9th-12th September 2012
Ljubljana
Capital of Slovenia.
View along a central street towards the red/pink-coloured Franciscan Church of the Annunciation. Tatiana in the foreground.
Steps up to the main door of the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation. The church was built 1646-60, replacing an older church on the site. It was commissioned by Franciscan monks, the red colour is symbolic of their order.
Busy Prešeren Square: this central square is a popular meeting point. Tony and Tatiana are in front of a bronze sculpture of Slovene national poet France Prešeren with a muse. The bronze figures are stood on a stone pedestal. This monument was erected in 1905. The sculpture itself was designed by Ivan Zajec and the pedestal by Max Fabiani.
Evening. Tony and Tatiana outside Sokol restaurant touching a model of a chef holding a menu board. Ciril Metodov trg 18, Old Town. This restaurant offers authentic Slovenian cuisine, complete with all waiters and waitresses dressed in traditional costume.
Fountain of the Three Carniolan Rivers (or Robba’s Fountain) located in Town Square (Mestni trg). It is dark but detail on the fountain is well-lit. A fish with water flowing from its mouth and a man holding an urn can be seen. This fountain was constructed in 1751 by the Italian sculptor Francesco Robba and is one of the city’s most recognisable symbols. This is a replica as the original was moved to the Slovenian National Gallery in 2006.
View across the Triple Bridge over the Ljubljanica River at the side of Prešeren Square. The central stone-arch bridge dates from 1842. Additional bridges were added on each side by architect Jože Plecnik in 1932. The bridges connect the old town on one side with the modern city on the other.
The side of Prešeren Square. Trees outside the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation.
View of the Triple Bridge from between trees. Looking towards the old town.
Tony and Tatiana stood on the Triple Bridge.
View along Stritarjeva Street leading from the Triple Bridge to Town Square.
Tony and Tatiana in front of the Fountain of the Three Carniolan Rivers in Town Square.
Another view of carving on the fountain.
Pedestrian street off Town Square. It is lined with attractive Baroque style buildings.
Outside Saint Nicholas’ Cathedral. The present cathedral was built at the beginning of the 18th century.
The City Door (or Ljubljana Door) into the cathedral. This heavy bronze door contains busts of various bishops of the city. It was sculpted by Mirsad Begic in 1996.
Inside the cathedral. The walls and ceiling are covered with frescos and gold gilding.
The cathedral’s ceiling. It was painted by Giulio Quaglio in the early 18th century.
View along the central aisle to the main altar.
The cathedral’s main altar.
Tony and Tatiana going up the funicular railway to Ljubljana Castle.
Approaching the top station of the funicular railway. View of the town below.
Tony and Tatiana outside Ljubljana Castle. It is located on a hill overlooking the city on a site which has been occupied since 1200 BC. In the background is the castle’s Outlook Tower, which dates from 1848.
The castle’s central courtyard. A hotchpotch of buildings dating from various periods. The part seen looking straight ahead dates from the 1960s.
Tony and Tatiana in the castle’s courtyard square.
Tatiana, Tony, on the castle ramparts. Parts of the ramparts date from the 15th century.
View down into the town from the ramparts. The Ljubljanica River immediately below with the new city extending beyond.
Another view across the city with the Julian Alps rising up on the horizon.
Tony and Tatiana at Dragon Bridge. One of the four bronze dragons that sit on stone pillars at either end can be seen. The bridge was constructed in 1888, but the dragons weren’t added until 1901.
Another bridge over the river. This is Butcher’s Bridge which opened in 2010. The metal wires at the sides of the bridge are filled with padlocks. These ‘love padlocks’ are attached by couples as a symbol of enduring love.
View along the river looking from Butcher’s Bridge.
Pogacar Square with the Cathedral behind. The stalls in the foreground are part of Ljubljana’s central market.
Leafy Congress Square (Kongresni trg).
Tatiana in Congress Square.
View of Ljubljana Castle from Congress Square.
In a corner of Congress Square looking towards the Ursuline Church of the Holy Trinity. In front is the Column of the Holy Trinity. This stone column was erected in 1693. It is actually a replica because the original is now housed in the City Museum.
Tony and Tatiana outside the front of the Ursuline Church of the Holy Trinity. The church was built between 1718 and 1726 in the Baroque style.
Tatiana touching a marble font inside the church.
The main altar. Marble columns with a large painting in the middle.
Looking back along the central aisle to the main doorway. A balcony and organ above.
Tatiana on a central street by a marble monument dedicated to Franc Rozman – Stane (1911 – 1944). He was a Slovenian partisan commander in World War II.
Tony, Tatiana, outside the Slovenian Parliament building. The main doorway incorporates an impressive surround of bronze sculptures: nude figures all performing tasks or holding objects.
Tatiana touching one of the bronzes: a man with a child.
Another bronze sculpture: a man holding a shell to his ear.
A column of the bronze figures.
Outside the Gallery of Modern Art.
A sign advertising an exhibition outside the front of the Gallery of Modern Art.
Tony at the bottom of some steps touching a stone sculpture of a wolf near a large building in Tivoli Park.
Tatiana eating an ice cream at a café.
Postojna
Postojna Caves. Tony and Tatiana sitting in a train that takes visitors into the cave system.
Inside part of the 21.5km-long cave complex. The ceiling studded with stalactites. A column formed out of the limestone rock at the side.
Looking from a platform at an enormous stalagmite standing in front.
Tony and Tatiana with other visitors in one of the caves.
Looking towards Predjama Castle. This 700-year-old castle is built into the mouth of a large cave with a towering cliff face above.
Looking across a green, leafy, slightly misty valley from Predjama Castle.
View into a small cave at Predjama Castle. A model depicting a man holding on to a rope pulley.
Part of the castle’s exterior. Walls built into the cliff and a mass of rock overhanging above.
Tony and Tatiana outside the castle. Nice view of the valley behind.
Tony standing in a stone doorway inside the castle.
Tatiana and Tony sitting at a window.
Tony touching a bell hanging in a small window.
Steps leading up into Predjama Castle cave.
Tony and Tatiana outside Predjama Castle.
Bled
The shore of Lake Bled. A cloudy and wet day. Away in the distance the Church of the Assumption can just be seen on Bled Island in the lake.
Looking up at Bled Castle, located on an outcrop of rock 139 metres above the lake.
Tony and Tatiana by Lake Bled.
Exterior of Saint Martin’s Church in Bled. A Neo-Gothic structure built between 1903-05.
Tatiana, Tony outside St Martin’s Church.
View of mountains in the distance from St Martin’s Church.