LJUBLJANA Travel Agent Manual

www.visitljubljana.com

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Ljubljana’s Old Town The old city centre or Ljubljana’s Old Town is comprised of the area between the castle hill and the Ljubljanica River; from the Central Market to the Gornji trg square and from the Trg francoske revolucije square with Križanke complex to the Židovska ulica street, there are picturesque squares, narrow paved streets, fountains and interesting façades of different architectural styles, which inspire each and every visitor with their stories. Three medieval squares – from the Stari trg square, across the Novi trg square and down to the Mestni trg square, embrace the foot of the castle hill and flow one into another. They have preserved their typical Gothic, wreathed design. Most of the houses along the squares are Baroque and only some, with their axes at right angles to the street, have retained their medieval layout. Prešernov trg square The square is named after the greatest Slovenian poet, France Prešeren (1800-1849). His poetry is a symbol of longing for love and freedom, which is why one of his poems, Zdravljica/A Toast, became the national anthem. For the locals, the Prešernov trg square is the heart of the city, a meeting place where they celebrate cultural events and public holidays. The monument to Prešeren was unveiled in 1905 and is the work of architect Maks Fabiani and sculptor Ivan Zajc. The ornamented façade of the Franciscan Church, built between 1646 and 1660, dominates the square, based on the Italian model. Its great altar dates from 1736 and is the work of the sculptor Francesco Robba. The Triple Bridge, a special architectural feature of Ljubljana, is made up of the old stone bridge from 1842 and two more bridges which architect Jože Plečnik added in 1931, thus providing an elegant entrance into the Old Town of Ljubljana. Ljubljanica river Another icon indelibly marks Ljubljana – the Ljubljanica river. As it is a sinking river and appears under different names on the surface, people started to call it the “river of seven names”. It presented the main trade and supply route from Roman times until the establishment of the railway in the mid-19th century. Due to its extraordinary archaeological, historical and cultural-historical features, it has been declared a cultural monument of national importance from its springs to the Špica area. With its green embankments, arranged promenades and diverse bridges, it winds through the old part of Ljubljana and gives it a distinctive character. Central Market – Plečnik’s coveredmarket Ljubljana’s Central Market is more than just a place to shop. Traditionally, it has also been a place for the locals to meet and enjoy themselves together. The Central Market consists of an open-air market, located in the Vodnikov trg and Pogačarjev trg squares, a covered market situated between the two squares, and a series of small food shops along the river Ljubljanica, which are referred to as ‘Plečnik’s Covered Market’ as they are located in a colonnade designed by Ljubljana’s famous architect Jože Plečnik. The Cathedral – Church of St. Nicholas The Ljubljana church, which boatmen and fishermen dedicated to their patron St Nicholas, probably stood on the site of the present cathedral as early as the 13 th century. The cathedral, with frescoes by Giulio Quaglio and built to the plans of the Roman Jesuit Andrea Pozzo, was erected between 1701 and 1708. The cupola was added later. To the right of the main entrance is a Gothic capital with a head of Christ on the external wall and, beside it, a mid-15th century Gothic Pietà, one of the rare works of art preserved from the previous, old Gothic church. Two stunning bronze doors were added in 1996 in honour of the Pope’s visit to Ljubljana. The (main) west door facing the Bishop’s Palace recounts the history of 1250 years of Christianity in Slovenia. The six bishops on the south door fronting the Ciril-Metodov trg square depict the history of the Ljubljana diocese.