After leaving Santorini and returning to Harpenden for a few days, it is now time to take a flight from Gatwick to Ljubljana to meet up with my old friends Joe and Margaret, for the start of our 2 week cycling trip. I arrived earlier so checked in to the City Hotel which was literally a few minutes from the old town, and strolled down to the famous Preseren Square to have a wander around. There is no traffic in the centre of Ljubljana which makes strolling down the cobbled streets enjoyable and peaceful.
The Old Town is adorned by Baroque and Art Nouveau architecture, including creations by the famous architect Joze Plecnik. The main square has a statue of one of Slovenia’s greatest romantic poets, France Preseren. The statue stands near the square’s famous Triple Bridge. The Triple Bridge comprises three bridges spanning the Ljubljanic River in Ljubljana. It connects the historical medieval town on the southeastern bank with the central Preseren Square on the northwestern bank. Dating back to the 13th century, it stands as the oldest bridge in Ljubljana. In the early 1930s, the architect Joze Plecnik redesigned and expanded it. In August 2021, the Triple Bridge was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of Plečnik’s enduring legacy..
After meeting Joe and Margaret, we returned to the cafe strip along the river and had a lovely potato and truffle soup followed by a glass of bubbles, as you do!!! After spending the afternoon wandering around the old town and enjoying the ambience, we headed to dinner at a restaurant called AFTR which proved to be really good tasty food.
On the following day we decided to spend our time in Ljubljana strolling around at our leisure. Of course a little retail therapy was in order and then a little sightseeing followed thereafter. We walked along the river to Butchers Bridge where couples’ love is immortalized with colorful locks. This bridge, which was built on the spot where butchers used to be, is decorated with interesting yet terrifying small and large statues depicting forms of creatures from Greek mythology, created by the Bosnian Slovenian sculptor Jakov Brdar. The next bridge is Dragon bridge which connects the old town and the new town. The bridge has two imposing dragon statues at both ends, one on the right and one on the left, and also has a legend attached to itself. The central markets are situated in between these 2 bridges and sell beautiful fresh produce. There is also a section that sells clothes, bags etc.
We then took the funicular railway up to Ljubljana Castle. The castle’s Outlook Tower and ramparts offer some of the most beautiful views of the city, while the castle houses a museum exhibition on Slovenian history, a puppet museum, and a number of historical rooms such as the Chapel of St George, the Prison, and a video presentation room called Virtual Castle. Ljubljana Castle’s Outlook Tower offers the most beautiful views of Ljubljana and its surrounding areas. It stands on a site originally occupied by the Pipers’ Tower, which was pulled down in 1813 following the French occupation, and later by a fire lookout tower, home of the city’s fire watchman.
We had a coffee and sandwich in the very modern cafe at the castle.
After a stroll down a windy steep path from the castle, we reached one of the main streets of the old city and continued to meander. We visited the beautiful St Nicholas Cathedral and then strolled past the Town Hall and all the various shops and cafes. The architecture is fascinating with such a variety of colours and designs. Such a shame about all the graffiti.
We crossed over the river and walked back along the street on the other side, stopping at an art gallery. Then onwards to Congress Square where it looked like the square was being set up for an event over the weekend. Now it was time to stop for a refresher and enjoy the afternoon sun whilst people watching. What a lovely relaxing day.
And to finish off the day we had booked Georgie Bistro for dinner and the meal was magnificent. The food was so beautifully presented. Now back to the hotel to get ready for our transfer to Bled tomorrow.
