Located where the Germanic, Mediterranean, and Slavic worlds come together, Slovenia enjoys a happy hodgepodge of cultures while also presenting plenty of its own unique character. And much like the country as a whole, its capital city of Ljubljana is a delight to explore, yet remains relatively undiscovered. With a lazy Old Town clustered around a castle-topped hill, Ljubljana is often likened to Salzburg.
It’s an apt comparison — but only if you inject a healthy dose of breezy Adriatic culture, add a Slavic accent, and replace favorite son Mozart with local architect Jože Plecnik. Walking through its cobbled Old Town in summer, you’ll share the pedestrianized streets and riverside promenades with plenty of fellow strollers — but relatively few tourists. Batted around by history, Ljubljana has seen cultural influences from all sides — most notably Belgrade, Prague, Vienna, and Venice.
In ancient times, Ljubljana was on the trade route connecting the Mediterranean (just 60 miles away) to the Black Sea. Legend has it that Jason and his Argonauts founded Ljubljana when they stopped here for the winter on their way home with the Golden Fleece. After being leveled by an earthquake in 1895, the city was rebuilt in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles that were so popular in Vienna, the empire’s capital at the time.
A generation later, architect Jože Plecnik remodeled the city in his distinctive classical-meets-modern style. Like Gaudí shaped Barcelona and Bernini .
