20 Best Activities To Do In Ljubljana, Slovenia

20 best activities to do in Ljubljana, Slovenia

By Anna Purpurpurpur

Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is a fantastic European city where modern take elevates historic sights, and local food and nature are simply astonishing.

I must sincerely tell you that after spending this time in Slovenia, I’m ready to move to this country; it’s such a gem! See my list of things to explore in this city below, the most perfect Slovenian dishes to try and a hotel to stay in!

1. Visit the Ljubljana Castle

Ljubljana Castle, sitting on a Castle hill that floats above Ljubljana, has been turned into a marvellous museum everyone has to visit.

This is a fantastic modern take on preserving a medieval castle, one of the best I’ve seen in Europe. Originally, a fortress on this hill was built in the 11th century and rebuilt a few times (the majority of buildings date back to the 16-17 century)—thus, it has dominated the skyline of Ljubljana for over nine centuries!

Come here to visit the towers to observe the panorama of the city, the virtual castle experience, the prison, and the fully decorated Gothic Castle Chapel of St George, and learn about the history of Slovenia.

Also, make sure to visit the Museum of Puppetry, which opened in 2015 within the castle grounds! Puppets play a huge role in Slovenian culture; you can learn about their significance here.

And just look at this stylish cafe inside the castle itself – come here for some delicious desserts, but be aware that the portions are really huge.

2. Ride the Ljubljana’s Funicular

The easiest way to get to the castle is to ride the Ljubljana funicular. It was constructed in 2006, and the artists behind it – Miha Kerin and Majda Kregar (Ambient Design studio) – were awarded a Gold Medal for it at the 21st Ljubljana Biennial of Industrial Design.

The ride takes around a minute, and thanks to the glass walls and ceiling, you get a spectacular view of the city. You can also buy a combined ticket for the funicular and the castle.

3. Explore the Prešeren square

Prešeren Square is the main historical square of Ljubljana (we had a perfect view over it from our hotel window).

It is named after France Prešeren, a Slovenian poet who is considered to be one of the greatest poets of the country with his works having an immense influence over the later Slovenian literature! Even the anthem of Slovakia – Zdravljica – is actually his poem.

You can also spot a magnificent pink church there – it’s Frančiškanska clerked Marijinega oznanjenja, or the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation, dating to the 17th century. Make sure you pop inside to see its interiors.

During our visit we also saw there a rainy weather installation (London would definitely not need this one). It’s called ‘An area with its own weather’ and was created by Zmago Modic: basically, it’s a small fountain dripping water from the cables a few metres above the square level, creating a zone with water falling down non-stop.

4. Enter the Ljubljana Cathedral

The St. Nicholas’s Church, or Ljubljana Cathedral, is undoubtedly one of the most important religious buildings in the city. This building with a green dome and two belfries was completed in 1706 and stands on the site of an older gothic church.

However, impressive bronze doors — the Slovene door and the Ljubljana door—were added in 1996 to commemorate the 1250 years of Christianity in those lands. The interior of the cathedral remains baroque, and the oldest frescoes date back to the first half of the 18th century.

5. Count the dragons around the city

The symbol of Ljubljana is a dragon, and that’s why.

There’s a legend that Ljubljana was founded by Greek hero Jason, who stole the golden fleece from King Aetes and, on his way back home with Argonauts, happened to arrive here – and at the marshes of future Ljubljana he fought a monster, probably a dragon!

The beast is commemorated on the Dragon Bridge. The Dragon Bridge was built in 1900-1901 and was originally named the Jubilee Bridge of Emperor Franz Joseph I. It’s one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau architecture in Ljubljana and was the first reinforced concrete structure erected in this city! There’s also a legend that if a virgin crosses this bridge, the dragons start wagging their tails – but since the bridge construction it didn’t happen even for a single time.

6. Attach a padlock at Butchers’ Bridge

Another bridge worth seeing is the Butchers’ Bridge – as you can see, people attach padlocks to it to manifest their love. It was built in 2010 but refers to the old butcher’s booths that used to stand on the embankment. The sculptures by the sides of the bridge are created by Jakov Brdar.

7. Cross the Triple Bridge

Triple Bridge is made up of three bridges: the central dates to 1842 – and was redesigned by Jože Plečnik and two others were added by him in 1932 to create an impressive feature near the castle hill and the old town of Ljubljana. Now, it’s one of the most prominent landmarks of the city.

8. Buy fruits at the Central market

The collonaded stretch of Ljubljana Central Market located between the Triple Bridge and the Dragon Bridge is one of the main masterpieces of Jože Plečnik, built-in 1931–39 (this architect influenced the overall look of the city lot, I’ll tell you more about him later).

On the market in Vodnik Square nearby, you can find fresh local produce: veggies, fruits, berries and so on. Flower stands are located right behind the cathedral nearby. The square is named after Valentin Vodnik, an important Slovenian figure of the Enlightenment period.

9. Admire the Town Hall

Ljubljana Town Hall of Ljubljana is one of the most famous buildings of the city. It was erected in 1484, in Gothic style, but was rebuilt in 1718 after the designs of Gregor Macek.

You can also visit its arched courtyard to admire its decorations, the 17th century figure of Hercules with a lion (I’ll show you how it looks now later).

The gorgeous Fountain of the Three Carniolan Rivers nearby dates to 1751 – also known as the Robba fountain; the original one stays in the National Gallery (see below).

10. Take a riverboat cruise

A boat cruise along the Ljubljanica River and below its fantastic bridges is a must for everyone visiting Ljubljana especially if you’re in the city on a hot summer day!

There are many options of more or less sale boats with the same price list and same itinerary but setting off at different times.

Just choose whichever you like the most (and if you’d like to have food onboard or have a longer trip) and enjoy the Slovenian scenery!

11. Visit the Plečnik house

Don’t miss the house of a man who is said to have shaped Ljubljana as we know it today architecturally.

Plečnik House is basically a couple of buildings and a garden that belonged to the family of Jože Plečnik, a famous architect who influenced not only Ljubljana but also Prague and Vienna landscapes!

You can learn about his life, his legacy, and his projects, which were never realised. There are guided tours around the house and also an exhibition you can explore all by yourself.

Not far away from his house, you can spot the Cobbler’s bridge, built around 1931-1932 by him – it stands on the site of a wooden bridge that connected two squares: the Mestni trg and Novi trg squares. The whole area there is very pretty – make sure to have a nice stroll there!

12. Pay a visit to the National Gallery of Slovenia

The National Gallery of Slovenia is the most important art museum in the country – and it looks super modern!

It was established in 1918 in a former cultural centre – and in the last few decades, it was extended and fully renovated: now it has two buildings connected by a beautiful glass gallery with the original Fountain of the Three Carniolan Rivers, a shop and a cafe.

The permanent collection includes a great collection of mediaeval exhibits starting from the 1200s up to the 20th century, highlighting the most prominent of both Slovenian and European artists.

Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church and Tivoli Park are located nearby (and spot the monument of potato!)

13. Have fun at Tivoli Park

Tivoli park was laid out in the early 19th century and is a perfect place for a stroll, nature observing or a picnic!

There’s an idyllic fish pond with waterlilies, central promenade designed by Joze Plečnik, the 17th century Tivoli Mansion housing the International Centre Of Graphic Arts, and the zoo.

14. Walk around Congress Square

Congress square is another must visit place for every tourist – it was built in 1821 on the site of a monastery and redesigned by Jože Plečnik!

This is exactly where the independence from Austro-Hungarian Empire was proclaimed in 1918. You can find here Zvezda park, a nice green space with a few small monuments, the historical building of the University of Ljubljana, beautiful Baroque Ursuline Church of the Holy Trinity built in 1718 – 1726. The remains of the Roman well can also be found here.

15. Appreciate the Nebotičnik

A quick stop by Nebotičnik, or the Skyscraper, an iconic building on Štefanova ulica dating to the 1930s, is a must when you’re in Ljubljana. It was designed by Vladimir Šubic, taking after American skyscrapers, and is decorated with sculptures.

Can you imagine that by the time of its contraction, it was one of the 10 highest high-rise buildings in all of Europe (I’m not sure about the religious buildings and their belfries; do they count)? To our generation, it looks tiny because it’s only a bit over 70 metres high!

16. Pop into the St. James’s Parish Church

St. James’s Parish Church was built in 1613-1615 and partly rebuilt in 1701.

This church has been an important place of pilgrimage en route to Santiago de Compostela since the mediaeval times! Famous architect Francesco Robba (the fountain near Town Hall is also his masterpiece) created the statues and the altar for it in the 18th century as well.

The square where it’s located was renovated by Jože Plečnik as well. The Marian column was built in gratitude that the Ottomans didn’t enter Ljubljana. Walk around the area as well: it’s really picturesque!

17. Admire Art Nouveau at the Miklošič street

There are beautiful Art Deco decorations around Ljubljana.

But first of all, come to the Miklošič street to admire the Art Nouveau buildings there, many being designed by artist Maks Fabiani. If you arrive by train, that’s the street that lends you to the city centre. Admire the famous Grand Hotel Union too – see below!

A grand shopping centre famous for its Art Nouveau design with high-end brands called Galerija Emporium is worth your attention too.

18. Find the Hercules fountain

The Hercules fountain is located on Levstikov trg close to the Stari trg and is one of the most famous fountains in the city featuring the column topped with Heracles fighting a lion. The monument you see there is a copy of the original fountain that now is transferred to the Town hall courtyard.

The square is framed with nice old houses with lots of cafes and shops.

19. Follow the Roman trail of Ljubljana

In the past, on the site where the centre of Ljubljana is, there used to be a Roman settlement called Emona, and to this day, you can explore some of its structures!

There is a statue of Emona in Congress Square Park, the excavated Roman well, the North Gate, a large stretch of the Roman wall and a discovered house within the Emonan House Archaeological Park (there are some mosaics in Ljubljana museum as well) – just follow a trail to explore them all!

20. Try Slovenian food

Slovenian food is a real gastronomic pleasure, with lots of dairy, meat, and desserts.

The absolute musts are potica, a traditional Slovenian dessert dating to the 16th century: it’s a rolled yeast dough with different fillings; Gibanica cake, a layered pastry with poppyseeds and nuts; and štruklji, a kind of rolled dumpling with a filling (sweet or savoury).

As for the eating spots, I’d like to recommend a few options too. Landerik restaurant serves local cheeses and charcuterie selections as well as main dishes (we went for a cauliflower steak, truffle pasta, and chicken), which are included in the Michelin guide.

The Most restaurant uses only local ingredients from the Central market, and I’d gladly recommend all duck dishes there and Fuži pasta with truffles.

We also had lunch at Aperitivo at the AS Boutique hotel – they serve some nice food there, too.

Finally, the Fetiche patisserie serves the prettiest and yummy pastry and fruit-shaped desserts.

Where to Stay

We stayed in the Eurostars hotel that occupies the site of the historic Grand Hotel Union Hotel, an Art Nouveau masterpiece in the very centre of Ljubljana overlooking the Prešeren square.

We’ll probably be back in the same hotel when we come back to Ljubljana because nothing beats the vibe, stylish, spacious room and artistic details, not to mention the location!