We ended our journey through Croatia and Slovenia in Ljubljana, the Slovenian capital, a small quaint river city with loads of atmosphere, outdoor cafes, restaurants and bars. A lovely place to stroll and just hang out with friends. For tourists there are not a lot of big sights, but rather it’s an opportunity to just wander, eat an ice cream, drink a beer or coffee and enjoy a hopefully beautiful day.
We strolled the city both on a Sunday afternoon and a Monday morning. Sunday was much quieter with seemingly more locals while Monday morning was teeming with tour groups.
Castle
We did the Rick Steves walking tour from his guidebook and went up to the castle that looms above town (4 Euro funicular only, 10 Euro funicular plus the castle). You can also walk up. Looks like a pleasant walk for those so inclined.
Nursing injuries, we took the funicular. The views from the top are somewhat obscured by large trees. If you want better views you’ll have to pay the entrance fee to the castle and climb the tower.
Cathedral
The Cathedral is worth a pop-in for its exquisite baroque ceiling and fascinating doors created for the visit of Pope John II in 1996.
Markets
The markets were rather sleepy on a Monday morning in late June, not much produce yet, with less than half the market space utilized. The hard-to-find fish market is located on the lower level of the arcade along the water between an art gallery and a restaurant. Although a small, the fish looks fresh with more variety than I’ve seen on the restaurant menus.
Ice Cream
Ice cream shops are everywhere. We tried the popular Cacao just in front of the arcade. Nice and creamy with great flavor, but I’m sure others are just as good. Strolling with ice cream is one of the top attractions of Ljubljana.
Weather
It rained on and off during our short stay with very clear air, amazing dark skies and fantastic clouds.
More Photos from around Ljubljana:
June 19-21, 2016
For links to all the posts in this series see the Croatia/Slovenia page.