Ljubljana Sights

  1. Botanical Gardens

    About 800m southeast of the Old Town along Karlovška cesta and over the Ljubljanica River, this 2.5-hectare botanical garden was founded in 1810 as a sanctuary of native flora. It contains 4500 species of plants and trees, about a third of which are indigenous, and is overseen by the University of Ljubljana.

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  2. Cathedral of St Nicholas

    Dominating Pogačarjev trg is the Cathedral of St Nicholas. 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 palace of pink marble, white stucco and gilt, with frescoes by baroque master Giulio Quaglio and 19th-century artist Matevž Langus.

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  3. Church of St James

    The Church of St James was built in 1615. Inside the church, far more interesting than Robba's main altar (1732) is the one in the church's Chapel of St Francis Xavier to the left, with statues of a 'White Queen' and a 'Black King'.

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  4. Church of St John the Baptist

    On the south side of Gradaščica Canal is the Church of St John the Baptist, which has a lovely carved altar and where the poet Prešeren met the love of his life, Julija Primic.

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  5. Ferant Garden

    Behind Cankarjev Dom is Ferant Garden, with the remains of an early Christian church porch and baptistery with mosaics from the 4th century. To visit you must first contact the City Museum.

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  7. Franciscan Church of the Annunciation

    The 17th-century Italianate Franciscan Church of the Annunciation (stands on the northern side of the square. The interior is not so interesting with its six side altars and enormous choir stall, though the main altar was designed by the Italian sculptor Francesco Robba (1698-1757).

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  8. Gruber Palace

    Across Karlovška cesta is Gruber Palace. Gabriel Gruber, the Jesuit who built the Gruber Canal (Gruberjev Prekop) that regulates the Ljubljanica, lived here until 1784. The palace is in Zopf style, a transitional art style between late baroque and neoclassicism, and now contains the national archives . If you look eastward on Karlovška cesta to No 1, you'll see what was once the Balkan Gate, the southernmost point of the Old Town.

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  9. Križanke

    'French Revolution Square' was for centuries the headquarters of the Teutonic Knights of the Cross ( Križniki ). They built a commandery here in the early 13th century, which was transformed into the Križanke monastery complex in 1714. Today it serves as the headquarters of the Ljubljana Summer Festival , with an open-air theatre seating 1400 people. The Ilirija Column in the centre of the square is dedicated to Napoleon.

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  10. Ljubljana Architectural Museum

    The exhibits at Ljubljana Architectural Museum put much emphasis on Plečnik, focusing on his work at home and abroad, and some stunning unrealised projects.

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  11. Ljubljana Castle

    Known as Ljubljana Castle (Ljubljanski Grad), there have been fortifications of one kind or another on Castle Hill (Grajska Planota) since at least Celtic times, but the existing Ljublijana Castle mostly dates from a 16th-century rebuilding following the 1511 earthquake. It was a royal residence in the 17th and 18th centuries and a prison and barracks in the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries.

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  13. Ljubljana City Museum

    At the eastern end of Trg Francoske Revolucije is the excellent Ljubljana City Museum, which has reopened after a four-year renovation and focuses on Ljubljana's history, culture and politics. The reconstructed Roman street that linked the eastern gates of Emona to the Ljubljanica, and the collection of well-preserved classical artefacts in the basement are worth a visit in themselves.

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  14. Ljubljana Zoo

    The 20-hectare Ljubljana Zoo, on the southern slope of Rožnik Hill (394m), contains 580 animals representing more than 150 species. There's also a petting zoo for children. It's an upbeat and well-landscaped menagerie.

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  15. Mestni Trg town hall

    Mestni trg (Town Square) is dominated by the Mestni Trg town hall, the seat of the city government. It was erected in the late 15th century and rebuilt in 1718. The Gothic courtyard inside, arcaded on three levels, is where theatrical performances once took place and contains some lovely sgraffiti. If you look above the south portal leading to a second courtyard you'll see a relief map of Ljubljana in the second half of the 17th century.

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  16. Museum of Contemporary History of Slovenia

    The Museum of Contemporary History of Slovenia, housed in the 18th-century Cekin Mansion (Grad Cekinov) just northeast of the Tivoli Recreation Centre, traces the history of Slovenia in the 20th century through multimedia and artefacts. Note the contrast between the sober earnestness of the communist-era Room G and the exuberant, logo-mad commercialism of the neighbouring industrial exhibit in Room H.

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  17. Museum of Modern Art

    Housed in an ugly modern building (Edvard Ravnikar; 1939-51), the inwardly vibrant and inspiring Museum of Modern Art exhibits a permanent collection of 20th-century Slovenian art on two floors that helps put some of the socialist-inspired work of sculptors such as Jakob Savinšek ( Protest ) into artistic perspective.

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  19. National Gallery

    Slovenia's foremost collection of fine art, the National Gallery offers works from the 17th to 19th centuries (check out works by 'national Romantics' Pavel Künl, Marko Pernhart and Anton Karinger), copies of medieval frescoes and a wonderful Gothic statuary (1896). Although the subjects of the earlier paintings are the usual foppish nobles and lemon-lipped clergymen, some of the later works are remarkable.

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  20. National Museum of Slovenia

    On the western side of parklike Trg Narodnih Herojev, the National Museum of Slovenia occupies an elegant 1888 building. It has a large collection but at the time of writing only highlights from the rich archaeological and coin collections were on display.

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  21. Natural History Museum

    Housed in 16 rooms and hallways of the same impressive building as the National Museum, the Natural History Museum contains the usual reassembled mammoth and whale skeletons, stuffed birds, reptiles and mammals. However, the mineral collections amassed by the philanthropic Baron Žiga Zois in the early 19th century and the display on Slovenia's unique salamander Proteus anguinus are worth a visit.

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  22. Opera House

    The graceful Opera House, northeast of the National Museum, opened in 1892 as the Provincial Theatre, and plays in German and Slovene were performed here. After WWI it was renamed the Opera House and is now home to the Slovenian National Opera and Ballet companies.

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  23. Orthodox Church

    The interior of the Serbian Orthodox Church, built in 1936 and dedicated to Sts Cyril and Methodius, is covered from floor to ceiling with colourful modern frescoes. There is a richly carved iconostasis separating the nave from the sanctuary.

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  25. Parliament Building

    The renovated Parliament Building, built in 1959 at the northeast corner of the square, is no beauty pageant winner on the outside but the mammoth portal festooned with bronze sculptures is noteworthy. It's worth joining one of the infrequent guided tours at the weekend to see the inside, especially the period-piece mural in the vestibule of the Large Hall depicting the history of Slovenia.

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  26. Philharmonic Hall

    The Philharmonic Hall in the southeast corner or the Kongresni Trg Square is home to the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, which was founded in 1701 and is one of the oldest in the world. Haydn, Beethoven and Brahms were honorary members, and Gustav Mahler was resident conductor for a season (1881-82).

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  27. Plečnik Collection

    A short distance south from the Gradaščica Canal is the house where Jože Plečnik lived and worked for almost 40 years. Today it houses the Ljubljana Architectural Museum's Plečnik Collection. There's an excellent introduction by guided tour to this almost ascetically religious man, his inspirations and his work.

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  28. Prešernov Trg

    The centrepiece of Ljubljana's wonderful architectural aesthetic is this marvellous square, a public space of understated elegance that not only serves as the link between the Center district and the Old Town but as the city's favourite meeting point. The square itself is dominated by a monument to the national poet France Prešeren.

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  29. Slovenian Ethnographic Museum

    The new Slovenian Ethnographic Museum, housed in the 1886 Belgian Barracks on the southern edge of Metelkova, has a permanent collection on the 3rd floor. There's traditional Slovenian trades and handicrafts - everything from beekeeping and blacksmithing to glass-painting and pottery making - and some excellent exhibits directed at children. Temporary exhibits are on the 1st and 2nd floors. Allow extra time for this one; it's excellent.

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