Ljubljana: not just fun to say

Ljubljana (4 hours by car or 6 hours by train from Munich) not only fulfilled my love of places with silly names, but it also turned out to be charming little city and a fun place to hang out.

Ljubljana is quite small for a capital city, so it’s not long in the ‘touristy things to see and do’ category. Which is nice, really, because one can just focus on soaking up the atmosphere without feeling tied to a schedule of things to see and do. If we had been slightly more organized we probably would have gone on a walking tour; as it was we just wandered around and enjoyed the place, making the hilltop castle our only specific destination.

During a thunderstorm we ducked into a wine bar and discovered that Slovenia produces some very delicious whites.

One guidebook compared Ljubljana to Salzburg. We did notice a few similarities, particularly how both cities prefer to honor their famous dead citizens with chocolate balls.

Our food choices tended towards the Italian, since we were told that Slovenian food was very meat-centered. Indeed, the word “stallion” did appear multiple times on pretty much every menu we scoped out.

Evening is when this city really turns on the charm. The river is lined with lively outdoor bars and cafes, and the bridges and buildings are lit up just so. In the main square we were treated to a live performance of Slovenian pop music which had us singing all the way back to the hotel.

Slovenia is the first eastern European country to adopt the euro, making a quick trip there pleasantly free of currency exchanging. Prices are still lower than in many western European cities. We stayed at the Hotel Slon, which was very central, a good value, and had a great breakfast buffet.