Lovely Ljubljana

Church bells, directly across from our open bedroom window, wake us early with energetic ringing. We laugh at the enthusiastic pealing of bells; time to get out and explore. Not far from our hotel we have spotted a sign pointing the way up to the castle. It is like a magnet, perched and keeping watch over the city, the castle has served and protected Ljubljana for centuries.

It has been lovingly preserved with a mix of good restoration and modern interventions that work well, making it easy to access and see otherwise hard to view spaces. It is all well integrated with new uses, such as galleries, modern washrooms and eating areas. In the central court, comfortable chairs and other sitting places make it a welcome spot just to lounge around. This part of the castle is open to everyone. A ticket gets us into the galleries and historic exhibits.

At the top of the tower we take time to enjoy the panoramic view which shows 

the layout of the city, spreading in all directions, with mountains in the distance.

Perfect place for a selfie!

We get a bird's eye view of a special event being celebrated in one of the city's squares.

There is an excellent National Geographic photo exhibit in a long cavernous gallery which is part of a passageway running below the castle. 

From the castle there are several routes back down to the city. We consider the funicular but opt instead for a walking path that leads by an alternate route back to our hotel area. After a tasty goulash lunch, at an outdoor restaurant, where we cluster under large umbrellas with strangers,  to avoid the occasional drizzle, we head off to discover the alternative side of the City - ROG an artists' squat and Metelkova, a more established artists' area which was formerly a squat that became accepted and recognized by the powers that be (i.e. city government). The artists are left alone now to create interesting spaces out of an odd ball collection of buildings. This is supposed to be a great place for nightlife and restaurants, But the day is dull and very few people are about, so I don't think we really capture the essence of the areas.

The street art is wild and adorns walls, building, empty spaces.

 

 It is busier around the square where the Roman Encampment has set up to celebrate Ave, Emona, Ljubljana's 2000 years of habitation.  The camp complete is with gladiators, market and displays. We watch the gladiators form ranks and march through town.