Backpacking Ljubljana
Ljubljana is a very pleasant, smaller city and a great place to spend a few days. It is one of the smallest capital cities in Europe but comes across as one of the most liveable all of Europe as well. Ljubljana is a great city to explore by bicycle thanks to the Copenhagen style bike lanes that allow very safe cycling all the way through the city.
Hostels
Hostel Tivoli
This was a lovely hostel to arrive at after a couple of really tiring days travelling through Croatia. Really nice and friendly staff and a good location not far from the town centre and bus station. They include a free breakfast, personal lockers, reading lights and power sockets. Hostel Tivoli only has 3 bedrooms for a maximum occupancy of 21 people which makes it easier to get to know the small group of people that you will meet here. Book Hostel Tivoli here!
Zeppelin Hostel
The Zeppelin Hostel is one of the best small hostels in Ljubljana and run by a team of travellers. Located very close to the main train/bus station in the centre of Ljubljana in a famous building from the 19th century. Just across the street you will find the historical old-town and lively river side full of bars and the main tourist attractions. A great common space, perfect for solo travellers. Book Zeppelin Hostel here!
Sights and Highlights
Kind of Everything?
There is no one standout site that should be visited in Ljubljana, which I think is actually part of its charm. Its just a really nice, pleasant attractive city to walk around in. There is some beautiful baroque style architecture, a lovely river flowing through the city that can be crossed using one of the many attractive walking bridges, and a big castle on a hill over looking the old town and the aforementioned areas.
To Eat
Nobel Burek
If you are travelling to Ljubljana from Croatia or somewhere else in the Balkans, then you are likely to have already had your fair share of delicious burek. In which case you have probably fallen in love with the meaty filled pastry of deliciousness that is burek and you will really like Nobel Burek. If you haven’t yet had much burek on your trip, or are coming from Austria or somewhere else further north, this is a great place to start.
Felafel
Felafel is delicious, but throughout the Balkans, can be pretty hard to find due to the big focus on grilled meat related snacks and takeaway. This makes Felafel stick out a lot more than it otherwise would in Israel for example. But regardless, their felafel is really good, their hummus is also really nice, and its cheap.
Nightlife
AREST
This is a really cool bar/cub. Set in the basement of a one of the many very beautiful buildings in Ljubljana, this place is jail themed. Stone ceilings, brick walls, and jail bars all around. This is a great place to go for some nice cheap beers and as such is a bit of hangout for local students. Also doubles a good place to go for cheap coffee in the mornings.
Transport
Local
The best way to get around Ljubljana is clearly to walk, with bicycling a close second. The city is small enough that a bike not required but if you decide you want to head of the city centre (maybe to go to the zoo?) then cycling is the clear choice.
Getting In and Out
Being a capital city, Ljubljana is very well connected by rail and bus. You can find trains to all of the major Austrian cities as well as Munich in Germany. Ljubljana is connected to the rest of the Balkans via a two train journey to Zagreb, which is the most likely destination immediately before or after Ljubljana if you are doing a Balkan tour. To search for train departure times, visit slo-zeleznice.si/en/ and there is also a network map for Slovenian rail. If you are heading to Bled you should catch a train to Lesce-Bled station and then connect to a local bus to get into the town of Bled itself. For bus timetables to neighboring cities visit ap-ljubljana.si/en/
Useful Links
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