Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia , has the most charming city center. It is a completely car-free, pedestrian-friendly city center.
A visit to this unique city should mean ticking off and taking selfies of the must-see tourist spots but to wander and meander, absorbing the coziness and elegance of its streets and alleys bounded by graceful stately buildings.
Soon as I stepped onto Preseren Square, I was mesmerized. It does not impose on you, rather it lets you gently soak and seep into its simplistic yet graceful and refined surroundings and atmosphere.
There was a huge pine tree fully decked with Christmas lights and along the Ljubljanica river, trees draped with snow and lights exuded a magical atmosphere.
Preseren Square is adorned with a statue of Slovenia’s national poet France Preseren. This statute caused a minor scandal when it was unveiled in 1905 because there was a half-naked muse above him.
Worshippers coming out from the nearby Franciscan Church of the Annunciation could see the muse and were offended. After much debate, a huge tree was planted at the front left side of the church thereby blocking sight of the statute.
However, a tragic unrequited love torments Preseren to this day. A bust of the woman he loved but could never have because he was of a lower class and she didn’t like his poetry faces him from a building across the square .
The Triple Bridge on Preseren Square spans across the Ljubljanica river. This bridge was initially a single bridge and Joze Plecnik added two angled bridges in 1932 to cater for increased traffic. Plecnik was ahead of his time as the three bridges were built to cater separately for cars, pedestrians and bicycles.
His vision for bicycles as a mode of transport has paid off handsomely as Slovenia has one of the greatest cyclists of modern times, Tadej Pogacar.
There are another three bridges spanning the river and there are boat tours to all six bridges. The next one is the Cobblers’ Bridge which is obvious which trade used to ply there. Next is Butcher’s Bridge, which was initially part of the Central Market but has been rebuilt and serves as a place of undying love adorned with love locks despite the gruesome name .
Further down is the Dragon bridge with four dragons. There is a legend of the dragon being a fearsome creature guarding the region’s water and was slayed by a mythical hero. The truth is somber and mundane; it is a salamander found in the local caves historically believed to be a baby dragon.
“Poop Alley” on Kljucavnicarska ulica or “Locksmith Street” is a dim alley with seven hundred bronze expressive faces along it. If you look at them long enough and use some imagination, they do resemble yucky turds.
From Congress Square, the view of the Ljubljana Castle on top of a hill at night when lighted up is wonderous. With the dark background and with changing lights of the castle, we stood rooted on the square enthralled by the majestic castle and light display.
The square itself has a number of charming buildings and is especially wonderful when lit up at night. Besides the square is Zvezda Park, a serene park with many tall trees and monuments sprinkled around.
It was magical when we were there. Snow had fallen and huge lanterns and lights hung on the trees, the colorful display rivalling the lights of the castle.
Ljubljana Castle overlooks the city and beyond. It is accessible by foot up the hill or by funicular. We chose to trudge up a winter wonderland of snow-covered path and woods .
There is a museum dedicated to the castle and other cultural and art museums inside and the view from the castle of the city and beyond and the museums were well worth the hike up .
Coming back from a visit to the Botanical gardens, we walked along the Gradascica river banks and were captivated by the serenity of the neighborhood and snow-covered landscape.
Lake Bled is a huge scenic lake two hours away by bus. The only island in Slovenia is on this lake and is reachable by boat. It is a small island with a once pilgrimage church now turn into a museum and café.
The walk around the lake takes you to a castle and wooded areas on paths at the edge of the lake. It would have been a nicer walk if not for the unfortunate heavy mist and snow that day.
Before leaving, we had the traditional Bled cream cake, a must for visitors. A sweet and delicious meal compensating for the unfortunate weather and to end our visit to absorbing Ljubljana.
Koo Wee Hon (kooweehon@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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