Capital of Slovenia and one of the greenest cities in the world, Ljubljana was the European Commission’s Green Capital of Europe in 2016. They were granted that award based on their hard work to go green and by restricting the car traffic in the city center, but Ljubljana is much more than that. Explore this amazing green city in this Ljubljana Travel Guide.
Ljubljana is very easy to travel and I personally think that three days is more than enough to visit everything and have one relaxing day just for yourself.
Slovenian is the main language in Slovenia and it is very similar to Croatian and other Balkan languages, but because Ljubljana is such a university town you will have a really easy time communicating in English, German, Italian and even French.
Slovenia has adopted the Euro as its main currency in 2008. You can easily change your money anywhere in Ljubljana at a decent rate.
Cash or Cards it does not matter in Ljubljana, most of the stores accept cards as types of payment so you won’t have any issues if you do not have cash.
Climate in Ljubljana is very similar to the one in Zagreb since the cities are located just around 2.5 hours from each other. I would recommend that you visit Ljubljana either in the Spring while the green environment is at its finest or in the winter when there are a lot of Christmas festivals around.
The cost of food is not very high in Ljubljana or Slovenia as in whole.
Mid-Range restaurant meals vary from 5 to 10 Euros and fast food bars can be found for around 2 to 5 Euros which is a typical Balkan price.
As I mentioned before it is easy to travel around Ljubljana on foot, the city is not that big and most of the main attractions that you need to see are located in the Slovenska Cesta, a street that is carving up Ljubljana straight through the middle.
If you wish to use public transport it is also very easy and Google Maps works very well in Ljubljana and is very accurate. Also, the city is very well connected with trams and buses that drive all day long.
Modern style hotel that has a 4-star rating, the Urban hotel is overlooking an amazing green park, which in whole is all the essence of Ljubljana. The hotel is located in the city center just 500 meters from the Ljubljana Old tow. Check out the amazing Urban Hotel.
Location: Štefanova ulica 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Accommodation: Hotel
Price range: €72 +
This luxury hotel is hard to miss when looking for it. The luxuriously furnished rooms have a seating area, a work desk, and a transparent bathroom. The breakfast is also one of the best I have seen in a long time. Check out Hotel Cubo.
Location: Slovenska cesta 15, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Accommodation: Hotel
Price range: €100 +
The closest hotel to the center of them all, the Central Hotel is located next to Prešern Square and Ljubljana Triple Bridge. One of the main perks of this hotel is also that it has a rooftop bar that looks at the city and it is amazing at night when everything lights up. Check out Central Hotel.
Location: Miklošičeva cesta 9, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Accommodation: Hotel
Price range: €80 +
Stylish and modern hotel located in the city center. Art Hotel is one of the best hotels that you can find for this price and where it is located. The windows offer an amazing view of the most iconic places such as Ljubljana Castle and Ljubljana Congress square. Check out the Art Hotel.
Location: Soteska 8, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Accommodation: Hotel
Price range: €100 +
Mesarstvo Krusic is known in Ljubljana and Slovenia as a whole for its horse meat, yes you might be a little hesitant before you try, but trust me the meat is amazing and the burgers are even better. But it isn’t everything in just the meat, the bun and other ingredients are all hand made and delivered to Mesarstvo Krusic from organic farms.
Location: Bezenškova ulica 11, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija
Price range: €€€
There is a lot of pizza places in Ljubljana, as in most of the capital cities all over the world, but Verace Pizzeria is a clear winner of the best pizza in Ljubljana.
Location: Streliška ulica 22, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Price range: €
By far the winner of traditional Slovenian food, Gujzina is the place to visit. The menu contains selections of freshly baked bread, goulashes, sausages, and local wines. You will not be disappointed no matter what you order.
Location: Mestni trg 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Price range: €€
One of the longest-running restaurants in the city. Gostilna Čad is a paradise for all the Balkan kitchen lovers. Do not be surprised if you visit Gostilna Čad and it is crowded mostly because it is very popular among the locals and tourists.
Location: Cesta na Rožnik 18, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Price range: €€
Juicy burgers and craft beer from Slovenia? Can it get any better than that? Pop’s Place offers both at a premium, but the clear winner is BQQ ribs that are a star of the restaurant and mostly sell out in a heartbeat so be quick if you are a fan.
Location: Cankarjevo nabrežje 3, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Price range: €€
Locate on the top of a hill overlooking the capital city of Ljubljana, Castle of Ljubljana is one of the main attractions in Ljubljana and it is often full of people and very interesting to visit. Build-in 11-et century and reconstructed just recently castle offers all kinds of entertainment such as exhibitions, cafe bars, souvenirs shops, and much more. The entry fee to the castle is 13 Euros for adults, but there are a lot more options.
The main location for almost all locals that wish to buy fresh fruits and ingredients, it is also a place where a lot of restaurants buy them also. The market is very colorful and vibrant with people especially in the morning when there is a lot of people looking for their lunch ingredients.
The market is usually open Monday to Friday from 6.00 to 18.00 (in winter from 6.00 to 16.00), Saturday from 6.00 to 16.00, but keep in mind that the freshes ingredients are in the morning from around 6.00 to 9.00.
Built by one of the most famous architects in Europe Jože Plečnik, Plečnik’s Ljubljana buildings are staples of Ljubljana and must-see attractions when visiting this city. The most popular landmarks consist of Triple Bridge, the Cobbler’s Bridge, the building of the National and the University library, the Križanke summer theatre, the Žale cemetery and many more.
Also to note that Plečnik did not only do landmarks in Ljubljana, he also did them in Vienna and Prague. Knowing where all of the buildings are can be a bit hard, but you can easily take a tour and see everything in a couple of hours.
The center of the old town, Prešeren square is a meetup place in Ljubljana. Situated right next to Plečnik’s Triple Bridge, Prešeren Square got its name from France Prešeren, the famous musician from Slovenia.
The most important museum for Slovenia, National Museum of Slovenia houses one of the most important artifacts in the world, from the world’s oldest musical instrument (the 60,000-year-old Divje babe Flute) to the Roman tombstones, the whole National Museum is under UNESCO World Heritage sites protection. You can visit the museum from Friday to Wednesday from 10.00 to 18.00, and on Thursday from 10.00 to 20.00.
If you came to Ljubljana to look at all the green landscapes and marvel at the amazing parks, then you have to visit Tivoli Park, which is the green heart of this great city. Located on the edge of the city and gradually rises towards Rožnik, this park is a heaven for anybody that wishes to have a nice walk in one of the most beautiful parks in Europe.
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