Ljubljana

Wow - what can we say. Slovenia ties with Norway for the top of our list of favorite countries and Ljubljana welcomed us with open arms. A quick flight away from Paris and we landed at a tiny airport where we were welcomed by a polka band walking along the arrivals gates (ok it wasn’t for us, but it was still a nice way to enter a new country)!

The old part of town that is pedestrian-only and is called “Little Venice” because of the canals that run through the town. Definitely a magical place, especially lit up at night. We also didn’t feel like it was inundated with tourists, which was refreshing.

Food

Make sure you have at least one meal at Julija and try the traditional Slovenian beer Union (it’s kind of a show in how they present it to you all wrapped up like a gift)! The food was outstanding, service impeccable, and beer was delicious. All around a perfect afternoon sitting on the patio.

Špajza was another great meal we had, but was more for celebrations and honestly we liked the experience at Julija more.

For breakfast, wander along the canals and find a causal place for a traditional Slovenian breakfast: deli meats, some veggies, cheese, and bread.

See

The castle is very accessible if you’re staying in the old part of town and walking up there offers a beautiful view. We didn’t actually go in the castle, but enjoyed walking around it and exploring the park and city streets on the way back down.

Shopping

Slovenia is known for its olive oil, salt, and truffle. Definitely make sure to pick up some delicious olive oil on your way home. Our favorite was a lemon-infused olive oil, which we drizzled on pizza!