Travels with Kathryn

On Wednesday morning, I (literally) waved goodbye to my travel companion for this leg and enjoyed my last day in the sunshine wandering around Zagreb. As you can see from the photos below, Christmas has almost arrived in Croatia:

I treated myself to a 64-second ride on the funicular, which really does only cost 66 cents:

As planned, I also managed to buy a pair of suitable boots for the snowy (and cold rainy) stages of my trip (hurrah for cheap shoe shops and sales). Perfectly acceptable and fur lined:

I have really enjoyed my time in Zagreb and can heartly recommend it for a weekend away. The city itself is beautiful and very easy to navigate – we also had one of the best meals I have had in quite some time. Croatia is a well-known tourist destination, but its cities definitely have something to offer all year round so even if you’re coming for a beach holiday it is certainly worth considering a day in Zagreb and/or Split. I am slightly annoyed at myself for not doing my Christmas market research, as Zagreb’s is HUGE, and I am leaving the day before it actually opens. A couple of the “huts” did start opening yesterday, but it is not quite the same…

Back to the hotel to do laundry (which does dry quicker now that I need the radiator on!), to pack, and finish:

This morning, I checked out of my hotel and boarded a train to Ljubljana where Monkey and I have a compartment to ourselves. Most civilised. I was also most pleased to actually be on a train (as opposed to a rail replacement bus) as it’s been a while since I was able to use my favourite mode of transport.

It is only a short journey (2.08h) to Ljubljana, although we were slightly late. Sloveia is part of Schengen, so there is no passport stamp, and I think this is likely to be the same for the rest of my trip as I’m going to be in the EU. I arrived in heavy rain (but luckily I was wearing my new boots) and it was just a short walk to my hotel. I had tentaively planned a trip up to the castle, but in light of the late arrival and dreadful weather I had a little wander before heading for an accidentally fancy, but really lovely meal (I have been relying on Google reviews and I must remember now I am in the EU to also look at the average cost, and not just the rating!) – it was pretty fantastic and very good value (€44 for 2 courses and a cocktail), but I had just got used to Balkan prices…

I started today with the standard walking tour in the rain (although luckily, not as heavy as yesterday). So, Ljubljana is a tiny capital in a tiny country (Slovenia’s population is only 2 million people. Ljubljana means beloved in Slovenian and prides itself on its eco credentials – the centre is pedestrianised, there are recycling bins everywhere, and a green artery of the river and its promanades There has been a settlement here for over 5,000 years, and in pre-historic times, the river flooded into a lake and swamp, which made it a fertile region. The Romans conquered and ruled the region until the middle ages growing the town and building the first castle on the top of the hill. Over time, Ljubljana was taken by various empires and ultimately became part of the Hapsburg Austrian empire in the 17th century when it was a relatively small town. Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia after WW1 and was occupied by Italy during WW2 and the city was turned into a ghetto and no one was allowed to leave. Much of the city we see today was rebuilt after a large earthquake in 1895 in Italian Baroque and Art Nouveau style, so it’s very pretty.

We started our tour in Preseren Square. This is the main square in Ljubljana and named after France Preseren, who is considered the greatest Slovene poet and a national icon. He even has his own holiday where a poetry reading is held in this square. You will see his statue below and note the female muse above him. This was hugely controversial when it was errected in 1901 to have a nude lady facing the church – to solve this, trees were planted to block her from the church (couldn’t have breasts upsetting Catholic priests, church goers etc).

Just off the square is the famous Triple Bridge. This used to be a single wooden bridge, and in the 19th century, it was replaced by a stone bridge to be used by trams and cars. As a result the bridge became too busy and Joze Plecnik was engaged to build a new bridge, and he decided rather than rebuild, he would just add pedestrian bridges either side and a ballastrade to the exisiting bridge so as to link the 3 together. Joze Plecnik had a major impact on the city of Ljubljana (as well as Vienna and Prague), and he designed many notable buildings and bridges.

A few other key sites:

The main church in Ljubljana is St Nicholas (it being his season and all), and when Pope John Paul visited in 1996, a new door was added to tell the story of Slovenia – as part of Yugoslavia, the struggle for the Slovenian, various conquering armies etc.

One of the main symbols of Ljubljana is the dragon (there is even a dragon bridge). The story starts with Jason and the Argonauts who on route home from earning the golden fleece, instead of sailing into the Aegean Sea they sailed down the Danube, onto the Sava and eventually to its source the Ljubljana River. As it was marshy and the water too shallow, Jason (and his mates) decided to cross overland to the Sea, but settled in for winter before setting out. They built a village in the marsh – but it turns out this was on top of a local dragon’s hunting grounds, and he was not happy about it. He attacked the village and killed some of the Argonauts. Jason killed the dragon and returned to Greece, but several Argonauts settled and founded the first Roman fort. It’s a lovely story (although not for the dragon!), but perhaps he has got the last laugh as he is the symbol of Ljubljana and even has his own bridge:

After the walking tour, I took the funicular to the castle – this was a much steeper (and newer) one than Zagreb’s, but so much better than having to climb the stairs in the rain!

The Romans built the first fotification on the top of the hill, but it wasn’t until the threat of the Ottomans that the Austrian Hapsburgs decided to build a modern fortified castle in 1475. After the 17th century, the role of the castle dwindled, and in 1905, it was purchased by the mayor of Ljubljana for the city. There were plans in 1932 to renovate it as a cultural centre, but work was delayed because of WW2, which saved the original structures from some more of the grandiose plans. Today, the castle complex is a rather odd collection of attractions, some of which are pointless and the best mainly being to give a view over the city. I am glad I went, but not somewhere that I would give it “starred attraction” status.

With the rain continuing, I decided to head back and await the arrival of my next travel companion. As I write this, Briony is in the air, although delayed by (as she described) “the older generation who have no idea how to board a plane.” Hopefully she’ll make up some time and as today is the first day of the Ljubljana Christmas market (the lights get switched on at 5pm) we will get the chance to walk through it whilst having the sites pointed out before it gets too late! There will then be dinner, and tomorrow, we are heading into the mountains (Lake Bled).