Ljubljana Castle is another famous symbol of the Slovenian capital, along with the Triple Bridge and the Robb Fountain. Located at the highest point of the city, it attracts the guests of Ljubljana with its medieval grandeur, extensive museum exposition and rich cultural program. Tourists can get here in two ways — on foot, having a real pleasure from walking, or by funicular.
Using the latter, you can admire the city and its surroundings from a height, but, of course, the most beautiful view opens from the upper floor of the donjon.
Ljubljana Castle has not always been a favorite tourist fortress-museum. In ancient and not very old times, proud kings lived here and beggars found shelter, defended themselves from enemies and kept weapons. And at the end of the 19th century, it even served as a prison for the outstanding Slovenian playwright Ivan Tsankar, revolutionary Lajos Battiani, writer Silvio Pellico and other less well-known prisoners.
A little history
Chronicles keep mentions of this fortress dating back to the 12th century. However, those ancient walls, unfortunately, have not been preserved to this day. Then the castle belonged to the German Spanheim dynasty, and in the 14th century it passed into the power of one of the most powerful noble families of medieval Europe, the Habsburg dynasty. The fortress that we can see now appeared here in the 15th century, after the old castle was destroyed. At the same time, a chapel was erected on the territory of the fortress. Some alterations and reconstructions took place a little later, and the watchtower was added at all at the end of the 19th century.
The purpose of the fortress in different centuries has changed according to circumstances. During the Turkish invasions, it was used for defense, during the Napoleonic Wars, an arsenal and a hospital were located in its premises, and at the end of the 19th century — a prison.
The last changes took place here already in the 20th century. The castle underwent a global reconstruction, which lasted for almost 30 years, starting in the 60s. The final touch was the construction of a funicular in 2006. Today, the Ljubljana Castle is the main attraction of the city, for which tourists from different parts of Slovenia and around the world come here. And there really is something to see here.
What to see
Once on the territory of the fortress, you can relax with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, and then go to see numerous art exhibitions, archaeological expositions, a chapel, an observation tower and, of course, a Virtual museum that tells about the history of the Ljubljana Castle.
Concerts and theatrical performances are often held within the walls of the fortress.
The castle can be inspected independently or using the services of a guide. But perhaps the most exciting and interesting excursion of the Ljubljana Castle is the “Time Machine”.
During the tour — a walk through the main milestones of the history of the castle and the whole city. On the way, the guests are accompanied by costumed characters, each of whom tells about the peculiarities of his episode in the history of the city.
For gifts and souvenirs, you should go to the Rustika Gallery (Galerija Rustika), where you can not only admire the products of national Slovenian crafts, but also buy the most liked ones.