Museums · Ljubljana · Slovenia
4 best museums in Ljubljana
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Szeder László, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
Start with National Gallery of Slovenia, National Museum of Slovenia and Plečnik House. Together the 4 picks below take roughly 6–6 hours across 3 areas; all charge for entry.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 4
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 6–6 hours
- Areas
- Center, Trnovo and Krakovo and Tabor and Metelkova
Museums in Ljubljana
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Gallery · Center
1.National Gallery of Slovenia
The national collection traces Slovene art from Gothic sculpture to the early 20th-century Impressionists Ivan Grohar and Rihard Jakopič.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · Center
2.National Museum of Slovenia
Slovenia's oldest museum holds the Divje Babe bone flute, often described as a Neanderthal instrument, and the decorated Iron Age bronze Vače situla, alongside Roman finds from Emona, the city's ancient predecessor.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · Trnovo and Krakovo
3.Plečnik House
Architect Jože Plečnik lived and worked in this house in Trnovo for decades, and his rooms, drawings, furniture and garden are preserved as he left them.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Museum · Tabor and Metelkova
4.Slovene Ethnographic Museum
Housed in a former barracks building at the Metelkova museum quarter, the ethnographic museum covers everyday life in Slovenia, from painted beehive panels and kurent carnival costumes to farm tools and folk dress.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Center | National Gallery of Slovenia and National Museum of Slovenia | 1.5–2 hours + 1.5 hours |
| Trnovo and Krakovo | Plečnik House | 1 hour |
| Tabor and Metelkova | Slovene Ethnographic Museum | 1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 4, 4 low cost. Book ahead for Plečnik House. The longest visit is National Gallery of Slovenia; 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 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Center and Trnovo and Krakovo): National Gallery of Slovenia → National Museum of Slovenia → Plečnik House, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Tabor and Metelkova): Slovene Ethnographic Museum, at least 2 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
- 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?
National Gallery of Slovenia. The national collection traces Slovene art from Gothic sculpture to the early 20th-century Impressionists Ivan Grohar and Rihard Jakopič.