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Ljubljana

Buga: 26.07.2023

Halli Hallo,

and another day in a country that has amazed me and definitely captivated me. Looking back, it's definitely a country that I will visit again at least once.

Slovenia and Ljubljana were not originally on our list, but we had to change our plans a bit due to weather conditions. There were heavy rains and winds expected on the coast. That's why we also shortened our stay in Zagreb by 1 day and initially skipped Trieste.

Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia

So early in the morning, we left the campsite in Zagreb and had a small breakfast on the way to Slovenia and our new campsite on the city border.

Campsite
Football golf course
Really beautiful place.

A truly beautiful campsite that invites you to stay and also happens to have a football golf course. Unfortunately, we didn't have the time or weather to try out this sport. But it's on the list for the next visit.

The campsite was right next to a bus stop, so we took the bus into the city.

Ljubljana Court Building
Horse Fountain
Poooony

We walked from the main train station to the car-free old town of Ljubljana. There I found a wonderful fountain with many legs. In general, there are still many fountains in the city, some from the past that used to ensure water supply.

Court Building

The court buildings here are truly eye-catching. From here, we continued to the meeting point for the next Free Walking Tour.

National Poet France Prešeren

The meeting point for the Free Walking Tour was the monument of France Prešeren. The national poet and the man who, unlike in many other cities, is honored as a military officer in Slovenia. A poet and thinker who philosophized about peace and unity became a representative of a nation. His poem 'The Toast' became the national anthem and the following lines were introduced to us by the guide at the beginning of the tour and remained in my memory:

Here's to the people,
who look towards the day,
when strife from the universe is banished,
where freedom seems like a friend,
and where the neighbor becomes the foe.

Not word for word, but the sense of peace, unity, and community. A community like the one that spontaneously gathered under the 3 bridges and paddled together.

3 Bridges of Ljubljana

Since we were early for the tour once again, we explored the city on our own for a while and then hiked up to Ljubljana Castle.

Franciscan Church in the city - Church of the Annunciation in the Middle
Ljubljana Coat of Arms

Exactly to this castle we wanted to go - preferably without dragons, but exactly there.

Town Hall
Robba Fountain

The fountain, which is inspired by the famous fountain in Rome and is supposed to represent the 3 rivers of Slovenia.

Lantern (but without gas)
Vodnik Statue

But the city also honors other poets, philosophers, thinkers, and scientists with monuments. I find them much more appealing than warlords, military, etc.

Ascent to the Castle
Further, further, further.

The castle is located several meters above the city, so the ascent took about 20 minutes.

Almost there.
Still almost there.
View of Ljubljana
Thick walls
With narrow paths.
City animal of Ljubljana - the dragon.
Courtyard of the Castle

Once we reached the top, we found a dragon, but luckily it was made of metal, not scales.

In the castle, there are many individual rooms and floors that are available for tourists to visit free of charge. The castle reminds both of us of Dragonstone Castle from the fantasy series Game of Thrones. It has been beautifully and impressively restored and the different elements of the castle have been skillfully reimagined and highlighted with steel and wood.

Gate to the Chapel
Chapel
Very well preserved.
Exhibitions in the castle rooms
Ljubljana Castle aka Dragonstone Castle
Raaaawr

A visit to this city is an absolute must and the castle completely blew us away.

View from above.
Let's take a selfie.
WOW

Not only the castle, but also the view from up there was simply WOW!

The way down.

But in order to be on time for the tour, we quickly made our way back down the hill.

So beautiful.
View level: Dreamy
Every path leads downwards.
Through winding alleys.
To the main street.

In the small streets, there are small cafes and restaurants everywhere that make your mouth water and make you want to have a nice evening with friends.

The Ljubljanica.
The Ljubljanica.

Back at the main square, we started the Free Walking Tour and learned more about some of the buildings and monuments we had seen and visited before, as well as some historical facts.

Trade House on the main square
Market Halls on the Marketplace (from behind)
Market Halls on the Marketplace (from behind)
Dragon Bridge
Dragon Bridge

An absolute novelty for that time and one of the first concrete arch bridges to be built.

City Library
City Library

The city library was designed so that the windows and their sills look like open books. In addition, the students studying in Ljubljana are greeted by a door handle in the form of a Pegasus, which is supposed to fly them to the sky and to knowledge. Unfortunately, it was already closed on Sundays and we couldn't visit from the inside.

Entrance door and Pegasus handle
Entrance door and Pegasus handle

The university in the capital is the largest in Slovenia and has various faculties.

University building
University building

I would have loved to study here. In general, Ljubljana is considered Little Vienna and reminds you of a very green little sister of Vienna.

Slovenian Philharmonic
Slovenian Philharmonic

After the tour, we went to a restaurant that serves classic Slovenian dishes and is also popular with the locals. Luckily, we managed to get a table for 2. We had a platter for 2 with traditional Slovenian sausages and other very meaty specialties. There was also a kind of flatbread that tasted fantastic and was prepared on the grill.

This city is absolutely recommended and the visit has left lasting memories - SO BEAUTIFUL.

Until we meet again!

Best regards, Britta

Amsa

Slovenia
Rahoton balaguro Slovenia
#slowenien#wow#grün