Our first impression of Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana (“lyoo-BLYAH-nah” is a basic phonetic guide for those curious), was of a quaint city with an idyllic atmosphere. The Ljubljanica River weaves through the “old town” part of the city, where trees and cafes line the bank. It feels like just the right mix of nature with historical architecture with modern conveniences. The people are friendly and seemed to appreciate our poor attempts at speaking Slovenian, but thankfully, almost everyone speaks English, so they are willing to jump in when they realise you aren’t a local.
We decided this was the perfect place to bring along the dog for a day trip, as many shops and cafes here are very pet-friendly. After one or two spew-stops for the dog on the drive there (she gets a little car-sick), we arrived and made our way to the old town centre, where the bustling markets were in full swing. The day was swelteringly hot, so this meant frequent stops to keep the dog hydrated and shaded were a good excuse to try a gelato here, and a coffee there.
Just as we were considering calling it a day because we didn’t want to keep the dog out in the heat too long, a thunderstorm and torrential rain began, seemingly out of nowhere. Normally a bit of rain wouldn’t stop us, but we were completely unprepared and this was extreme enough that all the streets cleared out immediately. Market-goers fled into their nearest cafe, and those who still needed to get somewhere hopped from door-frame to door-frame down streets with no awnings. Unfortunately, we were the latter. At some point, probably about the time we realised it wasn’t letting up and we were soaked to the bone, Matt and I turned to each other and agreed, “What’s a few more drops?! Let’s just commit”, and promptly strolled through the downpour. We laughed at the people crammed right to the door in every cafe we passed, and they looked at us like we were insane. A large group gathered under the safety of a cafe marquee clapped and cheered us on as we walked by, looking like drowned rats resigned to our current predicament. Thankfully, we had a towel in the car to dry off the dog, and we sat in our wet clothes the whole way home, looking forward to a nice, warm shower.
Because our day trip was cut short, we thought a second visit to Ljubljana (without the dog this time) would be worthwhile. It was the perfect day to see the city, and we loved ambling through the tidy, cobbled streets. I particularly liked the cute shops with locally made crafts and pottery. We also knew we needed to pay a visit to Klobasarna, THE place to get the famous Kranjska klobasa (Carniolan sausage) and of course, you can take a funicular up to see the castle on the hill sitting above the old town.
Tourist Tip: If you want an easy and FREE way to get around the city, there are little electric cars that can take you around, courtesy of the city’s tourism board. ‘Kavalirs‘ (“gentle helpers”) are used for elderly and for visitors, and are environmentally friendly – nice one, Slovenia!
As a side excursion, we also visited the extraordinary Predjama Castle. It was a little bit of a detour out from where we were, but after spotting photos of it on Instagram, I knew we needed to go here. It was well worth the trip, and many who visit the castle also explore the nearby Postojna Cave (you can also get packages for entry to both here). We wish we had had time for both, but we barely had time to discover all the hidden passages in the castle as it was. Predjama Castle is made unique by its location. The medieval castle was built in the middle of an 123m high cliff-face, with secret tunnels and cave systems running behind and underneath it. Legend tells of its unassailable walls withstanding an attack from the Holy Roman Empire, meanwhile the inhabitants would sneak out through the secret passage and replenish food and water. The attack lasted just over a year, ending with the unfortunate death of its owner, Erazem Lueger, who was betrayed by one of his servants and blasted with a canon while he was on the toilet.
The Land Cruisers 