History · Ljubljana · Slovenia
8 historic sites to see in Ljubljana
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Sculptor: Francesco Robba (1698-1757) Photo: User:Kaktus999, Public domain
Quick answer
Start with Ljubljana Castle, Ljubljana Cathedral (St Nicholas) and Mestni trg, Stari trg and the Town Hall. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 10–12 hours across 5 areas; 3 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 3
- Time to see them all
- 10–12 hours
- Areas
- Castle Hill, Old Town and Center
Historic sites in Ljubljana
Castle · Castle Hill
1.Ljubljana Castle
Inside the walls are a courtyard, a chapel with painted coats of arms, a Slovenian history exhibition and a puppet museum. The viewing tower looks over red roofs to the Kamnik–Savinja Alps on clear days.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- History
- Kids
Religious site · Old Town
2.Ljubljana Cathedral (St Nicholas)
Its bronze main door, cast for the 1996 papal visit, shows the history of Christianity in Slovenia, while the side door carries the faces of 20th-century bishops.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Street · Old Town
3.Mestni trg, Stari trg and the Town Hall
Small shops sell Slovenian design, honey and salt from Piran, and the Town Hall courtyard is usually open to look into.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Shopping
- Architecture
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Gallery · Center
4.National Gallery of Slovenia
A modern glass hall connects the two buildings and shelters Francesco Robba's original fountain, moved indoors to protect the marble.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · Center
5.National Museum of Slovenia
The 19th-century building on Prešernova cesta sits next to the parliament and the National Gallery.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · Trnovo and Krakovo
6.Plečnik House
Visits are by guided tour in small groups, which explains how he reshaped Ljubljana's bridges, embankments and squares.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
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Neighbourhood · Trnovo and Krakovo
7.Trnovo Bridge and Krakovo
Next door, Krakovo's low houses and vegetable plots feel more like a village than a capital, and the Roman walls of Emona, partly restored by Plečnik, run along nearby Mirje street.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
- History
Museum · Tabor and Metelkova
8.Slovene Ethnographic Museum
Displays are clear and well suited to a rainy afternoon.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Castle Hill | Ljubljana Castle | 2–3 hours |
| Old Town | Ljubljana Cathedral (St Nicholas) and Mestni trg, Stari trg and the Town Hall | 30 minutes + 1 hour |
| Center | National Gallery of Slovenia and National Museum of Slovenia | 1.5–2 hours + 1.5 hours |
| Trnovo and Krakovo | Plečnik House and Trnovo Bridge and Krakovo | 1 hour + 1 hour |
| Tabor and Metelkova | Slovene Ethnographic Museum | 1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 3 free, 5 low cost. Book ahead for Plečnik House. The longest visit is Ljubljana Castle; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Plečnik House: Tour groups are small; reserve a slot on the Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana website, especially in summer.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Castle Hill and Old Town): Ljubljana Castle → Ljubljana Cathedral (St Nicholas) → Mestni trg, Stari trg and the Town Hall, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Center and Trnovo and Krakovo): National Gallery of Slovenia → National Museum of Slovenia → Plečnik House, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Trnovo and Krakovo and Tabor and Metelkova): Trnovo Bridge and Krakovo → Slovene Ethnographic Museum, at least 3 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 7°C (45°F), about 8 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Still cold, with occasional snow; the carnival season brings costumed parades to towns across Slovenia.
- January: highs of 4°C (39°F), about 9 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Cold and often foggy in the basin, while the surrounding hills can sit in sunshine; museums and cafés are quiet.
- March: highs of 12°C (54°F), about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds. The first café terraces open on sunny days and the castle hill turns green, though nights stay chilly.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Old Town — Cobbled Mestni trg, Stari trg and Gornji trg squeezed between the castle hill and the river
- Center — Prešeren Square, Čopova street and Congress Square on the left bank
- Trnovo and Krakovo — Plečnik's house, vegetable gardens and a quiet village feel south of the centre
- Tabor and Metelkova — Former army barracks turned arts quarter, museums and hostels east of the station
More of Ljubljana
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Ljubljana?
Ljubljana Castle. The castle crowns the wooded hill above the Old Town and is reached by a short funicular from Krekov trg or by footpaths from Študentovska street and Reber.
+Which of these are free in Ljubljana?
Ljubljana Cathedral (St Nicholas), Mestni trg, Stari trg and the Town Hall and Trnovo Bridge and Krakovo.