Old Town, Ljubljana

An interesting gate into Ljubljana from the east side. The building is situated close to the old part of Ljubljana. It can be a start point to explore the old part of the city, with many interesting buildings, countless bars, restaurants, shops...

This is actually the copy of the renaissance fountain dated back to the 17th century.
This beautiful fauntain is located in Levstikov trg (square) in front of Stiski dvorec (mansion) in the old part of the town - you can't miss it.

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Stari Trg (old square) is Ljubljana's oldest medieval square, actually more of a street than a square. On the section of Stari Trg between the Cobbler's Bridge and Levistikov Square are some interesting buildings if you like architecture, there are also some cafes and places to ice cream, one place had some rather interesting ice cream concoctions that were delivered in bowls that looks like boats.

At 11a Stari Trg is the Schweiger House, look for the relief of the man with his finger raised to his lips, Schweiger means "silent one".

At the end of Stari Trg is Levistikov Square, considered to be the center of the old town. You'll find a replica of the Hercules fountain here, the original is located inside the Town Hall.

The Schweiger house is one of the most noticeable examples of secular architecture in Ljubljana, the core of the house dates back to the mid 17th century, while most of the house as you see it today, was constructed approx. 100 years later, by the famous architect Candido Zuliani.

If you look at the front of this three-storeyed building, you will find that it is in the Baroque style, as well as being asymmetrical, which was a quite uncommon thing at that time. The front also features a magnificent rustic portal just outside the central axis, with an Atlas-shaped console supporting the balcony right above it.
If you look closely at the Atlas-shaped console, you will see that Atlas is holding his finger to his mouth, in the sign of silence, symbolising the surname of the first owner after the new front was built: Schweiger -- the silent one.

This piece of architecture is estimated to be one of the most beautiful in Ljubljana.

Ljubljana's Old Town mainly consists of three squares: Mestni trg, Stari trg and Gornji trg. The Town Hall is located on teh square Mestni trg.

It was built in 1584, but rebuilt in 1718. Most houses in the Old Town are from the Baroque era. The pedestrianised square Stari trg is packed with small cafes and restaurants, which invite for a break and some people watching.

Directions:
The squares and streets of the old town are situated at the foot of the castle hill.

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I always have a thing for markets. Markets = Food. Ummm.....

The Market is sandwiched between the Triple & Dragon bridges, running along Adamic-Lundrovo Nabrezje, right by the river. And here, surprise, surprise, you'll get to see another of Plecnik's creation - the Market Colonnade, an elongated gently curving white-coloured pavilion harbouring a lovely collection of eateries at road level and a fish market below.

Adjacent to the Colonnade, 2 squares, Pogarcarjev Trg & Vodnikov Trg jointly provide the location for a most wonderful and colourful stroll through the daily chapters of Ljubljana life. Meander among the stalls selling crispy vegetables and buxomy fruits. Sniff the fragrance allure of the air as you near stalls selling jubilant flowers and sultry mushrooms. Partake a glance at mischievous boxes of berries, all blushing with joy and if you are really naughty, crush some local herbs in your hands and realise the scent of living.

Obscuring the sun from Pogarcarjev Trg, the baroque St.Nicholas Cathedral (Daily, 6am-12nn & 3-6pm) dominates you into nothingness. Completed in 1706, I never got to see the interior as busloads of tourists kept mysteriously appearing every time to clutter the entry way whenever I tried to enter. When the last bus deposited an army of overly-excited Japanese "obasans", I decided destiny spoke and bade a hasty retreat. I must state though, even the exterior of the Cathedral was impressive. The delicately carved relief on the bronze doors was simply stunning!

Turn behind into narrow Levstikov Street & I found myself mesmerised by the simple charm of a simple city: A cobblerstone street of shops, cafes and restaurants, almost like a street out of a Charles Dickens novel, albeit in a much more modern setting. Here lies the Old Town of Ljubljana. My young chap was telling me things though I must confess I wasn't totally concentrating. We were walking by lovely sights: Mestni Trg, the Town Hall and eventually reaching Cobblers Bridge.

Stari Trg, the old square is more a street than a suqare. It leads parallely to Cankarjevo Nabrezje and Gallusovo Nabrezje from the end of Mestni Trg to Levstikov/Gornji Trg. The street suffered fom deterioration for a long time, but most buildings were refurbished in the 1990s and early 2000s. Now, the street is famous for its old style shops and a large number of bars, cafés and restaurants. A couple of nice buildings are not be noticed, including Schweiger House (see my separate tip about that one).

Check out the tips about Levstikov Trg to find some information about the southern end of Stari Trg. They have their own VT category.

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Ribji Trg, the fish square, is a small square in the old town of Ljubljana close to the Ljubljanica river. It has a small fountain in the middle and is surrounded by bars and cafés. The eastern end of Ribji Trg has a small passage leads to Mestni Trg and the town hall.

Ribji Trg No. 2, where you will find the Abecedarium Café, is the oldest house in Ljubljana. It was built in 1528 by the mayor and merchat Wolfgang Bosch whose coat of arms is still visible above the main door. In 1562, the author of the first book written in Slovenian language, Primoz Tubar, lived in this house. The book was called .... the Abecedarium!

To find out more about the Abecedarium Café, please check out my restaurants tips.

Schweiger House is more famous because of its small story behind it than for its baroque / rococo architecture. The house is from the 17th with its facade dating from the 18th century. Above the large portal, you will find a figure of the acient greek god Atlas supporting the balcony. He has the finger over his lips as a symbol of the house owner (Schweiger means "the silent one" in German).

Although the house is number 13, it has no number on it. So here comes the legend in: Once upon a time, bordellos were traditionally located in houses number 13 in the old town. But as Mr. Schweiger did not maintain one and was not interested in getting in conacts with "clients", he ordered to construct the figure of Atlas. So the figure has not only its symbolic character, but also tells people to be silent - as a kind of hint that there is no bordello in the house. Can anyone confirm this legend?

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Ribji trg (Fish Square) is a very small square beside the river that can be reached by walking down a narrow passageway from opposite the Town Hall. The square has a nice fountain in it and is the where you will find the oldest house (1528) in Ljubljana, which is now a cafe-bar called Abecedarium.