13 Amazing Things to do in Ljubljana | Add these to your Ljubljana Itinerary
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Slovenia is such a beautiful country with SO much to offer. I mean, she is small but she is mighty. When I say that, I mean Slovenia is a very small country but with so much to do that you could always find something to do.
Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia and is located in the middle of the country. Which makes it a must-visit during your time in Slovenia. It also makes for a perfect hub city to easily hop around the rest of the country.
While this isn’t everything to do while in Ljubljana, here’s a list of 13 things to add to your Ljubljana itinerary!
Visit Ljubljana Castle
Ljubljana Castle is up a hill that overlooks the city. There are two ways to get up to the castle: walk (it’s very steep but great exercise) or take the funicular up. The castle itself is free to get into, so if you walk then it is something free to do in Ljubljana.
On the castle grounds, there are some restaurants including a cafe and a spot for a glass of wine.
If anything, the trek to the top is worth the view of the city from above.
2. Rent a bike and bike the city
Ljubljana is also a very bike-able city. You can rent a bike for free for an hour and explore the city on wheels! Or take it to Tivoli park to ride around for a little while.
3. Check out Metelkova City
Metelkova City is a squatter city in the middle of Ljubljana. It’s full of extremely unique art and graffiti. During the day, you can really enjoy the unique art without giant crowds. I went in the morning and had the place almost entirely to myself.
At night, it opens up to a cool area of nightlife with some bars and clubs.
Walking through the area feels completely different from the rest of Ljubljana, I definitely recommend checking it out at some point.
There’s a super cool hostel in Metelkova City that used to be a military prison. Check it out if you are looking for budget-friendly accommodation — Hostel Celica.
4. Neboticnik Skyscraper
I was told that this used to be the tallest building in Yugoslavia! I was actually not able to make it here during my time in Ljubljana but I heard it has an amazing view. Which isn’t surprising since you can see the mountain range around the city.
Up top, there is a cafe to check out, or a club to check out at night.
5. Day trips from Ljubljana
Ljubljana is a great hub city for visiting Slovenia because of its proximity to other hot spots in the country. Slovenia is a smaller country so it makes it easy to take day trips, even if you don’t have a car. It’s one of the things that I found so special about the country.
I recommend checking out Lake Bled and Postojna Caves/Predjama Castle. These are two awesome day trips you could do. But there is also visiting the coast or checking out one of the wine regions that you could do as well.
Check out my 4 Days in Slovenia Travel Itinerary and my guide to Lake Bled to help plan your day trips.
6. Visit some breweries
Ljubljana definitely has a big craft beer culture. They have breweries and beer-tasting rooms all over the city. In fact, Ljubljana holds the brewery for the Budweiser of Slovenia — Union Beer.
If you’re a beer drinker or just want to learn more about how they make their beers, check out one of their breweries or beer tasting rooms. I always find it a great way to learn about the culture of a country because you can talk to the bartenders or brewers which comes with lots of great local tips and conversation.
7. Head to a Slovenian wine bar
The wine in Slovenia is SO good. In fact, the country even has a “Slovenia Tuscany” because they have such a big wine region. I was really blown away by the wine in Slovenia.
Ljubljana has great wine bars that have wines you can try from the different wine regions around the country.
One of my favorites was: Dvorni Wine Bar. They have selections from around the country and the people that work there know so much about all the wines that you’ll get the perfect recommendation. But there are tons of options, so don’t limit yourself.
8. Boat ride on the Ljubljanica (river)
Ljublijana has a river that runs through it. You can take a boat tour down the river to enjoy some of the architecture of the city without having to walk.
I heard during winter that the boat is even heated for passengers.
9. Walk around Ljubljana
Walking through new cities is one of my favorite things to do. You can go with no plan and have the best day getting lost. Ljubljana is the perfect city for this because it’s an extremely walkable city.
I suggest taking some time on your first day to just walk through the city and just explore. You’ll probably run into things you want to see and find things you wouldn’t have realized you wanted to see.
10. Check out a free thermal spa
I was told by my Airbnb host that the locals made a thermal spa that is free of charge, called Klunove Toplice. There is also a thermal spa called Cateske Toplice which is a little closer to the city.
I was unable to see these but they could be a great thing to do if you wanted to get out of the city for just a little bit.
11. Tivoli City Park
There’s a big park in the city to check out. It would be perfect for a picnic, walk/run, or just going to relax to get out of the city and into some nature for a little bit.
12. Take yourself on a little food tour
Ljubljana has some amazing food options. If you only have a few days here it will be hard to narrow down what you want to eat. Here are a couple of recommendations I have:
Abi Falafel:
No this isn’t Slovenian food, but wow this was one of my favorite meals I had in Slovenia. If you need a break from pasta, check this place out —it’s delicious!
If you are looking for some Slovenian Food, check out Figovec. I had a great dinner here and the place was PACKED with not just tourists, but locals too. Seeing locals eating at a restaurant is always a sign of a good spot to grab something.
13. The Triple Bridge
In the city center of Ljubljana, the triple bridge are 3 bridges grouped together crossing the river. The Triple Bridge connects both sides of the city together. When you are standing on them you get can get the perfect view of the Franciscan Church AKA the beautiful Pink Church in Ljubljana.
Being at the Triple Bridge puts you in the perfect spot to move around and see the city because they are located in Preseren Square. The Triple Bridge is one of the landmarks of Ljubljana.
