“THE MOST SUSTAINABLE COUNTRY ON THE PLANET”

This is how Slovenia bills itself on Slovenia Green and I am curious. Slovenia is famous for its stunning scenery in the mountains, along rivers and even in caves. They have lots of bike trails and good looking food. I have to check it out!

I just love the excitement of showing up in a new-to-me country and having to ‘figure it out’. I decided to fly into Ljubljana, the capital and largest city in Slovenia. My strategy: book three nights in a hostel, have time to check out the city, get grounded, and bicycle out of town on Saturday when traffic should be light.

HOSTEL CELICA

I chose Hostel Celica for my 3 days in Ljubljana due to its historical significance. It was built in 1879 as barracks and became a prison. In 1993 the city was going to demolish it, until artists took over the building in protest, and the city agreed to restore it. While it has a sordid past, it has a bright future as a fine example of repurposing an old building.

The hostel has a great staff committed to their guests experience. A breakfast buffet, weekly entertainment and chill vibe makes it easy to connect with the employees and the place.

The staff was especially supportive when I came back with ice cream filled pastries from Yauya. These delicacies come with a built in timer… staff rallied and helped with the taste testing, and we were able finish before melt down! There was also a very generous sharing of the delicious cake team member Melissa made to celebrate the historic building's 21 years as Hostel Celica.

LJUBLJANA

This city dates back to 1112, and its Municipal Museum has the world’s oldest wheel, dating back to 2000 BC, on display. The city symbol is a very cool dragon that has several origin stories. The shared symbolism being Ljubljana’s feisty dragon represents power, courage and greatness.

THE TOWN SQUARE

Joze Plecnik, a native of Ljubljana, is famous for his human centered urban designs. He is the architect of the iconic Triple Bridge that leads to Preseren Square, which is named after the national poet, France Preseren. It says a lot about a place when the main square has a statue honoring a poet, and the most famous bridge has mythical dragons at its entryways! The town square is also where the Ljubljana Free Tour meets for a very informative walking tour.

AROUND TOWN

The Ljubljanica River Canal runs along Old Town and under the famous bridges. From the canal you can see Ljubljana Castle which offers the highest spot for overlooking the city. St Nicholas’s Church is a picturesque landmark tucked in the heart of the city. It is next to a public gathering space where Open Kitchen is held every Friday in the spring. These popular events feature well known pop-up restaurants. While Porcelain Catbriyur is famous for their porcelain, I am drawn to their old style paintings of nature.

STREET ART

FARMER’S MARKET & FOOD EVERYWHERE!

Every day there is a vibrant farmer’s market in Ljubljana and there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan restaurants to choose from. If you enjoy dumplings, the best selection of traditional Struklji is at Moji Strukji Slovenije cafe near the Triple Bridge. Their dumplings are prepared with steam heat for 5 minutes and served with a topping. These yummy Struklji range from sweet to savory and just melt in your mouth! The green Strukji in the last photo is made with pistachio nuts… so tasty.