Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Stolna Cerkev Sv Nikolaja; 234 26 90;
http://lj-stolnica.rkc.si
; Dolničarjeva ulica 1;
10am-noon & 3-6pm)
A church has stood here since the 13th century, but the existing
twin-towered building dates from the start of the 18th century. Inside it's a vision of pink
marble, white stucco and gilt and contains a panoply of baroque frescoes. Have a look at
the magnificent carved choir stalls, the organ and the angels on the main altar.
Two stunning bronze doors were added in 1996 to commemorate the late Pope John
Paul II's visit - the (main) west door facing the Bishop's Palace symbolises 1250 years of
Christianity in Slovenia; the six bishops on the south door fronting Ciril Metodov trg de-
pict the history of the Ljubljana diocese.
CENTER
This large district on the left bank of the Ljubljanica is the nerve centre of modern
Ljubljana. It is filled with shops, commercial offices, government departments and em-
bassies. The region is divided into several distinct neighbourhoods centred on town
squares.
NOVI TRG
'New Square', south of Cobbler Bridge, was a walled settlement of fisherfolk outside the
town administration in the Middle Ages, but it became more aristocratic from the 16th
century. It suffered extensive damage in the 1895 earthquake, but medieval remnants in-
clude the very narrow street to the north called
Židovska ulica
and its offshoot Židovska
steza (Jewish Lane), once the site of a synagogue and the centre of Jewish life here in the
Middle Ages.
Breg
, the city's port when the Ljubljanica River was still navigable this far
inland, runs south from the square and is now almost entirely pedestrianised.
HISTORIC BUILDING
National & University Library
( 200 11 09; Turjaška ulica 1; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-2pm Sat)
This library is
Plečnik's masterpiece, completed in 1941. To appreciate this great man's philosophy, enter
through the main door (note the horse-head doorknobs) on Turjaška ulica - you'll find
yourself in near darkness, entombed in black marble. As you ascend the steps, you'll
emerge into a colonnade suffused with light - the light of knowledge, according to the ar-
chitect's plans.
The
Main Reading Room
(Velika Čitalnica), now open to nonstudents only by group
tour in summer, has huge glass walls and some stunning lamps, also designed by Plečnik.
Slovenian Academy of Arts & Sciences
HISTORIC BUILDING
