Top Recommendations
Time: 2-3 days
Budget: $45/day (includes accommodation, food and 1 activity)
Popular Attractions: Fortress, Tivoli Park, Main Square
Must try foods: Bled cake, Ricet, Rotica
Ljubljana is such a magical town, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I was walking around old town. It’s such a colorful city with so much to offer, there are dragons everywhere and the river running through it adds to the charm. The dragon is found all over the city since it’s the symbol of the city and represents courage and power.
Related Posts: Spend a magical weekend in Lake Bled or take a road trip and visit Budapest!
Top Things To Do
The week that I went (first week of June) there was a festival going on, and every night there was a performance. Check online before coming and see if anything exciting is happening in the city park (Kongresni Trg) in the summer months. As well every Friday they have open kitchen in the main square beside the church and restaurants from all over the city set up booths and they have a select menu and you can try their food. Everything looked and smelt delicious and they had foods from all over the world, so you are bound to find something you enjoy. Most of the meals are 5 euro.
Also on the weekends they have markets selling food as well as clothing. Most of them open early around 8am and close around 2pm.
You can walk up to the medieval fortress for free and it takes about 15 min and it’s a nice view, there’s a lot of trees in the way in some sections so you need to find the best view point. You can also take the funicular up the hill instead.
If you want to party the night away head to Metelkova, it’s the artsy neighborhood of Ljubljana and has some cool graffiti and art murals. Keep in mind during the day it was a little sketchy because there weren’t many people but apparently at night this place comes alive and it’s packed with people since the bars and clubs are open. If you want a good night go here for nightlife.
If you want to enjoy some green space, there are parks everywhere and benches where you can sit and enjoy the view along the canal. You can spend the day in Tivoli park, the grounds are huge, enjoy exploring the area and soak up some sun.
A free walking tour was a great way to learn about the interesting history of the city and they take you to all the popular spots like triple bridge, dragon bridge and Franciscan church.
Food Recommendations
In terms of food there are an abundance of healthy food options and lots of vegan/vegetarian food in grocery stores and restaurants. We were recommended Druga Violina by the lady at our hostel because they employ special needs people which is amazing. The food was cheap 5 euro for amazing portions, the food was decent.
I have had the best gelato in Ljubljana from Vigo, very cheap for half-half (2 scoops) for 1.80 euro plus chocolate sauce on top. The most unique and delicious flavors, try Vigo and Bali! There’s usually a line but it’s so worth it, I went 3 times within 24hrs. Opps! The second best gelato place in the city is Cacao, I never went there but it’s equally as popular, but the prices are higher.
Tips
A great hostel to stay at is Villa Veselova, the nicest and most informative staff. They have all the info you need to take a day trip to Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj. It’s in a great location, right beside Tivoli park. They offer free breakfast, which is a great way to meet people in the morning!
In high season the bus tickets to Lake Bled sell out quick so be sure to get there early and buy them at the bus station.
Other popular places to visit in Slovenia are Triglav National Park, Soca valley, Postojna caves and Predjama castle. Slovenia is such a small country all of these places are about and hour from Ljubljana.
Enjoy this post? Pin it for later!
Leave a Reply