Ljubljana: The Dragon City
Nestled between Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia is the captivating country of Slovenia. For travelers who want all the charm of a European city without all the hustle and bustle, Slovenia's capital of Ljubljana is the place to go! This little city is legendary for being the supposed place where Saint George slew the dragon in the Bible, and the city shows its pride with dragon-themed architecture and souvenirs. In addition to legends, Ljubljana boasts of museums and historical buildings all over town, where you can learn about the fascinating history of the city and Slovenia as a whole.
Dragon statue in the heart of Ljubljana
Photo by Michaela Winters, 2017.
By far Ljubljana's most notable attraction is Ljubljana Castle, which stands on a hill overlooking the city. The castle is home to attractions for everyone, including their famous Museum of Puppetry, their Exhibition on Slovenian History, and the Castle Penitentiary, where you can explore the castle prison exactly the way it was in the 19th century.
The castle also holds many restaurants where you can try amazing wine and traditional Slovenian dishes! For those looking for some dessert, you can also find plenty of good coffee and scrumptious sweets.
Ljubljana castle also holds events all year round, such as art installations, jazz clubs, and movie nights where you can bring a blanket and a friend and watch a movie under the stars in the castle courtyard!
View of Ljubljana from Ljubljana Castle
Photo by Michaela Winters, 2017.
Ljubljana has other museums too, outside the castle. A notable one is their museum of modern art, MG+MUSUM. This art museum holds everything from paintings to sculptures to photography by Slovenian artists, and is a great place to go and learn more about the culture!
You could also take a lovely boat tour on the Ljubljanica, the river which runs through the city. Then, you can hop off at any point and be met with parks and inspired art installations, such as the Cyanometer, a sculpture which measures the blueness of the sky, and even matches its color! In the city center in the summertime, you can even walk underneath an artificial rainfall to relieve you from especially hot days.
In my personal experience, the people of Ljubljana are some of the nicest I have ever met in the world. I had the pleasure of staying at the Simbol Apartments and Hostel, and I still remember how the owner, Dennis, taught me how to say "Thank you" in Slovenian! ("Thank you" is "hvala.")
Graffiti in Ljubljana
Photo by Michaela Winters, 2017.
Getting around Ljubljana is easy, too! You could rent a car, but the city has both a bus system and a convenient bike-sharing system. Or, if you're like me, you could walk everywhere! Being one of the smaller European capital cities, you might find it simplest to walk from destination to destination. If you are a fan of walking, I highly recommend it, so you can fully appreciate the beautiful architecture and ambiance of the city, in addition to experiencing the thrill of stumbling across a delicious little sweet shop.
I had known nothing about Ljubljana before going there, but ever since my trip it has been completely stuck in my memory. It made a lasting impression on me, and I'm sure you'll fall in love with Ljubljana, Slovenia just as much as I did.
