Slovenia - Ljubljana

 A Long Time Coming...

COVID wasn't much fun for anyone. We fared well, but amongst the things COVID destroyed was our wanderlust - we stayed close to home, and leaned into Canada.

Well, with COVID gone(ish), we've started to feel the "itch" again... so we're back on the road - this time on a Euro travel leg.  We pickup our adventures in Ljubljana, Slovenia.  

Why Ljubljana (Slovenia)?

Slovenia is beautiful.  It's northern alpine regions are spectacular, boasting emerald lakes, rugged mountains and a notable lack of traffic.  The entire country feels under-sold - like tourism is about to beat down its door... and that's why we came.

Ljubljana is in the center of Slovenia, wedged between Venice and Zagreb.  It remains a quaint, friendly, accessible, well-organized and authentic experience.  Ljubljana is a great place to decompress after overseas travel.  Once you've reset your circadian rhythm, Ljubljana becomes an incredible launch point for NE Europe.  

Ljubljana's old city

English and French (our 1st and 2nd languages) are commonly spoken in Slovenia allowing us to avoid honing our charades skills 😅

Ljubljana - open for tourism, though not yet on the beaten path

As of July 2023, Slovenia remains a relatively low-cost EU entry point... petrol, food, accommodations, car rentals, etc. are all much less pricey than flashier locations like Vienna, Paris, Berlin, etc.

As a family of 5, esp. with older children, our trips need to scale. We need bigger cars (even though we pack very light), we feed 5 mouths every time we sit down at a terrasse.  All 3 of our kids are (and eat like) athletes - we look for (and choose) family-friendly, sporty, outdoor-oriented destinations.  

Slovenia has all that, as you will see over the next few posts!

Accommodations

We leveraged AirBNB and VRBO in Slovenia (and Ljubljana specifically).  Our hosts held true to the spirit of AirBNB - they offered experiences and hosting, not just short term rentals.

We stayed in an awesome apartment in the downtown core of Ljubljana with a parking spot (for our rented vehicle).  Parking is hard to come by in the downtown.  Our place was recently converted from a bar to an apartment, but the decor was kept intact... sort of like sleeping in a museum - a time piece of sorts.

Our pub-partment

Our hostess met us, let us in, and then guided us towards affordable groceries, SIM cards and quick-but-healthy, authentic eats. She was superb.

History

I'd be lying if I pretended to understand Slovenia's (or Ljubljana's) history - a few days in a country/city, with jet lag, simply isn't enough to even scratch the surface.

I think it's fair to say that Slovenia's story is tied to it's reformations over the years - most notably the Roman Empire, rule under Peter 1st, the WWII German occupation, and subsequent formation and then breakup of communist Yugoslavia.  

Likely as a result of this constant upheaval, Slovenia come across to us is a mashup of cultures.  It's language is closely related to other former Yugoslav languages, but it sure sounds (to the untrained ear) like a blend of Russian and quite a bit more.

Food and Culture

In the Ljubljana (and elsewhere), you see notable influences from neighboring Italy - there is a pizzeria on every corner.  In the Slovenian west, there are plenty of "I" EU license plates on the roads.  Cafes abound - generally serving top-notch coffee, including undeniably excellent Cappuccinos.

Street food in Ljubljana

Kebap (wrap like a Doner, similar to Shawarma)

Street food is, in our experience, a cultural finger on the pulse.  Slovenian street food is varied - including Burek (a Turkish import - a tube of Phyllo dough wrapping spiced ground beef), Kebap (Doner - a German mid-eastern wrap of Turkish descent), Štruklji (a Slovenian savoury rolled dumpling), Pizza (Italian), Kranjska sausages and sauerkraut (Slovene and German), and so much more.  

Solid Italian pizza

By the river, Ljubljana has a thriving culinary scene.  Hundreds of terrific restaurants line the waterway with outdoor seating. The grub on offer ranges from Asian to fine French cuisine.

The pedestrian restaurant walk at night (including a great lightening storm!)

Nothing beats a decent ramen for this family

Oddly, Ljubljana is tattooed with graffiti - it's nearly everywhere - including the prim and proper.

Just another street in Ljubljana

Graffiti is so much a part of Ljubljana that there is a dedicated street art location within city limits.

Seriously great street art

Parker blending in...

With the Ljubljanica river flowing through town, you can still find the city's old world charm.

Still old school

Ljubljanans are friendly - smiles greet you everywhere, helpfulness is automatic and nobody we met (save one guy) had a chip on his/her shoulder.  English is almost everywhere, making it less tempting to learn Slovenian... but allowing foreigners like us to get to know people and relax.  

Old world charn

Ljubljana seems to run a little slower than other EU capital cities - like Paris and Vienna.  There is a sense that people "stop and smell the roses" on the downtown streets.  There are no honking horns, revving engines, middle fingers, or other telltale signs of a harried/unsustainable pace. 

This may have something to do with Slovenia's main industries being manufacturing, electrical manufacturing, pharma and automotive... we're not talking about bankers, traders, programmers and lawyers here!

There's a castle in town (as is the case in nearly every substantial Slovenian town).  It's accessible by Funicular... or you could just walk!

The steep road up to the castle

Cops don't seem to bother people with trivialities - we sped a bit in the countryside and made a few roadway mistakes (sometimes with a cruiser present), but we were never hassled.

Parker exploring the castle

Did I mention we are a volleyball family?  Ljubljana has an amazing private volleyball and tennis facility just outside of town. We bring a deflated volleyball everywhere we go, just so we can do this:

Taking full advantage of Slovenia's volleyball enthusiasm

 and this...

Boom!

Note the advertising for 'Triglav' - this will come up again in later posts!

Driving

Driving is right-hand side of the road - just like North America.  Most signs are passably understandable for English speakers. Overall, roads are very well marked and most asphalt is in amazing condition - certainly better than we're used to in Canada!

beautiful in-town driving

Drivers respect the law and are courteous.  Traffic flow is orderly and drivers respect queues.  There are traffic cameras, but all are discoverable on Google Maps as you drive. We definitely recommend driving in Slovenia!

Green Slovenia - the airport road into Ljubljana

In Review

We loved quaint, fun and family-friendly Ljubljana.  It lacks the bustle and snootiness of bigger centers in Europe but boasts friendliness, eye-catching colours, great food, old world charm and an edgy newness.  It's a great launchpad for travels around Slovenia - definitely more than just an airport stop!