You planned the perfect 48-hour Ljubljana itinerary filled with outdoor adventures and then it rains, the whole time.
Now what? What to do in Ljubljana in the rain?
Slovenia is the new Croatia they say, so what better way to see it than to add Ljubljana to our December trip to Italy! We were ready to spend 48 hours in beautiful Ljubljana visiting outdoor Christmas markets, going on a food and wine tour, and taking a day trip to Lake Bled. Our plans changed significantly when it rained (and sometimes snowed) heavily during our time here. We needed to pivot, and we needed a new agenda quickly.
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Day 1: We found out very quickly that rain doesn’t stop the locals, so we tried to follow their lead! A little background, Slovenia didn’t gain its independence from Yugoslavia until 1991 and now they are a member of the European Union. Maybe they have some make-up to do in the fun area, I’m not sure, but they dress amazingly, and they were out in groups laughing and enjoying their time together, even in the very cold rain.
The town centre was where we found the Christmas and food stalls. Mulled wine for just 4€ was a steal and warmed us up immediately. The restaurants were warm and inviting with hearty food options. We found the food gained influence from Austria and Northern Italy along with good Slovenian options that included different sausages and potato dishes.
We enjoyed our first snack at Klobasarna where we had Klobasa s sirom v testu which was sausage and cheese with sour kraut and full grain mustard, much like a delicious, adult version of pig in a blanket. Bonus was their house wine was only 2,10€!
Now that we had warmed up, we took advantage of the break in the rain and walked up to Ljubljana Castle. The walk was steep but on an easy-to-follow path and great exercise. We toured the castle with an audio tour where we saw a beautiful chapel, a great view of the city and some very interesting prison cells.
For dinner, we stopped at Supernatural Ljubljana . This was like walking into a warm hug! The owner was our server and he immediately recommended the wild boar pappardelle (21€), phenomenal. I asked for a full-bodied local wine and he delivered once again. My gent ordered the California love salad (14€) and truly enjoyed his meal. They call themselves elevated comfort food and I fully agree!
After dinner, we took the funicular up to the castle to see a jazz concert here Jazz Club » The Ljubljana Castle (ljubljanskigrad.si) at the Jazz Club. What a unique experience and it was inside (bonus because the rain started up again).
We spent our first night splurging thanks to American Express Platinum Fine Hotels Collection and the fact that we needed to use our $200 credit before January 1st, so we stayed at InterContinental Ljubljana | Luxury Hotel in Ljubljana (ihg.com) in downtown Ljubljana. We had a breathtaking corner room for only $69!
Day 2: We started our day with a lovely complimentary breakfast buffet (thanks to American Express Platinum). There was nothing excluded from this enormous buffet- there were even mimosas!
We were granted a couple of hours of sunshine, so we walked through the Christmas stalls and little shops. Don’t worry, we enjoyed some more mulled wine, to keep ourselves warm of course. Something I love about Europe is that they dine outside in most seasons, Slovenia was no different. The bistros wiped off chairs and patrons filled them for lunch. We stopped at The Pop’s Place Burger Bar (thepopsplace.com) and I had the Jack Ryan burger – slightly spicy, cooked to medium rare (they said all came cooked medium), so juicy and very fresh grass-fed Slovenian beef dry aged for over a month! That was a great burger!
It started to rain again so we sought out the National Museum of Slovenia Narodni muzej Slovenije (nms.si) to spend a couple of hours. The museum was fairly small but boasts the oldest musical instrument in the world.
Now onto our second dinner, Restavracija Vodnikov Hram (vodnikov-hram.si). When we walked in, we knew we were going to love this place! The restaurant was full and cozy with happy conversation taking place. I ordered chicken Ljubljana style (like chicken cordon bleu) with roasted potatoes. The menu offered many platters for 2 or more to share for only 40€. Great prices and huge portions.
After dinner, we went back to the Intercontinental to spend our $100 credit (thanks again to American Express) on a nightcap at B-Bar.
This trip was not what we had planned, and I still don’t feel like I truly experienced Ljubljana, but we were flexible, made some fantastic memories, saw another gorgeous country and met some great people. We’ll be back when the sun is shining!
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