Here are 9 really interesting secret places in Ljubljana. Even though I live here, these are places and addresses that took me a long time to find. Sometimes it took me several years to finally stumble across them or hear about them, usually from my Slovenian friends. Here you’ll find a list of nice places where you won’t come across any other tourists (unless they’re also reading this blog to prepare their visit to Ljubljana…).
Small, empty tables overlooking the central square
These little tables are empty all summer because they are invisible to tourists and hard to reach. However, the view is superb and when it’s very hot in summer, you can enjoy both the coolness of the river and their shade.
Here’s how to get to them, because it’s not that easy.
- Reach the beginning of the series of columns at the Plecnik market,
- Go down the spiral staircase marked Ribarnica.
- Cross the restaurant and you’re there.
You’ll enjoy a totally secret view of Ljubljana’s central square and the three bridges. Have a drink or a coffee here.
And don’t forget : You’ll also need to use this staircase to get to the most secret corners of the Ljubljana market.
Please note : In 2025, this restaurant-café is being renovated.
The amazing railway museum
This little-known railway museum is well worth a visit. Here you’ll find old locomotives in an atmosphere reminiscent of a remote Siberian village. And yet this museum is less than two kilometres from the old centre of Ljubljana!
It’s my favourite museum in Ljubljana!
It’s also your children’s favourite museum, as they can climb into the locomotives and handle the levers of the old signalmen. An unforgettable trip back in time! It’s also a great place to take amazing photos for your Instagram account.
Price : Admission to the museum is €8 (adults) and €4 (children).
The hilltop village of Orle
This small village is located high above Ljubljana, in the forest. You start off in the E.Leclerc hypermarket shopping area, then climb a winding road into the Golovec forest. After a few kilometres, you arrive in Orle, an authentic Slovenian village with splendid views towards southern Slovenia and the Krim mountain.
I often visit this village by mountain bike. I’ve got lots of good tips. They are below. Read them carefully.
Also worth doing : Go through the whole village to the Orle fire station ( Prostovoljno gasilsko društvo – go below the handball pitch for a good view).
Aftera 500 m walk, you’ll also have a view of Slovenia’s highest mountain, Triglav, to the east and the Julian Alps to the north. The view of Triglav is from this GPS point (46.017791, 14.575133).
The atmosphere in the village is astonishing when you remember that just a few minutes ago, you were on the busy avenue of a capital city, not far from a large shopping area.
One of the best views is from the Gostilnica Orle restaurant car park and, of course, from the top of the restaurant’s free wooden tower. Save it for the very end of the tour. You’ll even see the Julian Alps.
At sunset : The place is magical at sunset.
A traditional village just minutes from the hustle and bustle of Slovenia’s capital
To get to Orle, don’t miss the little road that leads up to it. Even if you have a GPS, you absolutely must find your way at the Petrol service station (address: Dolenjska cesta 242f). The small road is just ahead. It’s right next to the petrol station and hard to find, so keep this in mind.
As soon as you enter the village, you’ll see this gostilna Orle restaurant next to the tower with the beautiful view I was telling you about. For a long time the food was rubbish, but recently it’s become hearty and not so bad (large portion style and not at all gourmet – order Ribs, the restaurant’s signature dish. They are served with fried potatoes).
For a coffee break or a large cold Slovenian beer, it’s perfect and more and more Ljubljaners are coming here.
By taxi: Expect to pay €10 to get there. Take the right companies.
Where : The orle village is here.
There’s a pleasant walk from Orle along the street that runs northwards past the tiny white chapel. Direction ( 46.017791, 14.575133 ). Follow the ridge through the forest for half an hour, then turn around.
Longer walk in the forest : Park at Sveti Urh and walk for an hour to Orle. Eat or have a drink, then head back down to Sveti Urh.
Tip : You can also watch the sunset at the foot of the basketball court and at the top of the tower. Superb!
A botanical garden
A botanical garden hidden away at the end of the centre. It won’t be the most beautiful of your life, but the walk to get there follows the river and it’s pleasant. Follow the dirt path as close as possible to the water. This walk will help you discover Ljubljana.
A shady, bucolic spot in summer
It’s easy to get here from the city centre: just follow the river Ljubljanica as closely as possible, against the current, on the left bank. It’s a pleasant 20-minute walk along the water’s edge to the university’s botanical garden, where you’ll find the terrace.
In winter : You can visit the tropical greenhouse and keep warm.
Location: Botanični vrt Univerze
Prulcek concert bar
Open for several years now, this bar has quickly become an institution in the Slovenian capital. The programme includes a small concert every evening. As the bar is outside the old town and in the middle of apartment blocks, it’s impossible for tourists to find.
Lovers of small concerts should definitely go there
If you like live music and good beer, this café lost in the middle of apartment blocks is the place to start an evening in Ljubljana. It’s within easy walking distance of the city centre.
The programme is announced on the bar’s website.
A Serbian restaurant hidden in the forest
A Slovenian friend introduced me to this place. After more than a year in Ljubljana, I still hadn’t come across it. In short, if you spend just a few days in Ljubljana, tourists have no chance of finding this traditional Serbian restaurant hidden in the forest, which has been serving delicious grilled meats for over a century.
A centuries-old address for discovering Serbian cuisine
- Skilful old waiters,
- Magnificent terrace,
- Impeccable white tablecloths…
An authentic evening awaits you here. A reference address for the people of Ljubljana, who flock here at weekends.
Restaurant Cad is located in Tivoli Park. It’s a 20-minute walk from the heart of the city centre, mainly through the forest in the immense Tivoli Park, making for a fun and original day out! (Take Pod turnom, then Podrozniska pot).
On site: There’s a lovely terrace under the trees.
The restaurant website: www.gostilna-cad.si/.
Serbian cuisine is all about grills. Make sure you get some Kajmak and Serbian bread(lepinja), as these are what will make your grills delicious.
Add a sopska solata (small Serbian salad) on the side and a large, cold beer. Enjoy your meal!
Ski jumps hidden in Tivoli Park
In the forest in the centre of Ljubljana, you wouldn’t expect to find three ski jumps. But there they are. They are used in summer and winter thanks to a synthetic surface and a snow cannon, but you’re unlikely to see any jumpers.
To see the jumps, head to Mostec in the heart of Tivoli Park(Smučarski skakalni klub Ilirija). Follow the Mostec signs around the park and ask the many joggers and walkers you come across for directions.
If the door to the staircase is not locked, climb to the top of a springboard for a great view. Just 200 metres from the springboards, an inn serves teas and lunches in a traditional atmosphere. Well worth a visit.
The way back : From the Rekreacijsko društvo Mostec hostel, head south up the wooded hill via the small hiking trails. The hustle and bustle of the Slovenian capital will seem a long way away. You can then walk to the Roznik restaurant for lunch or dinner, which I mentioned at the start of this article.
The Koseski bajer pond
Not at all secret for Ljubljaners, this pond is for tourists because it is three kilometres from the city centre, hidden behind the immense Tivoli Park. A very relaxing place! From the wooden pontoon where you can lie down, you can enjoy a view of the hills of the Polhograjski Dolomiti nature park.
A pond you can reach by bike from Ljubljana city centre
Around the pond, you’ll find three bars where you can sip a cappuccino: on the water’s edge at bar kačji pastir or in a more modern atmosphere at Kavarna Lokus.
My tip : Cycle to this pond along the route I recommend in the 2-hour bike ride in Ljubljana.
In winter, when it’s freezing, you can skate there. A treat for the senses, but it rarely happens.
Let’s finish off with three other places that could have made this list,
- plecnik’s Nuk university library
- Metelkova
- the Smarna Gora hill.
Roznik’s traditional restaurant
This traditional restaurant is on top of one of the hills in Tivoli Park. Almost nothing has changed since this photo was taken! It’s incredible. Here you’ll find a traditional, authentic and relaxing Slovenian atmosphere. Take a seat on the big wooden tables outside.
This traditional restaurant has remained unchanged for a century
It’s a 40-minute walk through the forest from the centre of Ljubljana. It’s a pleasant traditional place for a coffee or a snack. From the terrace of this simple restaurant, if visibility is good, you can enjoy a beautiful view of southern Slovenia and the Krim mountain (1,107m).
To find it, follow the Roznik signs in Tivoli Park. Ask the many Slovenians you meet for directions, as they walk through this green lung of the Slovenian capital. The forest walk is interesting because it gives you an idea of just how green Ljubljana is, but it will be similar to a forest walk in France.
Note : If you’re short of time and don’t particularly like walking in the forest, then skip this visit.
2025 : Change of ownership, the restaurant is not as good at the moment but still open.