Ljubljana, Slovenia
Slovenian capital city has much to offer to the visitors as well as the residents. Some of the most popular Ljubljana tourist spots are described on this page.
Photo: Ljubljana, Slovenia - WTC - World Trade Center at night

Panoramic view of the city from Ljubljana Castle tower
History of Ljubljana - Early Beginnings
With less than 300,000 inhabitants, Ljubljana is one of the smaller European capital cities
Photo: Ljubljana skyline with Ljubljana CastleThe legend says that Ljubljana was established by Jason and the band of heroes, the Argonauts - from Greek mithology.
After seizing the Golden Fleece in Colchis, the Argonauts were running away from king Aeetes who was chasing them. They managed to sail from Black Sea and up the rivers, all the way to Ljubljanica river (the location of today's Ljubljana).
That's where they took their ship, Argo, apart and carried its pieces to the shore of Adriatic Sea, rebuilt the ship and returned to Greece.
Nevertheless, the area of today's Slovenian capital has been populated since prehistoric times according to innumerable objects found which are up to 6,500 years old.
"Working on a site in the Ljubljana marshes, Slovenian archaeologists last year [in 2002]uncovered a wooden wheel some 20 kilometres southeast of Ljubljana. Austrian experts have established that the wheel is between 5,100 and 5,350 years old, which makes it the oldest wooden wheel in the world ever found." (March 2003: http://www.ukom.gov.si/eng/slovenia/background-information/oldest-wheel/index.text.html )
In Bronze Age, the earliest known settlements were wooden houses erected on stakes from the bottom of a lake or swamp. Their main transportation were wooden canoes; they were hunting, fishing, knew pastoral farming and some primitive agriculture.
In 15 AD Romans built a settlement and named it Emona (Colonia Iulia Aemona) which was destroyed in AD 452 by Attila and his Huns.
The oldest written sources, mentioning Ljubljana, date as far back as 1144, where Ljubljana is referred to by its German name, Laibach and in 1146 by its Latin name, Luwigana.
With the collapse of Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1918, Ljubljana became the capital of all Slovenians for the first time.

Philip Mansion, downtow Ljubljana (Filipov dvorec)
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Ljubljana in Numbers
Weather Ljubljana Slovenia, population statistics and more
altitude: 298 m - 978 feetaverage temperature, year-round: 11.4°C - 52.5 F
average temperature in January: -1.6°C - 29.1 F
average temperature in July: 23.6°C - 74.5 F
# of inhabitants: 267,386 (data from 2006)
# of college students: 43,989 (data from 2006)
# of incorporations: 16,853 (data from 2006)
# of faculties: 21
# of academies: 3
# of museums: 14
# of galleries: 39
# of theatres: 11
# of professional orchestras: 4
# of movie theatres: 14
# of libraries: 130 (in 2005)
# of books in National and University Library (from the photo above): around 1.5 million books
Source: http://www.ljubljana.si
Slovenia travel books
Meet Ljubljana
What Ljubljana Has to Offer
With more than 10,000 cultural events every year, Ljubljana is living and breathing culture. Oh, you prefer the outdoor riverside cafes? There are plenty and they are the place where many townspeople and visitors alike begin and end their day.
*museums in too many fields to list here
*art galleries (including National Art Gallery and Modern Art Gallery)
*operas or concerts at the multi-purpose cultural centre called Ivan Cankar Congress Centre (Cankarjev Dom)
*more than one thousand years old Ljubljana Castle which from its high tower offers an amazing view of the Old Ljubljana, moody marsh Barje, park Tivoli, Kamnik Alps toward north, Julian Alps with Triglav and Karavanke Alps to the north-west
*Baroque and Renaissance monuments and buildings
*architecture by Joze Plecnik
*Philharmonic (since 1701)
*University (since 1919)
*Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (since 1938)
and much, much more.
Click here and watch the video Postcard Views of Ljubljana.

University of Ljubljana - main building (Rektorat Univerze v Ljubljani)
More About Ljubljana
What else would you like to know about Slovenian capital?
Cool Slovenian Recipe Books
Lively City, Full of Surprises
Photo: Downtown Ljubljana with Ljubljanica riverThere's something very special about the geographic location of Slovenian capital - besides the fact that it was built on the natural crossroads from Central Europe to Mediterranean and from Balkan peninsula to Panonian planes.
Ljubljana's townsfolk can enjoy two extremely different activities: Alpine skiing and swimming in the Mediterranean (Adriatic) sea - both in one day!
The beautiful and historic city of Ljubljana has everything all the bigger capitals are bragging about. What's different here is that Ljubljana managed to keep the warm feeling of a small town.
Despite being a place of long and rich history, the city is young. The average age of Ljubljana's inhabitants is barely over 30 years old.
During winter, Ljubljana is best described as a dreamy Central-European city. In summer, however, it reveals its relaxing, Mediterranean-like side.
In short, Ljubljana never ceases to surprise.

Parade of High-school-graduates in Ljubljana (maturantska parada)
Which One?
When Slovenia became independent in 1991, "Zdravljica" (poem, written by the most famous Slovenian poet France Preseren) was chosen as a national anthem.
At the same time, there are many people in Slovenia and around the world who think that "Slovenija" by Slavko Avsenik, world-wide famous legend of Slovenian folk music, should be Slovenia's anthem.
Below you can listen to both - and vote if you like. Enjoy!
How Ljubljana Got Its Name
Assumption #1: Some historians think that the name "Ljubljana" comes from Latin word "aluviana", which means "flooding river."
Ljubljana is built at the conjunction of two rivers: Sava and Ljubljanica.
Assumption #2: Others are absolutely sure that the origin is in the word "Laubach" meaning "marsh."
Moody marsh called "Ljubljansko barje" is a significant part of Ljubljana area.
Assumption #3: And all who love the Slovenia's capital city the most, support the idea that the name "Ljubljana" simply - and most likely -comes from Slovenian word "ljubljena" which translates to "beloved".
Primoz Trubar (1508 - 1586), author of the first printed book in Slovenian language was a big supporter of this explanation.
What do You think?
Share your opinion below!
What's Your Opinion?
Slovenia travel maps
About the Dragon...
...the symbol of Ljubljana
Photo: Ljubljana's coat of armsThe dragon has long been a symbol of mythology and the powerful-and sometimes terrifying-stuff of legends that appear in many cultures around the world. Often, these stories were passed from generation to generation, and perhaps even from one culture to another. Slovenia is no exception.
Ljubljana's very own dragon sits proudly on the four corners of the Dragon Bridge that crosses the river Ljubljanica, in the historic downtown Ljubljana. This dragon has its very own legend%u2026
Centuries ago, when prosperity of the Greeks was spread far and wide, there lived the hero Jason (or Jazon), who led his fellow companions to victory in the face of the Colchian King. As Jason fled in his ship Argo with the prize of the battle-the King's Golden Fleece-the enemy pursued his fleet.
To try and escape his enemies, Jason took a turn that led away from the Aegean Sea and into the mouth of the Danube River. As they could not turn back, the Argonauts continued sailing up the Danube, through Sava, and finally through Ljubljanica River where they took apart the ship Argo and carried it on their backs to the Adriatic Sea, where they rebuilt it and continued on their way home to Greece.
Between the present-day Vrhnika and Ljubljana the Argonauts came upon a large lake surrounded by a marsh. Here, Jason confronted a terrible monster which he fought and eventually slew. The monster was the proud dragon that is now immortalized on the Dragon Bridge and the top of the Ljubljana Castle tower on Ljubljana's coat-of-arms.
Air travel to Ljubljana, Slovenia
Travel to Slovenia, Ljubljana
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Modern-day Argonauts set sail
Ship retraces 2,000 miles of the ancient Golden Fleece voyage
Associated PressPhoto: Yiorgos Karahalis / Reuters
A man and a child look at the Argo replica ship docked at the port of Volos in central Greece, 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Athens. The ship set sail to retrace a portion of the ancient Argonauts' trip on Saturday.
ATHENS, Greece - A replica of the Argo, the ship that according to legend carried Jason and the 50 Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece, sailed Saturday from the central Greek city of Volos on a two-month journey to Venice in Italy.
Turkey's refusal to guarantee the 93.5-foot (28.5-meter) wooden ship safe passage through the Bosporus Strait meant that the ship will not reach its ancient predecessor's destination of Colchis, in what is modern-day Georgia, at the eastern end of the Black Sea. Its route, instead, will retrace part of the Argonauts' return trip.
According to a version of the legend, Jason and the Argonauts, while fleeing from King Aites of Colchis, from whom they had stolen the Golden Fleece, sailed from the Black Sea up the Danube river and then into the Sava and Ljubljanica rivers before continuing their trip on the Adriatic and Aegean seas.
Jason is considered the founder of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia: the city's coat of arms includes a dragon, which Jason allegedly slew.
The ship's crew comprises 50 oarsmen with another 22 on standby on a ship following the Argo, said Vangelis Constantinou, a spokesman for the project.
"We had to reschedule the trip over the last 10 days, following Turkey's refusal," Constantinou added.
The city of Volos had to arrange with 23 cities for the ship's overnight stay. The trip will comprise 37 legs and will total about 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 kilometers).
The ship was built according to known designs for warships during the Mycenaean era. The Argonauts' trip is said to have taken place in the 14th century B.C., almost 200 years before the Trojan war. The ship includes a ram, used to attack and sink enemy ships.
The trip is scheduled to end in Venice on Aug. 11.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25179338/
Ancient Golden Fleece Voyage
Ljubljana Philharmonic, One of the Oldest in the World
Photo: Building of Ljubljana Philharmonic Society in 1801In 1701 the group of like-minded musicians gathered at the home of patrician Janez Bertold von Hoeffer and established Ljubljana Academia Philharmonicorum. At that time, similar societies were only existing in nearby Italy.
Intelectuals, gathering around Baron Ziga Zois established Ljubljana Philharmonic Society - which succeeded Academia - in 1794. The period of the Enlightenment gave a new momentum to literature, science, art, as well as music, and lots of respectable patricians, merchants, teachers, priests and others joined this society.
The statute of Philharmonic Society divided members into "performers and listeners, but the two are not separated and together form a whole".
Members who left the Society because of demands of their professional work became honorary members.
Most notable (honorary) members:
* Josef Haydn (1800),
* Ludwig van Beethoven (1819),
* Nicoló Paganini (1824) and
* Johannes Brahms (1885).
* Franz Schubert applied for the job of music teacher.
* Gustav Mahler was one Academia's conductors in the years 1881 and 1882.
In troubled times of 1908 when national conflicts between Germans and Slovenians reached the boiling point, the new Ljubljana Philharmonic Orchestra was founded on October 23 and was called Slovenian Philharmonic for the first time.

Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra building, Ljubljana (Slovenska filharmonija)
Ljubljana Castle Slovenia, the most popular tourist destination in Ljubljana
Ljubljana Castle photos
* funicular railway, in use since 2006 - leaves every 10 minutes (constantly when crowded) from Krekov trg (Krek Court) next to the famous open market.
* walk on any path toward the top of the hill, they all lead to the castle (no way to get lost!). Two most popular walking routes are the one that starts at Stari trg (Old Court) or the one from the Open Market. It's a ten minute walk (max) no matter which path you take.
* tourist train with starting point at Presernov trg (Preseren Court) every full hour.

The Courtyard of Ljubljana Castle
Things to See and Do at Ljubljana Castle
Ljubljana Castle events and exhibits
* monument to Slovenian peasant rebels in the Castle's park
* next to the entrance "Galerija Rustika" is offering high quality traditional Slovenian handcrafts
* on a nice summer evening you might be able to attend a nice concert, a theatre show or an outdoor movie in the Castle's courtyard
* September 3 is a Medieval Day with lots of events going on in the Castle's courtyard and around the Castle
* getting married at Ljubljana Castle is very popular (Wednesdays and Saturdays only)
* certain Castle's halls are available for rental
* guided tour (scheduled or by appointment) explains the historical background of the Castle, takes you to medieval jails, old gothic chapel and a dragon with his "willy"; the guide will tell you stories and legends about Slovenian Robin Hood and the famous Dragon, you'll see beautiful renovated halls and a 2000-year-old Roman well - and more
* virtual museum underneath the Ljubljana Castle Outlook Tower. Even though Ljubjana Castle has never been a home of any ruler or another important noble person, archeological surveys provided plenty of proofs that the area of the present castle has been settled continuously since 1200 BC. Virtual Mobile enables visitors to have a close look at a number of exhibits of great value which are, for security reasons, not displayed in museum exhibitions.
* Chapel of St. George
* Castle Tower that offers the highest view-point in town, accessible by the long hike up the spiral staircase
* coats of arms of the past Carniolan governors
* and of course there's a cafe, offernig cold drinks (including a glass of wine) , coffee and pastries
Wear Ljubljana...
... and ask people to pronounce it ;)
Slovenian language instruction
Mini Slovenian language course for English speaking
NOTE: This is my personal observation and has nothing to do with what anyone else has ever before said/wrote/discovered about Slovenian language.PHOTO: Primoz Trubar, father of Slovenian literary language, on one Euro coin
Unlike English, Slovenian words contain a lot of "J" letters. Just look at the name of the capital city...Ljubljana.
Even the name of the country Slovenia is originally spelled with "j": Slovenija.
And that's one of the things that makes Slovenian look so strange and seemingly impossible to pronounce to anyone whose mother's tongue is English.
However, there is a simple solution to that (and the only reason why I'm writing this post!).
If you can only memorize one simple rule, maybe you can even pronounce "ljubljena" (beloved) correctly.
"J"s in Slovenian are always pronounced the same way as "Y"s in the following English words: hey, ya, say etc.
Makes sense?
I thought so...
And, by the way, Slovenian alphabet has no: Q, W, X and Y. Instead, it uses three letter that cannot be found in English alphabet. Unfortunately, sofar I haven't found the way yet to type them in Squidoo module, sorry.
Actually - good news!
I have just found the photo of Slovenian alphabet and those three letters that are different kind of stand out. They are C, S and Z with "those things on top."
Found them yet?
And in case you're curious, in Slovenian language thank you is HVALA. :)

Slovenian language alphabet
Famous Slovenians
- Primoz Trubar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Year 2008 is a Trubar year in Slovenia - in honor of 500th anniversary of Primoz Trubar's birth. He was the leading figure of Slovenian Protestant movement, supporting the idea that church ceremonies should be performed in the language of the common people (instead of Latin). In 1550 he wrote and published the first two books ever printed in Slovenian language: Catechismus and Abecedarium. Therefore, he is the first Slovenian writer and the father of Slovenian literature.
- France Preseren : Introduction
- France Preseren is a legend, and legends have to be approached with caution. We do not doubt the literary value and importance of his work, both are indisputable and sometimes even underestimated. We are referring exclusively to the (too) frequent attempts to 'embellish' Preseren's life. It is not difficult to see why this is done. His poetry - clear, independent and undoubtedly eternal - is in marked contrast with his rather sad and, above all, very unhappy life.
- Slavko Avsenik: Composer and Musician
- Slavko Avsenik (b. 1929) is a Slovenian composer and musician. Slavko Avsenik was born on November 19 1929 in Begunje near Bled, Slovenia. His career accomplishments place him at the worldwide pinnacle of success among ethnic popular musicians. Over forty years, the Avsenik Ensamble's original "Oberkrainer" sound became the primary vehicle of ethnic musical expression for Slovenia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Benelux countries, spawning hundreds of Alpine orchestras in the process.
The Ensamble has performed before millions, including heads of state, on radio and television, and in thousands of concerts. Selling over 30 million records, Avsenik has earned thirty-one Gold, two Diamond, and one Platinum record. The "Johann Strauss of the twentieth century," Avsenik collaborated with his brother, Vilko, to produce nearly 1000 original compositions and an integral part of the Cleveland-Style legacy. The Avsenik saga began in 1953 with a band formed in Slovenia, broadcast on the "Slovenian Hour" from Austria, and dubbed the "Musicians of the Oberkrain" by a Vienna disc jockey. Growing in popularity, they soon began appearing in broadcasts, movies, and concerts in West Germany. - Architect Joze Plecnik
- In the eighties the work of the architect Joze Plecnik (a disciple of Otto Wagner) became a true discovery for Europe and the world. Besides the extraordinary high quality of his work Plecnik has also been attributed abroad with a high degree of originality and innovation in the use of historical, regional and even local features, rounding each in new authentic collection containing a multitude of items, from fine details, monuments and architectural motifs to large urban features.
Few cities have had the personal seal of a single artist so strongly impressed as Ljubljana, the birthplace of the architect Joze Plecnik (1872-1957). Over three and half decades, he transformed the former provincial town into the capital of the Slovenian nation. He tried with monumentality and beauty to instill a sense of selfconfidence in the inhabitants.
Slovenian Music CDs...
... by Slovenian music groups
Related Websites...
...you might be interested in
- Slovene-American Club
- Slovene-American Club of Spring Hill welcomes people of all backgrounds, those of Slovenian descent and those who have never even heard of Slovenia before. Many of our members are snowbirds but you're also welcome to attend club's event with live music and dancing while visiting Florida's West Coast. See ya there!
- Slovenian-Style Polka
- A collection of folk music from Slovenia (known as Cleveland-style in U.S.). New video added daily.
- Primoz Trubar (1508-1586), Author and Protestant Reformer
- 2008 is a year of Trubar in Slovenia - to honor 500th birth anniversary of the first Slovenian writer, consolidator of Slovenian language, Protestant reformer and first superintendent of the Protestant Church in Slovenia.
- Random Interesting Facts about Slovenia
- A fun collection point of Completely Gorgeous, random facts of anything said about or related to Slovenia and Slovenians.
If you can find a better picture of Ljubljana, don't buy ours!
Capital of Slovenia visitors's hot spot...
... to share comments
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- dynaweb dynaweb Apr 15, 2009 @ 10:56 pm
- Nice lens. I love international travel so I found this interesting. I like the stickers too :)
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- GrowWear GrowWear Jan 31, 2009 @ 12:40 am
- Very interesting lens about a very interesting place. :)
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- AdrienneJenkins AdrienneJenkins Dec 28, 2008 @ 5:56 pm
- So great to see a lens about this gem of a city. Had a chance to visit this city and it's a hidden treasure.
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- DP2727 DP2727 Dec 27, 2008 @ 10:01 pm
- I'm sure Ljubljana appreciates a whole site made about it. (: Great lens.
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- susannaduffy susannaduffy Dec 21, 2008 @ 7:02 pm
- I want to go to Ljubljana!!!!!! I want to go there and be an Elder. I can be everybody's grandmother (Babci? Babica?). As for the name origin, the latin for flooding river is for a flood plain .. which is usually a marsh :) But the city is obviously beloved. 5* P.S. I love the Dragon who guards Ljubjana
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- bobzbazzar bobzbazzar Oct 16, 2008 @ 12:57 pm
- good site I like the layout.
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- BadEvan BadEvan Oct 9, 2008 @ 6:26 pm
- So much info. It's like If already been to Slovenia.
Excellent Lens!!!
"University of Ljubljana - main building" That's what I want my dream home to look like.
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Reply
- BadEvan BadEvan Oct 9, 2008 @ 6:26 pm
- So much info. It's like If already been to Slovenia.
Excellent Lens!!!
"University of Ljubljana - main building" That's what I want my dream home to look like.
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- oimdiane oimdiane Oct 9, 2008 @ 1:40 pm
- What a gorgeous looking place to visit! And so clean! Gave you a stumble and review, too :)
- Load More
Ljubjana, Slovenia in News
- Weekly Review of Events Involving Slovenia from 28 Nov to 4 Dec
- LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's economy grew by 1% in the third quarter of 2009, which makes for the second consecutive quarter of growth after two negative ones, ...
- Slovenians confident in leaving a good impression in the World Cup
- By : dpa Ljubljana - Slovenia's striker Milivoje Novakovic and captain Robert Koren said they are satisfied with the World Cup draw which placed them in ...
- Slovenia sees up to 120000 jobless in 2010-PM
- By Marja Novak LJUBLJANA, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Slovenia raised its unemployment forecast for next year on Wednesday but said no more than 120000 of the ...
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by daria369
My name is Daria of DariasWorld.info and I have many interests.
Above all, I love researching and traveling - as much as possible in real life and... (more)








