Destinations
LJUBLJANA
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre
of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the
Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 300,000 inhabitants. Throughout its history, it
has been influenced by its geographic position at the crossroads of Germanic, Latin and Slavic
cultures.
For centuries, Ljubljana was the capital of the historical region of Carniola, and in the 20th
century it became the cultural, scientific, economic, political and administrative centre of
Slovenia, independent since 1991. Its transport connections, concentration of industry,
scientific and research institutions and cultural tradition are contributing factors to its
leading position.
The most scientifically acceptable hypothesis is that the city was named after the river
Ljubljanica that flows through it. The city's symbol is the Ljubljana Dragon. It symbolises
power, courage and greatness. It is depicted on the top of the tower of the Ljubljana Castle in
the Ljubljana coat-of-arms and on the Ljubljanica-crossing Dragon Bridge (Zmajski most), often
regarded as the most beautiful bridge produced by the Vienna Secession.