Slovenia - Eastern Europe - page 653

buildings, and developing its squares and bridges. Best of all, the city is small and
compact, so you'll see plenty of it with little effort.
GETTING THERE
Although Aerodrom Ljubljana (Brnik 130a; & 04/206-1000; www.lju-airport.si),
located at Brnik, 23km (14 miles) from the city, isn't the busiest place in Europe, there
are regular flights arriving from Paris, London, Prague, Zurich, and Frankfurt, as well
as smaller regional cities. You can rent a car at the airport from Avis ( & 01/583-8780;
www.avis.si) and return it when you fly home. Taxis, airport shuttles, and public buses
all operate between the terminal and the city, but the best option, in terms of cost and
efficiency, is to hop on one of the special buses operated by Adria Airlines. These run
from early until midnight and are more or less scheduled to coincide with the arrival
of their flights; the trip to the city lasts half an hour, and terminates at the city bus
station (Avtobusna postaja; Trg Osvobodilne fronte 4; & 01/234-4600; www.
ap-ljubljana.si), which is also the main point of arrival and departure for other Slovene
and European destinations. Ljubljana's train station ( Z elezni s ka postaja) is next to the
bus station, and has a currency exchange facility as well as tourist information office
( & 01/433-9475 ). The stations are a 10-minute walk from the center.
CITY LAYOUT
Most of the tourist action is within a small, compact area centered on Ljubljana's Old
Town, which straddles a bend in the Ljubljaniker River. For more detail see “Explor-
ing Ljubljana's Center,” below.
GETTING AROUND THE CITY
This is a city for walking, and you'll be irritated and frustrated if you try to explore it
by car; finding parking—even on quiet days—is hellish. Hotels beyond walking dis-
tance of the center usually provide shuttle services, and taxis are very reliable.
BUSES Decent, comfortable public buses will get you wherever you need to go; the
network is extensive and route maps clearly indicate when and where buses are going.
Purchase bus tokens from newspaper kiosks and some shops, or deposit the exact fare
(around 1 € /$1.25 before the official adoption of the euro) into the box next to the

driver.
TAXIS Call & 9700 (and all numbers through 9709) to have a cab pick you up.
Alternatively, you can hail a taxi on the street; you'll always find taxis at the station
and smarter hotels. Rumeni Taxi ( & 041-731-831 ) is another option.
OTHER To really get your bearings, consider a 90-minute hot-air balloon ride
organized by any of the tourist information centers. For a more down-to-earth sight-
seeing option, rent a bicycle (also from tourist information; see details below).
VISITOR INFORMATION
Ljubljana knows that tourism is where it's at, and there's a great deal of literature and
assistance for visitors. Right in the heart of the Old Town, at one end of the Triple
Bridge, is Ljubljana Tourist Information Centre ( & 01/306-1215; www.ljubljana-
tourism.si), an excellent source for sightseeing advice; it's also where you can buy the
Ljubljana Card (around 13 /$16), a 72-hour discount passport that is only truly use-

ful if you are able to use it for reductions on accommodations or car rentals, in which
case you'll score major savings. Slovenian Tourism (Krekov trg 10; & 01/306-4575/6;

€