Ljubljana's tranquil city centre

Slovenia’s diminutive capital, Ljubljana doesn’t contain the same cachet of world-famous attractions as other European capitals but that’s part of its charm. Still relatively undiscovered, its beautifully preserved core is flanked by old churches, a hilltop castle and, in summer, plenty of outdoor restaurants and a constant stream of festivals. Based in the city, Nina Susnjara is one of Slovenia’s most successful designers. She dresses Slovenian celebrities and works closely with the country’s most prestigious fashion publications. Her latest collections – inspired by urban culture and ’70s style icons – received rave reviews both at home and abroad. She gives her tips on the best of Ljubljana.

You should visit Ljubljana because it’s a modern, urban city combined with many hidden and sweet places to visit, hide, party and explore. Thanks to this combincation, Ljubljana is probably the best small city in the world and you really should check it out.

The best thing about Ljubljana is that you can afford real culinary pleasures, because Ljubljana’s restaurants are budget-friendly and the variety of different cuisines on offer is really rich. Another best thing about Ljubljana is the heart of the city, its old centre, which has a soul and story to tell. Streets are full of historical and cultural heritage and you can easily fall in love with them. You can have the nicest walk through the pedestrianised city centre. 

The worst thing about Ljubljana is probably how difficult it is to get a with parking space around the centre, but that doesn’t really affect tourists and can be easily solved by taking taxis, which aren’t expensive. And one more thing: we do not have Starbucks which, dependent on your preference, could be a good or a bad thing.

People from Ljubljana are friendly, relaxed and easy going.

My favourite district is definitely the centre of the city with its vibrant and dynamic atmosphere and I also love Ljubljanica, the river that flows through it. When visiting, I would suggest a pleasant walk along the river side, during which you can admire buildings designed by Plecnik, the famous Slovenian architect. His work is characterised by iconic, classical forms used in surprising, often unconventional ways. At the end of your walk past the city’s main sights, you can take a boat ride down the river. This way you can see Ljubljana from a different perspective.

My favourite shops are not really conventional shops at all. Because I love to cook, I adore our main food market with fresh vegetables, fruits and spices, especially on Saturdays, when it’s really vibrant. On Sundays I love to go to the flea market that takes place along the Ljubljanica river in the centre. There you can find great books, vintage accessories, art and other trinkets. Don’t miss it. If you are looking for Slovenian fashion-designer shops, you can find them in the hidden streets of the city. Shops with world-famous fashion brand are Hibrid, Galerija Emporium, Midas, Monarda and many more. And of course I spend a lot of time in my showroom too.

A design from Nina's Ellement collection

When you’re in Ljubljana be sure to try some of our excellent wines. Zelen is a fantastic indigenous Slovenian white wine and Teran is a red wine from the Kras region. Both are really highly recognised and are great quality. We have some real typical Slovenian dishes, such as Kranjska sausage, zganci, a polenta-like dish made from buckwheat flour, and prekmurska gibanica, a layered cake stuffed with poppy seeds, walnuts, apples and other fruits. Sokol and Na Gradu are good places to try the dishes. Both are in the centre of Ljubljana and they’re good value too.

My favourite place to eat depends on the occasion. For high-class dining I recommend Rotovz, As, Cubo and J&B (which is among S. Pellegrino The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2010). For everyday dining, my favorite place would be Sushimama – you can guess what they serve there - and Spajza (on Gornji trg street), where I recommend the goose paté. For ice cream, coffee or fruit you can escape to Tivoli Park, our own “Central Park”. There you can find a place called Colnarna near the lake. For the best cake and sweets go to Zvezda.

Spend your night out at Top club, if you want to keep things mainstream, or at Skyscraper club, where you can have your Sex and the City moment. For a more underground and cool evening, start at Pri Zelenem Zajcu or Zmavc (a student hangout on Rimska cesta) and continue in K4 or Metelkova City. If you are more of a rock soul, I recommend Orto bar. No matter where you go in Ljubljana, nights out conclude by eating a very greasy and very delicious burek on Miklosiceva street. We like to think it’s a good way to prevent a strong hangover the next day.

The most overrated sight in the city is probably the funicular railway. It runs up to Ljubljana Castle but you can avoid the crowds and queuing by taking the train or walking up. And you’ll be able to linger over the beautiful view of the city on the way. Another tip if you’d like great views of the city is to take a short hike to Smarna Gora hill.

You definitely shouldn’t miss experiencing a concert at the Plecnik-designed Krizanke theatre or visiting the street theatre festival Ana Desetnica if you visit in July.

Something you won’t find anywhere else is a more conveniently located capital! The city is in the centre of Slovenia so whether you want to visit our coast or our mountains you can be there in about an hour.

Take home a bottle of good Slovenian wine, and recipes for some of our dishes so you can keep your Ljubljana memories with you.

For more information on Ljubljana go to www.visitljubljana.si. For more information on holidaying in Slovenia go to www.slovenia.info

The Ljubljanica River