If you’re not a huge fan of big cities, you’ll be nicely surprised that Ljubljana is actually one of the smallest European capitals. It’s so small that you can even walk around it without needing to rely on public transport or a car which frankly is pretty much impossible in most capitals in Europe. So it’s the ideal destination for a weekend getaway because in 2 days you can literally see all cool spots and even have time to chill on the river and enjoy the sunshine, if you’re lucky with the weather. Read on to learn about the best things to do in Ljubljana!
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Where is Ljubljana
If you look at the map of Slovenia, you’ll find Ljubljana almost in the center of the country which makes the capital ideal for a starting point if you’re touring around Slovenia. As the country’s capital, Ljubljana is very well connected with most major European countries either by a short flight or train. Conveniently, from Ljubljana you can also get a bus or a train to a wide range of wonderful places to visit within Slovenia as well, such as the famous and absolutely gorgeous lake Bled.
Things to do in Ljubljana – Day 1
Get excited because your first day in Ljubljana will be active!
1. Hike up to the castle
The first thing you wanna do shortly after you arrive in Ljubljana is to hike up to the see the views from the castle. It sure was a great start of my tour as I was dying to see the views over the city. Ljubljana is surrounded by so many mountains and I knew the views would be stunning. Getting to the castle was actually pretty easy because every road eventually leads to it. And it’s not really a hike as there is a nice pathway going up but it’s still pretty steep in places so make sure you wear something comfy. The entry into the castle is free but I paid โฌ7,50 to go up to the tower and see the views.
Sadly unless you pay to go up to the tower, you won’t be able to see almost any views as the walls surrounding the castle are pretty tall. The actual castle I must admit isn’t very exciting, both from the outside and inside, but the view was pretty good with beautiful mountains at the backdrop. In the actual castle there are a few restaurants, shops, a small museum section and even a wedding ceremony when I was there. So chances are that as soon as you see the views, you’ll be on your way!
2. Explore the Old Town
As I was going down from the castle to the Old Town, I decided to head to the market first. Here you can find anything from fresh fruit and veg to food stalls and coffee takeaways, the perfect lunch spot. You would think that street food is cheap but a small, yummy salad costed me โฌ5. It gave me energy to walk around the city center for hours so I shouldn’t be complaining but that was expensive ๐ ! The Old Town really is beautiful. In fact the capital center is entirely a pedestrian area so the lack of traffic and the Ljubljanica river calmly passing through the city really make up for a wonderful relaxing stroll.
What really made my casual walk into a proper experience were the many street musicians I got to stop and listen to. It was just so incredible to see how much everyone was embracing and enjoying the street art. And it was literally everywhere, gathering tourists and locals alike.
A tour in Ljubljana wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the famous red Franciscan church in the main square and the Cathedral. Unlike many other cathedrals, the one in Ljubljana is actually prettier from the inside so definitely go in and don’t let its simple outside look disappoint you! It’s quite magnificent inside ๐
3. Admire the street artists
I had to split this one up into its own section because honestly, the street art defines Ljubljana so so much. Listening musicians perform on almost every corner of the Old Town literally transforms the entire experience. It’s the music, the spirit, the laughter, the positive vibe and the feel of people getting together to listen and admire! This is what Ljubljana is really all about! So just slow down, sing along, dance along and just have fun ๐ ! You’ll love it!
Things to do in Ljubljana – Day 2
Your second day will be full of excitement and many cool things to do in Ljubljana and around if you opt to do the things below.
4. Do a free walking tour
Start your day with a morning free walking tour. All you need to do is turn up at the red church at the specified time. This tour was definitely worth it even though I had already seen all sights, yup in just 1 day ๐ But it was very interesting to learn about the history of the capital and it was even pretty entertaining so definitely don’t give it a miss. Depending on when you arrive in Ljubljana, you might even be able to do the tour on Day 1 but check the timetable before you start planning.
5. Tivoli Park
After the tour I realised that as far as the center is concerned, I had seen everything … a few times ๐ ! So I rented a bike and took a ride to Tivoli Park, Ljubljana’s largest park. The park is huge so renting a bike is definitely a good idea even though funnily the actual rental wasn’t the easiest. If you’re not up for a cycle, you’d be happy to know that in Ljubljana there is a free taxi that can pick and drop you off anywhere in the center. It’s the first time I was hearing anything like it, free transport in Europe? That never happens ๐ but it’s totally legitimate so definitely ask in the tourist office for the free taxi number! The park is amazing and if you’re looking for the perfect picnic spot, look no further.
6. Find the hipster Metelkova City
A truly vibrant super cool part of Ljubljana which I cycled to after the park is Metelkova City. It’s a very cool place just off the center. This used to be an army site but was later taken over by a group of artists when the government wanted to destroy it. Now the place houses a hipster bar, a club and apparently a hostel as well, all covered in graffiti and artsy ornaments.
See what I mean by the pictures ๐ ! I went to Metelkova during the day because I wanted to see the details and take pictures but if you want to have a drink and actually experience the hipster character of this place, going during the evening will be a much better shout. I had never seen anything like Metelkova. It looked ran down, a bit scary but also pretty unique and imaginary. The combination of colors, materials, weird shapes and forms was just phenomenal. It certainly is the place to get some inspiration and open up your creativity because Metelkova sure sparks up both!
7. Try the city’s best ice cream
If you’re going to Ljubljana in the summer you would definitely want to know where the best ice cream is, am I right ๐ ! Arguably, the two best options are Cacao and Vigo. I was debating quite a bit between these two and I ended up going for Cacao. Being the massive ice cream addict that I am, you can rightly guess that I was pretty happy. But in a city like Ljubljana you can’t just have your ice cream whilst you’re walking around. The city predisposes even the most active ones to just sit down and relax by the river so do that and have a rest whilst you’re watching the water travel down the current.
8. Eat your body weight in falafel
If you fancy falafel as much as I do, you must have lunch at Abi Falafel. It’s a small place with a big big menu and a decent price (compared to my salad from the market ๐ ) and you can either have a sit down lunch or a takeaway. I was in Ljubljana for my first ever solo trip and I wanted to see how (un)comfortable it would be to grab a table by myself. Turned out that it wasn’t as bas I thought it’d be. Who would have thought ๐ ! But honestly, try the falafel! It’s delightful!
9. Escape to Skofja Loka
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Ljubljana but if I had even one extra day to spend there, I would not have had other things to do in Ljubljana and would have definitely gone a bit bored as I literally saw everything in 1.5 days ๐ Luckily the transport in Ljubljana is pretty good so there’re many easy options to venture out of the capital if you start getting just a bit bored. This is how I spontaneously decided to hop on a bus and go to Skofja Loka. It’s a very tiny village just under an hour away from the capital and it’s the perfect escape if you’re looking to see a bit of the Slovenian countryside whilst not going too far from Ljubljana.
Depending on how much time you have, Skofja Loka can be the absolute highlight of your trip. It certainly was for me! You can walk around, hike up to see the best views over the countryside, bathe in the river joined by very few other people or just sit on the slopes and enjoy the mountain views. Read this post on Skofja Loka to see exactly what I mean ๐
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