Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia and one of those places that we instantly loved. It’s not a very large city but big enough that it has everything you could want. It’s reasonably priced and we loved the overall feel it had. We could see ourselves going back to and spending a really long time! Here are 5 reasons to visit Ljubljana, Slovenia to hopefully convince you to visit this amazing city!
Slovenia is squished between Hungary to the east, Austria to the north, Italy to the west and Croatia to the south. Land that historically has undergone so many changes until Slovenia gained its independence in 1991. Because of it’s location and it’s history there is so much influence from all the neighboring countries.
Ljubljana had such a vibrant and relaxed feel. It felt lively with people hanging out along the river and enjoying the food and restaurant scene. It’s beautiful to walk through which also doesn’t hurt! Even with all of the activity it still felt relaxed and not too large to be overwhelming. We just felt really comfortable and fell in love with the vibe there! It’s hard to explain which is why you need to go ahead and visit!
1. It’s Beautiful with Colorful Buildings and the Ljubljanica River
Ljubljana sits pretty much in the center of Slovenia along the Ljubljanica River. Colorful buildings line the river with green and red trees on either side. It’s just a beautiful city! There are so many small streets that are really pretty to walk around.
Make sure to give yourself some time to just wander around the city! Going south there are large grassy areas on either side of the river with a walkway to walk along. This would make a really pretty spot to run or just enjoy being outside!
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2. You are Bound to Walk Past at Least Two Markets on Any Day!
On any day you are bound to walk past at least a few markets in Ljubljana and we think that speaks so much to the culture of the city and to the people who live there. We walked through the farmers market which is there almost every day featuring fresh produce thats brought into the city from local farms.
Nearby to the farmers market is a market that changes. The day before we got there it was a chocolate market with all different kinds of chocolate products. Along the river close to the Triple Bridge is a small craft market with stands selling jewelry and other small items.
Ljubljana had the most outdoor markets in one city that we saw in all of Europe and it was really interesting to walk through. As travelers we really like walking through local markets because they give you some insight into what peoples lives are like.
3. Ljubljana is Affordable
Slovenia is really affordable compared to some other countries in Europe especially nearby Switzerland and Austria. We got an entire Airbnb with a washer and dryer for about $50 USD a night just on the outskirts of the city near the train station. It was about a 15 minute walk to the center of the city. We spent about 50% more than that in Austria and got only a private room in a less nice area.
The cost of everything from food to grocery items was really reasonable. If you’re traveling on a budget Ljubljana is a really good place to base yourself for an affordable amount!
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4. There Are So Many Restaurants and Cafes to Sit and Enjoy!
We found there is a really big food culture in Ljubljana. There are so many restaurants and cafes with outdoor tables and lots of people congregating. You can find anything from Italian influence to seafood and anything else you could think of. Make sure to stop by Pekarna Osem for their homemade sourdough bread that is so good! It’s competitive though so make sure to get there early in the day.
We aren’t usually fish lovers but we loved the fish dish we had at Vino & Ribe. It was a white fish marinated in olive oil and we scraped the bowl clean. We love olive oil so you bet we were wiping up all the excess olive oil with homemade bread!
- Because it’s an affordable city it’s easier to try more of the restaurants and places to eat which is something we so appreciate!
- Even in cooler weather there were so many groups of people having a drink along the river or eating dinner under a heater on the sidewalk.
We did a food tour with Ljubljananjam and had an amazing experience! Our guide was so knowledgeable and not only did she tell us all about the food but also so much about the history of the city. We feel like we learned so much from it and we had so much fun our tour ran over a good hour because we all were talking! We booked ours with Eatwith.com because we had a giftcard (such a good gift for someone you know who is traveling!) and easily communicated with the owner about dates and times.
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5. Ljubljana is Close to So Many Other Places!
Because of it’s location and it being a small country, Slovenia is close to so many other places. From Ljubljana you can take the train to Venice in about 5 hours, Salzburg in about 4 hours and Zagreb, Croatia in about 2 hours.
- We took a Flixbus from Trieste, Italy to Ljubljana that took about 1 hour and 40 minutes. It was 62 Euros or $68 USD for the two of us and was so easy. It took us from the Trieste train station to the Ljubljana bus station which is right at the train station. From there you can easily walk to the center of Ljubljana in no more than 15 minutes.
This makes it really easy not only to get to from somewhere else in Europe to Ljubljana but also to continue on to other places nearby. You can easily continue on to Italy, Hungary, Austria or Croatia if you have the time. Because it’s affordable it means you might be able to visit not one but two places in the same trip!
