Picture Postcard Ljubljana

Ljubljana, Slovenia

May 31, 2025

On the banks of the emerald-green water of the Ljubljanica river is Ljubljana. Never bombed during World War II, the rebuilding here took place after natural disasters and reflect the architecture in vogue at the time. The right or west bank, rebuilt during the days when it was a part of the Austrian empire is unsurprisingly Viennese in style while the east bank is more baroque. Graceful, well-maintained and beautiful, it is picture-postcard perfect. Multiple bridges span the river with names like Cobblers bridge and Butchers bridge, harking back to the days of yore when it was the venue for such trades. Butcher’s bridge is festooned with padlocks, placed there by couples symbolizing eternal love – a sight seen on many other bridges all over Europe and elsewhere. And then there is the much-vaunted Triple bridge, built to replace the original wooden bridge and accommodate a higher traffic volume.

The clock tower of the Ljubljana Castle looms over the city, visible from almost everywhere. I walk up a shaded path that leads up to this castle built in the 12^th century CE, over the remains of an earlier medieval fortress. A pedestrian bridge has replaced the old drawbridge and I enter the open square. It is surprisingly small and other than a few exhibits, mostly bare.

But the views from the battlements are glorious making it worth the visit. Under the bright sunshine I see all the way to the mountains in the far distance.

Back down in the Preseren square is the Fransiscan church, colloquially called the Pink church while the national poet France Preseren stands nearby gazing towards his lost love, Julia Pimic, portrayed in plaster on a building across. The story begins with Preseren, a melancholy alcoholic with an unbalanced temperament at age thirty-two falling in love with Julia, a girl of sixteen. Julia’s parents opposed vehemently and she married someone else. Peresnov pined for her all his life or so the story goes and she remained the muse of this 19^th century romantic poet.

The dome and twin towers of the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas rears over the city. I feel like enetering but check out the door of this church instead. Fairly new, it has Pope John Paul II peering down on the sculpted history of Ljubljana.

The National Library, conceived and designed by Plecnik, the architect of all Ljubljana it seems is certainly odd looking. I cannot quite decide whether is grand or just ugly. The entryway is dark and gradually gives way to bright light, supposedly mirroring the path to an educated mind. This respect for books and learning seems a part of Slovenian mindset. Among the gazillion shops is an old-fashioned bookshop, garnering a thumbs up from me.

The cobblestoned streets are graced by stately buildings. In the shape of some of the towers I see hints of Russia. They remind me of the onion domes of Moscow, seen many years ago.