Are you wondering if a visit to Ljubljana is worth it? Then let me convince you by sharing these beautiful places to visit in Ljubljana – the capital city of Slovenia.
Map of beautiful places to visit in Ljubljana
Although Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia, it is still very small and feels more like a village than a capital city. All the places on my list – apart from Lake Bled –Β are within walking distance from each other. This makes a trip to Ljubljana really easy to plan.Β
To make planning your visit to Ljubljana even easier, I have put all my favourite places in Ljubljana on the map. With this map you can check exactly how to get from one point to another:
List of places to visit in Ljubljana:
Preseren Square
Preseren Square is the most iconic place to visit in Ljubljana. It is the central square of Ljubljana and named after poet France Preseren. His statue can be found on the square as well.
What makes the square even more iconic is the beautiful pink Franciscan ChurchΒ of the Annunciation and the Triple Bridge. If you want to take a free tour around Ljubljana, the Franciscan church is the meeting point of the tour.
Street next to TaBar
I really wish we had a chance to visit TaBar – Slovenian’s version of tapas and wine. But unfortunately the restaurant was already full, so without a booking it’s very difficult to get in.
However, to ease the disappointment of not being able to taste the local tapas and wine, the street next to TaBar is so pretty! And on the other side of the street is Robba Fountain. Told you everything is within walking distance.
PS: The street is called Ribji Trg, but I thought TaBar would be easier to remember (A)
Dragon Bridge
My personal favourite is the Dragon Bridge in Ljubljana. The bridge has two dragons on each side, and it looks like it comes straight out of a fairy tale.Β
There are a few local legends going around about this mysterious Dragon Bridge. One is that the founder of Ljubljana, Jason and his Argonauts, killed a dragon. The other legend is that the dragons wag their tales when a virgin crosses the bridge. Do you think any of these legends are true?
Taking a good picture with the Dragon Bridge was a bit difficult because of the many people crossing the bridge and the lightning, but in the end we got it. Here are my top tips to take a good picture at the Dragon Bridge:
- Pose in the shade (see how I’m standing right behind that line of sunshine?)
- Photographer should be kneeled on the floor – holding the camera low (just above the floor) and pointing up
- Be patient to catch a moment where no one passes the bridge (or get there in the early morning)
Ljubljana Castle
There is more than one way that leads to Ljubljana Castle – you can either walk or take the funicular up the castle hill.Β
Jordi and I decided to walk. We took the Ulica na Grad route to climb the hill, which was about a 10-15 minute walk. It is free to walk around the castle, but you need a ticket for the funicular, viewing tower andΒ exhibition.
After walking around the castle, we took a different route to go back down the castle hill. We took the Studentovska Pot route, which was full of amazing views of Ljubljana’s Old Town and ends in Vodnik Square. It’s even better to take this route when the sun starts setting:
Robba Fountain
The Robba fountain is named after its Venetian-born sculptor Francesco Robba. Apparently it took him 8 years to finish the fountain, making him bankrupt in the process and leave Ljubljana for Zagreb as soon as the fountain was finished.
The fountain on Mestni Square is a replica of the original, which is now in the National Gallery of Slovenia. Another name for the Robba fountain is “The fountain of Three Carnolian Rivers”.
Gornji Street
Gornji Street (officially called “Gornji Square”, but it’s really a street…) is one of the quietest streets in Ljubljana’s Old Town. But it’s such a pretty street with its colourful buildings!
We came across this hidden gem on our way to the Ulica na Grad route to Ljubljana Castle.
Disclaimer:Β The “Grand Hotel Union” section contains affiliate links, meaning that I will earn commission when you buy from my link. This comes at no extra cost to you, and supports me with sharing my best travel tips with you.
Grand Hotel Union
If this post convinced you to visit beautiful Ljubljana and you’re now looking for a place to stay, I highly recommend Grand Hotel Union.
Not only is the hotel perfectly located right behind Preseren Square, it also has:
- The friendliest staff who are always happy to give recommendations about Ljubljana
- The most amazing breakfast buffet. We happened to stay at the Grand Hotel Union at Christmas, and unlimited champagne was included in the breakfast buffet at no extra cost.Β
- AΒ super relaxing spa with a zen swimming pool and sauna, which are free to use. Spa treatments can be booked against extra payment.Β
- Free parking –Β always a bonus when you’re visiting Ljubljana as part of a road trip.
PS: We visited the Grand Hotel Union pre-Covid, so the breakfast and spa might be (temporarily) different now.
Seasonal: Christmas Lights
Ljubljana is probably not the first destination that comes to mind when you think of Christmas destinations, but it has the most amazing Christmas lights!
When you walk across Preseren Square after a December sunset, that’s when the city really comes to life:
And how pretty are these streets with the Ljubljana castle in the background?! I love the lights on the castle hill as well:
If you spend Christmas Day in Ljubljana, I strongly advise to make a dinner reservation. We always kind of go with the flow when we travel and don’t book our meals in advance, but it was very tricky to find a restaurant with a free table on Christmas Day. In the end we found a local restaurant where we enjoyed some local cuisine:
Nearby: Lake Bled
A trip to Ljubljana wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the wonderful Lake Bled. It is only a 40 minute drive from Ljubljana, but finding a parking spot near Lake Bled can be tricky. We just drove around the streets south of the lake until we found an available parking spot.
While walking from the south of Lake Bled towards the west of the lake, we found a wooden pier with amazing views of Bled Island. This is an island in the middle of the lake with a church, the Provost’s house and even a cafe.Β
Between the south and west of Lake Bled is also where the Mala Osojnica trail starts. We didn’t do the full trail, but we did come across some amazing views:
Add to your bucket list:
Road trip through Central Europe
We visited Ljubljana as part of our 21 day road trip through Central Europe. Click here to see our full day by day itinerary for more inspiration π