A plan for Ljubljana

Ljubljana stands at the entrance to a plain in an otherwise mountainous region, the confluence of several river valleys, so it's been a focus for settlement, trade and transport since prehistory. The first known city was the Roman Colonia Iulia Aemona; in medieval times it became Laibach and this name is still used by some German-speakers (as well as modern Slovenia's most notable cultural export, the band of that name). It fell under the gravity of Austria-Hungary and was a duchy or province of the Habsburg Empire until 1918. For much of the 20th century it was part of Yugoslavia until independence in 1991. This means that Ljubljana has simply been a regional capital, and has only been the national capital of a relatively small country for a few decades. The city landscape reflects this: it's compact and walkable, cosy and friendly, rather than grandiose. There are no vast ceremonial boulevards, bling palaces or imperial fists of fortification. It's not a place where you hop around ticking off must-see sights, like a bug with a selfie-stick for antennae. Relax, stroll and enjoy the atmosphere.

No-one really knows how its current name came about: it resembles ljubljena - "beloved" - in Slovenian, but that seems to be just a happy coincidence. It sits in the valley of the Ljubljanica river, with green hills hemming it in on either side. The river makes a right angle, with the castle and oldest parts of the city on the hill in the southeast quadrant. A 19th century street grid extends north of the river, then the modern town sprawls to the west and north. Three natural disasters shaped the city architecture. An earthquake of 1511 caused extensive re-building in Renaissance style, and in stone to curb the fires of the wooden city. Another earthquake in 1895 prompted rebuilding in Vienna Secession style. It was flooded by the river multiple times until the Gruber Canal was cut across the southeast quadrant in the 18th century, turning the castle hill into an island. Therefore the main flow bypasses the old centre, which was protected from the devastating 2010 floods of the Danube catchment region. The "Triple" and "Dragon" bridges stand intact as proud symbols of Ljubljana.

In 2021, seven works in Ljubljana by architect Jože Plečnik were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. These are the Trnovo Bridge, the green promenade along Vegova Street, the promenade along the embankments and bridges of the Ljubljanica River, the Roman walls in Mirje, the Church of St Michael, the Church of St. Francis of Assisi and the Garden of All Saints (Plečnik’s Žale).

1 Triple Bridge (Tromostovje) (At the heart of the old city). The central span is from 1842: it became a bottleneck so in the 1930s footbridges were added on each side, fanning out slightly. On the north bank these lead into Prešeren Square, adorned by the statue of the national poet France Prešeren (1800-1849). It's the obvious rendezvous point in town; the area is pedestrianised. The TIC is south end of the bridge. (updated Apr 2023)

2 Old Town (squeezed between the castle hill and Ljubljanica river). The old town has two squares, Mestni trg (City square) with the Robba fountain and the city hall behind it, and, further on, Gornji trg (Upper square). Well preserved medieval buildings now house local designer shops, and several popular cafes and restaurants. Although they may look creepy, the perfectly safe narrow lanes lead to charming little squares and buildings.

3 Dragon Bridge (Zmajski Most). Completed in 1901, designed by Croatian Jurij Zainovich. It is guarded by four detailed dragon statues from the city's coat-of-arms. Look out for the dragon motif throughout the city. Be careful around the Dragon Bridge area, as it is on a major busy road just outside the pedestrian zone and near misses (and worse) between inattentive tourists and traffic are common. The dragon bridge is located at the end of the Ljubljana Open Market, just a block or two down the river (north-east direction) from the Triple bridge.

Hot Air Balloon Flights (Balonarski center Barje), ☏ +386 1 512 9220, info@bcb.si. These launch at sunrise for one-hour flights, weather permitting. The launch spot is chosen on the day so the wind carries you over the historic centre. The whole programme is about 4 hours so reckon on a very early start. From €180 pp. (updated Jun 2021)

Football: 1 Olimpija Ljubljana, Stožice Stadium. They play soccer in PrvaLiga, the top tier. Their home ground (capacity 16,000) is off the ring road 2 km north of city centre. (updated Apr 2023)

NK Bravo also play in PrvaLiga, at Park Šiška (capacity 2300) 1 km northwest of the railway station.

Water parks

2 Water City of Atlantis (Located within the BTC City Shopping District, take bus 27 (27K on Sundays)). A water park offering 14 pools, thermal baths, slides and saunas. Special section is dedicated for children. €6–14. (updated Sep 2023)

3 Laguna Fun & Spa (located within the Ljubljana Resort, take bus 27 (27K on Sundays)). Only Jun–Sep. Offers open-air pools during the day and themed parties at night. €6–12.

Opera & Theatre

4 Cankarjev Dom, vstopnice@cd-cc.si. Enormous arts and convention centre with concerts and performances.

5 Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra (Slovenska Filharmonija). Orchestra dating back to 1701.

6 Slovene National Theatre (Narodno Gledalisce), Erjavceva 1.

7 Puppet Theatre (Lutkovno Gledalisce), Krekov Trg 2.

8 Ljubljana Opera House. (updated May 2021)

9 Križanke Outdoor Theatre (Poletno gledališče Križanke). used for summer festivals. (updated May 2021)

10 Ljubljana City Theatre (Mestno gledališče ljubljansko). (updated May 2021)

11 Ljubljana Summer Festival. Opera, ballet and theatre festival held in July and August. (updated May 2021)

Cinema

12 Kinoteka, Miklošičeva 28. Open daily, but closed on Sundays and in July and August. Ljubljana's charming film museum where they have at least two movies a day. The movies range from classics to cult movies, from trash and horror to artistic masterpieces. All movies are presented in the original audio language, and equipped with Slovenian subtitles, sometimes also English. On Saturday mornings they have special projections for children. There are also some special events, round tables, premiers etc. all the time. It's a must visit for every film lover. It has also a nice little cafe with small prices €3. (updated Sep 2023)

Budget

1 Odprta Kuhna. Apr–Oct, Fri 10:00–21:00. Odprta Kuhna means "open kitchen". It's a collection of food stalls on Pogačarjev trg, just south of Triple Bridge. (updated Jul 2021)

2 Hot Horse, BTC City, Šmartinska 152; Tivoli Park, Celovška 25, info@hot-horse.si. Mon–Sat 10:00–22:00, closed Sun & holidays. Horse-burger chain with four city outlets. Huge burgers and other dishes; you order and pay first at the machine. €4-12. (updated Sep 2021)

3 Nobel Burek, Miklošičeva 30. 24/7. Open non-stop, so it's popular late at night. Different kinds of burek (a leafy dough pie filled with mince meat or cheese). (updated Jun 2021)

4 Klobasarna, Ciril Metodov trg 15 (next to Sokol and Mediterano), ☏ +386 51 605 017. Daily 11:00-16:00. Hole-in-the-wall fast food restaurant serving seasonal Slovenian soups with traditional sausages and bread. You order and pay first at the machine. (updated Jun 2021)

5 Govinda's, Žibertova 23, Ljubljana - Šiška, ☏ +386 590 58381. Mon-Fri 11:00-17:00. Self-service buffet with vegetarian and vegan Indian food, great value. (updated Jun 2021)

6 Cafe Capri (Kavarna Kapri), Ljubljana, Petkovskovo nabrezje, 33, mail@cafecapri.si. 08:00-14:00. A cozy cafe in the very center of Ljubljana, just a few steps away from the famous Dragon Bridge, offers healthy, delicious and inexpensive breakfasts and brunches. All dishes here are made from scratch and prepared fresh. Full bar always available with variety of any drinks: fragrant coffee, tea, fresh squeezed juices and homemade lemonades, Italian and Slovenian wines, beer, spirits and cocktails. €5-10. (updated Sep 2022)

7 Restavracija Mandala, Podhod Ajdovščina. close to bus stop Ajdovščina (Accessed down a flight of stairs.). 11:00-18:00 closed Sat & Sun. Vegan self-service restaurant. Food sold by weight. (updated Oct 2023)

8 Falafel, Trubarjeva cesta 40. The name is a clue. They also offer mezze dishes. (updated Sep 2023)

9 Roza Slon (Pink Elephant), Trg Osvobodilne fronte 14. (across the road from bus station.). closed Sure. Restaurant/takeaway offering tasty & healthy Thai meals with a choice of beers & soft drinks. they are also at a few other locations in the city. Some vegan options. €7.90. (updated Oct 2023)

Most of Ljubljana’s bars tend to cluster on the streets running parallel to the river, radiating from Prešernov trg, which is the main square in Ljubljana. The more interesting bars tend to be on the backstreets, rather than directly facing the river. Part of the joy of this city is stumbling across these places, but these are few to start you off.

Cheaper bars can already be found just outside the old town and near university buildings.

Free tap water locations

The application Tap Water Ljubljana is intended for all who wish to quench their thirst and refresh themselves during the spring and summer months with freely available water from fountains found in 17 locations throughout Ljubljana, mostly they are in city centre. Application is available on App Store.

Cafes

1 Cafe Antico, Stari Trg 17. Great ambiance - bare wooden floors, high tables and stools, and vaulted ceiling.

2 Čajna Hiša (The Tea House), Stari trg 3. Closed Sun. This is a quirky little coffee and tea room, offering many variations on those warm beverages as well as basic breakfasts and lunches. The background music is impeccably cool, and the atmosphere is ideal for some elegant loafing. Linked to the café is a teashop selling drinking paraphernalia and loads of different fruity flavoured teas by the 100g.

3 Le Petit Cafe, Trg Francoske Revolucije 4. Very popular corner cafe.

4 Sax Hostel & Sax pub, Eipprova 7. Really cool colourful spray-painted cafe/bar along the canal. The place also serves as a hostel.

5 Zvezda, Wolfova 14. Cafe with great ices and pastries.

Bars

6 Cutty Sark, Knafljev Prehod 1 (Opposite Cantina Mexicana). Lively pub with raucous atmosphere. Usually has live music.

7 Lepa Žoga, Celovška 43 (Near Tivoli Park). Main sports cafe/bar with sports regalia along the wall and a good, mixed crowd on most nights. Shows international rugby, all sorts of football games (European, English, Italian and other leagues) and other live sports. Has the best TV coverage in the city, ranging from Sky Sports to local TV stations.

On foot

The centre of Ljubljana is small enough to cover by foot. You can pick up a free city map at a tourist information centre or in the train station. Navigating or finding a street is easy as streets are clearly marked.

By bicycle

There is also a system called BicikeLJ (iOS, Android apps) where you can rent bikes (first hour free, second hour €1, third hour €2, each additional hour €4). It is designed for short-term hire. It has 300 bikes on 30 stations around the inner city part and you can subscribe with a credit card online. You can take another bicycle after one hour has elapsed, without any cost.

By bus

The city's transportation authority LPP operates 22 bus lines, which are clean and run frequently (every 10–15 minutes, 15–40 minutes during the weekend and summer). Most bus routes operate 05:00-22:30 (Sundays from 06:00). Night routes are: N1 (22:30-05:00), 2, 5 and 6 (03:15–00:00), N3 (21:00–05:00) and N11 (03:15–05:00), but they do not run between (01:00-3:00). Saturdays and Sundays no service on routes 22, 24, 28 and 29. Sundays no service on routes 7L, 8, 18, 20, 21, 27.

To ride the buses, you can either purchase an Urbana card (similar to the Oyster Card in London), download the Urbana phone app (iOS, Android), or use a contactless Visa/Mastercard when boarding.

The physical card can be bought at self-service stations ("Urbanomat") found at the larger bus stops across the city, LPP sales sites, tourist information centres and newspaper stands for €2 and need to be loaded with an amount ranging from €1 to €50.

Upon entering the bus by the front door, you need to position the card next to the reader to pay for the route and validate the ticket. The Urbana app has the advantage that it can be loaded using a Credit or Debit card and includes real time information.

The cost per journey is €1.50 and includes free transfers for Urbana card or app users within 90 minutes from the first card validation.

By taxi

The (supposedly) cheapest taxi companies are:

Taxi Laguna, toll-free: 080 11 17 (in country only).

Ljubljana is one of the safer capitals you'll visit in Europe. Remarkably safe during the day, you should have no problems wandering at night, provided you are not desperately looking for trouble.

With that said, be wise to not wander into the rougher parts of Ljubljana at night, though they are located far from the city centre and not commonly frequented by tourists. Areas to avoid include Fužine, Rakova Jelša, Štepanjsko naselje, southern Vič (near and south of the motorway), western parts of Šiška, and Moste. The streets immediately south of the train station have become seedier since 2020 but still remain relatively safe in comparison to other European cities.

Tivoli Park is generally safe and a very popular destination for picnics or taking an afternoon stroll for an average Ljubljanian, but just as anywhere in the world it is recommended that you don't put your guard down and avoid larger groups of teenagers hanging around in the park late at night, as thefts and sexual assaults have been reported.

After a long time there were reports in 2023 of new attacks on LGBT+ people in the center of Ljubljana on the Pride day.