Exploring Ljubljana: A Family-Friendly Guide to Slovenia's Walkable Capital

A short flight from the Uk is the beautiful city of Ljubljana and where our trip began.

We stayed at Barbo Palace Apartments which surpassed our expectations! Just moments from the river- the building was beautiful, set around a typical European inner central courtyard. The apartment was spotlessly clean, the beds super comfy with a small kitchen and rooftop views over the pedestrianised part of the capital.

The city is small and walkable. We had 2 days here which felt perfect. We spent the first day strolling around, took a boat ride down the river and had the best ice creams! We saw the 3 bridges, which is one of the sites the city is known for along with the dragon bridge. The children loved the rain spray- just by the 3 bridges- rain is sprayed down on you and a great way to cool off! Like a fine mist and incredibly refreshing!

We were there during an exceptionally hot heatwave in August so we were thankful to be able to walk back to the apartment for a rest and cool down!

We got up early the next day to head up to the castle before the heat and the crowds.

We hopped on the funicular up to the top for breathtaking views of the city and mountains beyond.

We purchased the ticket for the funicular and castle but in hindsight we would just pay for the funicular as much of the castle is included it that price. Although saying that we did enjoy the tower and the audio guide was a hit with the children (which is what you pay the extra for).

After exploring for a couple of hours and finishing with a coffee and ice cream, we decided to walk down the shaded path. It’s steep in parts so not suitable for everyone- it’s a quick walk down though.

After an afternoon rest we headed to Tivoli park to the playgrounds although the children mainly enjoyed playing in the water drinking fountain! A welcome relief from the heat!

We were lucky enough to be there on a Friday when the food market is on. Wide variety of food from all over the place- we really struggled to choose! Phil ended up with ribs, I had the most amazing truffle pasta and the children had frankfurters. The atmosphere was great and we would have stayed for hours had it not been for the wasps and heat!

Have I mentioned the wasps? Slovenian wasps seem a class of their own!

We LOVED Ljubljana- more like a large town than a city, most of the centre is pedestrianised. Great food, the ice cream and coffees are so reasonably priced 2 euros for each. We consumed a lot of both! The city has an arty feel, with lots of creative touches and some great graffiti in parts. I would highly recommend for a city break or combined with a longer trip around the beautiful country.

Read my post of how we travelled home to the UK overland! an excellent end to our holiday!