33 things to do in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s fairytale capital

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Here are some of my favourite things to do in Ljubljana, Slovenia. I’ve been very excited to write this guide as Ljubljana is my favourite city in Europe. I recently spent 10 days there so I could do loads of research. To me, it’s just the perfect city: affordable, great restaurants, unusual architecture, compact and walkable size, stunningly beautiful. It ticks every box.

Exploring Ljubljana is like being inside a fairytale. The Ljubljanica river runs through the heart of the city, crisscrossed with beautiful bridges and overlooked by a pretty castle on a hill. The cobbled streets on the riverbanks are lined with willow trees and cosy restaurants and bars. Doesn’t it sound dreamy? It’s even better in real life. Ljubljana also has a lovely calm, laid-back vibe to it. And it’s very hot on being green, in both senses of the word. There are trees and flowers everywhere, it’s spotlessly clean and it has one of the largest car-free zones in the EU. I think of it as a Scandinavian-style city but without the painful price tag (sorry to my second-favourite city, Copenhagen!).

If this all sounds up your street, read on for more detail on some lovely things to do in Ljubljana that I personally recommend…

Things to do in Ljubljana, Slovenia

1. Learn how to pronounce ‘Ljubljana’

If you’ve not been before, this is probably the main thing you need to know before you go.

Ljubljana is pronounced Loo-blah-na. So now you know.

This is probably going to be the shortest point on this list (I have a LOT I want to tell you about) but it’s an important one. 

2. Do the free walking tour – one of the best things to do in Ljubljana on your first day there

I probably say this in every blog post, but there is no better way to begin your stay in a new city than with a free walking tour. You get a good overview of the place from a local and a bit of its history, as well as a chance to get your bearings.

Ljubljana’s free tour takes 2 hours and meets at 11am all year round (in summer, there are also tours at 3pm and 6pm). I’d recommend the 11am one so that you start your day with it and can then re-visit any sights you particularly liked over the rest of the day.

You don’t have to book the tour. Just turn up outside the pink church (Google Maps link) and look for the person with the yellow umbrella. It’s obviously free but, of course, you should give the guide a tip at the end. I normally do 10€.

The guides are excellent, passionate and funny. They’ll take you around all the main sights in Ljubljana and fill you in on both the city’s history and its modern life (particularly about how green it is). 

3. See the pink Franciscan Church

This is the meeting point for the free tour I just mentioned above, and it’s also the main attraction in Ljubljana’s beautiful old town. And it’s absolutely gorgeous.

The Franciscan church was built between 1646 and 1660. But its fancy Baroque facade was actually added later (between 1703 and 1706), and it’s this bit that it’s most known for. There aren’t many pink churches in the world, so it’s no wonder that everyone loves its salmon-pink colour and HAS to get a photo with it. The paint was actually red originally, though. Red is the colour of the Franciscan monastic order. But luckily for aesthetics, it’s faded to salmon-pink over the years. Red would have been a much less Instagrammable colour, so I hope they never re-paint it like that…

As with many churches, IMO, the Franciscan church is nicer to view from the outside. Its interior is pretty impressive though: gold and white and dark wood everywhere, with an ornate ceiling and a glass coffin with the mildly unnerving remains of a saint inside near the altar. If you’re in Ljubljana for more than a few days, then it’s worth popping in to see it. The church is open until 8pm, so it’s something you can tack onto the end of a day if you have time.

4. Learn about Jože Plečnik, the architect behind Ljubljana (and visit his house)

Ljubljana’s main man is the architect Jože Plečnik. He’s celebrated throughout the city and you’ll hear him mentioned on tours and in museums non-stop. He was an architect with a similar impact on Ljubljana that Gaudi had on Barcelona. 

Anyway, after visiting Ljubljana a few times in recent years, Plečnik has become my favourite architect. Apparently I’m the kind of person who has a favourite architect now?!

Plečnik was a total legend because he designed Ljubljana to be liveable as well as beautiful. He made sure his designs were practical for the people while also looking striking. His most stand-out works were the Triple Bridge (more on that later), the central market and the library, which has a really interesting facade (pictured below). But the thing that sums him up best is the embankments along the river. They’re elegant and tie in with the rest of the city, but they’re also a proper area for people to meet, have a picnic, or sit and read. Practical and beautiful. We love to see it.

Once you’ve spotted all Jože’s incredible designs around Ljubljana, you should go to the museum in his house to learn more about him. Interestingly, he built this incredible home for his mum and siblings to live with him and the ungrateful lot never did. He didn’t marry – in fact, he turned down an offer from one of his mates by saying he was ‘already married to his architecture’ – so he had the place to himself. He used the house as his ‘testing hotbed’ and it’s still full of his experimental designs and ideas. Dead interesting stuff. You can do a guided tour and see his house as it was when he lived there, or just walk around the small museum downstairs. I really liked it. Check the official website for times and prices.

5. Get into Slovenian modern and contemporary art at the Museum of Modern Art

I always enjoy going to an art museum wherever I travel, and I’m particularly keen on them in places like Slovenia and Croatia (the Zagreb ones are brilliant!) because you get to see work by artists that you may not have heard of if you don’t live in Central Europe. For example, Joni Zakonjšek, from Piran in Slovenia, is an artist I absolutely adore now and I’d never heard of her until I went to Ljubljana’s Museum of Modern Art. Her work is in my photo below, so you can see how gorgeous it is.

Anyway, the Museum of Modern Art is excellent. It’s not huge so you can do it in about an hour. It’s located right by Tivoli Park (more on that later) so you can combine a visit to both. There’s also a nice café under the museum; you can sit outside and have a drink and a cake after your visit as it’s a good spot for people-watching. 

It’s 5€ to get into the art museum but free on the first Sunday of every month. Check opening times on the official website before your visit.

6. Get to know ALL the bridges

Ljubljana is a city of bridges. Apparently, there are 17 bridges within the city (thanks, Google). I haven’t counted them but that sounds about right.

In front of the Franciscan church, there are not one, not two, but three bridges. Together, they’re known as the Triple Bridge (unsurprisingly) and it’s a really unusual and interesting piece of architecture. We have our mate Plečnik to thank for this, of course. The Tripe Bridge was originally one main bridge and he was asked to widen it to allow for more traffic without it collapsing. But instead, he added two pedestrian bridges on either side and a heap of pillars, which looks much better than just one wide bridge.

Another famous Ljubljana bridge is the Dragon Bridge. Legend has it that Jason and his Argonauts passed Ljubljana on their way to the Adriatic to find the Golden Fleece. Jason, momentarily distracted from his fleecy goal, decided to stop off at Ljubljana, probably based on TripAdvisor recommendations. While there, he ended up fighting a dragon. As you do. Said dragon is now the symbol of Ljubljana and has its own bridge, known as Dragon Bridge. This bridge has massive stone dragons at the end of it. An excellent bridge and a photo opportunity.

Other good bridges include Cobblers’ Bridge, Trnovo Bridge and Butchers’ Bridge. And again, Plečnik was involved in all of them.

If you visit Ljubljana in autumn, I’d recommend walking down to St James’ Bridge. It’s not a particularly attractive bridge but from about mid-October, the ivy on it is bright red and looks spectacular.

7. Do some dragon-spotting

As I mentioned above, the legend of Jason fighting a dragon in Ljubljana has led to the dragon being the symbol of the city. Other than the obvious Dragon Bridge, shown below, you can also spot other dragons around the city as you explore.

Look out for dragons on flags, drain covers, the coat of arms, benches and other street furniture.

And if you start feeling fond of our fire-breathing friends, you can also buy cuddly dragons, dragon fridge magnets, dragon pencil sharpeners and so on in all the souvenir shops…

8. Browse some lovely independent shops

Ljubljana is great for shopping. It has all the usual shops in the main shopping area (H&M, Zara, Mango etc) if you want them, but as they’re all stuff we can get at home I find it a bit pointless and prefer independent shops. Luckily, there are loads of these.

Some of the best are on Stari Trg. Walking around there, you’ll stumble across some absolute gems. A lot of them sell local Slovenian products, such as handmade jewellery and homewares. They all have a bit of a Scandi look to them. Right up my street.

These are some of my favourite shops in Ljubljana:

• Babushka Boutique – If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen my Ljubljana stories where I bought the most beautiful necklace from this shop recently. It’s gold and has a tiny dried flower and dandelion seed inside a moon-shaped pendant. Very delicate and unique. If you fancy buying it but you can’t get it in Ljubljana, you can find it online on the maker’s Etsy shop. Anyway, other than that necklace, Babushka has the best selection of jewellery and gifts, mostly from artisan local makers in Slovenia. I love it.
• GUD shop – This is full of quirky homewares, geometric jewellery, and beautiful botanical framed prints. Back in 2017, I bought one of their Ljubljana-themed tote bags; it has a print of the city on it in pastel pink and blue. It’s since travelled all over the world with me and still looks brand new!
• SMILE concept store – They have so many nice things, including a stationery selection of dreams.
• Extraordinary Ljubljana – I found this lovely shop when looking for a new pair of Veja trainers. It sells lots of ethical brands of clothes.

9. Eat at Pri Skofu for delicious homemade food in a cosy setting

Wow, I’m up to number 9 in this list of things to do in Ljubljana and I’m only just getting onto food. That must be a record in restraint for me. Anyway, Pri Skofu is my favourite restaurant in Ljubljana and I have no hesitation in telling you that you HAVE to go. I’ve eaten there several times over the years and always love it. It’s really cosy and usually full of locals. 

Pri Skofu is located down a side street on the edge of a residential area (Google Maps link). I think the fact it’s a bit tucked away helps to keep it a bit of a hidden gem. I really like the cute illustration of Ljubljana on the back wall too – especially the sausage dog.

The menu is fairly small – always a good sign – but has excellent veggie and pescetarian options. The fresh homemade pasta is as good as anything I’ve had in Italy. Yes, even in Florence and Venice etc. And if the chocolate mousse is on when you visit, I cannot emphasise how much you need to try it. Thank me later. 

10. Drink an orange wine or two

Seeing as I’ve finally got onto food, I should also get onto drinks.

When I first visited Ljubljana, I tried orange wine for the first time. I’d never even heard of it until then, and I LOVED it. That was back in 2017 and since then, orange wine has taken off a bit and you can find it in bars at home in the UK too.

But even if you’ve tried it before, you’ve not really had it until you’ve had it fresh in Slovenia. It’s delicious and I generally don’t even like wine. However, I wouldn’t really say it’s orange though (not like an Aperol Spritz anyway). It’s more of a mustardy shade. Semantics aside, you have to order a glass and give it a go.

Interestingly, a tour guide on the free walking tour said that Slovenia makes loads of brilliant wine but they hardly export any. Fair enough. I’d drink it all myself too.

And yes I did match my nails to it for the photo below. 

11. Visit the bustling Central Market and its ‘Open Kitchen’

One of the best things to do in Ljubljana is to visit the central market. It’s spread across two squares and is a proper hub of local life in the city. The market is mostly open-air, but it has a stretch of covered halls lined with attractive pillars. This was designed by – you guessed it – Plečnik. As we well know by now, he LOVED a pillar.

As well as loads of local fruit and veg, the central market also has cow milk on tap. You get this from an udderly unbelievable vending machine (SORRY). I don’t drink cow juice but if you do, you can bring your own bottle and fulfil all your milk-based dreams. I’ll be back once they do oat milk.

If you want to eat some of the best food in Ljubljana, visit the market on a Friday (between March and October). This is when it hosts the ‘Open Kitchen’. Restaurants from Ljubljana open pop-up stalls selling street-food versions of their dishes and it’s absolutely buzzing, especially in good weather. The food is brilliant and there are cuisines from all over the world, all cooked up by the local chefs. I actually find that for some of them, their street food is better than the sit-down meals in the proper restaurants. You can do a bit of a ‘tapas’ crawl round the stalls, tasting something from each one. There are some good wine and craft beer stalls to wash it all down with, too.

If you want to buy fruit, veg, fish and so on, perhaps if you’re staying in self-catering accommodation, visit the market on a Saturday morning. The covered bit shuts at 2pm, so get there earlier if you want to peruse the whole selection of foodie delights and fresh produce. 

12. Find the prettiest street in the old town

We all love a good photo opportunity, don’t we? Ljubljana has more than its fair share of picture-perfect spots.

One of my favourites is Križevniška Ulica (Google Maps link), which is lined with beautiful flowers in summer and lush greenery in autumn. You can see the church spire framed in the background and in the evening, the fairy lights strewn above the street are lit up. It’s a lovely place to stroll through. There are a few restaurants worth a look there, too.

12. See Ljubljana from the water with a river cruise

As long as it isn’t cold, I love seeing cities from a river cruise. Ljubljana is especially good for this because of ALL the bridges you go under.

I recommend doing a cruise with Barka Ljubljanica because out of all the river cruise boats, theirs is the only wooden one, which makes it much cuter. If you keep your ticket from the aforementioned free walking tour and show it to them, you get a free drink (or at least I did – I hope that wasn’t just a one-off promotion).

Anyway, the cruise is 12€ each and lasts for 50 minutes. Check their website for running times as these do change throughout the year. It starts out towards Špica where the Ljubljanica River splits into two, then loops back round to the old town so you can see the main sights from the river.

13. Try some traditional Slovenian food made vegan at Gujžina

Gujžina is providing an essential service that I wish you could get in more places: doing traditional food converted into vegan and vegetarian versions, so that those of us who want to try something local but don’t eat meat are catered for. I love it!

You can have things like bograč (pork stew) but made with seitan, dödölle (dumplings that are big in Hungary but Slovenia does its own version), and even steaks (with seitan). It’s all very good quality and homemade.

My favourite thing though, if I’m after something sweet, is their incredible version of prekmurska gibanica. This is a type of Slovenian layered pastry made with different fillings, usually something like quark or poppy seeds. Gujžina adapts it into this pretty jam jar dessert, which has all of the flavours but in a different format. Delicious. 

14. Get the funicular up to the castle and enjoy the view

You can’t miss the fairytale Ljubljana Grad (Castle), which watches over the city from its hilltop location. It’s beautiful from far away but you definitely need to go up and see it properly, not least because it offers such a gorgeous view over the city.

To reach the castle, you can enjoy a relaxing stroll sweaty climb up the hill. Or get the funicular, which is much more fun, as the name suggests, and walk back down later. Much better. The funicular goes from by the market (Google Maps link) and although it’s a very short journey (about a minute), it’s a fun little thing to do and it’s nice seeing the view emerge as you go up. I’d recommend going up just as the sun begins to go down.

The view across Ljubljana from the castle is spectacular at dusk. Seeing the golden rooftops stretching out before you, with rows of trees and the winding river set against the backdrop of the alps, is a breathtaking experience. That’s the Kamniške Alps in the distance.

Aside from the view, you can walk around the castle and its grounds. There are plenty of museums and exhibitions inside, which is especially good if you end up with a rainy or chilly day.

Check the official website for opening times and ticket prices as these do vary throughout the year. It’s normally 3.50€ one-way for the funicular only: i.e. you don’t want to go inside the castle and just want to enjoy the view from outside. If you want to go inside the castle as well, it’s 16€ (that includes the funicular there and back).

15. Have a delicious lunch at Gostilna Vida

Another of my favourite restaurants in Ljubljana is Gostilna Vida. It’s a beautiful little vegan-friendly place that has nice outdoor seating on the cobbled street but is also great for a colder/rainier day because it has a lovely garden room.

Their menu is excellent. If you don’t eat meat like me, you’re going to be very happy with the selection. I recommend the ‘Gado gado’ salad with crispy tempeh and sweet soy sauce. The buckwheat sandwiches are brilliant too, or the soba noodles if you want a bigger dish. I try to eat healthily (ish) for lunch, so it’s really nice to have a tasty but green option in the centre of Ljubljana. Having said that, they do a matcha tiramisu so one day I’m clearly going to have that and ruin my healthy ways.

It’s around 13€ for the salads and 8.50€ for the sandwiches; they’re good portions and very high quality. I 100% recommend it and would eat there all the time if I lived in Ljubljana. 

16. Visit the Slovenian Railway Museum

As I write this guide, I’m in the middle of spending 3.5 months travelling around Europe by train. So it was inevitable that I had to visit the railway museum while I was in Ljubljana recently.

The museum is housed in a former railway facility – not an actual station as I understand, but a railway workshop building from the 20th century. It’s only a small museum but it’s a good way to pass an hour if you’re interested in trains. It’s full of steam locomotives, a big part of Slovenian and Yugoslavian history. I must admit I prefer more modern trains, but it’s still interesting. There’s even a little model railway and the staff will come and switch it on as you walk around. 

You can go into a couple of the trains. There’s also a smaller building outside the main one, which has things like signals and levers as well as some old carriages that you can sit in. Don’t miss the small upstairs room with some nice railway art on the walls. You can also walk around outside and see a few more trains there.

It’s 8€ to get in and the ticket is like an old train ticket. A nice little touch. Check opening times on their official website.

17. Wander through Tivoli Park and spot some dogs with no tongues…

Tivoli is a massive park in Ljubljana with a mansion, walking trails and a large pond teaming with wildlife. The focal point is the Jakopič Promenade, a series of striking columns lining a wide boulevard leading to the mansion. Guess who designed it? Yep. Plečnik again. The columns are often used to display art and photography exhibitions, which means it’s always an interesting walk. 

The mansion is home to the small but interesting International Centre of Graphic Arts, which is good for a short mooch on a rainy day. But before you go in, you’ll come across four cast-iron dogs sitting at the bottom of the steps leading up to the building. You could easily walk past them without noticing anything off. But look a bit closer and you may spot something odd… 

The dogs have no tongues!

They were designed by the German-Austrian sculptor Anton Dominik Fernkorn. He also did the huge equestrian statue in Jelačić Square in Zagreb, so he was a pretty successful artist when it came to doing animals. It’s said that he was a total perfectionist and spent ages getting little tiny details spot on, so much so that he forgot one of the main things he was meant to do (I can sympathise with that!). And he didn’t notice he’d forgotten the dogs’ tongues until it was too late. There’s a local legend that he was so annoyed with himself that he killed himself. This isn’t true, but the poor lad ended up being very mentally ill and in an institution. So there’s an utterly miserable tale for you.

To this day, the dogs still don’t have tongues but they do a good job of guarding the park and being in photos for tourists. And I’m sure they’d give you a friendly lick if they could.

18. Enjoy the bar and café culture in the evenings

Ljubljana at night is so utterly gorgeous. Whenever I visit, I spend the first evening just wandering up and down the riverside streets, unable to pick where to go for a drink because I love just soaking it all in.

Even in autumn (my favourite time to visit), it’s usually warm enough to sit outside. All the bars/cafés have outdoor tables, lit by a warm glow and overlooked by the big willow trees that dip over the riverbank and into the waters of the Ljubljanica. It’s magical. 

19. Eat some traditional Slovenian štruklji

It’s not often that I enjoy a traditional dessert, to be honest. I’m much more of a cake person. But štruklji are delicious.

If you’ve been to Slovenia or any Balkan countries before, you might have already tried some štruklji, a kind of dumpling-type-thing, made with filo pastry and different fillings.

However, nothing compares to the ones available in the official štruklji-only café in Ljubljana’s central market. It’s called My Dumplings Of Slovenia (Moji štruklji Slovenije) and serves štruklji in every flavour imaginable, both sweet and savoury, and alongside a few other traditional dishes. It’s always my first port of call for an afternoon treat. The sweet ones are lovely with a cup of tea. Proper comfort food. 

Some traditional fillings are cottage cheese with raisins and sweet buttery breadcrumbs on top (my fave) and buckwheat and walnut. But they also do modern fillings like yoghurt and mango, dark chocolate and orange, or vanilla cream. Lush.

20. Get some stunning views of Ljubljana Castle from the Nebotičnik rooftop bar

Ljubljana only has a few high-rise buildings, one of which is Nebotičnik (Google Maps link), at 13 storeys high. There’s a rooftop bar/café there with a wrap-around observation deck and this will give you some of the best views of Ljubljana, with the castle as the centrepiece. The view of Ljubljana from the castle (as mentioned earlier) is great… but of course, the castle isn’t in the view! And the castle is one of the main landmarks. It’s the whole ‘view from up the Eiffel Tower’ conundrum. That’s why I love going to Nebotičnik whenever I visit.

Nebotičnik’s café is somewhere just for a drink, not food. It’s got quite a good cocktail menu and there’s Aperol Spritz, which is always vital IMO. In many cities, the cocktails in a rooftop bar automatically go up in price, but here they’re pretty standard (7/8€).

21. Visit the House of Illusions – one of the best things to do in Ljubljana on a rainy day

The House of Illusions is a fun little museum if you want an indoor activity at some point. It’s based on optical illusions. Some of them are displays or prints but others are interactive, like distorting mirrors and one of those rooms where it looks like you’re walking uphill. Plenty of amusing photo opportunities…

The whole thing takes about half an hour and is spread over three floors. It costs 12€ to get in; check the official website for opening times but it’s normally open until 9pm.

I thought the price was money well spent to briefly become a floating head on a plate.

22. Find the creepy faces on Locksmith Street

Ključavničarska ulica (Google Maps link) is a narrow passageway linking the street running along the river to the nice shopping street. Its name translates as ‘Locksmith Street’ and there’s a symbol of a key as you go into it. Unless you know it’s there, you’d easily miss it. I must have walked past it 10 times before it caught my eye. And I’m really glad I found it because it’s one of those quirky things about Ljubljana that I love.

The passageway has a gully running down the middle of it, but it’s not for drainage. It’s full of hundreds of weird little bronze faces. 700 to be precise. They’re all pulling different expressions. Some are crying, some are screaming, and others are laughing. And they’re all mildly disturbing.

Follow the faces and they’ll lead you to a water fountain and some other weird sculptures, including a caged skeleton. The whole thing is surreal. It’s the work of a Slovenian sculptor called Jakov Brdar. He also did the less creepy sculptures on Butchers’ Bridge. He was apparently inspired to create the faces in the gulley by the Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke’s work of prose, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge:

‘To think, for instance, that I have never been aware before how many faces there are. There are quantities of human beings, but there are many more faces, for each person has several. There are people who wear the same face for years; naturally it wears out, it gets dirty, it splits at the folds, it stretches, like gloves one has worn on a journey. These are thrifty, simple people; they do not change their face, they never even have it cleaned. It is good enough, they say, and who can prove to them the contrary? The question of course arises, since they have several faces, what do they do with the others?’

So now we know what they do with the others. They give them to a Slovenian sculptor.

23. Discover Ljubljana’s growing craft beer scene

Although Ljubljana is big on orange wine, you’ll also find an increasing amount of cool craft beer popping up. By craft beer, I mean the hoppy IPA type beloved by hipsters around the world. I’m really into sour craft beer and managed to try some really good ones on my recent visit.

Here are some of the best craft beer bars in Ljubljana: 

• Sax Pub (Google Maps link) – You can sit outside by the river here. They have my favourite non-crafty lager (Augustiner Helles from Munich).
• Pivnica Lajbah (Google Maps link) – The photo below is from the garden here; it’s a really nice bar with an extensive range of good local craft beer on tap. This was definitely the best on-tap selection I’ve seen in Slovenia.
• Tektonik kraft pivovarna (Google Maps link) – On my recent visit to Ljubljana, I stayed near here and went a few times. It’s very stylish inside.
• SAN Francisko (Google Maps link) – This is a new one I found on my recent visit. 16 beers on tap!

I should also mention, for if you’re doing a picnic or staying in self-catering accommodation, there’s a great craft beer shop in Ljubljana called Craft Room (Google Maps link). They have a fantastic selection.

24. Take in the mixture of Art Nouveau and Brutalist architecture 

Just walking around Ljubljana is a wee feast for the eyes. There are some seriously contrasting types of architecture.

If ‘ugly but cool’ architecture intrigues you, look at the Brutalist style of Republic Square (Google Maps link). It couldn’t be any more different from the pretty pink church and cobbled streets you see in most Ljubljana photos. But this grey, concrete collection of buildings around a large square is an important spot. It’s where former President Milan Kučan declared Slovenia’s independence on 26 June 1991.

In stark contrast to that, look at the ornate Art Nouveau style of Hauptmann’s House (Google Maps link). The roof is incredible. Oh and a short walk away, you can see one of my favourite buildings in Ljubljana. It’s the headquarters of the Cooporative Bank (Google Maps link). It’s so colourful and pretty. I’d love a dress in that pattern…

25. Walk around Metelkova, the alternative side of the city

Ljubljana’s Metelkova is reminiscent of Christiania in Copenhagen: an autonomous, alternative area.

It used to be a Yugoslav army barracks, then people squatted in it in the 90s and it gradually evolved into what it is today: a place for all forms of art, underground music and Bohemian life. People still live there, too. The buildings are all absolutely covered in street art and you can wander into some that are small art galleries. It’s such a contrast to the Baroque beauty of the old town, so definitely worth a visit. There’s more of an arty vibe over a touristy/druggy one, so I prefer it to Christiania, although of course it does have some of that lifestyle.

If you just want to walk around Metelkova in the daytime, it won’t take long. Half an hour would do. You can photograph the art but make sure you don’t get people’s faces in, for obvious reasons. 

26. Explore the coolest area of town

Once you’ve exhausted the cute shops and beautiful old buildings in the old town, head to the slightly grittier but no less interesting Trubarjeva Cesta. This is a street running parallel to the riverside one, just a row back, but it has a much less quaint feel to it. And it’s full of interesting shops, cool bars, and restaurants doing different cuisines. 

Some bits and bobs I like there include the vintage shop Textile House, the bar Bamboo for drinks and/or sushi (this becomes more of a night-out bar later so you can dress up a bit if you want!) and Raw Pasta for amazing homemade pasta.

27. Sit at the bar where the river splits – one of the best things to do in Ljubljana on a sunny day

Annoyingly, I don’t have a photo of this even though I’ve done it four times! If you’re wanting to sit in a sunny spot by the river and watch the world go by, the best place to do it is outside Spica Café. This is right on the corner where the Ljubljanica river splits in two and it’s a proper sun trap on a nice day. It’s usually full of locals and has a great atmosphere.

28. Find the cyanometer

From the usual café and museum recommendations to me telling you to go and find a cyanometer… A perfectly normal day on this blog. But I think the cyanometer is quite interesting and it’s fairly central in Ljubljana so dead easy to go and have a look or just spot it as you go past.

If you’re wondering what I’m on about and what a cyanometer is, I will attempt to explain.

Cyanometers are machines that measure the blueness of the sky, which determines the air quality. Ljubljana is a very eco-friendly, clean and green city, so it’s no wonder they wanted one. And of course, it’s not an ugly machine because this is Ljubljana, so they’ve made it all sleek and modern. It’s a sort of reflective block standing taller than a person in the middle of the pavement (Google Maps link).

How it works is that it captures images of the sky and compares them with a colour wheel. It then makes the machine itself change colour to match the sky. So depending on when you visit, it will look different. It sends the data it collects to the Environment Agency: all powered by solar panels of course.

I thought it was really interesting, almost like a piece of modern art, both in looks and in the statement it makes. It’s reflecting how clean our air is right back at us.

29. Enjoy a great lunch at Mala Terasa

If you’ve been trying hearty traditional Slovenian food during your visit, you may be crying out for something a bit lighter. Mala Terasa does brilliant healthy lunches, full of fresh greenery and with excellent vegan/veggie options. It’s located on the first floor of a building, with a terrace where you can sit and people-watch from above. When I first visited, they also had an amazing playlist on. featuring my favourite band, Belle and Sebastian. I knew this was a sign that I’d love it.

The daily menu is always something different and an absolute bargain (<10€). 

Mala Terasa is very close to the cyanometer, so have a look at that once you’ve finished your meal.

30. Go for homemade iced tea at Ferdinand

Ferdinand is one of my favourite spots in Ljubljana to have a sit and a drink in the late afternoon.

It’s a cool little bar on the corner opposite the Church of St Florian and it’s really popular with locals, maybe as it’s slightly away from the tourist zone.

They do a different homemade iced tea every day, which is always delicious. But if you want alcohol, don’t worry. Their cocktails are also excellent. And you’re there as it goes dark, you’ll notice that the street is lit up by a big outdoor chandelier!

31. Visit the National Museum of Slovenia

The National Museum of Slovenia is one of the best things to do in Ljubljana on a rainy morning. I’m not massively into history but even I found it engaging. It’s got some really good bronze Roman statues, colourful Egyptian mummies, a woolly mammoth, and lots of pottery and jewellery. There’s a 60,000-year-old Neanderthal flute, the world’s oldest musical instrument apparently. Quite a cool thing to say you’ve seen it. I wonder whether whoever found it gave it a go? Actually, I hope not. It’d probably unleash a prehistoric curse.

The museum building itself is impressive too. The staircase inside has two statues sliding down it, overlooked by an incredibly ornate ceiling. I wish I’d taken a photo but I had no battery left when I visited, so you’ll have to see for yourself.

Visit the official website to check opening times. It’s 8€ to get in.

32. Visit the beautiful cathedral

Ljubljana’s cathedral, Saint Nicholas’s Church, is right next to the food market so ideal for combining a visit. It’s one of the main landmarks of the city, with its green dome that can be seen for miles around. 

The exterior is not that exciting TBH, but it’s way more impressive inside. It’s free to go in. I often get very churched-out when I’m travelling, so I try to only go inside ones with a particularly beautiful interior. In this case, it’s all very ornate, covered in gold against a white backdrop. And the organ is very OTT.

As you leave, look out for the relief on the big bronze doors, which shows the history of Christianity in Slovenia. There’s a spot that’s all shiny from people rubbing it for good luck. Worth a go, although the last time I rubbed a statue for luck (in Split, Croatia) I got ill immediately afterwards…

33. Do some spectacular day trips from Ljubljana

Whenever I’m in Ljubljana, I struggle to prise myself away from it. But if you’re in Ljubljana longer than a few days, I do recommend a day trip. As perfect and wonderful as the city is, Slovenia as a whole is a brilliant country and it’s good to see more of it while you’re there.

Here are my suggestions for two day trips you can do by public transport.

• Lake Bled – Just wow. When I arrived in Lake Bled, I instantly become a professional photographer. It’s the most photogenic place I’ve ever been. And I was lucky enough to get it to myself. Some people say it’s overly popular and touristy but it was absolutely fine in October and I’m so glad I went. You can walk around the lake, stopping to admire the church on the island from different angles, before going for a traditional Bled cream cake. The train from Ljubljana to the town (get off at Lesce-Bled) takes around an hour, and you then have to get the bus to the lake. The bus stop is just over the road as you come out of the station and it takes about 20 minutes.
• Postojna Cave – This is the second biggest cave in the world. Make sure you take a jacket because it’s freezing inside! It takes about an hour and a half on the train. Once you’ve done the cave, you can also get a shuttle bus to the impressive Predjama Castle nearby. This castle is built into a cliff at the mouth of another cave. It’s quite eerie looking and is said to be the hideout of Slovenia’s version of Robin Hood (not the fox Disney version, sadly). So this day trip gives you two sights for the price of one.

Things to do in Ljubljana, Slovenia – useful information for your trip

Where to stay in Ljubljana, Slovenia

Here are a few accommodation options I’d look into. All prices are correct at the time of writing.

• Hotel Heritage – This hotel is so chic. I love the interior design: right up my street. It’s about 130€ a night, so not the cheapest but it is beautiful.
• Petkovsek Rooms and Apartments – For about 100€ a night, these pretty apartments are a really good mid-range option.
• Thomas Apartment 028 – This is where I stayed on my recent trip. It’s about 80€ per night and a bit out of the centre. Buses 6 and 14 are just outside, though, so you can be in within 10 minutes. 
• OH Apartments & Rooms – For about 60€ a night, these apartments are more on the budget end but they really don’t look it. And you’re right by Tivoli Park, which is handy.

How to get around Ljubljana, Slovenia

Ljubljana is a wonderfully walkable city. It’s very compact. If you’re staying in the centre, you won’t need to even get buses, although they are very cheap and reliable if you do stay a bit further out.

The city also has a well-connected train station, so is ideal for a multi-destination holiday – for example, it’s a good place to combine with a few days in Zagreb, Croatia.

When to go to Ljubljana, Slovenia

I’d definitely recommend autumn. I’ve been twice in October, which tends to be a nice temperature for walking around most days. It’s when the bridge with the red ivy all over it is at its best and the city is beautifully golden everywhere.

Spring would be a good bet as well. But like everywhere in Europe, Ljubljana gets busier in summer, so maybe avoid it then if you can.

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You might also like my other Central Europe posts:

• 30 things to do in Zagreb, Croatia
• 3 days in Split, Croatia: the perfect itinerary
• 20 things to do on Korcula, Croatia’s most beautiful island
• One day in Bratislava, Slovakia: the perfect itinerary.

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