We will be spending two days in Ljubljana. I don't know much about this city, any recommendations for must-sees or hidden gems? How long should we allot for a trip to Lake Bled? What are the specialties of local cuisine?
Posted by
Shoreline, WA
216 posts
In Ljubljana, don't miss visiting the fortress and the public market. The central promenade also is worth walking through.
Slovenian cuisine largely is also found in adjoining Carinthia, and there are some Hungarian dishes represented as well. Look for the various dumplings, Pleskavica, Cevapcici (sold in Austria as Fleischlaberl, but recognizable as the center part of a hamburger to you)and excellent cream soups.
Posted by
Chicago/Rural WI
811 posts
We visited Ljubljana on a Sunday only to discover it was closed - pretty much all of it! I hope one of your days spent there won't be on Sunday.
One thing that WAS open, however, was the funicular that goes up to the castle. So we took it up expecting to find open vistas of the city, but instead, found that most places at the top were considered "Special Exhibits" and they wanted to charge an additional fee just about everywhere you wanted to go - and there were no good views. All in all, we found the funicular to be a waste of time and money and you might want to avoid it altogether (even though it is tempting to go up!).
Lake Bled is absolutely gorgeous, but we were there in the shoulder season of March (with very few other tourists) and have heard it becomes a zoo during summer months. It's easily day-trip-able from Ljubljana, but if you have the time, it really deserves a night or two. I've also heard great things about nearby Lake Bohinj, that it is equally stunning and gets less tourist traffic in summer.
One local (Bled) food specialty is a dessert called Kremna Rezina. It's butter crust-y, custard-y goodness and definitely worth a try!
Posted by
Atlanta
3262 posts
My favorites were the Joze Plecnik House, the Riverside Market, the National and University Library (beautiful and also internet access) and dinner at Sokol! We rented a car one morning and spent one day in Lake Bled--walked around the lake, went to Vintgar Gorge, ate an early dinner at Mayer Penzion, and then drove back to Ljubljana.
Posted by
Philadelphia, PA, USA
552 posts
We appreciated the Modern History Museum because it gave us a quick overview of Slovenia's
recent history. Located in Tivoli Park, it is within walking distance of the city center.
The castle is located on a wooded hill. Besides the funicular, there are several foot paths and a public road that lead to the top.
If you are going to Lake Bled in a rental car, it's an easy day trip. Driving is simple because Ljubljana is not a particularly big city and is easy to navigate, and the highways outside the city are well-marked and in excellent condition.
Food seemed very varied, including Italian, German, and Hungarian dishes.