photo: Ljubljana

Main street in Ljubljana

I loved walking around Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. It was once part of Yugoslavia but it became an independent state in 1991 when Yugoslavia broke into seven independent countries.

I think of all the cities I have been to Ljubljana has to be in the top five for beauty and warmth. It seemed magical with its castle-like buildings , open with its wide streets, friendly with its warm smiling people, most of whom spoke English fluently.

Here is a small description from Wikipedia:

Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants. Throughout its history, it has been influenced by its geographic position at the crossroads of the Slavic world with the Germanic and Latin cultures.

For centuries, Ljubljana was the capital of the historical region of Carniola,^[4] and in the 20th century it became the cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative centre of Slovenia, independent since 1991.

Read more about Ljubljana:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ljubljana

Everywhere I walked, I heard music either from street musicians or piped out music from the many cafes that were everywhere.

The main square of the city - Preseren Square - has stately old buildings, many ornate foot bridges, fountains and statues.

The Franciscan Church of the Anunciation built between 1646 and 1660.

The Triple Bridge is one of the symbols of Ljubljana. In 1929, the architect Plecnik designed this structure.

The Cobbler's Bridge, or Shoemaker's Bridge, over the Ljjubljana River dates back as far as the 13th century. It was first made of wood and later took on its present appearance. Outdoor cafes line the way to this bridge.

The Philharmonic built in 1701

There is a bike lane demarcated in red on every sidewalk. People ride by at great speed so woe to the person , especially the tourist, who gets in the way.

Don't have a bike ? No worry. Just rent one at the many convenient locations around town. Kind of a Zip -Car but for bikes

Are these bike locks ? What are they doing here ? Who put them there? Newly engaged couples place a lock here to show their hearts are locked together.