Ljubljana City Guide

Old Town, Castle & River

From Prešernov trg across Plečnik's Triple Bridge to the market colonnades and the Dragon Bridge, then along the Baroque row of Mestni trg. Up to the castle and its view tower by funicular, then a boat trip on the Ljubljanica, a stop at the Cobblers' Bridge and finally the National Gallery beside Tivoli Park.

1. Prešernov trg – Prešernov trg is the city's living room: car-free, ringed by colourful façades and centred on the monument to France Prešeren, Slovenia's national poet. Behind him glows the pink 17th-century Franciscan church, the landmark of the square. Every route starts here - across the Triple Bridge into the old town or up the pedestrian Čopova street. In the evening everyone meets here anyway before moving on.
2. Tromostovje (Triple Bridge) – Three bridges right next to each other, found nowhere else: in 1932 Jože Plečnik flanked the old 1842 stone bridge with two angled pedestrian crossings. What had been a bottleneck became a square above the water, with balustrades, lanterns and stairs down to the river. Since 2021 the ensemble has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage of Plečnik's Ljubljana. Two minutes to cross, but you'll linger longer.
3. Central Market (Plečnik Colonnade) – Plečnik's market colonnade curves along the riverbank in one long sweep - stalls with fruit, cheese and honey above, the fish hall down at the water. The open market on the square in front is busiest in the morning and packs up after that. On Fridays from spring to autumn the Open Kitchen (Odprta kuhna) takes over the square and turns it into a street-food market with stalls from all over the country. On Sundays everything here is closed.
4. Dragon Bridge – Four green dragons guard the corners of this 1901 bridge - the heraldic beast of Ljubljana and for many the city's defining photo. It was one of Europe's first large reinforced-concrete bridges and is decorated throughout in Viennese Art Nouveau, right down to the lanterns. Legend has it that Jason slew the dragon here before the city was founded. Take a minute for both ends; the dragons look different from each.
5. Mestni trg (Town Hall Square) – The old town runs as a narrow Baroque row along the foot of the castle hill - Mestni trg, Stari trg and Gornji trg blend into one another almost unnoticed. In front of the town hall stands the Robba Fountain with the three Carniolan rivers; Francesco Robba's original was moved to the National Gallery in 2006, so what splashes here is a copy. During the day you can step into the arcaded courtyard of the town hall, the Rotovž. The cafés all around make this the best coffee stop of the day.
6. Ljubljana Castle – From Krekov trg the funicular takes just over a minute up the castle hill - you can walk, but you really don't have to. Most of the walls up here date from the 15th to 17th centuries; the castle served as fortress, barracks and, in the 19th century, even a prison. The real goal is the view tower: from up there you look across the red roofs of the old town and, on a clear day, out to the Alps. There's also the exhibition on Slovenian history, a puppetry museum and two places to eat in the courtyard.
7. Boat trip on the Ljubljanica – Just under an hour on the Ljubljanica, under every bridge and past the riverside rows - the most relaxed way to see the city, and just right after the castle hill. Only from the water do you notice how thoroughly Plečnik staged the whole embankment: steps, terraces and willows right down to the river. Boats leave from Breg and the quays in the centre, with tickets sold at the landing. In summer it's better to book ahead - afternoon departures fill up fast.
8. Cobblers' Bridge (Šuštarski most) – The bridge is named after the cobblers who in the Middle Ages had their workshops right on the crossing. Plečnik rebuilt it in 1932 with columns, balustrades and lanterns, so it feels more like a small square than a bridge. It's far quieter than the Triple Bridge a few hundred metres away, and framed between the columns you get the castle perfectly in shot.
9. National Gallery – The National Gallery shows Slovenian art from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, with the Impressionists around Rihard Jakopič, Ivan Grohar and Matija Jama at its heart. In the glass connecting wing stands the original Robba Fountain, whose copy you saw outside the town hall in the morning. The grand 1896 building was originally put up as a Slovenian community house. Mondays it's closed - in that case just walk into Tivoli Park next door and end the day there.