situated right in the center of Slovenia
lies its capital Ljubljana almost an
equal distance from Italy Austria
Hungary and Croatia this small but
innovative city has a car-free heart a
hip attitude and the mythical history
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wherever you go in Ljubljana you'll see
images of dragons legend has it that
many centuries ago a dragon left in the
Ljubljana River preying on locals until
a Greek hero discovered a way to defeat
it it's a perfect symbol for this
charismatic university town that is
fiercely protective of its environment
its history and its people
step into the narrow streets of the town
center and instead of traffic you'll
hear bicycle bells and instead of
gridlock you'll find riverbanks lined
with cafes pubs and historic
architecture in 2007 the council banned
cars here and the city has been rolling
out sustainable programs ever since
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ride the funicular or take the gentle
stroll to the mine till ljubljana castle
this beloved landmark has been standing
above the city for more than 900 years
far from being just a window into
history this castle is part of daily
life and is often used for weddings
concerts and art shows
discover the rich tradition of
puppeteering at the Museum of puppetry
here
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or just enjoy the views out over the
city
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the town center rests on the banks of
the Ljubljana River the coal wood oil
town lies on the east bank while on the
West Bank there are more recently built
buildings parks and galleries
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the two are linked by the triple bridge
one overdose and iconic masterpieces
designed by the city's favorite son
architect Yoshi plecnik
this group of three bridges was built in
1842 and its focus on pedestrian access
shows just how far ahead of his time
were pledged nick's designs head to the
oval-shaped pre Sheeran square where in
ancient times several roads met in front
of the old city gates today it is a
popular meeting point and the city's
heart the square was named after France
a prescient
whose poem a toast became the country's
national anthem enjoy a coffee and the
pastry on the steps of preference that
you made the locals and watch the city
go about this day in this university
town there is always someone to chat
with
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take the time to explore the franciscan
church with its romantic staircase that
faces the square originally painted red
to represent the Franciscan monastic
order it has faded over time to Solomon
pink
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there are plenty more magnificent
buildings at nearby Congress square
which was built on the side of ruined
medieval monastery and is also home to
parks Vista
from here you can see the main building
for the University of Ljubljana one of
the largest places of learning in Europe
the balcony of this building has been
used by political hard hitters such as
Tito play dress crowds throughout
slovenia's history
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stroll as the Slovene philharmonic
orchestra building one of the world's
oldest musical institutions with famous
connections to composers such as
Beethoven and Brahms it still delights
music lovers today
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keep an eye out as you cross the dragon
bridge famous for its fearsome statues
they are say to twitch their tails when
a pure and untouched maiden is nearby
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Ljubljana Central Market is another good
place to catch up with the locals and in
town square you'll find the town hall
and st. Nicholas Church
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another of the city's innovative schemes
is free bicycle rentals so pick up a
bike and head to tivoli park which
stretches from the western outskirts
right into the city center
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follow the Yakko pitch brominate to the
Tivoli castle and visit the collection
of prints by modern artists at the
International Center of graphic arts
immerse yourself in art of a different
kind
in the metelkova misto a funky cultural
zone which is just a few hundred meters
away from Alana's main train station
this abandoned army barracks whose more
than 1000 and 500 events each year and
has become one of the best-known
underground social experiments in Europe
as your day ends strohbeck over kobler's
bridge one of the oldest bridges in the
city ljubljana may have taken the dragon
as its symbol but unlike its mythical
beast the city is welcoming warm and
delighted to share its treasures with
visitors
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you
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