How to explore Ljubljana – An alternative city tour

Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia. The fascination about Slovenia is that it is one of the countries that implemented sustainability early on before it became trendy. It also has an authentic approach to the topic. Ljubljana was actually rewarded as Europe’s Greenest Capital in 2016 and Tree City of the World in 2020.

So, go green and take an alternative tour through Ljubljana:

Alternative transportation in Ljubljana:

First, the city is super easy to reach by bus or train. Whether you are coming from Austria, Germany, Italy or Croatia. The Flixbus station is right next to the train station. Which is not far from the city center. Ljubljana is small and easy to walk around. It is definitely pedestrian-friendly, like so many cities in Europe.

Ljubljana’s old town is all walkable. If you want to explore more of the city, like Tivoli Park or the hills of Golovec, you can take a rental bicycle or public transportation. There is a bus system in Slovenian’s capital that takes you around the city.

The rental bicycles aren’t that good, but they will bring you from A to B and they are cheap. There are a lot of bike stations around the city. The price for a weekly ticket is only 1 €. Also, the procedure is user-friendly. Just sign up first at their website. Then you will get a code sent to your email address. Enter this at the bike station and you are ready to explore Ljubljana in an alternative way.

The city from another viewpoint

The nature of Golovec

Of course, you can just follow the tourists, walk up the castle and enjoy the view. There are some other ways to have a unique view of Ljubljana. For instance, a walk up the hills of Golovec, located in the southeast of the city. The easy and well-maintained hiking areas give you a different view of Ljubljana. If you are adrenaline junky or want to try something new there are also mountain bike trails in the recreational area.

Paddle through the old town

Discover the old town on the water and go stand-up paddling. Of course, you can book a two-hour guided tour. But since searching for an alternative tour and you like to be your own guide you can easily make your own SUP tour.

Even if you have never done stand-up paddling before, there is no need to take the guided tour because it’s not so tricky and the Ljubljana River does not have such a strong current that you can sweep away.

One hour was just enough to paddle into the city center and back at a slow pace. If you want to go for a dip, you can do that never the Waii-SUP rental but not near the Ljubljana city center (the water there seemed dirtier).

There are various SUP rentals in Ljubljana, but I recommend the Waii kayak and SUP trips & rental. The prices are fair, 10 € for one hour and the staff was super friendly. Not to mention that the owner gave us a slight discount.

Right at the rental shop is a small coffee, which looks lovely. A perfect location to escape the businesses of the city center and chill next to the water. Don’t forget to check out their funny parrot in the garden! That’s something you only see on an alternative city tour.

Metelkova

Alternative tours also include artistry neighborhoods, right? What about Metelkova? Is it too touristy or still worth a visit? I would say the latter if you are into street art, funky colorful art and it’s certainly a must-see. Go there during the day, take your camera, make some awesome pictures, and watch out for the stoned hippies 😜

Well cared tourists of Ljubljana

City map and phoneless tour

Ljubljana offers different city maps. You are the winner if you get one where the bike stations and drinking fountains are marked. No annoying googling for the bike stations. Ljubljana tourism office takes good care of you, providing an excellent and very efficient city map. Ideal opportunity to leave your phone in your backpack and enjoy the present.

Drinking Water

Alternatively to other cities, around the city, you will find small drinking fountains, that are even marked on the city map. So, there is no need to buy extra bottled water, because Ljubljana is making sure you stay hydrated on hot summer days. So, don’t forget your reusable drinking bottle.