The three rivers of Carniola
Three men at the obelisk's base representing the region's rivers.
Jorge Franganillo — CC BY 2.0 · Ramón from Llanera, España — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Jorge Cancela — CC BY 2.0 · biosynthesis24 — CC BY 2.0
The main square of Ljubljana's old town, running below the castle hill, lined with tightly packed Baroque houses and holding the town hall and the Robba Fountain. The Robba Fountain is the piece the square is known by: a stone obelisk with three men seated at its base representing the three rivers of Carniola, carved in the eighteenth century on the model of Rome's fountains. The original was moved to the National Gallery for its preservation, and what stands in the square is an exact copy. The square is part of a continuous chain of three squares running along the riverbank — Mestni trg, then Stari trg, then Gornji trg — all of them pedestrian. That decision changed Ljubljana: the centre was closed to cars in stages from 2007, and walking became the only way to cross it. Practical points: free and always open. The area is entirely pedestrian. Cafés on the square cost more than average for the location. It is at its best early in the morning before the crowds or in the evening when the facades are lit.
Three men at the obelisk's base representing the region's rivers.
The centre was closed to traffic in stages from 2007.
Mestni, Stari and Gornji trg — a single walking route.
Old town, below the castle, Ljubljana
The Triple BridgeThree bridges in one: the masterpiece of Jože Plečnik, the architect who redrew 1 minute walk4.6
St Nicholas CathedralA green dome and twin towers above the market: Ljubljana Cathedral (1706) is Ita1 minute walk4.6
Prešeren SquareLjubljana's living room: Prešeren Square is a paved circle at the mouth of the T2 minutes walk4.8
Central MarketA riverside market by Plečnik: the Central Market stretches between the Triple B2 minutes walk4.6
Ljubljana CastleThe castle above the city: all of Ljubljana is seen from the tower of its castle3 minutes walk4.5Because the stone had been damaged by pollution and weather over two and a half centuries. The original was moved into the National Gallery, where it stands in a purpose-built glazed hall, and an exact copy was placed in the square. This is a common European solution: the copy preserves the streetscape and the original survives.
Start at the Triple Bridge, then Mestni trg, Stari trg and Gornji trg — three linked squares along the river, all pedestrian. From there climb to the castle by funicular or a twenty-minute walk, and coming down the other side returns you to the central market and the Dragon Bridge.