Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
When Napoléon established his Illyrian Provinces in 1809 in a bid to cut Habsburg
Austria's access to the Adriatic, he made Ljubljana the capital (though Austrian rule was
restored just four years later). In 1821 Ljubljana walked onto the world stage when the
four members of the Holy Alliance (Austria, Prussia, Russia and Naples) met at the Con-
gress of Laibach to discuss measures to suppress the democratic revolutionary and nation-
al movements in Italy.
Railways linked Ljubljana with Vienna and Trieste in 1849 and 1857, stimulating eco-
nomic development of the town. But in 1895 another, more powerful earthquake struck,
forcing the city to rebuild once again. To Ljubljana's great benefit, the Secessionist and
art-nouveau styles were all the rage in Central Europe at the time, and many of the won-
derful buildings erected then still stand.
During WWII Ljubljana was occupied by the Italians and then the Germans, who en-
circled the city with a barbed-wire fence creating, in effect, an urban concentration camp.
Ljubljana became the capital of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia within Yugoslavia in
1945 and remained the capital after Slovenia's independence in 1991.
LJUBLJANA IN…
One Day
Take the funicular up to
Ljubljana Castle
to get an idea of the lay of the land. Come down and explore the
Cent-
ral Market
. After a seafood lunch at
Ribca
, explore the
Old Town
then cross the Ljubljanica River via St James
Bridge and walk north along Vegova ulica to
Kongresni trg
and
Prešernov trg
. Plan your evening over a fortify-
ing libation at one of the many cafes along the Ljubljanica: low key at
Jazz Club Gajo
, chichi at
Top: Eat &
Party
, trashy at
Ultra
or alternative at
Metelkova Mesto
.
Two Days
On your second day check out some of the city's excellent
museums
and
galleries,
and then stroll or cycle on a
Ljubljana Bike
through
Park Tivoli
, stopping for an oh-so-local horse burger at
Hot Horse
along the way. In
the evening take in a performance at the
Križanke
or
Cankarjev Dom
and then visit one of the
clubs
you missed
last night.
Sights
The easiest way to see Ljubljana is on foot. The oldest part of town, with the most import-
ant historical buildings and sights (including Ljubljana Castle) lies on the right (east) bank
of the Ljubljanica River. Center, which has the lion's share of the city's museums and gal-
leries, is on the left (west) side of the river.
