| Product: |
Ljubljana |
| Date: |
07/01/08 (220 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Compact, good street bars and cafes, attractive buildings, the river
Disadvantages: Might be a bit small scale, not too much for the smallest children.
Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia, which is the northernmost republic of what used to be Yugoslavia, sharing borders with Italy and Austria in the Alps, and Hungary to the east and Croatia to the South. Slovenia was one of the 10 countries which joined the European Union on 1 May 2004, and adopted the euro as its currency on 1 January 2007. Slovenia has taken over the rotating Presidency of the EU as of 1 January 2008, the first of the new Members States to have this role.
==== BRIEF POTTED HISTORY OF LJUBLJANA====
Mythology has it that Jason got lost on his way back on the Argo from hunting the Golden Fleece, and sailed up the Danube and its tributaries, ending up on the Ljubljanica river. Ending up in a swamp, the Argonauts had to disassemble the boat and carry it to the Adriatic. However, on this journey they encountered a dragon, which they killed. This dragon has been adopted as the symbol of the city.
The earliest settlement on the site was Roman, going by the name of Emona, however, the town was sacked by the Huns and disppeared off the map until the 12th century when it was known by its German name, Laibach (literally meaning tepid brook). As Laibach, it was part of the Hapsburg empire until Napoleon conquered it in 1809. Napoleon is remembered warmly since he allowed the Slovene language to be used for official purposes, and there is a memorial column to him near the university. Laibach reverted to Hapsburg rule after 1815, and played host to a congress in 1821 as part of the Concert of Europe, which discussed the settlement of post-Napoleonic Europe. The beautifully elegant and spacious Congress Square dates from then.
In 1895, there was a major earthquake which destroyed much of the city centre on the left bank of the Ljubljanica river. Much of the rebuilding was carried out under the oversight of Joze Plecnik, a locally born architect, who was also a major figure in architectural circles in Prague and Vienna in the first part of the last century, whose work inclued major renovations on Prague Castle. Then with the break up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, Slovenia became part of Yugoslavia, and Ljubljana became the capital of the newly independent republic of Slovenia in 1991.
==== MAIN THINGS TO SEE IN THE CENTRE =====
Although I've been to Ljubljana on three separate occasions, the visits were fleeting and I have only spent about a day here, so I can't claim to be an authority on the city. However, I have managed to explorer its compact centre pretty thoroughly, and so here are what I would recommend as some of the main attractions:
Triple Bridge (Tromostovje) - possibly the signature monument in Ljubljana, the white stone triple bridge started life as a single span bridge in the 1840s, before Plecnik added two spans in the 1930s, with staircases leading down to terraces at water level. The central span of the three is for road traffic, while the two either side are for pedestrians. At the end of the bridge on the castle hill side is the city's tourist information centre, while at the other is Preseren Square (see below).
Ljubljanica River and bridges - the river has been channelled through the city centre, with plenty of outdoor cafes and street artists giving the area a distinctly Bohemian feel, and creating much of the city's buzz. There are a series of bridges over the river quite close to each other. Downstream from the Triple Bridge is the Art Nouveau Dragon Bridge (Zmajski most), which appropriately has 4 dragons on pedestals, one at each corner. Upstream there is the Cobblers' Bridge (Cevljarski most), which is broad and balustraded, and has different sized pillars topped with stone balls, while two of the posts in the middle of the bridge are shorter, offset and often have with lanterns on the top. Guided boat-trips are available, and we were quoted a price of Euro10 per person. Some of those boats offered live jazz in the evening, as well as having a cash bar.
Preseren Square (Presernov trg) - France Preseren is the national poet of Slovenia, the words of one of his poems have been set to music as the country's national anthem. The square which bears his name is at he very heart of city life, being situated on the banks of the river, by the famous Triple Bridge. On it, stands the impressive 17th century Franciscan Church of the Assumption, with its baroque red facade. When we visited this summer, there was some street art, advertising very localised weather. It transpired this meant that water as showered from the overhead wires on unsuspecting visitors. A more permanent fixture is the 1:3000 scale model in brass of the city centre, which is a useful orientation aid for visitors. There is a similar one to this by lake Bled as well.
University library - this is one of the most striking of Plecnik's buildings, with orange and grey stone blocks making the façade.
Congress square ( Kongresni trg) - this part of the town was developed for the Congress of the Concert of Europe in 1821. Half of the centre of the square is given over to a park, where there were concerts during the time we were there. The other half is a car park, manned by the most efficient, courteous and friendly car parking attendants you could hope to meet. It only cost Euro1/hour, we said how many hours we thought we would be there and they assured us there was no problem to pay the difference if we came back later. The buildings around the square evoke the splendour of early 19th century central Europe, with the national Philharmonic building particularly fine.
Town Hall (Magistrat) - under the shadow of the hill, the town hall square sits half way along one of the main shopping street, with cobbles and exclusive designer shops. The facade of the town hall reflects Venetian influences in spite of several reconstructions. I particularly liked the clocks on the turrets, which reminded me a little of the Trumpton of my youth (showing my age here now). In the courtyard of the town hall is a particularly fine statue, the Fountain of the Three Carnolian Rivers dating from the mid-18th century by Francesco Robba.
Market - within spitting distance from the Triple Bridge, you will find noisy, bustling market in the mornings. Under the Plecnik colonnade by the river, there are tourist-type stalls the whole time as well. The locally crafted wooden objects were particularly interesting.
Cathedral (Church of St Nicholas) - Next to the market, and 200 metres from the town hall is Ljubljana cathedral, the current modern Baroque building dating from the early 18th century on the site of a much earlier church. Two new brass doors were installed for the occasion of the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1996. These doors have portraits of past popes, which the churchgoers have rubbed, so that they are now quite shiny in places.
Ljubljana castle is the prominent feature, perched on a hill high above the Ljubljanica river. There is plenty to see from the viewing tower, and this can be reached by a funicular railway.
==== FOOD AND DRINK =====
The open air bar on Preseren Square near the Triple Bridge is a great meeting place on summer evenings. When we were there, there were two guitarists playing great live music, adding to the vibrancy of the area.
The restaurant to which we were taken by our friends who live in Ljubljana was called Julia close to the town hall. We had an excellent 3 course dinner with drinks for Euro30 a head.
There are many bars and cafes, all very reasonably priced. Coffees and soft drinks should cost no more than Euro1.50. Local beers, such as Zlatorog (lager) and Crni Baron (dark beer) should not cost more than Euro2.50, even in the bar on Preseren Square. Our experience of Slovenia generally would lead me to say that you are likely to be able to find good, wholesome and reasonably priced food without too much difficulty, particularly when you consider that Ljubljana has a very large student population.
==== OVERALL ASSESSMENT ====
Ljubljana has a very compact city centre, with the river very much the heartbeat of it. Even though badly damaged by the earthquake in 1895, the period charm of the Hapsburg empire is complemented by the originality of Plecnik. There is a vibrancy to the city, but the atmosphere is very gentle and laid back. Ljubljana would make a very good destination for a weekend break, or as a base for exploring this beautiful country. We certainly intend to go back when we can.
==== GETTING THERE ====
Flights from London take just over 2 hours, with both Adria (the Slovenian national carrier), and EasyJet flying daily. Brnik airport is half an hour away by car.
There is a very good bus service in the city, and the Ljubljana card is worth considering, which offers not just cheaper, unlimited travel and free entry to museums and galleries, but comes with a guidebook and entitles you to discounts in hotels, restaurants and taxis.
Time zone: Central European Time, ie UK time +1 hour
Currency: The euro as of 1 January 2007
This also appears on ciao with photos
Summary: Interesting, lively small capital, with plenty of bars, nusic and good food
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