Ljubljana Castle on Castle Hill

Ljubljana Castle is one of the symbols of the city, which stands proudly on Castle Hill and can be seen from many locations in the city. Most visitors to the city will stop here at least briefly. In the following, you will find information on how to get there, what you can see and something about the history of the castle itself. You can also see all points of interest on the map below.

How can you get to Ljubljana Castle?

You have a lot of options to see this tourist gem in Ljubljana. In the following, each of the options is explained in more detail

• Car – There is a road leading to the top of Castle Hill. The Road of Slovenian Peasant Rebellions branches off from Streliška Street. And at the top there is also a parking lot with 40 spaces (1 for disabled people, 2 for electric cars), 2€/h, 09-22h. In the case of an event, it will probably be difficult to get a place, so in the spirit of a healthy life and a green city, I suggest one of the following alternatives. The road leading to the castle is marked in blue on the map above.
• Bicycle – a healthier alternative, you arrive on the same asphalt path as by car. Park your bicycle in front of the entrance to the castle, as bicycle access to the courtyard is not permitted. There are also other footpaths for more physically fit cyclists. But in this case, pay attention to pedestrians
• Funicular – if you have trouble walking uphill, I would suggest this option. The lower station is on Krek’s Square and the upper one just below the castle (marked in black on the map above, 70 m height difference). The price of a one-way ticket is €3.3 and a return ticket is €6. Funicular schedule: January, February, March, November: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM, April, May, October: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM, June, July, September: 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM, December: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM. Since 2006 (the first idea for construction at the end of the 19th century) it has carried an average of around 1,000 people a day, climbing 70 m in less than two minutes. In the picture below you can see what the view looks like from the panoramic cabin, on the left you can see the remains of the medieval walls.

• Urban – electric tourist train – on a round trip with the train, which starts at the Town Hall (first and last stop), you also stop at Ljubljana Castle (2nd stop). The price for an adult is €10. More at the link

• On foot – Many footpaths lead to the castle and cross each other. Have suitable footwear, especially when the ground is wet from rain or snow. 9 starting points are marked on the map with green color.

• • Ulica na grad – begining is near the church of St. Florijana. Half way up there is junction with the Reber path. You can continue on the easier Osojna pota (the steep Osojna steza branches off) or the steeper Mačja steza
  • Reber – at Stari trg, a narrow path with steep steps goes upwards and ends at the junction with Ulica na grad, prevoiusly descriped 3 possible ways to continue
  • Študentovska poti – from the Ljubljana’s main market (Vodnikov trg) head up the Študentovska poti, soon it is renamed to Za ograjami path, it is most challnging way to the top. Half way up the Ovinki path branches off, I use this option most of the times.
  • Stopnice na grad – There are steep steps between the Puppet Theater and the tunnel leading to the castle
  • Lončarska steza – joins the Cesta slovenskih kmečkih uporov
  • Cesta slovenskih kmečkih uporov– the asphalted path, which is the least steep and the easiest, can also be driven by car.
  • Roška – at the intersection of Roška/Streliška, the path begins with steps and joins the Cesta slovenskih kmečkih uporov. At the beginning a steep path branches off along the roots, which joins the Karlovška path
  • Karlovška – at the traffic light with Roška, ​​the path starts uphill and later joins the Cesta slovenskih kmečkih uporov. Easiest and longest way to the top. There are many options to cross ridge towards the castle
  • Tunel – next to tunnel under castle hill. Least popular, use it to avoid crowds

What can you see at Ljubljana Castle and Castle Hill?

On Castle Hill the main attraction is, of course, the Ljubljana Castle (red marks on the map), where you can see and experience several things. But besides the castle, there are a lot of interesting things (blue marks on the map) on the hill itself. Both are described below

Ljubljana Castle

In the castle, inside the walls, there are many things worth seeing (in red on the map). Some content is paid for, bolded below:

• Entrance pavilion – a ramp that leads to the entrance at the Shooting Tower
• Castle courtyard – venue for events, e.g. Movie under the stars, enclosed space, level but divided towards the entrance, there is also a castle vine, model, fountain, …, 3350 m²
• Castle Penitentiary – prison, solitary confinement, late 19th century, Ivan Cankar, Hinko Smrekar
• An open-air prison, prisoners: Turks/Protestants/peasant rebels were let in through the ceiling
• Chapel of St. George – year 1489, the oldest part of the castle, weddings, a fresco of St. George kills the dragon, painted ceiling with the coats of arms of the nobles 1747, last renovation 1992, Gothic
• Puppet Museum – images of Slovenian puppet art, 1910–1990
• Gun powder storage – 15th Century, an exhibition of Slovenian history in six sections, opened 2010
• Castle Bastija – terrace on the north-eastern side of the castle (used by the castle wine cellar) – 250 m²
• Lapidary – basement floor of the castle (lower and upper part, S Gallery, Castle Theatre)
• Dragon’s Lair – 16th century, once an armory, under the wedding halls, intended for children (1999-2016 Mini theater)

• Towers
  • Pentagonal tower – 16th century, once a drawbridge and residence of the manor, 31.5 m²
  • Archer tower – 15th century, sgraffito Kobe/Pregelj 1953, renovation 2013, ground floor hall, upper floor restaurant, 49.5 m²,
  • Lookout tower – 1848 brick replaces the wooden one (Piskačev tower from 1544 to 1813), peak 400 m above sea level
  • Erazem’s Tower – 15th century, once a nobleman’s prison (Erazem Predjamski), permanent installation of replicas of medieval weapons (armor, bow, crossbow, …)
  • Frederick’s Tower 1./2. upper floor – in the 15th century, between the Stanovska hall and the Palace, once the home of the lady of the castle, 31.5 m²

• Halls that can also be rented
  • Hribar’s Hall and Armory – named after the former Mayor, above the Castle Inn, 179 m²
  • Palacij Hall – in the 16th century protocol space, 191 m²
  • Apartment hall – 164 m²
  • Circulating Hall – connected to the Residence Hall, 203 m²
  • Rock Hall – under Castle Cafe, Jazz Club on weekends, visited by Elizabeth II, 270 m²
  • White hall – wedding, renovation 2014, 74 m²
  • Blue hall – wedding, renovation 2014, 74 m²
  • Casemate – multi-purpose hall, renovation completed in 2023, formerly a prison, carpentry workshop
• Shops and catering facilities
  • Friderik (mascot of the castle) – shop where you can buy some souvenirs
  • Strelec – restaurant (Michelin star)
  • Gostilna na gradu – restaurant (mentioned in the Michelin guide), arcades, my visit
  • Grajska vinoteka – offers a large selection of local wines and snacks, has a terrace (Bastija) with a wonderful view of the city (open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., in winter until 8 p.m.)
  • Grajska kavarna – a place where you can have a drink or a dessert (Tower cake)
• Experiences
  • Virtual castle – watch a film with the history of the castle
  • Castle Escape – an escape room in a castle environment, the mission is to save the dragon
  • Castle Theater – various performances, 161.5 m²
  • Castle days – medieval camp and open day
  • Time machine – a guided tour of the castle where costumed actors await you at 6 stations

Castle Hill (376 m above sea level)

On the northwest side of the hill is a castle on a plateau. From there, the following points (blue on the map) line up to the southeast

• Vodnjak s pohodnim gonilnim kolesom – in the immediate vicinity of the castle, a 60 m deep well was built in the time of Emona, at the beginning of the 19th century it was dug again by the French and a wooden walking driving wheel was added to it (two convicts moved it with their own weight). It belongs to the technical heritage.
• Spomenik kmečkim uporom – 1974, 5m high bronze sculpture (sculptor Stojan Batič, base Vladimir Braco Mušič), south of the castle, below Lipnik, 500th anniversary of peasant revolts in Slovenia,
• Grajski drevored – this avenue connects Ljubljana Castle with Šanci along the route where the walls once ran. The row of chestnut trees was planted by gardener Vaclav Hejnic (1864-1929) in 1905 (the arrival of the Austrian emperor).
• Šance – 16th century, city bastion (fortifications), Jože Plečnik, renovation of the ruins (1935), last renovation 2018, RTV transmitter
• Kapelica – a chapel built in 1916 by Major Karl the Noble Knight Kern, dedicated to the Holy Mother of God Mary, in the grove of Regalijev gaj
• Tulipani – planted tulips in the serpentine Cesta slovenskih kmečkih uporov
• Poligon – training point
• Orlov vrh – is located from the Ljubljana Castle towards the south-eastern part of Castle Hill. The peak was named after dr. To Jožet Orl, the deputy mayor of Ljubljana from the 19th century, who owned some land on Castle Hill.
• Grajski vinograd – vineyard on the southern slope of Castle Hill under Orlovi vrhom planted in 2016 (Ljubljana “green capital of Europe”), they planted 1050 vines, 500 white belpin varieties (chardonnay), and 550 red vines of red grape variety (zweigelt).
• Plečnikov čebelnjak – replica of apiary that was designed by great architect in Czech Republic, close to begining of the Tunnel path

History of Ljubljana Castle

Source: Zmago Tančič

• 1200 BC – the Younger Bronze and Iron Ages, the first settlements and fortifications (fortification site-embankment and palisades), a culture of barrow burials
• Illyrians/Celts
• 100 BC to 452 Romans – Emona, destroyed by Attila in 452, on Castle Hill a well, probably a temple (statues of the gods Ekurna and Belina and coins found) and a tower
• 6-8 century, settlement of the Slavs, there are no archaeological remains
• 11th century – the first wooden castle was built
• between 1112 and 1125 – the castle is first mentioned in writing (Videm), Rudolf of Tarcento/Čenta donated a small property near Ljubljana Castle to the Ogle chapter
• 1144 – owned by the Spanheims, minting their own money (finds 1164 and 1183), Laybach
• 1146 – Luwigana
• 1220 – Bernard of Spanheim: in palacio nostro Leibach
• 1243 – mentioned Castle and the walled city below it
• 1256 – castrum capitalis – Laybach, brick castle
• 1269 – death of Ulrik Spanheim, change of ownership frequent for the next 66 years (Otokar II. Přemysl)
• 1335 – hereditary property of the Habsburgs and the center of Carniola
• 1415 – the first Turkish invasion
• 1416, 1448, 1463 and 1478 – provincial princes
• 1442 – Battle of Ljubljana, unsuccessful siege of Count Ulrik of Celje and Duke Albrecht of Habsburg (citizens get certain rights)
• 1489 – consecrated chapel of St. George (Gothic, later baroque)
• 1496 – the duke’s tower Padav/Šance was built
• 15th century – Frederick III, enlarged: closed walls with brick towers and two entrance towers
• 1511 – renovation after the earthquake (destroyed a large part of the city walls and eight towers), dimensions to date
• 1515 – peasant revolt; the peasants unsuccessfully attacked the castle
• 1580 – connected city walls and castle with the Padau bastion
• 16th century – new buildings are added
• 1630, 1686, 1737 – fire at the castle, danger from gunpowder
• 17th century – new buildings are added, there is no longer a residence, a military warehouse, a barracks and a military hospital
• 1747 – painting of the castle chapel with 60 coats of arms of provincial governors (Lenkovič, Lamberg, Auersperg, Kacijaner, Thurn, …)
• 1793 – idea to demolish the castle
• 1797 and 1809-1813 – French – Illyrian provinces, barracks and military hospital
• 1814 – the castle was turned into a penitentiary, up to 10 years in prison, rebuilt
• 1848 – observation tower (92 steps, cannon-fire/events, replaces Piskačev tower – played at 11 a.m., three trombones and one cornet)
• 1895 – great earthquake
• 1905 – property of the city municipality (price 60,200 kroner), Hribar, cultural institutions and apartments
• 1914-1918 – World War I, political (Ivan Cankar, Hinko Smrekar, Ferdo Vesel, Juš Kozak) and prisoners of war
• 1935 – restoration of Šance by Plečnik
• 1939-1945 – World War II, prison, Italians then Germans
• 1945-1963 – housing for 60 socially vulnerable families (castle republic, carpentry, newspaper, Mojimir/Majda Sepe)
• 1969-2023 – restoration of the castle (research, revitalization, restoration), basis authenticity, Ambient (Kobe) completed
• 1982 – renovation of the tower, raised by 1.2m
• 1990 + weddings at the castle
• 2000+ events at the castle
• 2006 + funicular (idea already in 1897 Hribar)
• 2009 – reconstruction of the tower, fence
• 2011 – under the management of the Public Institution Ljubljana Castle
• 2023 – completion of renovation

Floor plan of the Ljubljana Castle, Kobe, 1965

Source: MK – QR