Foreigners Everywhere Part 4
London, Paris, New York … Ljubljana? I love capital cities for all the sprawl, noise and attention that the world’s greatest examples demand. Slovenia’s capital and the last stop on our trip couldn’t be more different to those big beasts. Ljubljana is one of Europe’s most environmentally friendly cities and with a population of only 300,000 it feels more like a town than the political, administrative, cultural and economic centre of the country. The Slovenians are a rare breed as the entire population numbers only two million in a country that is more than 60% forest.
Old Town Ljubljana is compact, historical and pleasantly walkable with pedestrians and cyclists prioritised. The most congested traffic we encountered was at the city’s bus station, a hub for student travellers making the most of their freedom before the start of the university term. In Slovenia, as we found in Italy, public transport is both reasonably priced and reliable compared to the UK. Witness our experience in arriving here.
A relaxing train journey of about two and half hours from Trieste is interrupted by an agitated guard running to and fro, an inaudible announcement and a long stop. Although we are only going to Ljubljana, the train’s final destination is Vienna and we guess correctly that the overnight deluge and subsequent flooding in Austria might be affecting the railways. ‘No bus, no bus,’ says our guard, to our bafflement. Just as we start to wonder where we will be sleeping we hear three words guaranteed to strike terror into the heart of every British train traveller. Replacement Bus Service. Visions of long delays and even longer journeys on a packed boneshaker inevitably surface when we grab our bags and depart the train as instructed. We needn’t have worried. Our carriage – a gleaming and very comfortable coach is waiting to scoop us up and deliver us, on time, to our chosen destination. Slovenia, you are impressive.
We find our accommodation is perfectly located to explore the city on foot and some of the creative startup businesses with fancy prices we encounter along the riverside walk to the Old Town. There’s a jewellery maker, a fashion designer, artisan goods, cafes and little restaurants all along Trubarjeva Cesta, a trendy street with an independent spirit. On our second night a women’s boutique hosts a show with pole dancers, models, photographers and customers spilling out into the evening sunshine. We stopped at nearby TaBar for an early evening snack where the menu was described as Slovenian tapas. We are never wholly convinced by tapas. Previous experience would suggest that the consumption of numerous small dishes does not add up to a complete meal, although the bill will indicate you may be paying for several. TaBar had that feeling about it, so we decided to quit while we were ahead, as what we deemed as the starters were pretty good and beautifully presented. It was a small menu and we didn’t fancy what might be coming next. It was listed as ‘foal’. We queried this with our waitress. Foal? You mean, as in baby horse? Yes, exactly this she said with a broad smile. Righto!
Every capital city has a spot where visitors are encouraged to go high for an impressive view. In Ljubljana this experience can be had at the Neboticnik bar. We turned up at twilight and it was a raining to boot so we missed out on the rooftop view but on the upside, dinner was close by at Šestica 1776, a huge traditional Slovenian hostelry and one of the oldest inns in Ljubljana. Slovenian food is hearty, meat and sausage heavy with dishes influenced by Austrian, Hungarian, Balkan and Italian cuisine. This place has been successfully turning it all out for centuries. It was packed and the sort of place that gives you confidence you won’t be leaving hungry. We went back twice for some solid, if unexciting fare.
The pink façade of the 17th century Church of the Annunciation dominates the central square in Ljubljana and it was here the next morning that we joined our walking tour guide to learn more about our surroundings. Lena, not her real name, revealed the most fascinating personal backstory, which underlined my first impression of Ljubljana as a charming, safe, citizen-focused capital city. Lena told us she was born in Ljubljana and had only recently returned to her homeland from London, where she had been a social worker for several years. The stress of the job and with the needs of her own young child to consider she made the decision to follow her desire for cleaner air, improved mental and physical health and a more sustainable lifestyle. She proudly told us that Ljubljana ticked all her boxes and she now earns her living by explaining her passion for the city to visitors. The happiness she derives from being able to do this daily was tangible. The city couldn’t have a better or more enthusiastic ambassador.
Ljubljana’s wholesome atmosphere has a lot to do with visionary architect Jože Plečnik. His distinctive bridges, buildings and landscaping were designed as part of an urban planning scheme in the 1920s to turn the capital into a pedestrianised, sociable and sustainable city, long before such concepts were widely talked about. If the mission of architecture is to achieve immortality, Plečnik has surely lived up to his own philosophy. He designed the iconic central market area where a host of artisan producers and local growers still set up daily and the magnificent National and University Library building, said by the architect to be Slovenia’s ‘temple of knowledge and wisdom.’
In the same street where we sampled free samples of locally made fig and plum liqueur, we spotted a window of elegant edible creations that had to be sampled. The originality of the fruit and chocolate-inspired goods at Fétiche Patisserie tasted even better than they looked. On the second visit, the creator, a young, somewhat dishevelled young man, was leaving for the day. A true artist. He certainly looked the part.
Slovenia is a country of stunning outdoor locations so it would have been unthinkable to leave without a day trip to one of the most popular nearby locations. Just over an hour’s bus ride away lies Bled, with its gorgeous lakeside walk. Luckily, we had a sunny day to enjoy the beautiful views.
