Home Europe Layover guide to the adorable Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia

Layover guide to the adorable Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia

by Hanna
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Ljubljana really surprised me by it’s lovely atmosphere! I only had 24 hours to see this small city but I really loved it. Ljubljana is tiny compared to the other capitals of Europe but it has a lot of characteristic. It’s truly a charming city that welcomes you like an old friend! Here’s my layover guide to Ljubljana!

Old Town of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Ljubljanica river is the heart of Ljubljana

The absolutely best thing about Ljubljana is the river and all the lovely restaurants and bars that cover most of the riverside. The atmosphere with the glittering lights and slowly floating river boats really got me.  Ljubljana is a very affordable city so even the restaurants with the beautiful river view or in the Old Town don’t feel overpriced.

Old Town of Ljubljana, Slovenia

I ate at a restaurant by the river and I got a risotto and a glass red wine. I couldn’t have wished for a better dinner after a long day of driving. It was so soothing to listen to the classical music, watch people walking by, admire the lovely architecture and see the river boats slowly drifting by while eating my dinner. It was perfect.

The dinner costs approximately 10 euros in a nice restaurant. The drinks are really cheap to my mind, a glass of wine or a pint of beer was around 2 euros.

Risotto in the Old Town of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Castle visit is a must-do

The first thing I did in Ljubljana was that I went up to the castle which features great views over the city! There is a cable car up to the castle which I took. For me, it was enough to wander in the free parts of the castle. The entrance fee is 10 euros if you want to learn more about the castle’s history.

Castle of Ljubljana, Slovenia

The views from the castle are beautiful and the view reaches over the entire city up to the mountains lying in the horizon. There were glass windows everywhere and it felt like they had reformed the whole castle – maybe even a bit too much for my taste.

It may be better if you take a tour inside the castle so tell me if you have! What I’ve got used to is that when it’s a castle, it looks and feels like an old castle. But I must say that there were really nice cafes in the inner court as well as an outdoor cinema during the summer months.

Castle of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Old Town of Ljubljana

The Old Town of Ljubljana is very inviting and I do love the old buildings’ architecture. In the center of Ljubljana there is an open market called Odprta kuhna that occurs every (sunny) Friday between 10 am to 9 pm. It is a food market with both Slovenian and international dishes. Nice atmosphere, live music, smell of grilled food – recommended!

In Ljubljana the best thing is that it’s a walkable city where everything is close. The best parts of Ljubljana are the Old Town and the riverside where all the action happens. I thought Ljubljana was a charming city but small enough for a short visit of day or two!

Take a day trip from Ljubljana and visit the mesmerizing turquoise lake of Lake Bled!

Old Town of Ljubljana, Slovenia

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2 comments

Jeff August 6, 2019 - 10:16 pm

Been to Slovenia 4 times in 3 years the city Ljubljana is perfect as is most of the country

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Hanna August 8, 2019 - 5:23 pm

Oh I do agree! This was my first visit to Slovenia and Ljubljana but I need to go back one day! I also visited Lake Bled which was a mesmerizing place! Wrote also an article about it some months ago ☺️

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