What is the Ljubljana self-guided walking tour?
The Ljubljana self-guided walking tour follows both banks of the Ljubljanica at a pace you set, with audio narration on your phone where a guide would otherwise be. Allow about 3 hours: 27 minutes of that is time on your feet, the route measures 2.2 km, and at 10 stops you stand still and listen. Nothing is timed, and no group moves off without you.
At the Ursuline Church the narration begins with the columned baroque front of 1726 and the coloured marble altar Francesco Robba carved inside. Under the green dome of St Nicholas's Cathedral it turns to the plans of the Jesuit Andrea Pozzo, the ceilings painted by Giulio Quaglio and the bronze doors added in 1996 for the visit of Pope John Paul II. Later you hear the legend that Jason and the Argonauts fought a dragon in the marshes here, and that a verse written by France Prešeren is now the Slovenian national anthem.
- Durationabout 3 hours
- Walkingabout 27 min · 2.2 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
What you do on the walk
Listen
Every stop brings narration about the place, its legends and the details you would otherwise walk past. The same text sits on screen for anyone who would rather read.
Walk on
Google Maps carries you from stop to stop: 27 minutes on foot over 2.2 km, most of it along a riverbank closed to cars.
Break off
Sit down by the water for a coffee or spend an hour in a gallery, then pick the walk up again, the same day or another one.
Eat and browse
Tips for food and shops near the route come with it. Your starting point and the order of the stops are yours to set in the app.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of people. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Walk when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who the walk suits
A first visit
One walk sorts out the squares, the bridges and the churches along the Ljubljanica and explains what you are standing in front of.
Anyone who avoids groups
No raised umbrella to follow and no meeting time: you stay where something holds you and move on when you are ready.
A single day in the city
3 hours covers the centre on both banks, which leaves the rest of the day for the castle hill, a museum or Tivoli Park.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Groups of up to 5 work best; larger groups split up, one ticket per person.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
The walk stop by stop: Congress Square, the cathedral, the Dragon Bridge, the Triple Bridge
10 stops · about 27 min walking · start: Ursuline Church of the Holy Trinity · finish: Triple Bridge
The walk opens at the Ursuline Church of the Holy Trinity on Congress Square, with the main building of the University of Ljubljana on the far side of the lawns. It drops into the old town for the Town Hall and the Robba Fountain in front of it, goes up to St Nicholas's Cathedral, and follows the market stalls to the Vodnik Monument and to the four copper dragons of the Dragon Bridge. Back across the Butchers' Bridge come the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation and Prešeren Square, and the Triple Bridge ends the walk. A different opening stop or another order can be set in the app, and no stop asks for an entry ticket.
Open the route map ↗
1Ursuline Church of the Holy TrinityStart
Built for the Ursuline nuns and consecrated in 1726, this is one of the finest baroque churches in Ljubljana. Its tall columned façade looks onto Congress Square, and inside stands a high altar of coloured marble by Francesco Robba. In front of the church rises a baroque Holy Trinity column.
2University of Ljubljana
Founded in 1919, the University of Ljubljana is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. Its main building on Congress Square was built after the earthquake of 1895 as the Provincial Palace of Carniola. Look at its richly decorated façade, typical of the rebuilding that followed the earthquake.
3Town Hall
Ljubljana's Town Hall on Mestni trg received its baroque look in the early 18th century and still serves the city council. In front of it stands the Robba Fountain, an allegory of the three rivers of Carniola made by Francesco Robba in the mid-18th century; the original is now kept in the National Gallery.
Read the full story →
4St Nicholas's Cathedral
Ljubljana Cathedral was built at the start of the 18th century to plans by the Jesuit architect Andrea Pozzo, and its green dome rises above the market. Inside, frescoes by Giulio Quaglio cover the ceilings. Look at the bronze doors added in 1996 for the visit of Pope John Paul II, which tell the history of Christianity in Slovenia.
5Vodnik Monument
This bronze statue honours Valentin Vodnik (1758–1819), a priest regarded as the first Slovene poet, who also edited the first newspaper in the Slovene language. Made by the sculptor Alojz Gangl and unveiled in 1889, it stands on Vodnik Square among the stalls of the Central Market.
6Dragon Bridge
Opened in 1901, the Dragon Bridge was one of the first reinforced concrete bridges in Europe and is built in the Vienna Secession style. Four copper dragons guard its corners, because the dragon is the symbol of Ljubljana. According to legend, the Greek hero Jason and the Argonauts fought a dragon in the marshes here.
Read the full story →
7Butchers' Bridge
This footbridge over the Ljubljanica opened in 2010, at a spot where Jože Plečnik had once planned a bridge. Couples fix padlocks to its railings as a sign of love, and bronze sculptures by Jakov Brdar, among them Adam and Eve and Prometheus, stand along it.
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8Franciscan Church of the Annunciation
Built by Augustinian monks in the mid-17th century, this pink-red baroque church passed to the Franciscans in the late 18th century. Its façade closes the north side of Prešeren Square, and inside the high altar is the work of the sculptor Francesco Robba.
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9Prešeren Square
The square is named after France Prešeren, Slovenia's national poet, whose bronze statue by Ivan Zajec has stood here since 1905 with a muse above him. A verse of his poem Zdravljica is today the Slovenian national anthem. Follow his gaze to a relief of Julija Primic, the woman he loved without return.
10Triple BridgeFinish
A single stone bridge from 1842 once stood here, until Jože Plečnik added two footbridges at an angle on either side in the early 1930s. With their white balustrades and steps down to the river terraces, the three bridges link Prešeren Square with the old town.
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Karin M. (verified owner) –
Anna– Italy –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Guida bella ma non è incluso il castello
Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Étonnant que le château n’y soit pas
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
We hebben gedurende de tour echt de highlights van Ljubljana gezien. Het is een prachtige, gemoedelijke stad!!
Christopher– United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Excellent location. Very friendly city, lots going on. They are quite rightly proud of their country and it is a great place to go. Thoroughly recommend it. The problem is, you might not want to ;leave, like us.