Knowing what to put in your suitcase when returning from visiting a city is also key to continuing to enjoy your trip without spending anything, even when you’re at home on your sofa. In the case of Ljubljana, we must not forget to tour the street markets, to talk to local farmers and to understand the spirit of Slovenia through its local products.
- Local gastronomy and wines
- Sweet Slovenian honey
- The most typical sweets: cakes, pastries and nuts
- Craftwork and lace: a little-known treasure
- Ceramics in all colours to brighten up the home
- Local art: galleries and traditional shops
- The markets and retail areas you need to visit
Local gastronomy and wines
Eating in Ljubljana is a pleasure, but eating accompanied by a good wine is also very easy, thanks to the quality of the city’s wineries and its winemaking tradition dating back to the Romans. You will find many specialist shops in Ljubljana, such as the Aleš Kristančič store, which has a wine cellar in the depths of the city’s Town Hall.
Slovenia has three main wine-producing areas, each with its own particular characteristics, but the most important is Posavje, which brings together more appellations of origin than any other region. In this area, the wine cellars are dug into the ground, and the specialities produced include dry white wines and light reds. There is also a tradition of drinking certain spirits, such as sljivovica, a fruit brandy that is typical of the country.
Sweet Slovenian honey
It is said that this has always been a country of bears and therefore of honey, so that these sweet-toothed animals have food to eat. You can buy this traditional product in almost any shop or market, but the best thing is to look out on the roads for a sign stating MED, which means that here they sell home-made honey.
Before buying any particular type, it is worth talking to the seller, who will explain the differences in colour, flavour, the type of flower, and so on. Honey is a national passion.
The most typical sweets: cakes, pastries and nuts
Ljubljana is a very sweet capital city, where you can find lots of cake shops selling its most typical products such as Kremna Rezina, which originated in the Lake Bled area but has become the national dessert. It was invented over 50 years ago in this city, and consists of layers of pastry filled with vanilla cream and custard. It is served in small but luscious squares which can be put in a box for transportation.
Easier to eat, and carry, is Potica, the traditional walnut cake. It is a type of rolled sponge, filled with walnut paste, that is served on special occasions.
Also made with nuts and cheese is Prekmurska Gibanica, a very filling dessert, so you need to be hungry to eat it. Although it is typical of the north of the country, you can buy it in any cake shop in Ljubljana.
Craftwork and lace: a little-known treasure
Ljubljana’s craftwork is a festival of colour, shape and size. You can find ceramic and wooden items decorated with the motifs of the Slovenian capital, such as the dragon, or zmaj, which is a national folkloric symbol.
However, one of the most typical souvenirs is bobbin lace, and particularly outstanding is lace from Idrija, which has had a lacemaking school since 1876.
In fact, every summer, the Lace Festival is held in the town: not just a craft festival but a gastronomic one as well.
Traditional borders for table napkins, tablecloths, towels and dresses have been modernised, and this lace now appears on more modern designs.
Ceramics in all colours to brighten up the home
Without a doubt, the most typical product to take home as a souvenir are the famous majolikas, ceramic jugs painted in bright colours and used for pouring wine.
Majolikas can be found in any souvenir shop, but the best ones are sold at craft stalls and home décor shops where different styles are available, depending on the region they come from.
Majolikas can also be used for water or other liquids, so they are a good decorative feature for any home.
Local art: galleries and traditional shops
Ljubljana is a city full of art galleries and craft shops that go beyond the usual ceramics and lace. In fact, the country has created a special stamp for products that have been made by hand, and in accordance with traditional methods, in the workshops of master craftsmen: Art&Craft Slovenija.
This logo appears on pottery products, but also on objects made of stone, felt, lace or iron. Carved wooden items are equally famous.
But one of the most striking aspects of the Slovenian capital is the number of galleries where local artists display their paintings, prints and illustrations in all styles and sizes, and which attract many tourists and local people. This kind of alternative art can even be found in some cafés.
The markets and retail areas you need to visit
The city has countless markets and fairs that fill some of the most emblematic streets at weekends or on special holidays.
One of the most important is the antiques fair held every Sunday morning near the river. The stalls are full of antiques from the former Yugoslavia, making this a very special experience.
In addition, close by and also on the riverbank, an important art market is held during the summer months, every Saturday until 4.00 p.m.
Throughout the year, the Central Market is a good place to find typical products and craft items, and if you are looking for shopping areas with other kinds of shops, the best places in the city are Nama, Maximarket and BTC City.
However, Ljubljana’s most incredible and famous street market is its Christmas market, which transforms the heart of the city into a succession of craft and gastronomy stalls every day and well into the evening.
The Miklavžev sejem, as the St. Nicholas fair is known, is equal to that of any European city, with places where you can drink mulled wine, and is open from 3rd of December until 2nd of January.
