Ljubljana (pronounced as Lub-lya-nah) is one of the most under rated European capitals- to start with the intro. Slovenia not being an usual tourist destination among the non-Europeans is one of the major reasons why this city is being missed out from so many bucket lists. We flew into Ljubljana from India and started our first Eurotrip together from this lovely city.
Narrow cobble stoned lanes with traditional European buildings standing wall to wall, quaint souvenir shops and cafes with seats laid on the middle of the pedestrian only road, a river flowing through the heart of the city with numerous boat services, musicians on the many bridges in the city center and a castle atop the hill overlooking the city- what could I ask more from a European city?
Ljubljana was a pleasant surprise for us. We had done quite a bit of research about things to do in the city and headed out to the city by 8 in the morning. I would suggest a day or two to see the highlights of Ljubljana - City center, Ljubljana castle, River cruise, Metelkova Mesto, Market and its many charming souvenir shops.
Prešeren Square is easily identified as the heart of Ljubljana- you could turn around and walk to most of the other attractions from here. Also, a lot of free and paid walking tours start from here. Start early, turn off the map and walk around the many streets near to the square to explore the city more.
Triple bridge is right in front of the Prešeren Square and as the name suggests, consists of three individual bridges. Tourist information center and the market is right next to the bridge. Musicians also perform here during peak hours. You could even spot the Ljubljana castle on the hill from here.
Take a look at the many stalls in the market selling flowers to Slovenian honey to a variety of fruits to Slovenia's authentic desert 'Prekmurska gibanica'. You could also take a sip from near by liquor shops or buy couple of souvenirs from the shops alongside the river.
Proceed towards Dragon bridge and admire the 21 dragons adorning the bridge symbolizing the protection and security that it is believed to offer the city.
Walk towards the castle ticket office and get a ride in the funicular to the Ljubljana castle. It takes around 2 hours to see Ljubljana castle's many rooms and the short film on the history of castle and the city. The top terrace offers a 360 degree view of the city and is totally worth the climb of stairs.
Metelkova could be considered as the art center of the city with numerous graffiti and strange sculptors adorning the streets and walls. This area is nothing like the city center we have been walking through till now. It is advised to visit in a group before sunset.
We walked back to Dragon bridge and took a river cruise in the Ljubljanica river, which could be skipped if you are short on time. The cruise takes you through the city center to the outskirts where you can spot people kayaking and stand up paddle boarding.
Food & Drinks
There are quite a good number of restaurants and bars by the river side with open air seating. Some even offer seating very close to the river by going down the steps from the main walkway. You could walk around, check the menu and decide for yourself which one to pick. There is also an Indian restaurant named Namaste near to the city center.
Buying a sim card
If Ljubljana is your first stop in Europe and if you are looking to buy a sim, there a few shops in the city center offering data+call, data only and other types of sim cards. You could check at the tourist center near Triple bridge and they can guide you to the nearest one. Look out for A1, Izi shops that offer tourist friendly sim cards with data offers.
Going around
As I said earlier, all of the major tourist spots in Ljubljana are at a fair walkable distance from each other. Also, the city center is pedestrian only. So, going around to cover Ljubljana's main spots is a cake walk.
Have a great trip! :)