Ljubljana is like Edinburgh without the ego

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Is there any feeling more humiliating, as a tourist, than when a local addresses you in your native language? How do Parisians and Berliners pick out an Englishman like that? And why are they so condescending when they do? 

Not so in Ljubljana where the noble locals took me for one of their own at every turn, always addressing me in Slovenian before pivoting, with apologies, to perfect English. 

“Slovenians have no ego,” says Simona Skubic, my tour guide around the fairytale-like streets of Ljubljana. “We’ve spent so long under the control of other people, we never learned to sneer.” 

It’s true, Slovenia is a new country. Checking into my hotel, the haute, luxuriously modern Vander – all glass and concrete with an infinity pool roof deck – I began to fear modernity might be all Ljubljana had to offer. 

The country only declared independence (from Yugoslavia) in 1991, but though it might be the capital of a millennial country, Ljubljana’s roots go much deeper, to the foundations of human civilisation itself. 

In the city’s museums you’ll find the world’s oldest wooden wheel,  5,600 years old, and the world’s oldest musical instrument: a flute carved from a bear’s femur 55,000 years ago, both excavated nearby. 

In 14AD, the Romans arrived from neighbouring Italy and founded Emona, a military encampment which would later become a bustling city. Not much of it is left, but you can see the walls of Emona hidden in one of Ljubljana’s many underground car parks. Later, a medieval castle was erected on the hill at the city’s heart, offering stunning vistas over Ljubljana and out to the misty mountains which lie just beyond. 

Ljubljana suffered no damage during either of the world wars, nor Slovenia’s war for independence, making the central old town a beautiful place to find original Secession (a genre of art nouveau) architecture which bigger, more tourist heavy cities like Vienna and Prague are known for. 

That’s all due to the influence of Jože Plečnik, a beloved architect who is to Ljubljana as Gaudi is to Barcelona. From houses to markets to cemeteries to bridges, even the widening and deepening of the Ljubljanica river itself, if you see an architectural marvel in Ljubljana you can be 99 percent sure Plečnik is responsible.

Plečnik made his name in Prague and Vienna before returning to his hometown to modernise and update. It’s only since his death in 1957 that Plečnik’s genius has been appreciated. When I ask Skubic if there’s been any reappraisal of the city’s favourite son in recent years, she’s appalled. “You mean like cancel culture? No, we don’t do that in Slovenia and certainly not to Plečnik.”

There’s a humming civic pride and patriotism which I encounter at every turn during my adventures in Slovenia. It’s not brash or boastful, but there’s no self-deprecation here either.

People are genuinely proud to live here, and it comes over in myriad small ways. I didn’t spot a single piece of litter in Ljubljana. Every shopkeeper talks up his neighbours to spread the wealth. From February to December, the city hosts constant festivals; arts festivals, wine festivals, restaurant festivals, Christmas festivals. People consistently told me that they grew up in Ljubljana assuming they’d leave, but found themselves unable to find anywhere like it. 

Quality chefs and bartenders have flocked to the city, you’ll see Michelin plaques on almost every restaurant wall. 4–5kg offered a top quality pizza, while Vander’s own restaurant had the best cheeseboard I’ve ever tasted. Pop’s, a chic burger joint, has even been visited by fictional superspy Jack Ryan in the latest Tom Clancy novel.

I spent the majority of my time in Ljubljana in the old town, a picturesque hodge-podge of riverside bars and cobbled streets, museums and galleries. Here you’ll find the marketplace which comes alive every Saturday with fresh fruit and vegetables, flower merchants, local delicacies including cheese and honey (“almost all Slovenians have gardens or even keep bees,” Skubic explains), as well as prodigious bottles of the nation’s immaculate wines – try the orange stuff, you’ll thank me later. 

Though Ljubljana comes with plenty of its own charms, there’s much to be seen beyond the city limits. “A trip to the beach? That’s an hour and a half away,” the guide from Todoinslovenia told us. “Want to go skiing? That’s an hour’s drive. Hiking in the mountains? Half an hour. You can even drive to Venice in four hours!” 

Indeed, within forty-five minutes of the city centre, I was exploring Vintgar Gorge, a truly spectacular natural wonder in the Triglav National Park on the edge of the alps. With the mist rising off the mountains, I felt like a character from Lord Of The Rings or Jurassic Park. Beyond that to Bled, a crystalline blue lake complete with a medieval castle peeking from the clouds above it, and a picturesque church on the island at the centre where, I was promised, ringing the bell would make any wish come true. 

By that point I knew just what to wish for: a chance to return again in future to Ljubljana, a place I’d never even considered visiting before but now would recommend before any other. 

Highlights of Ljubljana

Coolest corner

Though I spent the majority of my time in the old town, don’t miss the Metelkova, Ljubljana’s “alternative culture centre” where you’ll find its clubs, museum of modern art, and street art that would put Banksy to shame. 

Must-see sight

Ljubljana Castle is a treasure trove featuring everything from medieval history to a museum of puppetry, to a Michelin-starred restaurant. The funicular ride up the hill also offers stunning views of the city. 

Signature dish

There are three products which Slovenians are more proud of than any other: honey, wine, and pumpkins. The place to try all three is Manna, a restaurant just beyond the old town whose head chef scours the local market every morning to prepare his tasting menu. Three courses are a bargain at €35, and we paid another €15 for wine pairings. It was only at the end of the meal that the waiter told me how the restaurant is the spot of choice for foreign dignitaries; the late Queen, president George W Bush and many others have dined there. Oh, and while it’s an acquired taste, try some Slovenian bear jerky – a unique signature dish. 

Greatest export

Who else but Plečnik? If you’ve ever marvelled at the architecture of a central European city, you might well be looking at the work of Plečnik. From Prague Castle to the St Charles Borromeo Fountain in Vienna, Plečnik was a jack-of-all-types-of-architecture. 

Its British equivalent

With a central castle standing on the hill, a vast mountainous park within walking distance, numerous international festivals, locally produced booze stocked in every bar, a unwavering national pride, and an accent which is gently mocked by the rest of its country, Ljubljana is obviously the Slovenia mirror-image of Edinburgh, with lashings of Vienna and Prague. 

Fun fact

The symbol of Ljubljana is the dragon – you’ll find it on flags, cuddly tours, and the Union lager made in the city. The story goes that the Greek mythological character Jason and his argonauts pitched up in Ljubljana during their escape with the golden fleece. He slayed a dragon that was terrorising the city and mounted its head upon the walls. 

How to do it

Direct Easyjet flights from Gatwick to Ljubljana run five days a week with prices starting from £29.99. Stay at the Vander Urbani hotel, a luxurious modern hotel with riverfront views (double rooms from £130 per night). English-speaking small-group guided tours to the Slovenian countryside from Todoinslovenia (from £60 per person).