Two days in Ljubljana

Thursday 14th October - Friday 15th October

This morning we take the bus direction Slovenia and its capital, the pretty Ljubljana. We arrive at 14:30 pm at the bus station and we cross all the city to go to our hostel. At 3 pm, we are there. It is to say you if Ljubljana is small. Nothing surprising for a country smaller than the region Pays de la Loire in France (for comparison, Slovenia is 33 times smaller than France).

It is small, but you are immediately won over: the paved streets, the river which crosses the center, the numerous bars and restaurants with their terrace, the market, you can only feel good. The absence of cars is pleasant, the center of Ljubljana is completely pedestrian since 2007. Free electric cabs are available for everyone for those who are tired.

This evening, we admire the sunset on the roof top of a building. Fortunately, the bar provides blankets, it is very cold at the end of the day.

At dinner time, we are very surprised by the price of the restaurants. They are almost the Parisian prices. Maybe it is because we are in the city center, but we do not have the courage to go to see further this evening. We buy a soup in the supermarket of the corner, that we shall taste in the kitchen of the hostel.

The following morning, we leave to the discovery of the castle of Ljubljana, perched on a hill. The sight of the city is sublime there.

At the end of the morning, we head to the central square, where a guide is waiting for us for a free tour of the city (thanks to the hostel owner for the info 😊). We learn a lot about both the Slovenian way of life, and the history of the country and the city.

After this instructive visit, we have lunch on the market place. The goulash is delicious!

We continue with the discovery of the Franciscan church of the Annunciation (the famous pink church of Ljubljana). It should be known that it was built in red, but because of the rain, gradually faded. Having become a symbol for the city, the city council decided to keep it in this color.

After a small nap in the park Tivoli, we go towards the district Metelkova: a former headquarters of the Yugoslav army that the artists squatted after obtaining the independence in June 1991. It has become a cultural place in its own right, and is the district where young people meet and where most concerts take place. The graffiti make it a very colorful place!

Tonight, we have dinner at the market: several restaurateurs of the city have a stand there and offer Slow Food (quality above all). It is also an opportunity to taste the local drinks, namely Union beer and cviček wine (a mixture of red and white wine, which looks like rosé).

We spend our last evening in Ljubljana, in company of our comrades of dormitory, Americans and Frenchwomen!

Tomorrow, we are going to discover the rest of the country!