The photography guide to Slovenia Ljubljana
72 photo spots 466 inspiring images 4 events 14 contributors

Ljubljana photography guide

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Introduction

Although just a small city, Ljubljana has a lot to offer photographers. This is a lively city and its old town is always full of locals and tourists alike, which makes street photography very rewarding. Beautiful architecture, influenced by Italian baroque, Austrian Art Nouveau and local architect Jože Plečnik makes for a variety of subjects, classic city views and intriguing details.

Visit in Summer (May to September) for vibrant scenes of the old town. There are so many open air events that even locals cannot keep up. Street artists come from all over the world and riverside cafes are always full. Even on the hottest day you will find many subjects around the Ljubljanica river and city fountains.

Another great time to visit is in December. Ljubljana’s festive decorations make low light photography a joy and the city at night looks stunning. You can warm up your cold hands with mulled wine or a hot chocolate from one of numerous stands around the old town.

Ljubljana has few restrictions for photographers, other than respecting the usual limitations re tripods and flash photography in most museums and galleries. In most churches tripods are allowed, but be respectful when people are praying. Most of the venues do not require a property release and you can photograph freely at all public places.

Most popular Ljubljana photo spots


4 events


Events

There are many events and festivals throughout the year. Photographers will especially appreciate Summer in the old town - many street performances take place in the squares such as Prešernov trg, Mestni trg or Kongresni trg.

The Shrovetide festival (Kurentovanje Carnival) in Ljubljana is worth photographing if you are not visiting the main one at Ptuj or Cerknica. Usually held in the first 2 weeks of February, dates are always determined by preceding Easter.

Gregorjevo- the Slovenian version of Valentine’s day held on 12 March is a nice event where children make improvised rafts on Gradaščica river.

Cvetna nedelja (Saturday preceding Palm Sunday) - visit Ljubljana’s marketplace for colourful “butarice”, spring garlands.

December festivities - the old town is beautifully decorated with lights and Christmas trees throughout December. The castle is also colourfully lit and you can capture the incredible fireworks display on New Year’s Eve.


Top Picks

Take at least two nights for a quick introduction to the city. Pick one of the small hotels or private apartments in the old town, within the pedestrian zone. This is worthwhile as you can cover the whole old town on foot - Ljubljana is a small city and you don't really need to use a car or taxi for most photography locations. Gornji trg has a few nice boutique hotels and the location is within walking distance of the old town.

If you stay in the city for at least three nights, you’ll have time to cover some locations outside of the old town - Žale cemetery, Metelkova street are two good suggestions for some “alternative” city photography.

A good idea is to use Ljubljana as a base to explore nearby places, such as Škofja Loka, Kamnik and the Postojna caves. Or head out to some of the hilltop churches described in the Slovenia page of PhotoHound.


Travel

Slovenia is a safe destination for travel in general with Ljubljana said to be the safest capital in Europe. You can photograph everywhere in confidence, including at night, but apply usual common sense when out with your camera gear.

Slovenia uses standard European two-pin plugs at 220V.

The two major mobile network providers are Telekom and A1. 4G is common. Most places offer free wi-fi and there is also free public wi-fi - you need to register


Links

https://www.visitljubljana.com/
Visit Ljubljana - the official tourism website for Ljubljana, worth checking out for events and sightseeing
http://www.hiking-trail.net/
The best online resources for hiking in Slovenia
http://goop.tl/gfvqs
Best option for transfers between airports and cities in the region

Explore more photo spots in Slovenia

If you want to explore beyond Ljubljana, we have 612 photo spots and 14 events that you can visit in Slovenia.


Curated By

Luka Esenko Team
I love travelling with Neja (my wife), Brin and Fran (my little boys) and of course my camera. Having established and run my own photography workshop and tour company since 2008, creating PhotoHound has been a fantastic experience - building an app that brings all kinds of photographers around the world together to share something that I feel so passionate about.
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