Lublijana,Slovenia

We were up very early to catch a flight from Naples to Venice where we connected with a driver who drove us over the border and into Slovenia. The ride was very scenic as the countryside reminded us a little of Switzerland. Really couldn't get a good picture of the small villages as we drove but managed this one  that shows the green  countryside. 

Many people wonder where Slovenia is located so I got a map that shows most of Europe with Slovenia almost in the middle in the green section just above gold coloured Italy. 

 

It therefore has a number of bordering countries including Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia and is really easy to access by car from Italy. We crossed the border with no hassle, not even stopped for a check. It is also the furtherest north we have been on this trip. 

A bit of history of Slovenia compliments of the CIA website:

The Slovene lands were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the latter's dissolution at the end of World War I. In 1918, the Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats in forming a new multinational state, which was named Yugoslavia in 1929. After World War II, Slovenia became a republic of the renewed Yugoslavia, which though communist, distanced itself from Moscow's rule. Dissatisfied with the exercise of power by the majority Serbs, the Slovenes succeeded in establishing their independence in 1991 after a short 10-day war. Historical ties to Western Europe, a strong economy, and a stable democracy have assisted in Slovenia's transformation to a modern state. Slovenia acceded to both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004; it joined the euro zone and the Schengen zone in 2007.

It is a relatively small country with a population of 2 million with approximately 250,000 living in the capital city of Lublijana where we stayed for a week. 

We had a lovely apartment here on this residential street about 30 minutes walk to the Center. We enjoyed our walk  every day as there were green spaces everywhere and Spring was in the air. 

This was the park at the end of the street where there was also huge recreation facilities. We were amazed as we walked everyday just how much activity these people do. They all ride bikes, scoot around on their skateboards or jog pass you. We commented that this must be one of the most active cities we have ever visited. 

The Center of Lublijana is surrounded by rivers and we would walk them everyday, again amazed at their beauty...

The weather was beautiful there, a true Spring which in NL we seldom experience so with the sun shining on the river it was many shades of blue and green.

River boat rides which we meant to do and just didn't get around to it.

On Fridays in the Central Market they hold a food festival with local chefs offering up their specialities. We passed on this one...

But there was lots of delicious offerings...

The locals were enjoying the food and the sun...

One of the things we really enjoyed about Lublijana besides its beauty was the youthful vibe in the city as it is home to a large university population. 

The Center of the city is car free so a pleasure to walk around...

Lots of bikes though with dedicated bike lanes everywhere 

Another feature of the city is the cafe culture, again we could not recall any place we had visited where there were so many cafes, bars and restaurants which were always occupied. 

This was our coffee place in the morning, it was the cheapest coffee we found in all of Europe and it was good. The place is a hangout for young students so we often had good conversations with them as lots of them were eager to see what we were all about!

Just a few of the many others around town...

Overlooking the town is a castle built in the 15th century which gives a great view, only 10 or 15 minutes walk or you could take a funicular up and down.

 Views from the top...

Looking down on the main square...

Mountains in the distance

A rare picture of the both of us...

Since the river runs through the city there are a number of beautiful bridges including this one featuring a dragon...

The Ljubljana dragon is by far one of  the most recognisable symbol of the capital city. From the Baroque era onwards, the dragon is a part of the city emblem. The dragon symbolizes courage, grandeur and power. It appears on car registration plates and buildings and it stands majestically on the Dragon Bridge. It is also present in various heraldic signs. The city flag brandishes the dragon as well. 

Other bridges...

This bridge holds hundreds of locks symbolizing expressions of love...

These three bridges very close together are in the main square.

Another view of the square...

 

Thee is also a central market which was quite interesting...

local honey 

My favourite fruits and vegetables 

Beautiful flowers...

Since it was the Easter season they are also selling olive branches and brightly coloured flowers made out of crepe, these are tied together and brought to church on Palm Sunday to be blessed. They are then kept in the house until next Easter. Everywhere we looked people were going with these...

Another day we walked a little outside the city Center to a big park called Tivoli where again many people were enjoying the beauty of this place...

A few randoms ...

There was just so much to love about Lublijana, it's laid back atmosphere yet energetic vibe, it's natural beauty, it's great architecture and street art. We both really enjoyed our time here so much that we didn't do as many day trips as planned but instead with the gorgeous  weather chose to relax and enjoy the charms of Lublijana. Definitely one of the nicest small cities we have ever visited. 

Even loved it's graffiti!