Ljublijana – the beautiful city fighting with Reykyavik for the title of “Most Misspelt Capital City in Europe.” Although relatively small, it is full of history and culture.
Where to stay?
We chose to stay at Hostel Celia – an old prison that has been refurbished, but the doors have remained. It is located within walking distance from the city centre, bus terminal and train station making it an ideal location and low-budget option.
How to get there?
Ljubljana Airport is a fairly well-connected airport with frequent bus connections to the capital city (as well as Lake Bled). It is definitely worth checking if you can get a direct flight to Ljubljana to save yourself any hassle. Alternatively, if you choose to fly into Zagreb in Croatia, the two cities are very well connected, and there are often cheaper flights to Zagreb than Ljubljana from the UK.
If you’re planning to spend a couple of weeks interrailing this summer, Ljubljana is also a great place to visit. Slovenia is located between tourist hotspots like Italy, Croatia and Austria and should definitely not be skipped on any proper European-wide trip.
Day 1: Explore the city
Not to be that travel blogger, but there is a reason that everyone recommends joining a free walking tour whenever you enter a new city. Ljubljana was the first city I chose to listen to that advice, and I have followed it ever since.
Spend the day exploring the city and the Triple Bridges – look out for the dragon statutes that are synonymous with Ljubljana. Depending on how much you like museums and art galleries, it may be worth getting the Ljubljana City Card. Most museums are shut on Mondays, so take that into account if one of your dates falls on a Monday. In the city centre, you can find a great local market for fresh fruit and vegetables as well as some high-end restaurants and cafes.
We had lunch deep within the beautiful Tivoli Park. This is a great park worth exploring on a warm summer day. Look out for some street music and wholesome couples dancing to the music.
Ljubljana has some of the best pub crawls due to the high number of bars and pubs in a small area. Lots of the hostels plan their own pub crawls or look on GetYourGuide for daily organised crawls.
Day 2: Ljubljana Castle
Use your second day in Ljubljana to explore Ljubljana Castle. If you have paid for the Ljubljana City Card, it will include a trip on the funicular to save your legs from the walk. Within the Castle, learn about the famous dragon and St. George’s Day. See the best views of the city from the city walls and grab a drink from the cafe. Within the castle, there is also an amazing art display and exhibitions.
We then went to the Modern Art Museum, which was one of the best art museums I’ve visited, especially for history lovers.
We chose to go back up to the Castle in the evening, as they do film screenings during the Summer from the castle. On the way to the castle, I accidentally bumped into one of my university friends, who had just arrived in Ljubljana from Croatia. This was a great way to spend an evening and highlighted how great of a stop Ljubljana is on an interrailing trip.
