With a population of less than 300.000, Ljubljana is one of the smallest capital cities in Europe. But, it’s a a wonderful city to explore. Its relaxed and friendly, but also buzzing with life. Lonely Planet ranked it at number two on their ‘Best in Europe’ list in 2014.
No.1 Grab your Hello Ljubljana Hand Fan
You can find your free copy of Hello Ljubljana in Ljubljana Tourist Information Centre, and many hotels, hostels, restaurants, caffe shops in the city centre.
Why should you grab one? Along with being a creative cooling device, it’s also packed with information on best places to visit in Ljubljana with additional discounts if you come with your hand fan.
And who doesn’t like vacation even more when you take advantage of wallet-friendly Hello Ljubljana perks?
No.2 Explore the city on foot
Ljubljana is great to explore on foot, with a lot of pedestrian areas, green parks and nice hills to climb on.
So, comfortable walking shoes – BIG YES. High heels – only on your night out 🙂
If you travel with your personal car, parking in the city garage costs 1.50 euro per hour.
No.3 Use free Kavalir transport services
Ljubljana’s electric-powered vehicles referred to as Kavalirs (Gentle Helpers) are a free city centre public transport. They run around the pedestrianized historical city centre at a speed slow enough to allow you to hail them anywhere on the street.
Friendly Kavalir drivers will take you anywhere within the city centre pedestrian zone.
No.4 Discover Ljubljana on a bicycle
BicikeLJ bicycle-sharing system is a great way to explore the city almost for free. The only cost involved is the symbolic fee for compulsory online registration with the system, which stands at €1.00 for a week and €3.00 for a year and must be completed in advance of hiring.
Biking in Ljubljana is easy! The city center is flat, there are 8 docking stations in the city and you can see all the major sights on a bike.
No.5 Get free pass with Ljubljana card
If you’re a fan of sightseeing and wish to check out all the museums, castles and other cool places, Ljubljana card is definitely something to consider buying. It also covers transportation services, free wifi services, and more. It’s readily available from the Tourist information centres.
No.6 Don’t spend your money on bottled water
Feel free to use the fountains to refresh yourself! There are close to 40 public drinking fountains all around town, providing water from the Ljubljana`s water supply system, working from April until October.
There’s even an app for Android or iOS. You can find it under the name “Tap water Ljubljana”.
No.7 River cruise is a must do
You simply can not miss a romantic and affordable cruise down Ljubljanica river. It’s one of those experiences that you can do for 10 euro or less, that should be on your bucket list.
No.8 Check out open air concerts
Ljubljana is well known for open air concerts. So why not plan ahead and book your trip to Ljubljana during one?
No.9 Hop on a funicular to Ljubljana Castle
Funicular is a cool way to travel. The trip itself takes about a minute. The ticket is included in your Ljubljana Card.
The views from the funicular are pretty amazing but the best part comes on the top. Ljubljana Castle offers truly spectacular sights of the city beyond.
No.10 Try Slovenian cuisine
Make sure to finish your lunch with the best Slovenian desert – prekmurska gibanica. But make sure to leave plenty of space for it in your belly – is not a light dessert. Some say it’s a cake with the most layers possible.
No.11 Enjoy the best cup of coffee in the town
Everyone in the town now that the very best coffee in Ljubljana is in Stow Coffee. They even have a web shop for their coffee blends. They are located in a city museum. So you get to check out the exhibition and then have a perfect cup of coffee on a beautiful terrace. What more do you need?
