The Pink Church
I had a great night of sleep thank goodness! I slept from about 7pm to 8am and it was amazing and so needed. I then had a nice breakfast at Hotel B&B Graz (you scan your keycard to enter the breakfast area which was pretty cool) before heading to catch my train to Ljubljana, Slovenia. I had a compartment all to myself for the four-hour train ride.
I arrived in Ljubljana around 3pm to find that the service on my phone was no longer working so I had to take a cab to my hotel as I couldn’t pull up directions. Note to self: never take a cab in Slovenia! It is basically a monopoly and I was charged 12 euros for a five-minute ride. Uber is not allowed in Slovenia and it’s really no wonder why: the taxis would be out of business in a second! It was insane but I didn’t really have another option. When I got to my hotel, Antiq Palace Hotel & Spa, I was able to use the wifi to find that T-Mobile was having a global roaming service outage, so it definitely was not just me. The good news was that Ljubljana was so small that I would be able to walk everywhere and wouldn’t need directions.
Speaking of Antiq Palace Hotel, it was absolutely amazing! Thank you so much to Antiq Palace for sponsoring this night of my trip. I was greeted with such enthusiasm at the centrally located stunning hotel. The building itself was so cool and had a definite antique feel while being very luxurious at the same time. My room was just incredible: I had a huge living room, kitchenette, and giant bedroom with a king-sized bed. I couldn’t believe it when I walked in! I was also greeted with a plate of fruit which was quite refreshing.
After figuring out my plans for the day (since I couldn’t on the train due to the lack of service) I headed out to see the town! Luckily Antiq Palace Hotel was right in the center of the Old Town, and no more than a five-minute walk from anything that I wanted to see. I started my visit by walking along the water to perhaps the most well-known spot in town, Preseren Square. Preseren Square sits between the Triple Bridge and the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation. The Triple Bridge was really unique because, as the name implies, there are three walkways on it. The Franciscan Church was beautiful but the best part was its one of a kind pink facade.
My next stop was to walk along the water past two more bridges - Butcher’s Bridge (known for its many locks) and Dragon Bridge (known for its giant dragon statues). From there I took the funicular up to Ljubljana Castle. The castle sits overlooking the city and has sat there for over 500 years. It is beautiful from below and I was thoroughly enjoyed walking around the castle grounds. There is a small museum on Slovenian history and you are also able to climb to the top of the tower to look out on Ljubljana. If it hadn’t been dark you can apparently see up to a third of Slovenia on a clear day!
After walking around the castle I took the funicular back down and then made my way to eat dinner at ROBBA. It’s a really cool spot that serves traditional Slovenian food but also had a very modern feel. I had the chicken fillet Ljubljana style (filled with cheese and ham) served with mashed potatoes. It was fantastic and also tasted quite similar to chicken cordon bleu. After dinner, I walked past a square known as Town Square and along Stari trg road and then crossed the water to head back to Antiq Palace Hotel. The jet lag and lack of sleep for two days was still getting to me so I went to sleep really early again! It was a great day in Slovenia and I really enjoyed walking around the small but beautiful Ljubljana. I’m looking forward to three days in Croatia starting tomorrow!
83 countries down, 113 to go.
To learn more about Antiq Palace Hotel & Spa click here.
