Is Ljubljana (Slovenia) worth visiting?
Ljulbjana is one of the prettiest, most charming capitals in Europe. It is laid back (you could say sleepy), clean, and somehow feels like somewhere out of a fairy tale with its colourful squares, unusual bridges (including a Dragon bridge), weird statues, and a river which reminded me of a mini version of the Seine in Paris. With green parks and citizens riding around on bikes, it is unlike any place we have been – and definitely different than any other place we’ve travelled to in the Balkans. This post covers the highlights of a visit to the charming city of Ljubljana. It also begs the question: is Ljubjana worth visiting?
Related: Comparing and rating our favorite Balkan capitals
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We stayed for two full days, enjoying the cafes and restaurants along the river, taking the funicular up to the castle, and just exploring the markets and streets.
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I won’t tell you that you should spend a week here. It’s a small city. 2 days will do. I also won’t tell you that there are ‘wow’-value highlights in Ljubljana. There is no one ‘must see’ sight’. But put together all of it’s attributes and Ljubljana is a very pleasant place to visit. We really enjoyed the city.
So it Ljubljana worth visiting? We think so.
Practical information
– Getting there. We took the train from Zagreb which took approx 2 ½ hours. In Ljubljana the train and bus station are right next to each other, making bus/train connections easy. Flying in. Ljubljana Airport (officially Jože Pučnik Airport. Airport code: LJU) is located 24 km from Ljubljana.
– Hotels. Hotel Emonec has a great location right next to the bridges and is excellent value. City Hotel Ljubljana is also very nice, centrally located, and good value for the money.
– Had a great restaurant experience at Tabar: Tapas and Slovenian wines.
– Tours worth taking. This 2.5 hour Walking tour of Ljubljana (which includes the castle). If you haven’t been to Lake Bled, you can take this day trip there. Also worth seeing are Postojna Cave and Predjama castle which you can do with this tour.
– Car. If you’re thinking of renting a car (and there’s lots of places to see like Lake Bled, Postojna Cave and Predjama castle) then I recommend you use Booking.com.
Related: Our Guide to Slovenia
Related: Is Croatia (still) worth visiting?
Related: 12 Surprising Places to See (that you may never have heard of)
PS. Looking to book flights, hotels, tours, or rent a car? Have a look at our Travel Resources page.
Wow, such a beautiful city! Since I’ve discovered your page, I now have a list of places I’d like to visit one day. Split, Croatia is at the top of the list, and this city has also made the list. Thanks for an informative post filled with interesting and beautiful pictures!
You’re the sweetest Dee! You can’t go wrong with Ljubljana, fairy tale little place. And very easy to travel to.
Ljubjana is definitely on our list – the ever growing list. Our son and daughter-in-law spent part of their honeymoon in Ljubjana and they very much liked Ljubjana and Lake Bled. I love the photo of the angels hovering over the river.
Thanks Patti. We really wanted to make it to Lake Bled but just didn’t have time. But we’ll be back in the region soon and will make it there.
So beautiful!!! Great pictures as usual. I love the dragon statue and the chapel. I would love to see this place. I kind of get the vibe of Count Dracula. Love it! Aaaahhh…so many places.. 🙂
Ever see that series Once Upon A Time? Ljubljana has a mystical/magical feel that reminds me of that. Thanks for taking time to comment Kemkem.
We also really enjoyed our 3-day visit to Ljubljana as well, and definitely recommend it. I could even see spending a longer time there, especially if you wanted a relaxed break from more intense traveling. Sounds like saw much of the same things you did, and definitely enjoyed staying at our place near the River.
Thanks for the comment Paul, good to hear you also enjoyed it. We were on a tight schedule and will mostly likely come back – if anything just to visit Lake Bled.