Ljubljana Slovenia

I arrived in Ljubljana yesterday via train from Rijeka Croatia. The Slovenian border crossing was mildly scary. The border officers got aggressive with a couple traveling with several children. The children didn’t have passports, instead they were on their parents’ passport and the Slovenian border police didn’t like that. One of the children got frightened and started crying – it was unpleasant. After about a thirty-minute delay they resolved the problem and the train continued.

During the five-hour trip I shared a compartment with a Croatian man who really wanted to talk, but he spoke practically no English and my Croatian is non-existent. He talked to me in Croatian most of the way to Ljubljana.

There was a huge thunder-storm immediately after the train arrived. Luckily I made it to the hotel before it began. The lightning and thunder were fantastic followed by welcomed cooler temperatures that continue today.

Ljubljana is an extraordinarily beautiful European city. I did some exploring today and will continue tomorrow. The heart of the city is Prešernov Trg – a small square on the left bank of the River Ljubljanica. I had lunch there today and the food was fantastic! Old Town is another interesting area on the right bank of the river. It’s full of gorgeous Baroque townhouses and churches with a medieval castle on the surrounding hill.

Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and considered an “undiscovered gem of Europe”. The city is often compared to Prague. It’s location on the Ljubljanica River Basin is at the juncture of the Alps and Dinaric Mountain Range.

Ljubljana’s beautiful architecture is the legacy of different periods in history and mostly the work of 20th century architect Jože Plečnik. Plečnik prepared the town planning scheme for central Ljubljana and left his distinctive stamp across the city. One of Plečnik’s creations – beautiful Triple Bridge – is built over the River Ljubljanica.

Ljubljana’s symbol is the dragon, which dominates Dragon Bridge and the city’s most prominent attraction, Ljubljana Castle. Ljubljana has many archaeological finds on exhibition at its museums. Some remains of the Roman City of Emona are on view in the streets of Ljubljana.