Things to do · Ljubljana · Slovenia
19 best things to do in Ljubljana
19 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
The essential sights in Ljubljana are Ljubljana Castle, Triple Bridge and Prešeren Square and Dragon Bridge. Of the 19 picks below, 11 are free, 5 work on a rainy day and 7 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Ljubljana Castle
- Free sights
- 11
- Good on a rainy day
- Ljubljana Cathedral (St Nicholas)
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ljubljana Castle | Castle Hill | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Triple Bridge and Prešeren Square | Center | 30 minutes | Free |
| Dragon Bridge | Center | 20 minutes | Free |
| Central Market | Old Town | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Butchers' Bridge and the Ljubljanica embankments | Old Town | 1 hour | Free |
| Ljubljana Cathedral (St Nicholas) | Old Town | 30 minutes | Free |
| Mestni trg, Stari trg and the Town Hall | Old Town | 1 hour | Free |
| Tivoli Park and Rožnik hill | Tivoli | 2–3 hours | Free |
| National Gallery of Slovenia | Center | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| National Museum of Slovenia | Center | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Metelkova | Tabor and Metelkova | 1 hour | Free |
| Nebotičnik | Center | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Plečnik House | Trnovo and Krakovo | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Trnovo Bridge and Krakovo | Trnovo and Krakovo | 1 hour | Free |
| Ljubljanica river boat trip | Old Town | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Ljubljana Zoo | Rožnik | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Križanke | Trnovo and Krakovo | 30 minutes | Free |
| Šmarna Gora | Tacen | Half a day | Free |
| Slovene Ethnographic Museum | Tabor and Metelkova | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
The 19 best things to do
Castle · Castle Hill
1.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. 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.
Walk up through the woods on the Študentovska path and take the funicular down, then continue straight to the Central Market.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- History
- Kids
Landmark · Center
2.Triple Bridge and Prešeren Square
Jože Plečnik added two angled footbridges to an older stone bridge in the early 1930s, creating the Triple Bridge that links Prešeren Square with the Old Town. The square is framed by the salmon-pink Franciscan Church of the Annunciation and the statue of poet France Prešeren, who gazes towards a relief of his muse Julija on a facade in Wolfova street.
Look for Julija's bust on the building at Wolfova 4, diagonally across the square from the statue.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- After dark
Landmark · Center
3.Dragon Bridge
Four copper dragons, the symbol of the city, guard this Vienna Secession-style bridge completed in 1901 and originally named after Emperor Franz Joseph's jubilee. It is a five-minute walk downstream from the Triple Bridge along the market colonnade, and local legend says the dragons wag their tails when a virgin crosses.
Combine it with the Central Market and Butchers' Bridge for a short loop along both banks.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Kids
- Photo spot
- Architecture
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Market · Old Town
4.Central Market
Ljubljana's open-air market spreads over Vodnikov trg and Pogačarjev trg beside the cathedral, with farmers selling seasonal fruit, mushrooms, cheese and honey. Plečnik's long riverside colonnade houses bakeries, butchers and a fish market on the lower level. On Fridays in the warmer months the Odprta kuhna open-air food market fills Pogačarjev trg with stalls from Slovenian restaurants.
Come in the morning for the farmers' stalls, and on a Friday from spring to autumn stay for lunch at Odprta kuhna.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Shopping
- Architecture
Waterfront · Old Town
5.Butchers' Bridge and the Ljubljanica embankments
Butchers' Bridge, opened in 2010, carries bronze sculptures by Jakov Brdar of Adam and Eve, Prometheus and satyrs, along with thousands of padlocks left by couples. Either side, the tree-lined Cankarjevo and Petkovškovo embankments are lined with café terraces that face each other across the narrow river.
Late afternoon is the best time to pick a terrace on the shady side and watch the river traffic.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Couples
- After dark
- Food
Religious site · Old Town
6.Ljubljana Cathedral (St Nicholas)
The green-domed Baroque cathedral of St Nicholas, completed in the early 18th century, is covered inside with ceiling frescoes by Giulio Quaglio. 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.
Look closely at the two bronze doors before going in; they are the cathedral's most striking modern feature.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Street · Old Town
7.Mestni trg, Stari trg and the Town Hall
The Old Town's three linked squares run from the Town Hall and the Robba Fountain, a replica of Francesco Robba's 18th-century fountain of the three Carniolan rivers, along Stari trg to the Baroque church on Gornji trg. Small shops sell Slovenian design, honey and salt from Piran, and the Town Hall courtyard is usually open to look into.
See the original Robba Fountain afterwards in the glass hall of the National Gallery.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Shopping
- Architecture
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Park · Tivoli
8.Tivoli Park and Rožnik hill
The city's largest park starts ten minutes from Prešeren Square, through the underpass from Cankarjeva street. The Jakopič Promenade shows large outdoor photography exhibitions, Tivoli Mansion houses the International Centre of Graphic Arts, and there are ponds, playgrounds and forest paths that climb to Rožnik hill and its church.
Follow the forest trail up Rožnik for a quiet hour, then come down past the zoo on the far side.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
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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. A modern glass hall connects the two buildings and shelters Francesco Robba's original fountain, moved indoors to protect the marble.
Start in the Impressionist rooms; they are the heart of the collection and rarely crowded.
- 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. The 19th-century building on Prešernova cesta sits next to the parliament and the National Gallery.
Go straight to the archaeology rooms for the flute and the situla, then decide whether to see the rest.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Neighbourhood · Tabor and Metelkova
3.Metelkova
Squatters took over these former army barracks in 1993 and turned them into an autonomous cultural centre of clubs, studios and galleries. Every wall is covered in murals, mosaics and odd sculptures. By day it is free to wander; by night its small venues host concerts and DJs, especially at weekends.
Visit by day to see the art properly, then return after 11pm on a Friday or Saturday if you want the club scene.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- After dark
- Off the beaten path
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · Center
4.Nebotičnik
Completed in 1933, Nebotičnik ('the skyscraper') was among the tallest residential buildings in Europe at the time. A café and terrace occupy the top floors, giving a view across the Old Town to the castle and the Alps for the price of a coffee.
Go at sunset for the light on the castle, and take the lift to the top floor from the entrance on Štefanova street.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Couples
- Architecture
- After dark
Museum · Trnovo and Krakovo
5.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. Visits are by guided tour in small groups, which explains how he reshaped Ljubljana's bridges, embankments and squares.
Pair it with a walk over the Trnovo Bridge and along the Gradaščica stream to Krakovo.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Tour groups are small; reserve a slot on the Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana website, especially in summer.
- Architecture
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
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Neighbourhood · Trnovo and Krakovo
6.Trnovo Bridge and Krakovo
Plečnik's Trnovo Bridge is planted with birch trees and topped with pyramids in front of the Church of St John the Baptist. 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.
Walk from Congress Square via Vegova street and the Roman walls; the whole loop takes about an hour.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
- History
Experience · Old Town
7.Ljubljanica river boat trip
Small tourist boats leave from the embankments near the Triple Bridge and Butchers' Bridge for trips of about an hour, passing under Plečnik's bridges, past the market colonnade and out towards Trnovo. It is a gentle way to see how the river shapes the city.
Evening departures in summer pass the lit-up bridges and café terraces.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Couples
- Views
- After dark
Zoo · Rožnik
8.Ljubljana Zoo
The city zoo spreads over wooded slopes on the southern side of Rožnik hill, with enclosures for brown bears, wolves, lynx and other animals from Slovenian forests as well as elephants and giraffes. It is reached on foot through Tivoli Park or by city bus.
Walk there over Rožnik from Tivoli with children who like a forest path, and take the bus back.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Architecture · Trnovo and Krakovo
9.Križanke
A former monastery of the Teutonic Knights, Križanke was remodelled by Plečnik in the 1950s into an open-air theatre with arcaded courtyards. In summer it is the main stage of the Ljubljana Festival, with concerts, opera and dance under the stars.
Even without a ticket, step into the courtyards to see Plečnik's decorated walls and lanterns.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- After dark
- Couples
- Free
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Nature · Tacen
10.Šmarna Gora
Ljubljana's favourite hill rises to about 670 metres north of the city, with a pilgrimage church and a mountain inn at the top. Locals climb it from Tacen or Medno in about an hour, and the summit view reaches across the Ljubljana basin to the Kamnik–Savinja Alps.
Try the inn's ričet, a barley and bean stew, which is the traditional reward for the climb.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Outdoors
- Active
- Views
- Free
- Nature
Museum · Tabor and Metelkova
11.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. Displays are clear and well suited to a rainy afternoon.
Look for the painted beehive front panels, a uniquely Slovenian folk art.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Ljubljana Cathedral (St Nicholas), National Gallery of Slovenia, National Museum of Slovenia and Metelkova |
| History | Ljubljana Castle, Ljubljana Cathedral (St Nicholas), Mestni trg, Stari trg and the Town Hall and National Gallery of Slovenia |
| Views | Ljubljana Castle, Nebotičnik, Ljubljanica river boat trip and Šmarna Gora |
| Outdoors and nature | Tivoli Park and Rožnik hill, Ljubljana Zoo and Šmarna Gora |
| Food and markets | Central Market and Butchers' Bridge and the Ljubljanica embankments |
| After dark | Triple Bridge and Prešeren Square, Butchers' Bridge and the Ljubljanica embankments, Metelkova and Nebotičnik |
| With children | Ljubljana Castle, Dragon Bridge, Tivoli Park and Rožnik hill and National Museum of Slovenia |
| On a rainy day | Ljubljana Cathedral (St Nicholas), National Gallery of Slovenia, National Museum of Slovenia and Plečnik House |
What to book ahead
- Plečnik House: Tour groups are small; reserve a slot on the Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana website, especially in summer.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do 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.
+What can you do for free in Ljubljana?
Triple Bridge and Prešeren Square, Dragon Bridge, Central Market, Butchers' Bridge and the Ljubljanica embankments and Ljubljana Cathedral (St Nicholas). More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Ljubljana when it rains?
Head indoors to Ljubljana Cathedral (St Nicholas), National Gallery of Slovenia, National Museum of Slovenia and Plečnik House.
+What is there to do in Ljubljana at night?
Triple Bridge and Prešeren Square, Butchers' Bridge and the Ljubljanica embankments, Metelkova and Nebotičnik are best after dark.