A memorable day trip from Ljubljana is to Lake Bled, a vast body of water crowned by a magical island church and surrounded by snow-tipped mountains

In Slovenia, all roads lead to Ljubljana. Small it may be but the country’s sophisticated capital packs a big punch, embracing striking architecture, superb art, tonnes of green space and a vibrant café culture. Summer is the optimum time to visit, but late spring or early autumn is also wonderful, when it’s still warm enough to sit outside in short-sleeved shirts. While you’re here, you may well be tempted to venture further afield, not least to the majestic Kamniške Alps, which can be glimpsed - tantalisingly - from the city.

The best places to visit in Slovenia

Ljubljana’s Old Town

Ljubljana’s Old Town
Ljubljana’s magical Old Town quarter is one of the most wonderful places to visit in Slovenia

Wedged in between the castle-topped hill on one side and the lazy Ljubljanica River on the other, Ljubljana’s magical Old Town quarter is one of the most wonderful places to visit in Slovenia. Approached via master architect Jože Plečnik’s ingeniously engineered Triple Bridge, ahead of you stands Italian sculptor Francesco Robba’s magnificent Fountain of the Three Carnolian Rivers sculpture; radiating from this spot, narrow cobbled streets, arched alleys and medieval squares are graced by Art Nouveau buildings and ancient churches, while open-air cafés and bars do brisk trade along the leafy banks of the Ljubljanica.

Ljubljana Castle

Ljubljana Castle
Ljubljana Castle exerts a powerful presence high above the city

Reached via a funicular running up from the Old Town – or a stiff fifteen-minute climb up from the base of the hill – Ljubljana Castle exerts a powerful presence high above the city. Established in the sixteenth century, the castle grounds are home to a multiplicity of attractions, including a cleverly conceived ‘3D Virtual Castle’, an exhibition on the history of the country and a delightful Museum of Puppetry, one of the longest-standing and most cherished art forms in Slovenia. Best of all perhaps is the chunky Clock Tower, which affords peerless views over the city and the tantalising, snow-capped peaks of the Kamniške Alps in the distance. These mountains in northern Slovenia are well worth adventuring from the capital to experience.

National Gallery and Museum of Modern Art

West of the Old Town's where to go for the city’s best museums, especially if art is your thing. The splendid National Gallery spans European and Slovenian art from the thirteenth to the twentieth centuries, the highlight of which is the work of the revered group of Slovenian Impressionists: Grohar, Jama, Sternen and Jakopić. Across the road the Museum of Modern Art has displays covering the twenty-first century – look out for the abstract works of Lojze Spacal and exhibits by the 1980s retro-avant-garde collective Irwin. There's an excellent café here too. Providing easy access to these sights from its location next to Tivoli Park, the Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons is one of the best places to stay in town. A cool, contemporary hotel, it boasts consummate rooms with state-of-the-art facilities plus a fabulous indoor pool.

Lake Bled

Slovenia's Lake Bled
Explore magical Lake Bled on a shore walk, jump on a pletna (gondola) or grab a rowing boat and investigate at leisure

An easy, and memorable day trip from Ljubljana is to Lake Bled, a vast natural body of water crowned by a magical island church and surrounded by snow-tipped mountains. Explore the lake on a shore walk, jump on a pletna (gondola), which will take you out to the island, or grab a rowing boat and investigate at leisure. Perched high up above the water sits its imperious castle, boasting a beautiful frescoed chapel.

What to eat and drink in Slovenia

Kranjska klobasa

Kranjska klobasa
Kranjska klobasa, Slovenia's most famous dish, is a type of sausage that is typically served with a dollop of mustard and horseradish

Slovenia’s most famous dish is kranjska klobasa, which translates simply as Carniolan sausage (Carniola being an historical region of Slovenia). Typically served with a dollop of mustard and horseradish, Ljubljana has several great places to eat this unmissable snack, though none better than Klobasarna, where you’ll be offered half a sausage (which may well be enough), or a whole one.

Potica

Potica
Potica is a delicious doughy roll packed with nuts, tarragon and honey

Slovenians love a sweet treat and this is manifest in some mouthwatering cakes and desserts. Among the most popular dishes to try are potica, a doughy roll packed with nuts, tarragon and honey, and gibanica, a layered pastry consisting of apples, walnuts, cream and poppy seeds. Most cafés and restaurants will have some, or all, of these dishes on their menu, but one excellent choice is Zvezda, frequented by locals from all walks of life.

Goriška Brda

Although Slovenian wine still flies under the radar, it’s now some of the best in Europe. There are fourteen wine-growing regions, with the best reds, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, coming from the lush Goriška Brda hills near the Italian border, and the indigenous Teran from the Karst; the best of the whites is Beli Pinot, which is harvested along the Jeruzalem–Ormož wine road in southeastern Slovenia. Sample any of these at Dvorni Bar, a cosy and fabulously well-stocked bar on the left bank of the Ljubljanica with tables spilling down to the riverside – magical on a warm summer’s evening.

Top things to do in Slovenia

Mountainous Slovenian landscape
The majestic Kamniške Alps are well worth venturing out of Ljubljana for

One of the best things to do on a Sunday morning in Ljubljana is head to the riverside embankment, which on this day hosts a giant market where you’ll find anything from vintage stamps to Tito-era memorabilia. Ljubljana has plenty of fresh air options: lush Tivoli Park has acres of space in which to gently roam, but one of the most fun things to do – if you don’t mind exerting a bit more energy – is do what most of the locals do and march to the top of Šmarna Gora (669 metres), a popular hill five miles north of town; once at the top you can grab a refreshing cup of herbal tea.

One of the more interesting things to do is to seek out the work of Jože Plečnik, Slovenia’s greatest urban planner, who bequeathed the city an astonishing legacy of architecture. Among his most celebrated buildings are the Market Colonnade and the National and University Library, while you can even visit his old house where everything remains in situ. Unmissable is a concert at Križanke, Plečnik’s atmospheric open-air theatre and performance space, which is home to the superb International Jazz Festival each June and the summertime Ljubljana Festival.

Within easy reach of Ljubljana is the lovely Volčji Potok Arboretum, whose lush gardens boast more than three thousand species of plants, shrubs and trees but are renowned above all for their May display of tulips. Just twenty minutes outside the city, Škofja Loka’s gorgeous medieval core is a delightful place to ramble, drink coffee al fresco, and if you’ve got time, pay a visit to the town museum up in the majestic castle, packed with all manner of historical treats.

Hidden gems in Slovenia

One of the best alternative things to do in Ljubljana is to pay a visit to Metelkova, a former Yugoslav army barracks brilliantly converted into an autonomous, alternative arts and social space housing an array of galleries, bars and nightclubs; an evening out here is not to be missed. Rarely visited, but unquestionably one of the most unique things to do in Slovenia, is a wander around Žale Cemetery on the outskirts of town; its grand entrance was the handiwork of Jože Plečnik, who is buried here; his grave is to the left of the entrance in plot 6.

Go deeper

Ljubljana’s impressive green credentials are manifest in several pioneering initiatives, including electrically powered buggies to transport visitors around town and Europe’s first zero-waste programme. If you’re looking to communicate with the locals (most of whom speak excellent English anyway), basic greetings include Živijo (hello), Nasvidenje (goodbye), Prosim (please) and Hvala (thank you).





Published: July 26, 2022

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