Ljubljana is a charming little capital city of Slovenia. My friends & I arrived late evening by bus from Zagreb and were really impressed by Hostel Celica, one of the most intriguing hostels in the world. A name that means "cell", this former military prison has been converted into a hostel. There are 20 cells, which have been artistically transformed into small and large dorm rooms.
Ranked among the top 10 safest countries in the world, perhaps it is no surprise that prisons are no longer needed in Slovenia and they are best used in some other way. We loved it and had a super time exploring the hostel & taking photos.
After the initial excitement wore off, we settled down and watched FC Barcelona's match with other football fans. It was the first time I had watched an entire match this season (the only time I can stay away from sports is when I am on the road). After the match, we went out in search for food but only the watering holes were open. Luckily, we found a Wok place where we were the only customers and after midnight, we made our way back to the hostel. The castle was looking gorgeous in the night !
The next day, it was time to explore the city - I like its name a lot. It is probably derived from Ljubija, the original name of the Ljubljanica river flowing through it. A small city, it is easy to explore by foot.
The city's symbol is the Ljubljana Dragon. It is depicted on the top of the tower of Ljubljana castle, in their coat of arms & on the Ljubljanica-crossing Dragon bridge (Zmajski most). It symbolizes power, courage, & greatness. It is said that unless you take a selfie with the dragons, you have not been to Ljubljana.
The origin of the dragons in Ljubljana can be traced back to the Greek hero Jason, who stole the Golden Fleece from the king of the Black sea. He fled on a ship called Argo and reached Danube river instead of the Adriatic sea. From Danube, he reached the Ljubljanica river and near Ljubljana, he encountered a big monster (or dragon). He killed the dragon and became the first citizen of Ljubljana. However, it was the dragon which became the symbol of this capital city.
The city is dominated by a medieval fortress, which dates from the 12th century. The first Ljubljana castle was probably a wooden and stone fortification, which became a Roman army stronghold. After it was destroyed completely in the 15th century, it was rebuilt with a complete wall and watch towers. The castle's purpose was to defend the empire against Ottoman invasion as well as peasant revolts.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the castle became an arsenal and was occupied by the French army for a while before it returned to the Austrian empire. Foreign rule ended in 1918, when Ljubljana and Slovenia became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia). Italian troops occupied the city during WWII and after the war, Ljubljana underwent significant industrialization and modernization. Today, the country enjoys a high degree of prosperity and stability.
The staircase that takes you to the top of the viewing tower is really cool. The castle's viewing tower was inhabited by a guard whose duty was to fire cannons warning the city in case of fire or announcing important visitors or events.
The city lies in central Slovenia surrounded by high peaks of the Julian Alps. The views from the castle are fabulous and I spent a long time scanning the horizon, not wanting to move from this stunning vantage point. I imagined myself as being the guard in the good old days !
Just outside the castle, there was a very interesting exhibition about Lithium mining and how it is damaging the planet.
After the depressing exhibition, I tried to cheer myself up by looking at the fall colors and enjoying the walk amidst the trees.
The rest of the day was spent witnessing some brilliant street performances -
And losing myself in the tiny streets of the old town -
There was a food festival going on and I was spoilt for choice, as there were dishes from more than 15-20 countries. The sights and smells kept me confused and I felt like a kid in the candy shop. In the end, I decided to have some Persian food -
One of the good things about Slovenia (and many countries in Europe) is you can fill your water bottle from almost any tap in the street - easy to avoid those plastic bottles, which are such a menace !
At a souvenir shop, I got a brilliant postcard which depicted famous items/symbols from various countries -
I attended a vegan exhibition in the town centre. Even though the vegan cause has been taken up by a minority it is good to note that the public awareness is increasing, especially in Western Europe. Many of the travelers I met were conscious about the damage we are causing to animals & the environment. I hope I can see a significant change in the attitude of the general public during my lifetime.
For me, the anti dote to depressing topics is normally getting lost in nature or eating good food. I had tried the former earlier in the day and now, it was time to take the second option. What else, but the famous Slovenian cake - Prekmurska Gibanica. It is a multi layered pastry containing poppy seeds, walnuts, dairy fillings, apples and raisins. For centuries, it was served as a festive or ritual dish and no wonder, it was chosen to represent Slovenia in the Cafe Europe initiative in 2006. To say it is delicious is an understatement ! I would have gobbled up more of those in one sitting but it is really filling and as a compromise, I decided to have one every day till the time I am in Slovenia !
It was time to walk off the extra calories and make sure I was hungry enough for dinner. So, I crossed the river and explored Ljubljana's other side.
The sunset brought out vivid colors in the sky and I lost track of time admiring this natural painting. I love the sky colors when the sun has set & moon light is yet to take effect. It has a very soothing effect and makes you forget everything else for a few minutes.
As my friends had already decided that they wanted to have dinner at the Falafel restaurant they had been to during their previous trip, there was no food hunt or exploration tonight. Later, I was thanking my lucky stars that I did not suggest an option of my own because it turned out to be one of the best falafels I have ever had.
In fact, it was a fitting place to have our last meal together before they went back home to Germany. After bonding so well during our travels, it was time for an emotional farewell. I was going to miss them terribly and I sure hoped to bump into them in the near future. After so many years of traveling, I am still amazed at how people from different countries and cultures come together and form relationships that last a lifetime. One of the many benefits of traveling !
I was in a reflective mood and chose to take another midnight walk back to my hostel, one of the few places where everything feels so safe 24/7 !
This Lake Bled (arguably the most famous place in Slovenia) painting at the hostel helped me realize there was nothing to feel sad about that the parting. This was not the end - in fact, this was the beginning of a lifetime of adventures that we will share together. Of course, it was natural on my part to cherish the moments we spent together but it was also time to focus my attention on exploring the destinations I will be visiting in the next few weeks !
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