Monuments to visit Ljubljana

The castle overlooks the city. It attracts the eye and makes you want to go there. It is a visit not to be missed.

How to get there. There are three ways to get there: Študentovska (in front of Vodnikov Trg), Ulica na Grad (a handful of meters to the right of St. Florian's church) and Reber, at 28 Stari Trg. But for the less courageous, there is a funicular just behind the market square, on Krekov Square. This way, you can reach the castle without any effort and enjoy a panoramic view of Ljubljana.

Visit. The castle is nothing special, a large inner courtyard with a mixture of all kinds of architecture. It is constantly being renovated. Anyway, visit the tower. The entrance with a guide gives access to the top of the tower. The 360° view of Ljubljana is breathtaking. The city appears so far away and so close at the same time. The entrance fee also includes a 3D film showing the history of Ljubljana and consequently of the castle. The whole thing is presented in a playful way and is very instructive. It is also possible to discover the monument in a playful way through a "Time Machine": the visit takes place in six stages corresponding to the six key periods that have marked the history of the castle, the guide changing costume according to the periods commented. For example, we start with a Roman soldier before meeting the Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg... A fun way to learn about the history of this place!

History. Illyrians and then Celts equipped these heights with fortifications. The Romans built a camp there. The first castle is the property of the counts of Spanheim (11th century). Frederick III of Habsburg (1415-1493) completed the original work. The chapel of St. George (1489) attracts crowds of pilgrims once a year on the first Sunday after the feast of the patron saint. It is decorated with the coat of arms of the Dukes of Carniola. The castle dates from the 16th century, the earthquake of 1511 having damaged the medieval part. The tower of the castle (1848) replaces the one destroyed by the French troops in 1813, before their withdrawal from the Illyrian Provinces. Hospital and military camp between 1815 and 1895, the castle also served as a prison until the end of the last century. Nearby, a monument, erected by Stojan Batič (1974), pays tribute to the peasant revolt (16th century).

Not far from Ig, the old swamps host one of the country's most beautiful churches. External horizontal lines agree with this flat earth. However cold and austere, they don't let you guess the interior architecture, a haven of peace bathed with heat. A modern temple with its wooden structure decorated with geometric motifs, the use of brick and copper, and these columns that make progress towards the sacred place. Plečnik has just blocked our certainties.

Erected at the end of the ^19th century and dedicated to higher education in 1919, the building played a symbolic role in 1991, when the country's independence was proclaimed. It was also used to celebrate the country's accession to the European Union in 2004. To the south-east of the university, two street names, Židovska steza and Židovska ulica, bear witness to the Jewish presence in the Middle Ages. Jews arrived here in the early ^14th century and lived here until 1515, when they were expelled by Emperor Maximilian.

The original building was constructed between 1890 and 1892 to designs by Czech architects Jan Vladimír Hráský and Anton Hruby, in a neo-Renaissance style, while its striking facade was the work of sculptor Alojzij Gangl. Germans and Slovenes shared the building from 1892 to 1918. It was only after the Germans left in 1919 that Slovenian dancers, actors and musicians were able to perform there exclusively. The perfect opportunity to admire the building from the inside is to book ballet tickets online.

But where to photograph the famous emblem of Ljubljana, represented on all the souvenirs that are sold there? Direction Zmajski most, the Dragon Bridge, which was one of the first on the continent to be built in reinforced concrete. The dragons were created by Jurij Zaninovič, a student of the Viennese architect Otto Wagner (1841-1918), Plečnik's master. The symbolism of the dragon gradually changed from a monster to a protector of the city, embodying power, courage and wisdom, it also appears on the city's coat of arms.

The central stone bridge of the Triple Bridge dates back to 1842, when it replaced the old medieval wooden bridge that was destined to be demolished due to increased traffic. Between 1929 and 1931, the well-known Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik drew up plans for two adjacent pedestrian bridges, which gave the city of Ljubljana a Venetian character and a unique architectural feature. This is a must-see photo point.