Ljubljana

Understand

Ljubljana stands at the entrance to a plain in an otherwise mountainous region, the confluence of several river valleys, so it's been a focus for settlement, trade and transport since prehistory. The first known city was the Roman Colonia Iulia Aemona; in medieval times it became Laibach and this name is still used by some German-speakers (as well as modern Slovenia's most notable cultural export, the band of that name). It fell under the gravity of Austria-Hungary and was a duchy or province of the Habsburg Empire until 1918. For much of the 20th century it was part of Yugoslavia until independence in 1991. This means that Ljubljana has simply been a regional capital, and has only been the national capital of a relatively small country for a few decades. The city landscape reflects this: it's compact and walkable, cosy and friendly, rather than grandiose. There are no vast ceremonial boulevards, bling palaces or imperial fists of fortification. It's not a place where you hop around ticking off must-see sights, like a bug with a selfie-stick for antennae. Relax, stroll and enjoy the atmosphere. No-one really knows how its current name came about: it resembles ljubljena - "beloved" - in Slovenian, but that seems to be just a happy coincidence. It sits in the valley of the Ljubljanica river, with green hills hemming it in on either side. The river makes a right angle, with the castle and oldest parts of the city on the hill in the southeast quadrant. A 19th century street grid extends north of the river, then the modern town sprawls to the west and north. Three natural disasters shaped the city architecture. An earthquake of 1511 caused extensive re-building in Renaissance style, and in stone to curb the fires of the wooden city. Another earthquake in 1895 prompted rebuilding in Vienna Secession style. It was flooded by the river multiple times until the Gruber Canal was cut across the southeast quadrant in the 18th century, turning the castle hill into an island. Therefore the main flow bypasses the old centre, which was protected from the devastating 2010 floods of the Danube catchment region. The "Triple" and "Dragon" bridges stand intact as proud symbols of Ljubljana. Ljubljana is a year-round destination but you need to dress for the Balkan climate. Summers are warm, with daytime highs of 30°C. There are often public events and festivals, with streets converted from traffic thoroughfares to event spaces, but afternoons can be humid with thunderstorms and downpours. Early summer and autumn enjoy more even temperatures, and there's a student buzz as the

Getting there

By plane 1 Jože Pučnik Airport (Brnik Airport LJU IATA) (27 km north of Ljubljana). This airport has flights from Amsterdam Schiphol, Brussels Airport and Charleroi, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Belgrade, Niš, London (Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton), Frankfurt Airport, Munich Airport, Helsinki Airport, Madrid Barajas, Warsaw, Podgorica, Zurich Airport, Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport and Istanbul, plus seasonal flights to the Med. A new Terminal A opened in June 2021 and serves all regularly scheduled flights. It's connected by a short corridor to the old Terminal B, now used for charter flights. Both have the usual airport facilities, see map on website, but B is small and frankly tatty. There are over a dozen car rental agents, with all the big names represented. (updated Jul 2021)

Getting there and away:

By bus: Arriva Bus takes 50 min to the main bus and railway station ("Ljubljana AP", Stand 28), with several stops. It runs every 30 min M-F 05:20-20:10, and Sa Su holidays 06:10–19:10. The fare is €4.10, pay the driver on boarding; cannot pay with the city Urbana card. (May 2023) From the airport, cross to the parking lot. To the right is the bus stop for Arriva Bus. €4.00, cash only. Bus route 64 (LPP) goes from Ljubljana bus station ("Ljubljana AP", Stand 28). The fare is €4.10, can pay with Urbana card or Visa/Mastercard (Jan 2026). Outbound from the city, alternate buses continue from the airport to Bled, so this has an hourly service taking 30 min. Morning buses that continue to Bled may fill up. A bus to Kranj runs every hour or two, taking 20-40 min. By shuttle – Several operators offer shuttle transfers, which are €12 per person, more for a door-to-door private transfer. They include Goopti, Nomago, Airtrail Slovenia and TuamV. By taxi – You might pay around €50 for a metered taxi to the city. By car – See airport website for the many car hire agencies. Driving off, follow the one-way system and go west then left onto the link road, which gets you on A2 towards Ljubljana. Other airports nearby that but might prove convenient are Trieste, Venice Marco Polo, and Treviso (in Italy); Vienna Airport, Klagenfurt, and Graz (in Austria); and Zagreb (in Croatia).

By train

2 Ljubljana railway station (1 km north of the river, with the bus station on its south flank.). There are a number of ticket machines around the station. Access to most of the platforms is a relatively long way from the booking hall. (updated Apr 2023) Slovenian Railways website is here . For at least some routes, tickets can be purchased in advance at the OEBB 'Scotty' web site. (h

Getting around

On foot The centre of Ljubljana is small enough to cover by foot. You can pick up a free city map at a tourist information centre or in the train station. Navigating or finding a street is easy as streets are clearly marked.

By bicycle There is also a system called BicikeLJ (iOS, Android apps) where you can rent bikes (first hour free, second hour €1, third hour €2, each additional hour €4). It is designed for short-term hire. It has 300 bikes on 30 stations around the inner city part and you can subscribe with a credit card online. You can take another bicycle after one hour has elapsed, without any cost.

By bus The city's transportation authority LPP operates 22 bus lines, which are clean and run frequently (every 10–15 minutes, 15–40 minutes during the weekend and summer). Most bus routes operate 05:00-22:30 (Sundays from 06:00). Night routes are: N1 (22:30-05:00), 2, 5 and 6 (03:15–00:00), N3 (21:00–05:00) and N11 (03:15–05:00), but they do not run between (01:00-3:00). Saturdays and Sundays no service on routes 22, 24, 28 and 29. Sundays no service on routes 7L, 8, 18, 20, 21, 27. To ride the buses, you can either purchase an Urbana card (similar to the Oyster Card in London), download the Urbana phone app (iOS, Android), or use a contactless Visa/Mastercard when boarding. The physical card can be bought at self-service stations ("Urbanomat") found at the larger bus stops across the city, LPP sales sites, tourist information centres and newspaper stands for €2 and need to be loaded with an amount ranging from €1 to €50. Upon entering the bus by the front door, you need to position the card next to the reader to pay for the route and validate the ticket. The Urbana app has the advantage that it can be loaded using a Credit or Debit card and includes real time information.

The cost per journey is €1.50 and includes free transfers for Urbana card or app users within 90 minutes from the first card validation.

By taxi The (supposedly) cheapest taxi companies are:

Taxi Laguna, toll-free: 080 11 17 (in country only). Taxi Metro, toll-free: 080 11 90 (in country only). (updated Aug 2025) Uber is available, but due to local regulations, it can only be used to hail registered taxies. The ride is metered, as with any other taxi, and the final price can deviate from the estimate in the app. Not all taxis charge the same fare. Taxi Metro has a good app that you can use to order your taxi and see and estimated price. You can download it for IOS or Andriod. There is no surge pricing and in case of events it might take a while to find a taxi as

See

In 2021, seven works in Ljubljana by architect Jože Plečnik were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. These are the Trnovo Bridge, the green promenade along Vegova Street, the promenade along the embankments and bridges of the Ljubljanica River, the Roman walls in Mirje, the Church of St Michael, the Church of St. Francis of Assisi and the Garden of All Saints (Plečnik’s Žale).

1 Triple Bridge (Tromostovje) (At the heart of the old city). The central span is from 1842: it became a bottleneck so in the 1930s footbridges were added on each side, fanning out slightly. On the north bank these lead into Prešeren Square, adorned by the statue of the national poet France Prešeren (1800-1849). It's the obvious rendezvous point in town; the area is pedestrianised. The TIC is south end of the bridge. (updated Apr 2023) 2 Old Town (squeezed between the castle hill and Ljubljanica river). The old town has two squares, Mestni trg (City square) with the Robba fountain and the city hall behind it, and, further on, Gornji trg (Upper square). Well preserved medieval buildings now house local designer shops, and several popular cafes and restaurants. Although they may look creepy, the perfectly safe narrow lanes lead to charming little squares and buildings. 3 Dragon Bridge (Zmajski Most). Completed in 1901, designed by Croatian Jurij Zainovich. It is guarded by four detailed dragon statues from the city's coat-of-arms. Look out for the dragon motif throughout the city. Be careful around the Dragon Bridge area, as it is on a major busy road just outside the pedestrian zone and near misses (and worse) between inattentive tourists and traffic are common. The dragon bridge is located at the end of the Ljubljana Open Market, just a block or two down the river (north-east direction) from the Triple bridge. 4 Ljubljana Castle (You can catch the funicular or walk up). The tower has magnificent views all over the city. You can also see the Sava River and Kamnik Alps in the distance. Included is a 3D Movie of the history of Ljubljana from a pre-historic settlement to Roman Empire to modern times (€6.50 for adults, €3 for students, seniors). Entrance to the Castle Courtyard, Chapel and Gift shop is free, but there is a charge for access to the tower. (updated Sep 2023) 5 Republic Square. Where crowds gathered as Slovenia announced its independence from the Yugoslav Federation in 1991. The square has significant importance for Slovene history, as it was a place of important public gatherings (and demonstrations) in the past. Across the road is the Slovene Parliament. Its

Do

Hot Air Balloon Flights (Balonarski center Barje), ☏ +386 1 512 9220, [email protected]. These launch at sunrise for one-hour flights, weather permitting. The launch spot is chosen on the day so the wind carries you over the historic centre. The whole programme is about 4 hours so reckon on a very early start. From €180 pp. (updated Jun 2021) Football: 1 Olimpija Ljubljana, Stožice Stadium. They play soccer in PrvaLiga, the top tier. Their home ground (capacity 16,000) is off the ring road 2 km north of city centre. (updated Apr 2023) NK Bravo also play in PrvaLiga, at Park Šiška (capacity 2300) 1 km northwest of the railway station.

Water parks 2 Water City of Atlantis (Located within the BTC City Shopping District, take bus 27 (27K on Sundays)). A water park offering 14 pools, thermal baths, slides and saunas. Special section is dedicated for children. €6–14. (updated Sep 2023) 3 Laguna Fun & Spa (located within the Ljubljana Resort, take bus 27 (27K on Sundays)). Only Jun–Sep. Offers open-air pools during the day and themed parties at night. €6–12.

Opera & Theatre

4 Cankarjev Dom, [email protected]. Enormous arts and convention centre with concerts and performances. 5 Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra (Slovenska Filharmonija). Orchestra dating back to 1701. 6 Slovene National Theatre (Narodno Gledalisce), Erjavceva 1. 7 Puppet Theatre (Lutkovno Gledalisce), Krekov Trg 2. 8 Ljubljana Opera House. (updated May 2021) 9 Križanke Outdoor Theatre (Poletno gledališče Križanke). used for summer festivals. (updated May 2021) 10 Ljubljana City Theatre (Mestno gledališče ljubljansko). (updated May 2021) 11 Ljubljana Summer Festival. Opera, ballet and theatre festival held in July and August. (updated May 2021)

Cinema 12 Kinoteka, Miklošičeva 28. Open daily, but closed on Sundays and in July and August. Ljubljana's charming film museum where they have at least two movies a day. The movies range from classics to cult movies, from trash and horror to artistic masterpieces. All movies are presented in the original audio language, and equipped with Slovenian subtitles, sometimes also English. On Saturday mornings they have special projections for children. There are also some special events, round tables, premiers etc. all the time. It's a must visit for every film lover. It has also a nice little cafe with small prices €3. (updated Sep 2023) 13 Kinodvor, Kolodvorska 13 (next to railway station). This is a small and very cool cinema that shows mostly new movies that are not playing in the blockbuster movie complexes. It has also a lot of special events,

Buy

Several department stores such as Maximarket, H&M, Müller, Nama, are located in the city centre. Additionally, Čopova street and the Old town have a dense collection of small shops.

1 BTC City Shopping District (At the north-eastern edge. Take Bus 27.). One of Ljubljana's two main shopping area. (updated Apr 2023) 2 Rudnik Shopping District (In the south-eastern edge of the city.). The second major shopping district. (updated Apr 2023) 3 Sunday flea market, Gallusovo nabrezje. Daily 08:00-14:00. Two dozen or so stalls selling overpriced knick-knacks. Postcards, €10. Tito and Disney memorabilia, broken Chinese-made curios, rusty military paraphernalia. 4 Central Market, Vodnikov trg (right bank of the Ljubljanica river, 200 m from the Triple Bridges). The central, open-air market features a wide array of local produce (exact items vary depending on the season), as well as local cheeses, breads and meats in the adjacent building. If you're lucky, you may still find sellers who have wheeled in their vegetables from south of the city centre (Krakovo) by foot—although they are a dying breed. Open every morning and early afternoon except Sunday; most lively on Saturday mornings. On Fridays you can also visit the 'Open Kitchen' 08:00–21:00, March–October.

Eat

Budget

1 Odprta Kuhna. Apr–Oct, F 10:00–21:00. Odprta Kuhna means "open kitchen". It's a collection of food stalls on Pogačarjev trg, just south of Triple Bridge. (updated Jul 2021) 2 Hot Horse, BTC City, Šmartinska 152; Tivoli Park, Celovška 25, [email protected]. M–Sa 10:00–22:00, closed Su & holidays. Horse-burger chain with four city outlets. Huge burgers and other dishes; you order and pay first at the machine. €4-12. (updated Sep 2021) 3 Nobel Burek, Miklošičeva 30. 24/7. Open non-stop, so it's popular late at night. Different kinds of burek (a leafy dough pie filled with mince meat or cheese). (updated Jun 2021) 4 Klobasarna, Ciril Metodov trg 15 (next to Sokol and Mediterano), ☏ +386 51 605 017. Daily 11:00-16:00. Hole-in-the-wall fast food restaurant serving seasonal Slovenian soups with traditional sausages and bread. You order and pay first at the machine. (updated Jun 2021) 5 Govinda's, Žibertova 23, Ljubljana - Šiška, ☏ +386 590 58381. M-F 11:00-17:00. Self-service buffet with vegetarian and vegan Indian food, great value. (updated Jun 2021) 6 Cafe Capri (Kavarna Kapri), Ljubljana, Petkovskovo nabrezje, 33, [email protected]. 08:00-14:00. A cozy cafe in the very center of Ljubljana, just a few steps away from the famous Dragon Bridge, offers healthy, delicious and inexpensive breakfasts and brunches. All dishes here are made from scratch and prepared fresh. Full bar always available with variety of any drinks: fragrant coffee, tea, fresh squeezed juices and homemade lemonades, Italian and Slovenian wines, beer, spirits and cocktails. €5-10. (updated Sep 2022) 7 Restavracija Mandala, Podhod Ajdovščina. close to bus stop Ajdovščina (Accessed down a flight of stairs.). 11:00-18:00 closed Sa & Su. Vegan self-service restaurant. Food sold by weight. (updated Oct 2023) 8 Falafel, Trubarjeva cesta 40. The name is a clue. They also offer mezze dishes. (updated Sep 2023) 9 Roza Slon (Pink Elephant), Trg Osvobodilne fronte 14. (across the road from bus station.). closed Sure. Restaurant/takeaway offering tasty & healthy Thai meals with a choice of beers & soft drinks. they are also at a few other locations in the city. Some vegan options. €7.90. (updated Oct 2023)

Mid-range 10 Gostilna Portal, Zaloška cesta 110 (Bus 11, 20, 25), ☏ +386 1 5400 166, [email protected]. Su-Th 09:00-23:00, F Sa 09:00-01:00. This is a B&B in the eastern burbs, known as a Serbian restaurant - good for meat lovers. Loud live music at weekends. (updated Jun 2021) 11 Da-bu-da, Šubičeva 1a, ☏ +386 1 425 3060. M-F 11:00-22:00, Sa 12:00-22:00. Thai food and cocktail bar, grea

Drink & nightlife

Most of Ljubljana’s bars tend to cluster on the streets running parallel to the river, radiating from Prešernov trg, which is the main square in Ljubljana. The more interesting bars tend to be on the backstreets, rather than directly facing the river. Part of the joy of this city is stumbling across these places, but these are few to start you off. Cheaper bars can already be found just outside the old town and near university buildings.

Free tap water locations The application Tap Water Ljubljana is intended for all who wish to quench their thirst and refresh themselves during the spring and summer months with freely available water from fountains found in 17 locations throughout Ljubljana, mostly they are in city centre. Application is available on App Store.

Cafes 1 Cafe Antico, Stari Trg 17. Great ambiance - bare wooden floors, high tables and stools, and vaulted ceiling. 2 Čajna Hiša (The Tea House), Stari trg 3. Closed Su. This is a quirky little coffee and tea room, offering many variations on those warm beverages as well as basic breakfasts and lunches. The background music is impeccably cool, and the atmosphere is ideal for some elegant loafing. Linked to the café is a teashop selling drinking paraphernalia and loads of different fruity flavoured teas by the 100g. 3 Le Petit Cafe, Trg Francoske Revolucije 4. Very popular corner cafe. 4 Sax Hostel & Sax pub, Eipprova 7. Really cool colourful spray-painted cafe/bar along the canal. The place also serves as a hostel. 5 Zvezda, Wolfova 14. Cafe with great ices and pastries.

Bars 6 Cutty Sark, Knafljev Prehod 1 (Opposite Cantina Mexicana). Lively pub with raucous atmosphere. Usually has live music. 7 Lepa Žoga, Celovška 43 (Near Tivoli Park). Main sports cafe/bar with sports regalia along the wall and a good, mixed crowd on most nights. Shows international rugby, all sorts of football games (European, English, Italian and other leagues) and other live sports. Has the best TV coverage in the city, ranging from Sky Sports to local TV stations. 8 Od Žmavca sosed pa ud brata prjatu (Žmavc's neighbor and my brother's pal aka Žmavc), Rimska cesta 21, ☏ +386 1 251 0324. Markets to the "creative urban type." Burgers, coffee and alcoholic drinks. 9 Pod Skalco, Gosposka 19 (just opposite to the Križanke auditorium, next to the City Museum of Ljubljana, on the back of the National & University Library). M-F 06:30-03:00, Sa Su 17:30-03:00. Popular student pub with an almost 150-year-long tradition, frequented almost exclusively by locals. Loud music. 10 Vinoteka Movia, Mestni trg 2 (Next to the

Sleep

Budget 1 Aladin Hostel, Tugomerjeva 56, ☏ +386 41 666 477, [email protected]. Small friendly hostel. Dorm €15. (updated Jun 2021) 2 Celica, Metelkova 8 (south side of railway station), ☏ +386 1 230 9700. This was the military brig, get caught in town without a pass and The Cells was where you'd spend the night. Then they got the designers in, how come Guantanamo never cottoned on to this concept? Good to know: each cell was individually designed by a Slovenian artist. Dorm €20. (updated Jun 2021) 3 Hostel Tabor (Dijaški dom), Kotnikova 4, ☏ +386 1 234 8840, fax: +386 1 234 8855, [email protected]. Clean friendly place in student residence, only open July and Aug. In 2023 the dorm is not available. B&B double €54. (updated Dec 2023) 4 Fluxus Hostel, Tomšičeva 4. Small clean central place with 8- and 6-bed dorm. Dorm €21 ppn. (updated Jun 2021) 5 Most Hostel, Petkovškovo nabrežje 41 (by Dragon Bridge), ☏ +386 41 662 266. Cute friendly hostel, very central. Dorm €21 ppn, double €60. (updated Jun 2021) 6 Vila Veselova, Veselova 14 (by Tivoli Park), ☏ +386 5165 5254. Budget / hostel rooms in a 100-year-old villa west side of town. (updated Jun 2021) 7 The Fuzzy Log, Miklošičeva cesta 9 (550 metres from Railway station). Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Unusual hostel on 7th floor of Ibis Styles hotel. featuring tents, cabins, and capsules. Buffet breakfast available. (updated Nov 2023)

Mid-range 8 BIT Center Hotel, Litijska 57 (2 km east of centre, take bus 5, 9, 13 or 22), ☏ +386 1 548 0055. Basic functional place which also contains a hostel. Dorm €15, B&B double €50. (updated Jun 2021) 9 City Hotel, Dalmatinova 15, ☏ +386 1 239 0000. Decent central place with clean rooms, thin walls. B&B double €110. (updated Jun 2021) 10 Hotel Park, Tabor 9, ☏ +386 1 300 2500, fax: +386 1 433 0546, [email protected]. Clean central mid to budget hotel with 145 rooms. They formerly also offered "hostel" rooms, cheaper but bare; these are not on offer in 2021. B&B double €90. (updated Jun 2021) 11 Hotel Katrca 1905, Rožna Dolina I/26 (Tivoli district), ☏ +386 1 422 8840. Pleasant place in a quiet district, has only five rooms. B&B double €80. (updated Jun 2021) 12 M Hotel, Derceva 4 (Bus 1, 3, 15 or 16 to Kino Siska), ☏ +386 1 513 7000. Boxy modern place 2 km northwest of centre with neat, spacious rooms. B&B double €90. (updated Jun 2021) 13 Pension Tavcar, Cesta v Šmartno 7 (Bus 12 to Hrastje, walk back 200 m and make a right), ☏ +386 1 546 6970. Clean well-run place northeast edge of city. (updated Jun 2021) 14 Hotel Mrak, Rimska 4, ☏ +386 1 421 9650. Colourful rooms

Go next

Ljubljana is at the hub of transport routes across this relatively small country, so you can easily reach anywhere else in Slovenia and across its borders. Here's a selection:

Bled is a picturesque town 1 hour away. Hire a rowboat on the lake to visit the island church, then see the castle. Triglav National Park and the Julian Alps near Bled for outdoor activities: hiking, mountaineering, rafting, canyoning, paragliding, skydiving and so on. Postojna has the vast Postojna Caves and Predjama Castle, an Škocjan Caves are in nearby Divača. The coast is short, sandwiched between Croatia's Istrian resorts and the industry and marshes of Italy. Koper is the largest coast resort, Piran is the prettiest. Kamnik is a button-cute little town 45 min north of Ljubljana, just below the Kamnik Alps. It has a perfectly preserved medieval town centre, with the ski resort of Krvavec above. Zagreb in Croatia, 2 hr 30 min away, has an extensive medieval centre. Trieste (1½–2 hr) is in Italy yet redolent of the last days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Rijeka in Croatia (2 hr 30 min) for the Istrian peninsula, ferries to the Adriatic islands, and transport south to Zadar and Split.