Overview

Ljubljana's Old Town is definitely the highlight of the city, and worth allocating plenty of time to thoroughly explore its offerings. The city's best-preserved buildings are here, featuring a mix of medieval houses and lively squares punctuated by the Ljubljanica River that cuts through the centre. Head up Castle Hill for superb views and a look at the famous castle, and spend some time in the city's excellent art museums for a glimpse into the creative side of Slovenia.

Old Town

Ljubljana's Old Town district is a real gem. Its pleasant mix of Baroque, Secessionist, and Neoclassical buildings creates a wonderful atmosphere that stirs memories of ancient Europe. The wonderfully preserved Old Town follows a bend in the Ljubljanica River, and is full of both historic sites along with ample cafés and quaint bars.

Presernov Square

The focal point for local life in Ljubljana is this strategically located square that links the Old Town and the central district. This is where many residents come to meet up and hang out, making for excellent people-watching. A number of lovely old buildings line the square, including the distinctive Franciscan Church of the Annunciation, which was built in 1660.

Ljubljanski Castle (Ljubljanski Grad)

It's hard not to miss Ljubljana's imposing castle that sits atop Castle Hill overlooking the heart of the city. The walls date back to the 16th century, but its many features have been built up over the ensuing centuries. From the castle there are magnificent views over Old Town and all the way to the Julian Alps. A gondola makes it easy to reach the top, or you can walk up the steep steps of Castle Hill.

Franciscan Church (Franciskanska Cerkev)

One of Ljubljana's most striking buildings is this 17th-century church built in a Baroque fashion for the city's population. This is a huge structure, and makes a striking visual impact when seen up close. Its main altar, which was designed by sculptor Francesco Robba, dates to 1736. The expansive steps leading up to the church are a favoured spot for locals to meet up.

Museum of Modern Art (Moderna Galerija)

Art fans won't want to miss visiting this modern art gallery that features some of the greatest works by contemporary Slovenian artists. Nothing in the museum was created before 1950, giving it an edge not found in the equally engaging National Gallery. Must-sees among the 1,301 paintings, 3,079 graphic prints, and 502 sculptures include the surrealist works of Stefan Planinc.

National Gallery (Narodna Galerija)

Two 19th-century buildings were joined by a strikingly modern structure of steel and glass to create Slovenia's National Gallery. The nation's largest collection of Slovenian paintings is housed here, and many of them are quite impressive. Even if you're a moderate art fan, the fascinating architecture and comprehensive range of paintings make this a good place to visit.

Triple Bridge (Tromostovje)

Ljubljana is a city full of wonderful old bridges that span the large river that snakes right through the heart of town. The Triple Bridge may be small but it's one of the city's most significant highlights thanks to the designs added by Slovenia's most famous architect Jože Plečnik in 1842.

Cathedral of St Nicholas (Stolnica sveti Nikolaja)

Ljubljana's main cathedral can be found right on Vodnikov Square, providing a splendid backdrop for the daily market held there. It was built in the Baroque style between 1701 and 1708, with an impressive dome added in 1836. A visit to Vodnikov Square is recommended, so be sure and check out the cathedral while your lingering in the plaza.

Overview

There is plenty to do in Ljubljana if you enjoy being outdoors. The city is surrounded by green parks and thick forests ideal for walks and a bit of exercise. The Ljubljanica River also serves as a fun boating site, though the outlying Sava River is cleaner and more scenic. Also nearby are the Julian Alps and all their alpine activities, as well as a couple of decent waterparks and a nice zoo. There's plenty of urban activity as well if you enjoy chamber music, plays or a fun night out on the town.

Tivoli Park

Ljubljana boasts several lovely city parks where visitors can relax in a natural environment, talk a walk or lounge on a grassy lawn. Tivoli Park is the city's largest, offering sporting facilities, lots of trees, and good walking paths up adjoining Mount Rožnik. The Tivoli Sports and Recreation Centre is a great place to get some serious exercise or take a swim at the Ilirija Swimming Pool Complex. Both are open to the public.

Inline skating

One of the most popular outdoor activities with Ljubljana's locals is inline skating. During the warmer months, you can see flocks of skaters cruising through the old city streets, park paths and along the river. It's a fun way to see the city, and rental shops can be found around the main tourist hubs.

Walking

Walkers and hikers will find several excellent trails to explore in and around Ljubljana. It's enjoyable enough strolling through the Old Town, along the river, or in Tivoli Park. A more serious excursion is the 18-mile Trail of Remembrance and Comradeship, which features some interesting historic sites on the route. If you hire a car and head into the surrounding countryside or the Julian Alps there are even more walking options.

River activities

In the summer, the rivers around Ljubljana become popular spots for boaters of all kinds. Canoeing, kayaking, and even white-water rafting are all possible within easy distance of the city. The Ljubljanica River cuts right through the city for the most convenient boating destination. Head out of town a ways and the Sava River offers more rapids and cleaner water. Outdoor shops in the city centre can arrange many kinds of river trips for you.

Water parks

There are a couple of fun water parks right in Ljubljana that are open during the summer months to give locals a place to cool off. Water City of Atlantis, located inside the BTC City Shopping District, has 14 pools, water slides, thermal baths and saunas. Laguna Fun & Spa, located within the Ljubljana Resort, has open-air pools and themed parties most nights.

Live music and theatre

Ljubljana has a rich traditional of cultural performances. The city is home to several excellent classical music venues and theatres of varying style. The Slovenian National Theatre showcases opera and ballet classics in its lovely old neo-Renaissance building downtown. The Ljubljana Municipal Theatre is a good venue for catching a local play. For classical music, check out the Slovene Philharmonic Society, which has been playing to packed houses since 1702.

Nightlife

Ljubljana may be one of Europe's smaller capitals, but its nightlife scene is energetic and diverse. The summer season brings the city to life, especially after dark as the myriad outdoor cafés, bars and pubs take advantage of this window of wonderful weather to enjoy their sites along the Ljubljanica River and in the Old Town.

Dining and shopping

Despite being a fairly small city, Ljubljana boasts one of the most exciting and diverse dining scenes in Central Europe. The fertile plains of the surrounding countryside provide a steady flow of fresh produce and meat, while the nearby Adriatic Sea serves up the seafood.

There are hundreds of restaurants and small cafés in Ljubljana, and more often than not they provide a very good dining experience. The city's cuisine is largely traditional Slovene fare, but also has a number of interesting variations on this style due to its central location. Slovene cuisine itself is heavily influenced by its neighbouring countries.

Some local favourites worth trying include the ubiquitous štruklji, a doughy creation stuffed with a range of fillings. Another popular snack is žganci, a starchy mixture of buckwheat flour or polenta eaten with cabbage during the day and black pudding during breakfast.

Dessert fans will be impressed with the selection and tastiness of Slovene sweets. The cake known as potica is like strudel filled with walnuts and other sweet ingredients. Drinking wine with lunch and dinner is almost a requirement in Ljubljana, and thankfully Slovenia produces some surprisingly good wines that are hard to find outside the country. The Cviček, Metliška črnina and Kraški teran varieties of red are excellent, as are the white Malvazija and Renski rizling.

The Old Town district and surrounding city centre is the best place to start your eating explorations. Many of Ljubljana's best-known restaurants are here, often clustered along the edges of the public squares. Locals eat out just as often as visitors in Ljubljana, so a sure sign of a good café is one filled with Slovenes.

There are a number of wonderful restaurants along the banks of Ljubljanica River, which invariably have a romantic charming ambience. Other hot spots to find a good eatery are along Mestni trg, Stari trg and Gornji trg, where you will find both Slovene and international ethnic cuisine in spades. Even Ljubljana's suburbs have numerous restaurants worth trying, although they tend to be more scattered than in the city's squares.

Ljubljana is a pleasant city for creative shoppers as it offers a large selection of interesting independent shops with an emphasis on style. The Old Town squares, and the web of narrow lanes branching off them, contain the most engaging shops in the city. All around Stari trg, Mestni trg and Gornji trg squares are wonderful old medieval and Baroque buildings that house eclectic boutiques.

These charming little shops are all unique, and sell everything from jewellery and traditional crafts to fashion clothing, shoes and accessories. On both sides of the Ljubljanica River the banks are lined with an ever-growing number of small art galleries and funky boutiques. Čopova Street is another hot spot dotted with cool shops.

Ljubljana's main shopping street is Slovenska, a wide boulevard that bisects the city centre. You can find the large brand name retailers here, as well as the popular Nama department store and Maximarket. The shopping experience won't be quite as special as in the Old Town, but the range of stores makes it convenient to find many different items under one roof.

Another major hub of retail shops is the newly-opened BTC City Shopping District on the northeastern corner of Ljubljana. This shopping and entertainment complex provides a comprehensive day on the town. Also, check out Centromerkur, identifiable by its iconic Art Nouveau awning above the entrance of its lovely Secessionist building. This is the city's oldest department store and worth a visit for the history alone.

A daily crafts market can be found under the colonnaded covered promenade just across the Triple Bridge. This is a good hunting ground for handmade art, crafts and other unusual buys. Keep in mind that Ljubljana follows some strange shop hours. Many shops close Saturday afternoon and don't reopen until Monday morning.

Ljubljana is a relatively small European capital but it makes up for it with a wealth of excellent eating establishments. Apart from traditional Slovene fare, visitors can find cafés and restaurants specialising in other European cuisine, and even a handful of places serving the food from other corners of the globe. Best of all, even an upscale meal won't break the bank in Ljubljana.

Overview

Visitors can fly directly into Ljubljana's Brnik Airport from many European destinations. The train is also an enjoyable way to arrive, and long-distance coaches operate from all corners of Europe. Within the city, the public bus system along with a selection of special tourist buses and trains makes getting around a breeze. Renting a car is a good idea in Ljubljana if you plan to explore some of the surrounding countryside.

Airports

Ljubljana's airport, also known as Brnik Airport, is the main gateway to the Slovene capital. It's located 23kms northwest of the Old Town, and has recently undergone a touch of renovation and expansion. One of the nicest things about Ljubljana's airport is its quiet calm atmosphere. There is rarely a problem with crowds, long lines or getting lost.

The single terminal is small but very easy to navigate. Only six gates are used for arriving and departing flights, which mainly arrive from Europe's larger cities such as London, Paris, Prague, Frankfurt and Zurich. Many smaller cities are also serviced by the airport, but visitors from North America or Asia may find it hard to arrange a direct flight.

Adria Airways, Slovenia's national carrier, operates most of the flights. Air France, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and easyJet also provide frequent service. ATMs, currency exchange booths, shops and restaurants provide the basic necessities for arriving passengers. There is also a useful tourist information desk, a business conference centre and several car hire offices.

Among the transport options from the airport to the city centre, the public bus is by far the cheapest. They depart hourly and travel to the central bus station at Trg Osvobodilne Fronte. Taxis are the most expensive but convenient choice, while the special shuttles operated by Adria Airlines are a good deal. These shuttles run until midnight, are coordinated with flight arrivals, and drop passengers off at the central bus station. Private airport shuttles run by Orbita ferry passengers to the city's main hotels.

Public transportation

The train is an excellent way to get to Ljubljana from within Europe. Between the Slovenian and European rail network it is possible to arrive from many European cities. The city's central train station is located at Trg Osvobodilne Fronte on the edge of downtown.

Long-distance coaches are another option if travelling from within Europe or Slovenia itself. Ljubljana's public bus system covers 21 routes that stop at every major destination within the city and its suburbs. Buses run from 05:00 until 21:00 daily, with limited night service.

Special tourist buses target Ljubljana's highlights and offer a variety of tours based on different themes. There is also a tourist train that runs to Ljubljanski Castle over the Triple Bridge and along some of the city's main streets. It starts at Presernov Square, departing on the hour.

Much of Ljubljana is compact enough to explore on foot or bicycle, especially the Old Town. There is a nice bike path system throughout the city, and the city has a free bicycle use program similar to that in Amsterdam. Taxis are also easily found at taxi stands, in front of hotels and outside of transport hubs. You can hail them on the street or call for a pickup. Renting your own car is a good choice in Ljubljana. Although parking is difficult, it makes touring the countryside much easier.