An Ionian seaside town, Avola is a mix of old and new. The town focuses heavily on the sea, with its history as a tuna fishing port. Today, the remains of the Vecchia Tonnara at the wharf are a stone backdrop to the sandy beaches. Avola dates back to a pre-Greek people called the Sicani.…
Located about 11 kilometres north of Catania, it is the perfect little commune to visit during the ottobrata – the local festivity that occurs every October here in Sicily, celebrating the fruits of the land: frutti di terra. The first encounter went wrong already 🙂 Approaching the booth with fruit, I have noticed quince – one…
If something is worth visiting in life, it is the Aeolian islands. Becasue it makes you think about winter in the south. It makes you think about simplicity of life. And it makes you realise how not to treat the tourists: just some bags of potatoes that need to be shipped from one island to…
I haven’t had a chance to spent a bit more time discovering this city. But just a glimpse and it made me think to re-visit and make it’s due. When the time will come, I promise to update with more photos. But for now, enjoy the story 🙂 Several civilizations settled in Milazzo and left…
I didn’t expect much from this harbour city, to be honest. I knew they have a great beer – Messina cristali di sale: a great Sicilian beer brewed since 1923 and one of the most loved Italian beers. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy.…
Senlis is a city in the northern French department of Oise, Hautes de France. Cute, medieval and charming. It offered us great peek into history: The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. Senlis is situated on the river Nonette. Senlis was known in early Roman imperial times as Augustomagus. During the 3rd century, a seven-meter…
The Château de Chantilly is one of the finest jewels in the crown of France’s cultural heritage. It is the work of a man with an extraordinary destiny: Henri d’Orléans, Duke of Aumale, son of the last King of France, Louis-Philippe. This historic French château located in the town of Chantilly, Oise, about 50 kilometres north of Paris. The site…
The Scala dei Turchi is a rocky cliff on the coast of Realmonte, near Porto Empedocle. It has become a tourist attraction, partly due to its mention series of detective stories about Commissario Montalbano. The cliffs lie between two sandy beaches and are a limestone rock formation in the shape of a staircase, hence the name. The latter part…
Picture this episode: we parked on a roundabout. Some local approached us (my brother and me) – we thought because we should have not park in a roundabout, but then again they all did, so… in fact the guy just wanted to ask if we have cigarettes. Ok Sicily, episode n. At the roundabout is…
Enna or as the Sicilians would say Castrugiuvanni; is a city located roughly at the center of Sicily, towering above the surrounding countryside. It has earned the nicknames belvedere (panoramic viewpoint) and ombelico (“navel”) of Sicily. At 931m above sea level, Enna is the highest Italian provincial capital. To arrive there is not a piece of cake. Passing the two viaducts Morello and…
From its dramatic natural surroundings to its historic churches, Sicily has something to offer every traveler. The island of Sicily is a unique part of Italy. Its craggy mountains, wild vegetation, and omnipresent sea have fired the imagination of poets, wayfarers, and visitors alike. Though it is one of 20 Italian regions, its history under…
Aci Castello and the other Acis around are destinations not to be missed in Sicily, especially for lovers of Greek myths and literature. It is here that the poets Virgil and Ovid gave birth to the myth of Galatea and Aci and their love story. In the second half of 1100 the town was destroyed…
A girl who spent most of her life next to the border with Slovenia, it is hard to explain what this country is about. To me, the country of Slovenia […]
A girl who spent most of her life next to the border with Slovenia, it is hard to explain what this country is about. To me, the country of Slovenia was a place to do the shopping, the place where people speak my dialect but not my official language, a country that always complicates the border and disputes the frontier, trades politically with the borderline in order to green-light the entrance to EU etc. Also, it is a country with amazing green landscapes, with the history perplexed with my region and my country of origin, the Alps, the rivers and typical continental climate that is shared, again, with my region but not my country of origin.
So. Ljubljana is the capital and largest city of Slovenia.
My point exactly: slovenian dishes vs. the naming of the square after two pre-medieval saints from Bulgaria that were illuminating the peasants teaching Cyrillic letters
So let me start with the dishes. I know this part! Especially if you start with the market visit early in the morning, Surprisingly lot to offer and roast your imagination about slovenian cuisine.
Sometimes the country is a bit slavic – especially when you hear the language. Sometimes it behaves totally germanic. This time, enjoy the slippers and make your own conclusion. 🙂
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the area. Ljubljana itself was first mentioned in the first half of the 12th century. Situated at the middle of a trade route between the northern Adriatic Sea and the Danube region. In 14th century it becomes the part of the Habsburg Monarchy and stayed under Habsburg rule from the Middle Ages until the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. After World War II, Ljubljana became part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It retained this status until Slovenia became independent in 1991 and Ljubljana became the capital of the newly formed state.
Town square and the Town hallThe Robba Fountain
Ljubljana is a city of a dragon that nested around. You can notice this almost everywhere around the city. It symbolises power, courage, and greatness. One of the most important souvenirs is the Dragon bridge over the river Ljubljanica, which is part of river Sava. The bridge was constructed during Habsburg times so the architecture style is typical Vienna secession.
Cathedral of Saint Nicholas is early 18th century gothic church that belongs to Roman Catholicism. The site was originally occupied by an aisled three-nave Romanesque church, the oldest mention of which dates from 13th century.
History of Slovenia encaptured in the entrance doors of the Cathedral
The central square in Ljubljana is Prešeren Square. A 19th century poet, linking romanticism and politics, searching for history and legends that would form nation-state.
Just opposite stands the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation. Built between 17th century, it replaced an older Gothic church on the same site. The layout takes the form of an early-Baroque basilica with one nave and two rows of lateral chapels. The Baroque main altar was executed by the sculptor Francesco Robba – same sculptor of the fountain at Town square. Much of the original frescos were ruined by the cracks in the ceiling caused by the Ljubljana earthquake in 1895. The new frescos were painted by the Slovene impressionist painter Matej Sternen.
The Triple Bridge is a group of three bridges across the Ljubljanica River. It connects Ljubljana’s historical medieval town on one bank and the modern city of Ljubljana. It located at Presern trg and can’t be missed. Apparently the river was wobbly and the three bridges as one had to be constructed. 😀
If you stand opposite on these three bridges and look straight up, opposite of the Franciscan church, your view would eventually sport the Ljubljana castle. It takes quite some time to get up there, but it is worth it.
But before we get there, time to eat local! Cheese, ham, eggs, sparkling wine and pumpkin oil. Acombination that heats cold winter moments and makes you feeling positivity. So we ended up in Slovenska hiša, with a spice of Bosnian accent.
From 1809 to 1813, during the Napoleonic interlude, Ljubljana (under the name Laybach) was the capital of the Illyrian Provinces. In 1821, it hosted the Congress of Laibach, which fixed European political borders for years to come. The first train arrived in 1849 from Vienna and in 1857 the line was extended to Trieste. A series of earthquakes hit Ljubljana and seriously endangered the castle above and the house in Upper Ljubljana – the Old Town. This actually y favourite part of the city and I always enjoy exploring little corners, hidden behind the squares.
Now the path runs to the foot of the Castle Hill – a castle complex standing on Castle Hill above downtown Ljubljana. Originally a medieval fortress, it was probably constructed in the 11th century and rebuilt in the 12th century. It acquired its present outline with an almost complete overhaul in the 15th century, whereas the majority of the buildings date to the 16th and 17th centuries. Initially a defense structure and since the first half of the 14th century the seat of the lords of Carniola – a historical region of nowadays Slovenia.
The best part – the view on the city and surroundings! It was foggy but in certain moment I spotted the Alps and the Triglav – the highest peak of Slovenian Alps which forms the slovenian coat of arms, together with the river Sava.
Slovenia is becoming ever more popular as a prime wine destination. It produces top-quality wines and features abundant wineries, many of which are beautiful for visiting. Not to mention the passionate and oftentimes eccentric winemakers that have got a handful of exciting wine stories to tell you. If you ask me, it is quite specific – fresh but it fits with the local food – as it is supposed to be.
This is the reason we visited the City wine cellar – Grajska vinoteka – and did a bit of the wine tasting across the Slovenia. Some wine were perplexed, confusing, rich, odd. Some were simply not good although they surprised with the color. Here is what we discovered.
To the very end, I leave the images of Ljubljana: cozy, small and historical. Classical and boroqued.
Lepa Dezela, lepe Slovenke.
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Good description of my favorite city 🙂
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