With so much of Europe overrun with tourists, it’s a delight to visit someplace that isn’t. When I talk about Slovenia, almost no one knows where it is. Even fewer have heard of Ljubljana, its capital—and fewer still can pronounce it (loob-ly-ah-na). That’s really a shame.
This summer was my first time to visit the city since 2008, and it has shrugged off much of the communist grit and now balances its history with modernity. Though its river promenade stays lively, if you want the excitement of Berlin or Paris, you will not find it here. What you will find is an insistently pleasant place to spend time. Here’s why:
• A river runs through it: Ljubljana’s old town is bisected by the Ljubljanica River, its banks lined with restaurants, bars, gelaterias, shops, and public spaces. I ate many of my meals there with a view over the river. Very nice—and the weather in July was warm but never hot (I live in Texas, so my version of ‘hot’ may differ from yours).
• River = bridges: Ljubljana has two standouts—the famous triple bridge, probably the most iconic photo spot here, and also the dragon bridge, which features a statue of, surprise!, a dragon, long the city’s symbol and a cousin to the one up the road in Graz, Austria.
• Food: Well, I didn’t have a bad meal here, from Slovenian and Austrian cuisine to pizza done right, to one of the best burgers I’ve had outside of Texas. There are more restaurants I wanted to try than I had meals to eat in them. Happily, I came back with a long list of restaurant recs for my clients.
• What self-respecting European city doesn’t have a castle? Ljubljana’s sits overlooking the city, with 360º views. Up top, you’ll find a warren of towers and exhibits, but also restaurants, bars, and a performance space.
• Let’s talk museums- Now, the main national museum was a swing and a miss. Not great. The National Gallery is a bit better (the building is really cool). I stopped in at the Museum of Modern Art with low expectations, but holy cow, what a terrific surprise. Aside from some funky and interesting temporary exhibits, their permanent collection is low-key fantastic. Collected from Slovenian artists, it's diverse, interesting, aesthetically delightful. It also eclipses bigger name modern art collections (looking at you, Albertina Modern and Belvedere 21—big dull duds of museums). Always nice to find an experience that vastly exceeds expectations and truly surprises me—so this’ll be on my itinerary the next time I’m here.
Daytrips: I’m writing a separate article on this, but there are Alps, mountain lakes, castles, a castle built into the side of a mountain, caves, Adriatic coastal towns with Venetian architecture, and Austria, Italy, and Croatia all within two hours or less.
And hotels: My hotel this trip was a real find—classy, comfortable, and modern, with views. I collected lots of good options here for my travelers.
Sold yet? HMU and let’s discuss how we can add Slovenia to your next Europe trip.
