A Morning in Ljubljana’s Farmers Market

Sometimes in the hustle to explore a new city, we sacrifice the slower moments.  The ones where we feel like we actually live in the city.  It’s just the nature of traveling with time limits, but when we visited Ljubljana we got to experience something pretty special.

We were in Slovenia visiting my mom’s best friend.  She and her husband work for the U.S. State Department, so get to move to a new country every few years, and we always try to visit them.  So when we stayed in Ljubljana with them, they took us to the Central Market on a weekend morning to experience this massive outdoor (and covered) event for ourselves!

We sadly didn’t have nearly enough time to enjoy Ljubljana itself before heading off on our itinerary, which included the beautiful pastel seaside town of Piran, a private tour of the Rojac winery, the powerful Vintgar Gorge, stunning turquoise Lake Bled, and the serene Julian Alps.

But we did have dinner in the archer’s tower of Ljubljana Castle the night before (awesome!) and then spent that morning walking around the old town area before hitting the market.  I am completely obsessed with that pink building.

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The Central Market is open most days (closed Sundays and holidays), though hours vary—I’d recommend checking here for updates.

It has everything from fresh Slovenian fruits and vegetables to handmade craft items, meat, herbs, fresh baked goods, and so much more.  We even got to see a traditional Slovenian dance exhibition the morning we were there.

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The sheer quantity and variety of produce was amazing.  My mom also found some hand-carved wooden kitchen implements that she had to have, and I found some awesome honey.  Also, pastries.  Because pastries are my life.

The market is located near the Dragon Bridge, one of the most recognizable sights in Ljubljana.  Legend has that Jason (yes, he of the Golden Fleece) founded Ljubljana and he and his Argonauts killed a monster (some say a dragon), making the dragon the symbol of the city.

A couple hours exploring the Central Market in Ljubljana is a can’t-miss when visiting the city!

Have you spent time in Ljubljana?  What did we miss?  I’m definitely hoping to return some day, so let me know in the comments!

Brief and casual city explorations you’ll love:

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