Pascal Aerssens, young Dutch student writing Tourist Guide to Slovenia (more photos)
This is the central and most densely populated region of Slovenia. The country’s capital, Ljubljana, is situated in this region. Therefore, there are good traffic connections into every direction. Because of all the facilities located in Ljubljana, the region is economically more developed than other regions in the country.
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital and the biggest city of Slovenia. There live about 310,000 people in Ljubljana. Most embassies, consulates and government buildings are situated here. It combines the characteristics of a capital with a relaxed town atmosphere. It is easy to travel around the city and see the most important attractions, because the main places of interest are nearly all situated within a small area that includes the old city centre on the right riverbank of the Ljubljanica. After centuries of Habsburg’s rule, Ljubljana almost feels Austrian. In 1985, much of the town was destroyed by an earthquake. The town was rebuilt in the art nouveau-style, because it was very popular in its capital at that time, Vienna. Because of this and because of the huge amount of students, Ljubljana appears to be a young city.
Joze Plečnik is a name you should know before going sightseeing in Ljubljana. He transformed Ljubljana from a provincial town into a real capital, in just three and a half decades. Most of the architectural attractions in the city are his works, e.g. Tivoli Park, the Triple Bridge and the Church of St Francis.
A good place to start your sight-seeing tour, is Ljubljanski Grad (Ljubljana’s Castle). It is located on the top of a hill in the centre, looking out over the whole city and its surroundings. It is a pity that the 800-years-old castle has been renovated instead of being restored, nevertheless you will have a great view from here.
You can go down the hill by using the cable car or the various hiking paths. Down the hill you can find the city’s daily market. Here you can buy everything you need, e.g. fresh fruit and vegetables, cheeses, souvenirs and clothes. There is a great atmosphere, because of the colonnade running along the river. It was built by Joze Plečnik in 1940.
Stolnica sv Nikolaja (cathedral of Saint Nicholas) is the catholic cathedral of the archdiocese Ljubljana and is the biggest church of the city. It has two remarkable green bell towers. There has been a 13th century Romanesque basilica at the same site as the current cathedral, which was also dedicated to St. Nicholas, patron of sailors and fishermen. The present appearance of the cathedral only dates back to 1700, when a new church was built. Be aware that it is generally closed from 12.00 to 15.00.
When you cross the Tromostovje (Triple Bridge), you will arrive in the new part of the city’s centre on the left bank of the Ljubljanica. The bridge consists of an old stone bridge built in 1842 and two newer bridges, which were added by Joze Plečnik in 1931. Close to the Triple Bridge is the city's major square, Prešernov trg. There is a statue of France Prešeren, the most important Slovenian poet. He lived in Ljubljana during the 19th century. In one of the cafes he wrote, probably being drunk, an ode to the Slovenes. In this ode, Zdravljica, he praises the Slovenian wine, but also the Slovenian youngsters as a hope for a better future. His poems have always been loved by the people. One of the verses of this ode has become the national anthem after the independence of Slovenia. If you look into the same direction as Prešeren, you’ll see a bust of Julija Primic, his unreachable lover.
The red Frančiškanska cerkev (Franciscan church) at Prešernov trg was built between 1646 and 1660 by Augustinians, who lived inside this monastery until the end of the 18th century. Because of financial problems, the facade was only finished in 1700. Later the church was taken over by the Franciscans, who’s name it still bears. Francesco Robba, a sculptor, made an altar for the church in the mid 18th century. Because of the damage of the earthquake in 1895, the church had to be renovated, so its present appearance dates only back to that period of time. Masses are held daily in Slovenian, English, French, Italian, Croatian and Serbian.
As a trade-mark of the city, the Dragon Bridge is one of the most famous sights of the city. It is called after the four green dragons, who guard both the bridge and the city. According to a popular local legend, the Greek hero Jason and his followers, the Argonauts, are the founders of Ljubljana. After they had stolen the golden fleece from King Aetes, Jason and his friends fled across the Black Sea. They sailed up the rivers Danube, Sava and Ljubljanica. After a while they stopped at a huge lake near the spring of river Ljubljanica. They planned to carry their ship sneakily in pieces across the Adriatic. Here, while taking the ship to pieces, they found a monster. Jason started to fight the creature and won the battle. The creature became famous as the Dragon of Ljubljana and is nowadays the icon of the city and an important part of the city’s crest. Ladies mind the dragon tails... They are said to wave when the bridge is crossed by a virgin! Made of armoured concrete, it is one of the first bridges in Europe using this technique.
However, according to historians, Ljubljana was only founded around the year 15 BC as a Roman castrum (fort). It was called Colonia Iulia Emona. There were about 6000 inhabitants and it was surrounded by town walls. Because it was a ‘gate’ from the Roman Empire to countries in Eastern Europe, Emona was a rich town of salesmen and artisans. It was part of the Amber Road, which connected the North Sea and the Baltic Sea (St. Petersburg) with Italy, Greece, the Black Sea and Egypt for the transport of amber. The town has also been the site of numerous battles and wars. The last battle was the one against Attila and his Huns in 452 AD. Unfortunately the Huns won the battle and burned down the entire town. Nevertheless, still nowadays you can find Roman tracks throughout the city, e.g. town walls, gates, an early Christian baptistery, burial grounds and insulae (apartment buildings). For guided tours and various exhibitions of Emona (Roman Ljubljana), contact the City Museum at: t
+386 1 241 25 00 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +386 1 241 25 00 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
On Trg Republike, visitors can see the Slovenian Parliament building, which is the heart of Slovenian politics. It is a modernist palace, which houses the bicameral (National Assembly and National Council) Slovenian government. It was built by the Slovenian architect Vinko Glanz between 1954 and 1959. The building has formerly housed the tricameral communist government, but after the independence it has become the political centre of the new republic. The facade has been decorated with marble from the Kras region and with granite from Oplotnica. The Trg Republike is enclosed by the skyscraper TR3, the Parliament, the Ljubljanska Banka and the Cankarjev dom. It is a place for mass gatherings, for protests and speeches.
Because of all the students, Ljubljana has a flourishing artistic scene. There are various galleries and museums.
The National Museum of Slovenia (Muzejska ulica 1) dates back to the foundation of the Provincial Museum of Carniola in 1821. However, the neo-Renaissance palace in which it is located, was built between 1883 and 1885 by the Slovenian construction firm of Viljem Treo. The museum is Slovenia's most important museum of national history. Therefore, it keeps various archaeological finds from Slovenian territories. The collection is believed to be important to the world's cultural and historical heritage. The masterpiece of the Slovenian collections is probably the Neanderthal flute of 55,000 year old, which was found near Cerkno. The masterpiece of the foreign collections is probably the ancient Egyptian mummy, which dates back to the 5th century BC. A wheelchair entrance can be found on the side of Prešernova Cesta.
Tivoli Park is close to the old town. It is a bird’s and squirrel’s paradise. It is great place for a walk, because of the various paths. Not all are signposted but all paths connected in some way. If you have plenty of time to spend, you can go deeper into the wood part, where you have a big chance of being alone to rest and enjoy nature. Without traffic you might think you are not in the centre of a capital. The locals go here to walk, jog and cycle. There are creeks, ponds and lawns.
The Ljubljana Zoo (Večna Pot 70)is quite small, but it is a place of relaxation within a natural forest close to Rožnik Hill. The price is reasonable. At the weekends there are usually guided tours and workshops. Under the supervision of a zoo mentor, you can help feeding the animals, or hold real spiders, snakes and scorpions in your hands. The zoo can be reached by foot, bike, car or bus.
The Slovenian National Opera and Ballet Theater (Zupančičeva 1) was built in properly grand style in 1882 by the Czech architects Jan Vladimir Hrásky and Anton Hruby. It currently houses the Slovenian National Opera and Ballet companies, which both mainly play well-known favourites by Verdi, Mozart and Smetana.
The Slovenian Ethnographic Museum (Metelkova ulica 2), which was founded in 1923 when it separated itself from the National Museum, is home to a collection of Slovenian and non-European materials, concerning social, spiritual and cultural aspects of life. However, its earliest collections date back to the Provincial Museum of Carniola, which was established in 1821. The museum runs a programme of various exhibitions, events and it releases a range of publications to present the rich culture of Slovenia (minorities, expatriates, etc.) and non-European peoples. You can also visit the weaver’s workshop of the museum, where you can find the traditional art of Slovenian weaving.
Ljubljana's Railway Museum (Parmova ulica 35)is home to a gathering of historical trains including steam locomotives, coaches, railroad cars and wagons. There is also a permanent exhibition on a range of railway sectors, e.g. Station Master's Office, Communication, Signals and Security.
The Slovenian School Museum (Plečnikov trg 1) was founded in 1898 and has gathered a large variety of materials on the history of Slovenian education and pedagogy. Most interesting are the notebooks, school furniture, diplomas and report cards. The library of the museum contains a large number of original Slovenian educational literature (currently more than 55,000 books). Most of the books date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, but there are also incunabula which were printed before 1500.
The Ljubljana's Sports Museum (Kopitarjeva ulica 4) houses an exhibition on the national history of sports. Because it was just founded in 2001, its permanent exhibition is still in preparation. It is planned to consist of 8,000 displays with written documents and other materials bearing witness to the rich and diverse history of sports in Slovenia. Part of this exhibition can already be visited. However, there are also various well-known Slovenian athletics, and there is more than that to be seen in the museum.
The just reconstructed Philharmonic Hall (Kongresni trg 10) was first built in 1898. The custard-yellow hall has a modern backside which faces the Ljubljanica, but the facade towards Kongresni trg, is more pleasing to the eye. It is home to the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, which was founded in 1701. It is one of the world’s oldest philharmonic orchestras and has a great reputation because of various well-known members, e.g. Haydn, Beethoven and Mozart.
The Robba Fountain is situated at Mestni trg. The artist Francesco Robba was inspired by Bernini’s Four Rivers Fountain at Piazza Navona during a visit to Rome, so he designed a similar fountain to represent the three Carniolan rivers: Sava, Krka and Ljubljanica. The steps to the fountain represent the Carniolan mountains. Unfortunately, the ordered Italian marble sank near Trieste, so Robba only made the figures of real Carrara marble. Finally the fountain was finished in 1751. The original fountain has been moved to the National Museum in 2006 because it fell into decay, however an exact copy of the original has been placed on the square.
The Botanical Garden of Ljubljana (Ižanska cesta 15), was founded in 1810. It is the oldest cultural, scientific and educational institute that has been running uninterruptedly from the time when it was founded. The plants collection exists out of 4,500 species. One third of the species are foreign, while two thirds came from different parts of Europe. The garden has international maintaining contacts with more than 270 botanical gardens. It is used for scientific research and educational activities. It plays an essential role in the research of growing and protecting endangered species in Slovenia.
The Serbian Orthodox Church was built in 1936 by the Serbian architect Momir Korunović. The building contains an iconostasis made by Mirko Šubic and several notable frescoes.
Stična Abbey (Stična 17, Ivančna Gorica)
In 1135, there was established a Cistercian monastery in Stična. Although it was (and still is) the only operating Cistercian monastery in Slovenia, it became the religious, economic and cultural centre of the whole southern part of the country, within just a couple of years after it was built. For a long time
it even exceeded Ljubljana in influence and status, the capital city of Slovenia.
The monastery was a centre of education, and was famous for its production of manuscripts ever since the 12th century. The monks have created the oldest and most important collection of Latin manuscripts of the whole country. Some manuscripts were written in the Slovenian language, which unmistakably demonstrates the cultural origin of several monks and their concern for their Slovenian community. So in the Stična monastery not only the common Latin and German languages of the higher social groups were taught, but the Slovenian language was played a major role as well. The monastery offered theological studies, served as a school of music and even housed an early version of a medical school. The pharmacy which was founded, achieved nationwide fame and still exists nowadays.
The monks were important to the local population as well, because they trained local farmers in sophisticated crop growing techniques, among others the introduction of the iron plough. They built roads and even bridges, from which both locals and trekkers could take advantage. The monastery also offered shelter to trekkers, in consequence making travelling easy and stimulating mercantile activities.
According to various Slovenian and foreign art historians, Stična Abbey is nowadays one of the most important ethnic monuments of Slovenia. In addition to the skilfully painted ceilings and statues made to order of various abbots throughout the centuries, there is a Renaissance church with an extraordinary floor-plan with five apses and an exceptional cloister (krizzni hodnik).
Currently the Sticcna Monastery is still in use by the monks. It has been opened as a museum to people who are interested in the centuries-old history, dynamic and flourishing, with its wealth reflected in the stunning building complexes, the well preserved and painted interiors and wother art works. The museum has a keeper who takes care of the interiors and makes the first moves to do the necessary improvement and preparation of various exhibitions.
Admission fees:
PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS
Adults: ..................................................................................................... € 4,50 Students..........................................................................................……. € 2,00
Seniors: .................................................................................................. € 3,00
Families (at least three people): ............................................................. € 7,00
TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS
Adults: .................................................................................................... € 2,00
Students: ................................................................................................ free of charge
People with special needs and children are free of charge for all exhibitions.
