Imagine a small city surrounded by beautiful majestic mountains. In the middle of this city, there is an ancient castle sitting on top of a hill with a mythical dragon living inside. All around that hill are colorful buildings that house cafes, churches, and boutique shops. There is a river that curls through town and lots of green space. The entire city center is free of cars, making it ideal for wandering around on foot. This is Ljubljana, Slovenia, and it is just perfect.
Ljubljana was voted “Greenest Capital City” in Europe a few years ago, beating out all the Scandinavian cities that usually win. A city with dragons, environmental priorities, and beautiful streets made for strolling? You will fall in love with Ljubljana.
The Best Things to Do in Ljubljana
Enjoy the Views from the Castle
It’s impossible to visit this city and miss the castle. It sits high up on the hill overlooking the town on all sides. You can tour the castle if you want, but we chose to explore the grounds for free. The views are incredible from all sides of the castle. There are many different paths to get up to the castle on foot, so I recommend taking different ones up and back down for different views.
Relax and People Watch at the Riverfront Cafes
The river running through town makes for a very picturesque setting for patio dining. There are loads of small cafes and bars overlooking the riverfront area. Even though we were there in November, the sun was shining and it was very pleasant to enjoy outdoor lunch. There is also a main road between the river and the castle that has a lot of different restaurants and shops if you want a break from the fresh air or find yourself visiting on a rainy day.
Taste Things at the Incredible Ljubljana Market
Exploring a farmer’s market or artist’s market is one of the best ways to get to know the people. Just observing the small interactions of the vendors with the locals can tell you so much. The market in Ljubljana takes place in a large open square and you can find vendors there every day. There was a variety of fresh fruits & vegetables as well as honey, cheese, meat and homemade souvenirs for the visitors. We stayed in the city for a week, so we were able to do some of our produce shopping there. Fresh is always better. Even if you are just there for the day, I would encourage grabbing a snack from one of the vendors and enjoying it on your hike up castle hill.
Learn about the Fascinating History on a Walking Tour
The Free Walking Tour we did in Ljubljana was wonderful. It was two hours of storytelling with the history of the Dragon Bridge, a poetic love story, and a wild story about a plane crash in the library in World War 2. We were even given a shot of local fig liquor from a gift shop.
The streets of Ljubljana were absolutely beautiful. They were never as busy with people as the other European capitols we visited, so you could find a quiet corner to stop and take it all in.
Here is the link for the free tour to get more information.
Drink the Local Craft Beer
One thing we found that made this city a favorite was the craft beer scene. It felt like we were back in Minneapolis or Brooklyn with the amount of options we had. Loo-blah-nah Brewery and GreenGold Brewing were our two favorites, and we were able to find options at the local grocery store to taste test at home on a rainy night. I wish we would have had more time to explore the other options – there is a full beer drinking tour you can do while in town. Otherwise, you can put your own together using these suggestions.
Wander Through Tivoli Park
Bordering the city center is a large park with multiple buildings to explore and lots of paths running through. It’s easy to get lost inside. Visiting in the fall was beautiful, but I’m sure each season has something special. Pack a picnic, grab a few cold beers, and get your wander on.
Bring Your Camera to the Metelkova Art Center
Just a short walk from the town center and right across from the train station, you will find the most colorful place in Slovenia. It is an old army barracks that has been transformed into an alternative cultural district. This collection of street art and galleries is mixed with performances and a lively night crowd. We aren’t big on the party scene, so we opted for a late-morning visit and had the place to ourselves to wander and explore the colorful, riveting murals and pieces of unique art. If you are a little more adventurous or just like the chance to meet other people in a nightclub setting, try exploring here after dark.
The Julian Alps
When I hear the Alps, I would always think of Switzerland. Little did I know Slovenia is covered in the breathtaking mountain range as well. The Julian Alps offer adventures for every kind of explorer. The day trip options are endless. We tacked on a three-day trip to Lake Bled, but it is an easy day trip as well if you are short on time. I recommend Postojna Caves for a day trip if you like exploring below the earth’s surface.
If you aren’t able to sneak away at all from the city, have no fear. Any sunny day will give you a beautiful glimpse of the mountains that surround this area. It’s my favorite window view.
Things to Know When Traveling to Ljubljana, Slovenia
Where to Stay in Ljubljana
We stayed in an AirBnB apartment (currently not available). It was a little outside of the main part of town, but it was adorable and the price was incredible. Here is the link to the people who ran the place – they have other listings still available.
If you are short on time, I would check out one of these top rated spots in town.
Or the place we wanted to stay so badly, but it was booked for the week we were there. This place is built in an old prison, so you can stay in the cells but with much better decor and no prison food served. See more pictures here.
Where to Eat in Ljubljana
Ljubljanski dvor was a great pizza spot. It’s right on the river and the pies are gigantic. For budget travelers, this spot is gold because you can stuff your face with good pizza for a small price tag.
Marley & Me is a cute restaurant right on Main Street under the castle. It was a perfect afternoon spot to warm up after our walking tour. It has a perfect window spot where you can do some people-watching while feasting on one of their pasta dishes.
EK Bistro is a great brunch spot to grab coffee and breakfast. It’s near the river and open in the morning and early afternoon hours.
Štruklji anywhere you can find it. It was our favorite local dish in this part of the world. It’s like a giant dumpling stuffed with cheese (and other things, depending on where you get it). It was the ultimate comfort food, and we couldn’t get enough.
Getting to Ljubljana, Slovenia
The train station is right in the middle of town and connects with tons of other European cities. There is also an airport outside of the city with a direct bus line to the city center.
Our dream in the future is to return and do some road-tripping around this beautiful country. There are so many incredible small towns and outdoor places to explore. We took the bus to Bled and Trieste from Ljubljana, which was also incredibly simple. The bus station is connected to the train station, so comparing your options for day trips is easy.
Other Important Details about Visiting Ljubljana, Slovenia
We found it really easy to communicate with everyone here. Most of the menus had an English version, and most people were at least bilingual. Europeans have some incredible language skills. Slovenian is an incredibly difficult language, and most people in the country know at least two other languages. It’s one of the only languages that uses “dual,” which refers to anything with two people in addition to singular and plural.
Unlike its neighbors to the south and east, Slovenia uses the Euro which makes it easy to transition between Austria and other countries to the north.
The weather in Slovenia is near perfect. It’s never too hot in the summertime and never too cold in the winter. I love a place with four seasons but without the extremes of negative temps and triple-digit heat. We were there in October/November, and it was a little rainy, but we were good with light jackets and jeans.
Did I convince you to add Ljubljana to your dream list?
I absolutely loved this city. The size made it so easy to navigate on foot in a few days. The number of people made me feel like I had discovered a special secret. I can’t wait to get back and explore more of Slovenia. It’s on track to be on my love list next to Iceland, Laos, and Namibia.
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