Much of life in Ljubljana takes place along the lively, lovely river Ljubljanica. At center here is the city’s famed “triple bridge,” designed by the ubiquitous architect Jože Plečnik.
It’s been a long time since we’ve really “travelled,” and we’re pretty excited to be back at it again. Since COVID came along we’ve been on a few trips, but this is the first time we’ve set out on a real adventure since we completed the big one 3-1/2 years ago.
We love New York, but we love it less in July and August when oppressive heat and humidity set in. So this year we decided to take eight weeks off for some of the old travel adventure. We began our trip here in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. We’ll spend the eight weeks in Slovenia, Croatia, Norway, Sweden, plus one little corner of Italy.
Lunch at one of the endless heavenly restaurants that line the river
Why Slovenia? It’s a lovely little country on the edge of the Alps that we’ve just never managed to get to before. It takes a bit of effort to get here. Now that I’ve finally made it, this leaves Belarus as the only one of the 44 countries in Europe I’ve not been to. Jim will be able to make the same claim after we get to Norway in a month.
We’ve looked forward to this trip with some lingering concerns. Will we like this kind of travel as much as we used to? Or will it feel like a chore? Are we jaded after our big adventure a few years ago? Are we now just checking boxes, trying to squeeze in places we didn’t get to before?
Our concerns were quickly abated by Ljubljana’s oversized charms. For a little known capital, it’s got a really nice vibe. A compact historic core is packed with classic architecture, lovely cobbled streets, and buzzing nightlife. The river Ljubljanica is lined with lively cafes and restaurants. And there is an impressive foodie scene.
We had surprisingly great food at every meal in this town. But our last dinner was the best. We went to a place called Çompa. It was a bit removed from the pretty streets that line the river. It was in a grittier part of town, the place looked comparatively downscale, and it was packed with locals. Çompa is renowned for its meats — including beef, pork, and horse. We had some of all three, and we were blown away by how delicious everything was. Pics below.
For a starter at Çompa we had cubes of raw beef with bright, beautifully flavored sauces
Then we followed up with some pork and some horse filet. Here Jim eagerly scoops up some horse. I always think horse is going to be tough and nasty, but we could not believe how delicious this was
We spent a wonderful evening with Zoran and Daniça
One of the highlights of our visit was an evening with two fascinating locals — Zoran and Daniça Kus — who were introduced to us by our friend Kiša back in New York. Zoran recently retired from a long career working with the Slovenian government and international organizations as an expert on environment and climate change. Daniça is a photographer who travels the world to capture great architecture. She is currently commissioned to document the work of Jože Plečnik, the Slovenian architect who rebuilt Ljubljana in the early to mid-20th century, and whose fingerprints are on everything in this town.
This has been a lovely start to our summer mini-adventure. Now we head toward the Julian Alps in Northwestern Slovenia.
Jim followed the river to the outer edges of town one afternoon
Some paddle boarders glide under the triple bridge
Grand bronze doors to the Cathedral of St. Nicholas evoke the beauty of Florence. In this case though they’re quite modern, added in 1996 to mark the Pope’s visit. That’s him at the top.
The exterior of the early 18th century baroque Cathedral of St. Nicholas couldn’t be more boring, but the interior has all the glitz you would expect in a European cathedral
A meat and cheese board, some olives, a glass of rosé, and an outdoor table right by the river. Can it get any better?
Tivoli Park is an enormous green space in Ljubljana with untold numbers of walking trails, grassy picnic areas, shaded walks. Jim loved finding little reading nooks here.
An early morning walk along the Ljubljanica river
Sts. Cyril & Methodius Church, just outside Tivoli Park, is a classic Orthodox church
Jim enjoyed a couple hours at the National Gallery and was particularly taken by this early 16th Century Christ
Speaking of the National Gallery, this mid-18th century Slovenian is pretty happy with his pretzel!
We always love a good market
OK, this was strange. Prešeren Square right next to the river is like a million other beautiful old European squares except for one thing: It has its own weather. See that sign, warning you about rain and suggesting an umbrella? A perfectly warm, sunny day and there’s this little circle of sprinkles. It took us a few seconds to find that little sprayer you see in the upper left corner of the picture, with just the most gentle little drizzle on the circle. Just when you think you’ve seen everything!