The name Ljubljana in translation means Beloved.
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia, a country at the heart of Europe. Slovenia is situated at the crossroad of main European cultural and trade routes.
It’s a place where Central Europe meets South and East. The land where Slavic, Germanic, Roman, and Finno-Ugric linguistic and cultural groups meet. It couldn’t get more diverse than that.
Slovenia borders Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia, and it is a geographically small country. But nevertheless, it offers an intriguing mixture of landscapes and cultures. The food and wine are amazing and world-renowned. You definitely should try to taste the various diverse Slovenian cuisines, it’s quite a mixture!
It comprises the Mediterranean Sea, the Alps, hilly areas with vineyards, the unique Karst caves, and the Pannonian lowlands with their natural thermal springs that have healing powers.
Slovenia joined the European Union in 2004 and then adopted the Euro currency in 2007.
Because I am always searching for interesting people and their stories, I recently chatted with a tourist in Ljubljana. What he said made an impression and his words still echo in my mind.
»Look at all these details Ljubljana has, it’s so lovely, so charming! Many people are trying to create a warm atmosphere and they are very successful at it. This city is not like any other Eastern or Southern European city, because it has some Germanic characteristics – everything works and the city is well organized. But yet it has a very relaxed feeling and people are easygoing.
I am surprised – I never thought this city is going to make me feel so good.«
I realize that after time permanent residents of every city become blind to the details and all the good things the city offers them. Therefore as I decided to share a glimpse of it.
These short blogs will be about my feelings, perspectives, thoughts, and joys of living in Ljubljana.
Read more interesting articles:
- STRUNJAN – the Most Pristine Part of Slovenian Coast
- One of the Healthiest Waters In the World: Mineral Spring Water in Slovenia
- Hiking is a Way of Life in Slovenia – A Hiking Paradise in Central Europe
- How a Trip to Slovenia Rekindled My Connection to Nature
- Back to Nature – Travel to Northwestern Slovenia
- Cycling in Ljubljana
- Electric Cars Offering Free Rides in Ljubljana
- Library Under the Treetops in Ljubljana
- Where is Ljubljana, Slovenia?
- Why Slovenia is One of the Best Travel Destinations
Just reading your blog was pretty cool. I recently did a short-term exchange (Ljubljana Summer School) there from Australia. I come from Brisbane which it the most relaxed Capital City in Brisbane (almost like a big country town) and I was just so impressed by Ljubljana. The most relaxing city that I have been, no one stresses to much, everyone has just accepted that it was ruled by different people and embraced it. The people were also so friendly!
Gordon, thank you for your comment! It’s nice to hear that you liked the relaxed atmosphere in Ljubljana. 🙂 I’ve heard so many good things about Brisbane too, they say it’s the number one city to live in Australia. I have relatives in Australia, so maybe someday soon I’ll visit Brisbane! 🙂
This is a very wonderful blog and I want to compliment you for all the work you are doing on catching every detail of Ljubljana and bringing it to the reader. I also subscribed to the blog so I can read all the new articles because reading them brings back so many beautiful memories I have from Ljubljana. I am from Kosovo and I recently spent a month for a summer school program in Ljubljana and I loved everything about this place, the culture, sightseeing, and the people who are very polite and friendly! It is a great place to be, and I wish to go back for a visit soon.
Erina, thank you for your compliment. 🙂 I hope to continue with writing good things abotu Ljubljana.
Summer school sounds very nice! 😉 And if you visit, you can contact me and we’ll go for a coffee or somewhere cool. Greetings to Kosovo!