Adventure to the Balkans Travelogue Pt. 8: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Saturday, June 13, 2020
Counting down to the second last post in the Balkans Travelogue series, we now arrive at the city of Ljubljana - a large bustling city in Slovenia. Expect to see some beautiful Christmas markets, love bridges, and even a panoramic of the Ljubljana from the castle overlooking the city...
The dragon is a symbol of the city. It is rumoured that in ancient times, a gladiator killed a magnificent beast and rumours circulating among the common folk said that he killed a dragon - which was how the statue of the dragon on the bridge came to be.
Love Bridges are standard in Europe. Couples write their names on a lock, secure it on the bridge, and then throw the key into the water as a sign of their unwavering love for each other.
We come to the open-air Central Market where we see post-modern sculptures all around.
In 1852, a famous architect was born. He designed the market hall between the Dragon Bridge and the Triple Bridge.
The Central Market sells many knick-knacks like souvenirs and even fresh flowers.
A shot of the Prešeren Square, where we will revisit in a while.
Here we see the Slovenian Philharmonic building which was established in 1701, the seat of the official philharmonic orchestra of the city.
Here we arrive at Congress Square. This is a picture of the official building of the city's university, which used to be the Carniolan State Mansion.
Near one of the side gate of Ljubljana, with carvings of past bishops, oil lamps symbolising eternal life and vases of water symbolising purification.
We come by another bridge in the city.
These quaint cafes remind me of the scene where Cobb and Ariadne were talking in a dream sequence in the movie Inception.
Looks a little like it, doesn't it?
There was an order of knights known as the German order of the Cross which proliferated in the city in ancient times. It was then two priests converted to Christianity and was commemorated. There is a self-portrait of an artist on the Slovenia gate.
Interesting street light details.
Thoughtful graffiti.
Fish Square's Golden Fountain.
There fountains and taps are all around the city. They provide drinkable water and also spruces up their surroundings with detailed, carved statues.
Back at the square.
The famous Robba Fountain unveiled in 1751. It is also known as Fountain of the Three Carniolan Rivers.
A close-up of the fountain.
We enter the oldest building in the city, which was built in 1521, where a guide talks us through the paintings and artwork inside. This is a sculpture of Hercules fighting a lion.
There are three paintings of the Roman Empire, the first on in 1st Century AD.
The second one depicting an Ottoman Empire invasion.
And a third of an execution.
Delightful Dragon motif snacks.
Also passed by a shop with delectable-looking cakes.
We had some free time after the tour, so up to the Ljubljana Castle on a hill we go!
Up, up and up we go! The Ljubljana Castle is a fortress built in the 11th century and rebuilt in the 12th century. It used to be the seat of the lords of Carniola (a ruling faction in Slovenia in the past) and is featured on the coat of arms of the city, along with a dragon on top.
A view of the city from the castle.
Back down from the tram ride, we gathered with our group next to the Triple Bridge.
The bridge was made with limestone, granite and concrete, linking the old town with the new city.
An introduction from Wikipedia reads:
"In order to prevent the 1842 stone arch bridge from being a bottleneck, the architect Jože Plečnik designed in 1929 the extension of the bridge with two footbridges at a slight angle on each side of it. In collaboration with his student Ciril Tavčar, who drew the plans, he published the proposal in the same year in the journal Ljubljanski Zvon. Construction started in 1931 and continued until spring 1932. The bridge was opened for traffic in April 1932."
Dinner was at a family-style Chinese restaurant and is the only Chinese meal of the tour.
It was yummy none-the-less.
Stay tuned for the last part of this series!
EU Tours Singapore Adventure to the Balkans Singaporean Singapore Asian Girl Travels Family Food Ljubljana Slovenia Robba Fountain Town Hall Tripe Bridge Ljubljana Castle Tram Ride Retiree Travel Travel Ideas Wanderlust Chinese Girl
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