Lujubljana (Slovenia)

A city of culture and cuisine, boutiques, bars and hidden treasures, Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia, exudes the confidence of an architecturally beautiful city that has 5,000 years of fascinating history tucked under its belt. Download Digital Chapters Lonely Planet Slovenia here > The magnificent Baroque, Renaissance and art nouveau edifices of, in particular, its old [...]

Berlin (Germany)

Nine times bigger than Paris and a UNESCO World Heritage City three times over, Berlin, capital of Germany, is one of the most beautiful, liberal, cosmopolitan and underrated cities in the world. Today, Berlin is kicking with creativity and energy. Head to Kreuzberg home to street cafes/bars and cheapish restaurants. Go 360 on top of [...]

Ljubljana’s Architectural Wonders (Slovenia)

A city of culture and cuisine, boutiques, bars and hidden treasures, Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia, exudes the confidence of an architecturally beautiful city that has 5,000 years of fascinating history tucked under its belt. Ljubljana (Slovenia) by Chris Raven © itchimages.com The magnificent Baroque, Renaissance and art nouveau edifices of, in particular, its old town centre, and the many charming squares, exude the intimate atmosphere of a small town, while its lively cultural, scientific, educational and business communities leave no doubt that this is a modern city in tune with the times. Download Digital Chapters Lonely Planet Slovenia here > The famous facade of the old People’s Loan Bank building – Wiener Sezession © itchimages.com Legend has it that Ljubljana was founded by the Greek mythological hero Jason and his companions, the Argonauts, who had stolen the golden fleece from King Aetes and fled from him across the Black Sea and up the Danube, Sava and Ljubljanica rivers. They stopped at a large lake in the marsh near the source of the Ljubljanica, where they disassembled their ship to be able to carry it to the Adriatic Sea, put it together again, and return to Greece. The lake where they made a stop was the dwelling place of a monster. Jason fought the monster, defeated it and killed it. The monster, now referred to as the Ljubljana Dragon, found its place atop the castle tower on the Ljubljana coat of arms. Photography © www.itchimages.com Franciscan Church of the Annunciation, Ljubljana © itchimages.com Attractions & thing’s to do Franciscan Church of the Annunciation : The Franciscan church, built by the Augustinians between 1646 and 1660, is today one of the main symbols of the city due to its location in the central Preseren Square and its striking colour. Its triple staircase which faces the Square has been a popular spot to street artists, local seniors and anyone who likes to catch the feeling of the city. National Museum : The impressive National Museum of Slovenia is housed in a lovely neo-Renaissance style palace, the most interesting and popular of Ljubljana’s many museums. The permanent exhibition consists of archaeological material, displayed in chronological order, such as ancient Palaeolithic artefacts discovered in Karst cave sites…  see full details Plecnik House: Joze Plecnik House. Architect Joze Plecnik is largely responsible for the city of Ljubljana being as neat and well-planned as it is, with his insistence on classical lines and uniform dimensions. The renowned architect’s home and studio, furnished and equipped as he left it, is open to…  see full details Ljubljana Castle: The imposing landmark castle towers over the city, offering spectacular views of the Ljubljana River and the attractive skyline of the old town, with the distant Alps providing a backdrop. The medieval castle with its impressive tower, which was added in the 19th century,…  see full details Baroque architecture. Cathedral of Saint Nicholas © itchimages.com St Nicholas Cathedral: The magnificent Baroque cathedral, dedicated to the patron saint of fishermen, dates from the early 18th century, but was renovated and had beautiful carved bronze doors added for the Pope’s visit in 1996. The doors depict the development of Christianity in Slovenia, and give…  see full details Funicula: Enjoy a thrilling ride on the new funicular up to Ljubljana Castle for the spectacular views Trail of Remembrance: Stroll along the willow-lined walkways of the Ljubljanica River or the Trail of Remembrance around the city Alternative clubs: Do a pub-crawl through the Old Town and end up at any of the alternative clubs at Metelkova Aska in Volk: Make a meal of pljeskavica with ajvar at the Aska in Volk Getting there: Bus: Buses to destinations both within Slovenia and abroad leave from the same shedlike bus station opposite the train station. Next to the ticket windows are bilingual information phones and touch-screen computers. You do not usually have to buy your ticket in advance; just pay as you board the bus. But for long-distance trips on Friday, just before the school break and public holidays, you are running the risk of not getting a seat. Book one the day before and reserve a seat. Grand Hotel Union, Ljubljana © itchimages.com You can reach virtually anywhere in the country by bus – as close as Kamnik (45 minutes, 23km, every half-hour) or as far away as Brežice (three hours, 109km, four a day). Here are some sample one-way fares (return fares are double), travel times, distances and frequencies from the capital: Bled (1¼ hours, 57km, hourly), Bohinj (two hours, 86km, hourly), Koper (2½ hours, 122km, up to 11 daily), Maribor (three hours, 127km; between two and eight daily), Murska Sobota (4¼ hours, 187km, one or two a day), Novo Mesto (two hours, 72km, seven to 10 a day), Piran (three hours, 140km, up to seven daily) and Postojna (one hour, 53km, up to 24 daily). Car & motorcycle: All the big international car-rental firms have offices in Ljubljana, including Avis, Budget and Hertz. However, you should get a better deal at one of the local firms listed below. ABC Rent a Car Cityhotel Turist . Has its own fleet and acts as an agent for Europcar. Rent a Car. In the M Hotel. AutoRent. Next to the post office. Train: Domestic and international trains arrive at and depart from central Ljubljana’s lone train station. The following are some one-way 2nd-class domestic fares, travel times, distances and frequencies from Ljubljana: Bled (55 minutes, 51km, up to 17 a day), Koper (2½ hours, 153km, four times a day), Maribor (1¾ hours, 156km, up to 25 a day), Murska Sobota (4¼ hour, 216km, up to eight a day) and Novo Mesto (1½ hours, 75km, up to 14 daily). Hotel to visit: Grand Hotel Union, Ljubljana. This   magnificent hotel is a premier city centre location with over 100 years of tradition, and it’s one of the most beautiful hotels in the city. Click here to buy Lonely Planet Slovenia & Digital Chapters. Click here to buy Lonely Planet Central Europe & Digital Chapters. Renaissance architecture in Ljubljana © itchimages.com Old historic streets Ljubljana © itchimages.com   Lake Bohinj, Slovenia © itchimages.com Other interesting places to visit in Slovenia. Lake Bohinj Lake Bohinj is the largest permanent lake in Slovenia and is located in the north-west of the country, inside Triglav National Park. Bohinj is the best known glacial valley of the Julian Alps. At its head, in an amphitheatre overshadowed by the sombre face of the Komarca, is situated the most famous Slovene waterfall Savica. A thousand meters higher, and behind, there is the vast Komna plateau. The Komarca, along with the most beautiful high altitude valley of the Julian Alps, the Seven Triglav Lakes Valley. The first attraction of Bohinj is its lake, beautifully situated between the wooded slopes of Mernik, Prsivec and Vogar. Buses run regularly from Ukanc to Ljubljana (two hours, 91km, hourly) via Ribčev Laz, Bohinjska Bistrica and Bled (one hour, 34km), with six extra buses daily between Ukanc and Bohinjska Bistrica (20 minutes, 12km) via Stara Fužina, Studor and Srednja Vas. Buses headed as far as Ukanc are marked ‘Bohinj Zlatorog’. Note that three bus lines operate between Bled and Bohinj, and if you buy a return ticket from one bus line, you will not be able to make your return journey on either of the other buslines. Lake Bled Church of the Assumption, Lake Bled © itchimages.com Lake Bled is a glacial lake in the Julian Alps in northwestern Slovenia, where it adjoins the town of Bled. The area is a popular tourist destination due to its romantic scenery and access point for Triglav National Park, which offers numerous outdoor adventure opportunities. Check out Bled Castle, Bled Island, Church of the Assumption, Iglica Waterfall, Babji Zob (Hag’s Tooth) Caves. Hiking. Bled offers several easy to moderate hikes, many of which offer amazing picturesque views of the island. Velika Osojnica, a 756m high peak at the southwestern corner of the lake offers the best and most famous views of Bled. The bus station in Bled is centrally located northeast of the lake at the intersection of Cesta Svobode and Grajska Cesta. Buses leave from Ljubljana to Bled hourly on the hour and return from Bled to Ljubljana hourly on the half-hour. The journey takes 75 minutes. Trains from Ljubljana drop passengers off at Lesce-Bled station, 4km southeast of Bled. Buses connect the station with Bled every 30 minutes. Bled Jezero Station is on the other side of the lake, opposite the town, 1.5km away. From here, trains leave to/from Jesenice and Nova Gorica. Predjama Castle Slovenia’s dramatic Predjama Castle, built into a huge cavern by a Robinhood-like nobleman in the mid-15th century. Predjama Castle © itchimages.com