Long day in Ljubljana

Just before 07.00 I arrived with the night bus in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. I had just over 19 hours to spend in this little university town before I would take yet another night bus to go to Prague.

Unfortunately for me, this Saturday was the day after Labour Day, why it was regarded a holiday and very few things in the city were open. The opportunities for activities were therefore a little limited. It did not rain, though, even if looking like it would in the morning. I walked around the pretty small city centre, with a lot of very beautiful buildings and many calm pedestrian streets.

During the day more and more people gathered in the streets and squares, and I was far from the only tourist in town. Guided groups of Japanese people, Italian-speaking families and some partying ice hockey-fans were also part of the crowd in the restaurants and cafés along the little river that floats through the city.

Ljubljana was quite lush, with parks and greenery bordering most blocks, and located in the middle of city is the hill with the old castle on top of it. I went up there to get a glimpse of the city from above.

In many ways Ljubljana reminded me of my birth town Lund, with classic yet not grandiose architecture, pedestrian- and bike friendly and with the clear atmosphere of a student town. To be a capital it is truly very small - actually one of the European Union's smallest capitals, home to only some 280 000 inhabitants. That Slovenia for large parts has been linked to and influenced as much by Italy as by Slavic culture was evident in both architecture, food and fashion while walking the little streets of the old inner city.

Ljubljana was beautiful, cute and seemed pretty calm, even though I bet there are some wild student partying going on when not an extended weekend. Subculture, street art and punk parties are things I have heard exist here, but for me the day was spent walking and eating in a quite quiet and slow little city.

And then, for the second night in a row, I slept on a bus which I changed early morning in Munich to arrive just before lunch in the popular and breathtakingly beautiful Prague. My report from there will follow soon.