it. Until the building of the German theatre in 1911, it was used for both Slovene and German performances, then only for Slovene ones.

Nebotičnik (Skyscraper)

The first high building in Ljubljana, architect Vladimir Šubic constructed the so-called “skyscraper”, in 1933 and it is the first visible response here to architectural developments in distant America.

Miklosicev Park (Miklosic Park)

The park was created in 1902 and is the only Art Nouveau square in Ljubljana. Architect Maks Fabiani prepared the plan of the square and park. The turrets on the corner buildings are also his idea. It is bounded on the north by the Palace of Justice, built in 1898-1902 to the plans of the Viennese architect Spindler. In front stands a memorial to the linguist, Fran Miklosic. Miklosic Street runs along the east side, with buildings constructed after the earthquake of 1895, including Hotel Union (1904) where the staff headquarters for the Soca (Caporetto) front resided during the First World War. On the other side of the street is Vurnik’s ornamental fasade (1922) of the former Cooperative Bank, an attempt to achieve a “national” architectural style.

Gospodarsko razstavisce (The Fair Grounds)

A commercial and exhibition centre was built in 1958. It was the first really important construction project undertaken after the war and provided an opportunity for ambitious architectural plans and utilization of new techniques and materials.

ZOO

The Ljubljana Zoo is situated on the southern slope of the Roznik hill in the natural environment of woods and meadows, being not only part of a protected natural park but also of green areas, indispensable for Ljubljana, as well. The distance from the city centre is about 15 minutes’ walk. Visitors can admire numerous wild animal species from all continents living in their natural environment. The emphasis is laid primarily on the animal variety at the junction of three zoogeographic areas: the Alpine, Pannonian and Mediterranean.

Botanical Garden, Ižanska cesta 15

The Botanical garden of Ljubljana, established in 1810, is our oldest cultural, scientific and educational institution, which has been functioning uninterruptedly ever since its foundation. Its plant collection includes more than 4500 species, subspecies and form, a third of which are autochthonous ones, and two-thirds from various parts of Europe as well as other continents. The garden has been maintaining exchange contacts with more than 270 botanical gardens all over the world. The Botanical Garden operates in scientific research and pedagogical activities. It plays an important role in the growing and protection of endemic and threatened (endangered, vulnerable and rare) species in Slovenia.

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