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| 0085 Ljubljana - Images from the city |
Posted on 28.12.2011, 11.02.2013, 17.03.2016
Situated on the river Ljubljanica, between the Alps and the Karst, Ljubljana (Laibach until 1918) was for centuries the capital of the historical region of Carniola, and even the capital of the Illyrian Provinces in the Napoleonic French Empire (1809-1813). In 1918, following the end of WWI and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, the region joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, subsequent known as Yugoslavia. After WWII, it became the capital of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia, and remains the capital of independent Slovenia, which joined the European Union in 2004.
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| 0085 Ljubljana - Aerial view of Ljubljanica, and of the castle |
The city's architecture is a mix of styles, because it was rebuild twice, first, in a Baroque style, after the 1511 earthquake, and second after the 1895 quake, this time in a Vienna Secession style. Many sectors built after the WWII have a personal touch by the Slovene architect Jože Plečnik, who also has practised in Vienna, Belgrade and Prague, and Ivan Vurnik. In the second half of the 20th century, parts of Ljubljana were redesigned by Edvard Ravnikar. The extent of Ljubljana has changed considerably in the past 40 years, mainly because some of the nearby settlements have merged with Ljubljana.
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| 2387 Ljubljana - Cafes and bars along Cankar Enbankment |
Ljubljana Castle is located on Castle Hill, overlooking the old town. The hill became a Roman stronghold after fortifications built by Illyrians and Celts, but the oldest mention of the castle dates from 1112-1125. In 1144 it was the seat of the Carinthian dukes. When in 1335 the Habsburgs took over the area, they demolished the fortress, and in the 15th century started building a new one that still stands today. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the castle became arsenal and military hospital, and later prison, which it remained until 1905, when Municipality of Ljubljana settled poor families into it. The residents stayed there until the mid-1960s, when began its renovation.
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