A warm Slovenian welcome to our Kaptain Kenny readers and welcome to post #2 from this gorgeous country.
Ljubljana: recently voted Europe’s greenest city.
Classic Ljubljana shot.
A local man plays music for passersby.
This series of photos comes from a day trip we did to Ljubljana while being based in Zagreb, Croatia’s capital. After looking at a map, I could see that Ljubljana was really close to Zagreb and easy enough to do during a day trip. We did this trip in combination with Lake Bled and it was indeed a great way to get a beginner’s feel for Slovenia.
Not Just A Tourist Trap: The Beautiful Lake Bled, Slovenia.
What a perfect capture with that cyclist right in the middle!
If you’re like me, you’ll know that Slovenia was once part of the former Yugoslavia and there’s no denying that the 90’s were a shocking time for all those people involved. However these days, tourism has picked up and visits are back in full swing.
(If you’re looking to learn about some Slovenian history, you can click here: Slovenian History.)
We were in the city on some kind of medieval celebratory day.
The photo you’ll see in all the guidebooks.
One of the first impressions of the city.
I like that lady’s raincoat. I think I have the same one!
Despite celebrating its 2000th birthday in 2014, Ljubljana has only been the capital of an independent nation since 1991. It is this curious mix of two thousand years of evolution combined with understandable youthful enthusiasm that has created the city we know and love today……
I really loved the pure colour of the water.
The history of the Slovene nation is a history of a proud struggle against larger, stronger neighbours, be they Germanic to the north, Italian to the west, Hungarian to the east and Serbian and Croatian to the south. As such, Slovenia has seemingly taken the best of all these, added them to a strong inherent culture to create a cultural stew that we’re thrilled to be in the centre of…..
Wedged between two palaces. Hashtag Europe.
Can’t resist photographing an arrangement of flowers.
It might not be the biggest city in the world (in fact, with only 280,000 inhabitants it is one of Europe’s smallest capitals and slightly smaller than Coventry), but Ljubljana uses this to its advantage and has a genuine cosmopolitan feel with all the comfort and friendliness of the smallest village.
Like all places, you’ll find some street art and graffiti – a personal favourite photography subject of mine when travelling.
Wonder where this road leads?
Could you, for a moment, attempt to forget that I look like a turtle here?
Oh how sad!
Every city has one: a lock bridge.
These days, as a 28 year old who is based in Europe, I have an insatiable appetite for ticking new countries off the list. When those countries are relatively cheap to travel through and also offer stunning scenery, it’s much more appealing to me. For that reason, Slovenia is a great choice and its tiny capital city Ljubljana is definitely worth checking out over a weekend.
Perhaps an architectural influence from Italy?
No traffic….
Have you noticed so far in my photos that there aren’t any cars or motorbikes in the centre of the city? Ljubljana was recently voted Europe’s greenest city and it’s 100% pedestrian friendly. I’m sure that makes it quite difficult for locals to get around but for visitors it’s a lovely change!
Nice main square that you’ll see when you first enter.
Walk around… soak it all up and grab a bite to eat.
The inside of town hall where there’s currently a Serbian mayor in power. He apparently can’t speak Slovenian.
The famous architect Jože Plečnik (1872-1957) tried to model Ljubljana on ancient Athens. The multitude of his creations in the city, referred to as a whole as “Plečnik’s Ljubljana”, is considered to be one of the 20th century’s most important total works of art.
Ljubljana has had architectural influences from many different periods and empires.
That little bit of crisp, autumn light pouring in! Love it.
Normally I’m able to recommend some good food and coffee options for you throughout my blog posts but as this was a 3 hour walking tour of the city, we only stopped at the farmers’ market for a piece of fresh bread with some vegetable toppings. If you’re interested in what Slovenian food is like, then click here: https://www.inyourpocket.com/ljubljana/Eat-Like-a-Slovene_73992f
Standing quite close to the farmer’s market.
That language though…..
Can’t resist a flower shot.
Part of the medieval weekend? Anyone for a tiny book?
If you’re wondering how long you will need in Ljubljana, take my advice…. it’s tiny and cute and it’s definitely possible to walk around in 3 hours to take some photos but if you want to sit, enjoy the local food and get a deeper feel for the place, I’d recommend at least staying one night. It’s small enough to do on the weekend including a day trip to Lake Bled so leave your city on Friday after work, do Ljubljana Friday night and Sunday and do Lake Bled on Saturday. It’s all possible and very easy. We booked these day trips with the tour company Viator.
So lucky with the weather. That clear, blue sky is a dream come true.
Just yes.
Happy to be able to discover a new country.
I’d love to live directly under a castle, how lovely.
If you have any questions or comments about these pictures or if you’ve been to Ljubljana before and think I missed out on some crucial information, send through your message! We love interacting with our readers.
Sometimes I find the sides of buildings more interesting than the front.
Natural light, beautiful architecture and a castle on top of the mountain – YES!
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6 Comments
Megan Starr (@MeganCStarr)
October 23, 2016 at 3:10 pmLjubljana looks as pretty as ever! It feels like so long ago I was there (2012), but she appears to be holding up pretty well. It really is such a clean and green city. I remember how surprised I was at that as many people don’t hear much about the city outside of the region. Lovely photos as always <3
kaptainkennytravel
October 23, 2016 at 7:50 pmGlad you loved it too! It’s definitely an amazing base to be able to go and explore Slovenia’s lovely nature 🙂
Tone Bajc
November 4, 2016 at 8:29 pmNice presentation, but there is a mistake at the picture of Town hall: “The inside of town hall where there’s currently a Serbian mayor in power. He apparently can’t speak Slovenian.” The mayor of Ljubljana is realy a Serb, but he is a citizen of Slovenia, living in Ljubljana, He has been elected for mayor on the free and independent elections and he, of course, speak Slovene.
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