Tivoli Park and Mansion, Ljubljana

I just to live i Azbetova ulica and as marathoner my intention was to run a lot. The city is not a perfect place to jogging, but the Tivoli Park is, even in winter, of course there could rain a lot of snow and the paths are then more challenging.

Take a look to picture, on summer time it is perfect place for picnic!

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A fun green space in Ljubljana is the vast park to the west of the city, known as Park Tivoli. You'll find a variety of activities here, but the best are either to relax or to walk. The building at the far west end is known as Cekinov Grad, which doubles as a contemporary museum of sorts. The featured exhibit was on video game heroine Lara Croft when we visited, so we skipped it. But the flower garden and lake are definitely enjoyable to visit.

Next to the park or it is more correct to say in the park itself you can find a car parking. I think it is the cheapest in Ljubljana's center and whats more important there is no parking time limit . That is where we left our car on the one day trip to Ljubljana.
The park is very nice, well kept and as you would expect, there are some nice flowers and big trees. Besides that there are lots of interesting sculptures to be looked at.
At the time we were there there was an open air exhibition of the modern art showing some city scenes from around the world.

The Mansion dates from 17th century. It was the residental building 'till 1967 and today is a home to the International Centre of Graphic Arts. For the fee of about 4 euros you can see a very nice colection of prints from last century to the present days as well as some very nice peaces of contemporary art. No need to mention that it is situated in beautiful well kept Tivoli park, very close to the city center.

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Located a short walk from the old town centre is park tivoli, a gorgeous park famous for its boulavards and designs by Joze Plecnik whose architecture can be seen throughout the city. There's some nice areas for sport in the park as well as a lake, indoor leisure complex and the museum of contemporary history. The greenland beyond the main park is vast and perfect land for hiking or biking. There is even a zoo there.

Between the museum area and Tivoli mansion you will find many statues and sculptures, from statues to famous Slovenes to modern art. Just have a small walk around the area and see what you can discover.

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Not that the city was overwhelmingly noisy but it was like entering a warped zone as you slip behind the curtains of silence at the serenely beautiful Tivoli Park. Broad promenades with rows of lovely ornate benches backed by lush greenery made for a most lovely backdrop. The sensation is further heightened should you have chosen to enter the park via Cankarjeva Road, meaning you would have taken the rather unmatching shabby looking underpass below the rail tracks.

Here you will find the white-washed Grad Tivolski (Tivoli Castle), which actually resembles a mansion and less a castle, and a staircase guarded by 2 pairs of cast-iron dogs (also painted white). Rumours have it that the creator was so distraught by wagging tongues that he had omitted the tongue of the dogs, that he shot himself.

I have not visited the following but guidebooks have also indicated that Tivoli Park is also home to a number of sporting facilities, the International Centre of Graphic Arts housed inside Tivoli Castle and the Sequin Castle which houses the Museum of Modern History.

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Tivoli Mansion is set in the beautiful Tivoli Park which lies to the west of the city centre. The mansion is approached by the Jakopic Promenade which was designed by Plecnik in the 1920s and 30s. When I visited, the promenade was lined with huge boards showing pictures taken of famous buildings and landscapes from around the world.

The mansion was built in the early 17th century by Jesuits who used it as a holiday home for themselves and their students. Later the mansion became first the property of the Catholic Church and then the property of the Provincial States. In 1835, the Ljubljana Kazina Society opened a summer amusement park with a pub and a café next to the mansion. It was then that the mansion was given its present name. In 1852 it was bought by the Emperor Franz Joseph and let on a life-long lease to Marshall Joseph Radetzky. On this occasion the mansion was renovated. Its façade was redecorated in Classicist style and a number of new walking paths and gardens were opened to the public. The dog statues were created by the sculptor Anton D. Fernkorn around the year 1870. Until 1967, the Tivoli Mansion was a residential building and today houses the International Centre of Graphic Arts.

West to the city center, you will fidn Tivoli Park which is Ljubljana's largest park by far. The park dates back to the early 19th century and even here, Joze Plecnik made some major changes during the 1920s and 1930s. The most famous point in the park is Tivoli mansion, a center of contemporary art housed in a 17th century building with a cllassicist facade. A classic park is found here with many paths and the Jakopic walk as its central axis. Beside that, the woods, sport facilities and the adjacent zoo makes it a perfect area for recreation.

Located very close to the city; only 5 minutes walk from the main shopping st. We found this a great place to relax away from traffic. When we were there, there was an exhibition on with ariel photographs of the world, which was fascinating.